Biography :
September 1994: Five college students decided to form a punk band.
Stephan (vocals), Frederic (guitar), Matt (guitar), David (bass) and
Mark (drums) come together to form so Useless.
The group soon earned a reputation in the Montreal region, especially
after the release of their first album in 1995 Madawaza: A Nice Place To
Be. Combining both melodies and stage presence, Useless joins other
local groups of the era such as Hooligans Crew, Reset, X-Large, Men O
'Steel for performances in various venues in Montreal and surroundings.
The same group will perform at the Metropolis in Montreal with Strung
Out and The Vandals.
In 1997, Useless entered to studio again to record their second album:
Last Laugh. This album will be more obscure than the last. It will also
be the album that will sell the most, and for good reason: it contains
many catchy melodies. This new popularity will only increase the
motivation of the group to perform on stage. That time will prove
auspicious for Useless compositions that will chain one after the other.
The fan base is growing and the group enjoy a little local popularity.
Then the curse befalls Stephan frontman. This young man yet very active
and jovial, announced during a rehearsal he has cancer. At age 23, he
must follow chemotherapy and he will find very weak. Group survival
remains uncertain. However, members continue to practice and compose as
much as they can. An agreement was finally taken to record a new album
for them they will only be distributed free.
So they come into the studio and spend a summer of 1999 to record their
third and latest album entitled: A New Hope. To continue the theme, the
group decided to take a song from the debut album entitled "Cancer".
A New Hope is probably the most successful work of the group. The songs
cover several topics: love, hate, cancer, feminism, music marketing,
vegetarianism, vanity, lust ... Now that the group has finished his last
appointment, he talks about a temporary separation time that Stephan
will redo his health. The reformation of the band will never happen.
Discography:
-
Madawaza: A Nice Place To Be (1995) TAPE
-
Last Laugh (1997) CD
-
Live Session (1999) CD
-
A New Hope (1999) CD
