Home Merch Gallery Archives Devices
POSTER GALLERY
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The Devices used
to go all out with their poster designs. They made a ritual out of it.
They were lucky to have a talented photographer as a member (drummer
Cups Von Helm). In this 1986 poster, Cups' elaborate design consisted
of himself in drag holding up their dildocross mascot & being dangerously
broadcast on TV in an obese woman's tub.
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This 1986
poster advertising the premiere of one of the Devices' homemade super-8
underground films (Cups Von Helm's WOMB SERVICE, the sequel to THE ABORTION
THAT LIVED) was their most elaborate. Rick Trembles' collage consisted
of the film's central fly-baby character & anatomical drawings surrounding
band members (including their pregnant singer at the time; Louise Burns).
The offset printer they frequented (this is before photocopying was
easily available) used to adorn his shop's walls with pornographic images.
They were suddenly replaced with religious icons & as a consequence,
he took offense to the dildo-cross intended to grace the top of the
poster & deliberately snipped it off during printing.
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This 1981
poster was a Rick Trembles' collage also designed to be folded in three
so that the word "Halloween" (spelled backwards) could be
traced on the other side of the sheet frontwards to title the resulting
handout with a splash of blood-red ink dripping down.
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Similarly
designed foldable 1981 Trembles' collage poster had the heading "bad"
traced backwards on the other side & "scene" handwritten
underneath for handing out as invitations to their "bad scene."
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Cartoon characters
by Rick Trembles calculated to simultaneously attention-grab & repulse
(1983). RHYTHM METHOD was drummer Jackie Gallant's first band. Watching
DEVICES' drummer Cups Von Helm inspired her to play drums & she
would replace him over a decade later.
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More horrendous
Trembles cartoons for this 1985 valentine's day gig, this time taking
a stab at the oppressive wave of political correctness beginning to
rear its ugly head in Montreal at the time. A woman threatening to publicly
protest against the poster later became Trembles' girlfriend.
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Cups Von
Helm photo session resulting in custom pictures for this Trembles' 1982
collage consisting of a crucified Santa, THE ULTERIOR MOTIVE behind
a product-placement mountain & THE AMERICAN DEVICES proudly holding
up their shabby P.A. system for display. "Best wishes from the
new wave crowd" was meant as sarcasm.
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1993 Trembles
cartoon poster chronicling the perpetually post-mortem state of THE
AMERICAN DEVICES & 1,2,3,GO's improv manifesto (a band Rick Trembles
sang intentional gibberish for).
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Elaborate
Cups Von Helm photo shoot cataloguing an incestuous 1987 music scene
for a massive loft party put together by THE AMERICAN DEVICES. Ex-DEVICES,
ex-NORMALS & ex-CHROMOSOMES shared the same stage like clockwork.
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Dashing 1994
design by Montreal cartoonist Rupert Bottenberg.
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Handsome
1991 design by Montreal cartoonist Bernie Mireault (The Jam, The Blair
Witch Chronicles).
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AMERICAN
DEVICES' mid-to-late eighties keyboardist/vocalist Louise Burns dominates
this 1988 poster advertising a screening of their super-8 underground
home-movies along with the music. Opening band BUBBLEGUM ARMY had Jackie
Gallant & Chris Burns (Louise's brother) as members. They would
later join THE AMERICAN DEVICES. Above the venue's name stands a rough
sketch of what would become the central emblematic creature gracing
THE DEVICES' debut LP Decensortized
the following year.
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Cross section
of a flying spermatozoid taunting The Virgin Mary in this heavenly 1988
collage poster design by AMERICAN DEVICE Rob Labelle.
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Introducing
Louise Burns on keyboards & vocals modeling an out of print DEVICES
tee-shirt design (1984).
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DEVICES'
last stand, the night John Lennon was shot (1980). Phil Nylon designed
the poster & it would be his last show. "AMERICAN" got
slapped in front of the band name thereafter forevermore.
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DEVICES' archives span over two decades worth of posters.
So there's more to come; stay tuned for updates.