Take It Away

The Garbagemen were a Toronto punk, funk and new-wave group active during the mid-to-late 1980s. Closely associated with the Cameron House and the Queen Street West scene, the band developed a raw, theatrical sound that combined abrasive rock, funk-driven rhythms, political satire and unconventional instrumentation.

The principal lineup heard on their album featured Howard ‘Zephyr’ Szafer on lead vocals, soprano and tenor saxophones and bass clarinet, Howie Moscovitch on bass and guitar, and Glenn Milchem on drums. Guitarist and composer John Gzowski was also part of the Garbagemen during their Queen Street period, although he does not appear among the musicians credited on their 1986 album. Gzowski later described the Garbagemen as the most notable of the groups he played with in Toronto’s 1980s Queen Street scene.

The Cameron House became the group’s musical home. Milchem later remembered the Garbagemen as one of the first bands he joined after beginning to perform professionally in Toronto. Their regular appearances helped establish a following among musicians and audiences around Queen Street West. Drummer Mike Belitsky recalled attending the band’s Wednesday-night Cameron House performances and approaching Milchem for lessons.

The Garbagemen used a less conventional arrangement than most punk groups. Rather than building everything around distorted electric guitar, their music relied heavily on Moscovitch’s bass, Milchem’s forceful drumming and Szafer’s saxophones, bass clarinet and dramatic vocals. The result was an energetic mixture of punk, funk and angular new wave, a combination also reflected in contemporary descriptions of the group’s Queen Street sound.

Their lyrics were central to the band’s identity. Songs such as ‘Dustbin Dissidents,’ ‘Opiates, Religion of the Masses,’ ‘Boy Scouts in Bondage,’ ‘Bills Bills Bills’ and ‘Ancient Eyes’ addressed consumerism, organized religion, masculinity, social convention and middle-class respectability. The writing was confrontational and frequently absurd, using crude humour, exaggeration and wordplay to deliver its political and social commentary.

The group’s principal release was the album Take It Away, issued independently on Craps in 1986. It was digitally recorded live at the Cameron Public House on July 16, 1986, capturing the Garbagemen in the setting where their sound and stage presence had developed.

The album contained eleven original songs: ‘Dustbin Dissidents,’ ‘Donkey Dick,’ ‘Opiates, Religion of the Masses,’ ‘Uranus Rising,’ ‘Boy Scouts in Bondage,’ ‘Pull It,’ ‘No Qualms,’ ‘Wild Thingie,’ ‘Clapped Out,’ ‘Bills Bills Bills’ and ‘Ancient Eyes.’ Most were written by Szafer and Moscovitch, with ‘Pull It’ credited to Szafer and ‘Wild Thingie’ written by Szafer and Milchem.

Paul Bauman and Perren Baker engineered the live recording, with sound by the Echo Brothers. Bauman later remixed the album at Studio 1 with assistance from Baker and Peter Moore. The recording was digitally edited and mastered at Straight Wire, and George Graves cut the lacquer.

The live format suited the group. Szafer moved between singing, shouting and reed playing, while Moscovitch and Milchem maintained a heavy but flexible rhythm section beneath him. Several songs stretched beyond standard punk lengths, allowing the band to shift between direct rock passages, funk grooves, noisy improvisation and theatrical spoken sections.

Take It Away documented the best-known version of the Garbagemen near the end of Milchem’s tenure. The band continued in other forms after his departure, and a later cassette titled 8 Rough Mixes of 16 Beds appeared in 1989.

Glenn Milchem went on to one of the most prominent careers associated with the group. After playing with Vital Sines, Whitenoise, Groovy Religion, the Plasterscene Replicas and Andrew Cash, he was invited to audition for Blue Rodeo in December 1991. He recorded Lost Together with the group, became a full member and remains Blue Rodeo’s drummer. Milchem has also written and recorded his own material with The Swallows and under his own name.

John Gzowski developed an extensive career as a guitarist, composer, musical director and sound designer. His work has crossed experimental jazz, improvised music, theatre, dance and music from numerous world traditions. He has performed with artists and ensembles including Tasa, Maza Meze, Altin Yildiz Orkestar, Siyakha and many Canadian new-music and improvising groups.

Howie Moscovitch continued as a songwriter, musician and producer. He later founded Made to Order Music, creating custom theme songs and original music for businesses, podcasts, events and other clients.

Howard ‘Zephyr’ Szafer continued working as a musician and performer. He also appeared as an actor in the Canadian film Giant Steps and in the 1995 science-fiction film Johnny Mnemonic

-Robert Williston