User:Humanmanguy/sandbox



Ham was a Canadian Noise-rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba. The band formed in 1995 and was active until 2008. Their sound was defined by complex guitar chords and harmonies, busy bass lines usually played within odd-time signatures, and driving rhythms with melodic vocals and surreal lyrics. The band was formed by the two main songwriters Paul Lafreniere (lead vocals, guitar) and Jim Demos (vocals, guitar). Its first line up included Benoit Morier (bass guitar) and Joe Fiola (drums). Morier moved to Montreal and was replaced by Devin McCracken in 1997. Fiola left the band in 2001 and was replaced By Bradley Piggot in 2002. They have gradually come to be acknowledged as an important part of underground music scene in Winnipeg.

Early Years: 1993-1996
Paul Lafreniere and Jim Demos were introduced at drummer Joe Fiola's housewarming party in Winnipeg's Osborne Village area in 1993. At the time, Lafreniere was playing guitar in a Franco-Manitoban alternative rock band called Static Seizure. After drinking, discussing music and jamming on a acoustic guitar at the party, Lafreniere and Demos agreed to jam in Lafreniere's basement. They first formed a band called Billy. The band performed at a jam night at the Rolling Stone Cabaret and was hosted by Glen Willows of the band Harlequin. The performance was a disaster and the band broke up the same night.

Lafreniere and Demos continued writing songs together and formed Ham in 1995 with Benoit Morier on Bass, who was just 15 at the time and Joe Fiola on Drums. Ham performed live for the first time in 1995 at the Festival De Voyager for the Le 100 Nons Showcase. Oddly, the performance featured a trumpet and trombone player.

Their second live performance was a Sunday night amateur showcase at Georgies Bar in Winnipeg resulting in the band being verbally abused along with the bar's ashtrays and beer bottles being thrown at them, one nearly hitting Lafreniere in the head.

Word Up from the Mothership! 1996
The band self-recorded their first EP demo Word up from the Mothership! in 1996 on a four-track recording machine in the basement and garage of Morier's house. The recording was released independently on tape cassette. The artwork is a photocopied picture from cut out of a tabloid newsprint of a man with an alien mask. Only sixty copies were made.

Kneel Before Pachacuti
The second ep Kneel Before Pachacuti featured a different album cover from each member of the band. It was produced using the recording equipment at the Centre Culturel Franco-Manitobain(CCFR) The band got the idea for the title after watching a National Geographic documentary about the Inca civilization. After seeing them perform at a battle of the bands, local sound engineer/guitarist Mike Setner offered to record the band in his home studio for a flat rate of $250. Their debut album "Boreal Imbroglio" was released in 1999 by 2Ply Collective/Permafrost Records. The album was distributed by No distro (Can), Carrot Top (US), southern (US). At the time of release the band consisted of Lafreniere, Demos, McCracken, and Fiola. The album received mixed reviews