Early BC Punk Crew the Dishrags Honoured with New Rarities Comp

BY Gregory AdamsPublished Apr 3, 2014

A killer piece of Canadian punk history is about to be unearthed via a new compilation of previously unreleased material from Victoria-bred combo the Dishrags. Titled Three, the vinyl LP arrives this May through Supreme Echo.

A press release explains that the release features live performances found on a box of live tapes in 2008, with the recordings being plucked directly from the soundboards. This includes a 1979 show at Vancouver's Commodore Ballroom, where the Dishrags opened up for the Clash. The comp dusts off these 14 unreleased recordings while also adding the Dishrags' debut 7-inch Past Is Past, "I Don't Love You" and "Bullshit" from the Vancouver Complication collection.

Formed in Victoria in 1976 as Dee Dee and the Dishrags, the all-female teenage trio of Dale Powers, Scout, and Jade Blade were originally influenced by T. Rex and Suzi Quatro before they discovered punk through the Ramones. The "Dee Dee" was dropped following a few shows, and the band uprooted from Victoria out to Vancouver.

After appearing on the Vancouver Complication LP, with "I Don't Love You" being co-written by Jade Blade and future Avengers member Brad Kent, the band went down to Seattle to record Past Is Past. Following the departure of bassist Dale Powers in 1979, the group expanded into a quartet, but broke up a year later, leaving behind a posthumous EP called Death in the Family.

While Three has yet to arrive, a second collection called Four is also apparently on the horizon, tough details have yet to arrive in full. A record release party for Three takes place May 24 at Vancouver's Railway Club, though the band will not perform. They will also be doing a meet-and-greet at Neptoon Records earlier in the day.

Three:

Side 78:

1. I Don't Love You
2. Bullshit
3. What Do You Want Me To Be? *
4. High Society Snob *
5. I Don't Wanna Walk Around With You *
6. Rebel Kind *
7. Tormented *
8. Double Checkin' Woman *
9. Quick Step *
10. Friday Night Date $

Side 79:

11. Past Is Past
12. Tormented
13. Love Is Shit (it's Goodbye)
14. Just Another Girl #
15. Sold Out #
16. Craven A... #
17. Public Enemy #
18. Bullshit #
19. I Don't Love You #
20. London's Burning #

* live at the Windmill, Vancouver, BC, October 23, 1978
$ live at Gary Taylor's Rock Room, Vancouver, BC, October 1979
# live at the Commodore Ball Room, Vancouver, BC, January 31, 1979

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