Folio: VOM Fanzine #1 / Surrey, BC, 1984 (ed. Kamel Gill)

One of a couple of VOM fanzines i did with Kamel / he was the ringleader, i was the ummm assistant.

This #1 includes (among interviews with bands Bill of Rights, Unknown Fibres, Shanghai Dog) a fake concert review of the “Ultimate Trendies” which was Kamel, me, Brad and Frank Baker doing a Sex Pistols air band at my church gymnasium (we didn’t win) + real reviews of actual great shows at York Theatre. #2 had with Joey Ramone at the Commodore on the cover.

Kamel was a force of nature, a complete reckless maniac but just got things done and while i didn’t get “credit” so much, I learned a lot about hustling productions and rolling yer own media & used knowledge to get into loads of shows and help out bands. 

When Kamel’s name surfaced in another conversation (about band AOT which followed shortly after the fanzine) Dan Walters (punk scene erstwhile archivist and historian) who made Terminally Stupid fanzine, and Kai Erichson who also rolled in that circle and i riffed some memories of making these publications.

Me: Remember working on VOM fanzine in his basement bedroom while his dead grandmother laid “in state” upstairs and all the relatives came to visit. Also, riding buses to the York Theatre with him & Brad Rees many times.

VxOxMx vol 1 “masthead” – I “upgraded” from contributor to associate editor by volume two #bigtime

VxOxMx vol 2 was printed at my Mom’s real estate office on scott rd. Featuring Joey Ramone photo by Bev Davies

Dan Walters: Ha! My drawing on there…and the letraset I swiped from school. Shit, haven’t seen these in 34 years. Cheers

Me: Also Dan Walters Glad I could surprise and amuse you with those VOM artifacts after all the goodness you share out to the Internet. My time in the “scene” was obviously aborted with the move to Utah so your documentation helps me fill in the gaps that I missed out on.

PS worth noting that ending up in Utah with my punk concert experiences in Vancouver and a fake ID, made it a lot of fun. Saw & played in lots of bands, got backstage, “media” access blah blah blah

Kai Erichsen: I remember you Dave. And the photocopy fiasco at your mom’s work lol! Fuck we were all so broke but we made shit happen. Fun!

Dave Olson: Kai Erichsen i heard about that from her for yeeeeaaaarrsss – ha!

Kai Erichsen: Kamal stole the paper too… boxes of it.

Dan Walters: Kai- we broke into my old elementary school and ditched boxes of paper in the bushes, went back and got them after dark, lol.

Dave Olson: Kai Erichsen yeah we’d roll into Cedar Hills elementary school and just take it. i remember some “adult” trying to stop us one time and we just kept going – hanging with you and Kamel made me feel a lot tougher and taller!

See also: “front row, surrounded by pals, lost in music” for more about this era of life and these characters