Scissors

Scissors was the brainchild of Vancouver’s Bill Barker, who’d bounced around in a few groups until hooking up with bassist Ray Fulber, ex of Poisoned. He’d also played with Barker prior to that in the short lived Nytro a couple years earlier. The band was rounded out by organist Jan Henriksen and drummer Bruce Faulkner, and they gained a following while working the local circuit

Barker set up his own recording suite at Profile Studio and label (Zuma Records), and with producer Mick Masters, they cut what would become their 1982 self-titled debut EP. Barker wrote the songs, and clever hooks in the keys-laden rock in “Summer Girls,” Nadine,” and “Don’t Call Me Chick” became popular club favourites live. They also got good reviews in the press and got some airplay up and down the west coast.

Faulkner was replaced behind the drumkit by John Cody (real name John Cody Armstrong). As they continued doing shows throughout western Canada and into the US, Ross Angeles became the new bass player, and Terry Alton was added on guitars.

They recorded some new material, but following Henrickson’s death, the group disbanded shortly thereafter. Some of the material did eventually see the light of day, first when “Underwear Wolf” appeared on the indie Halloween compilation, HOLLOW WEINERS in ’84. They resurfaced in 1991, when Barker assembled a collage for the the two-CD set, LAST CALL – VANCOUVER INDEPENDENT MUSIC 1977-1988, and included their own, “Mystery Train.”

Barker stayed in Vancouver and began a career working with other local groups in the studio, and his credits have included the likes of DOA, The Generics, The Enigmas, and The Subhumans, among others. Armstrong joined Bruno Gerussi’s Medallion, but was replaced by Faulkner. Armstrong went on to a number of other projects, including playing jazz and rock with wife Lee Aaron.

• With notes from Tom Harrison, Stickboy
  
  SCISSORS (1982)
  Do You Like It?
  Nadine
  Summer Girls
  Wrecked My Car
  Don’t Call Me Chick
  All This And More