Tinker (band)
Tinker | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Montréal, Quebec, Canada |
| Genres | Alternative rock, indie rock |
| Years active | 1993–1994 |
| Past members | Melissa Auf der Maur, Steve Durand, Jordon Zadorozny, Alexander MacSween |
Tinker was a Canadian alternative rock band, formed in Montréal in 1993 by Melissa Auf der Maur and Steve Durand. The band reached limited success, before Auf der Maur left and became bassist for Hole. Durand and Zadorozny joined Auf der Maur's solo band in 2002 and worked on both of Auf der Maur's studio albums, Auf der Maur and Out of Our Minds.
History
Formation, local reputation, and break-up (1993-1994)
While Auf der Maur was majoring in photography at Concordia University, she worked as a DJ at a bar on Montréal's Boulevard Saint-Laurent. The bar was a spot for many local musicians, and after the bar closed at night, musicians would often go to a rehearsal space and jam. During this time, Melissa met guitarist Steve Durand, a fellow student at Concordia. Melissa, Steve, and drummer Jordon Zadorozny formed Tinker in 1993.[1]
As the band were gaining reputation in the local music scene, The Smashing Pumpkins returned to Montréal in 1993 for one date. The band initially planned on having an American band open for their shows, but Auf der Maur decided to ask frontman Billy Corgan whether Tinker could open for them in one of her letters. Corgan agreed and Tinker performed their largest show, to an audience of 2500, at Metropolis on November 30, 1993.[2][3] The band released two singles, "Real a Lie" and "Green Machine" during their career. "Real a Lie" would later be reworked and released in 2004 under Auf der Maur's solo project.
On June 16, 1994, Seattle-based group Hole's bass player, Kristen Pfaff, died after a drug overdose. Frontwoman Courtney Love was organizing auditions for a bass player, when during a phone conversation, Billy Corgan recommended Auf der Maur. Love invited Auf der Maur to Seattle for an audition, however Auf der Maur initially refused the offer. She reconsidered after a conversation with her father, Nick Auf der Maur, and joined Hole, thus leading to the dissolution of Tinker.
Hole breakup and involvement in Auf der Maur (2002-present)
Melissa Auf der Maur left Hole on October 20, 1999 and three years later the group, with only the two original members Love and Eric Erlandson left, disbanded. Auf der Maur recruited her former Tinker bandmates to join her solo band and toured throughout 2002-03 before hitting the studio. The end result was Melissa's first solo album, the eponymous Auf der Maur. Though he did not perform on the album, Zadorozny produced the album, as well as her second album, Out of Our Minds on which Durand wrote one track.
Members
- Melissa Auf der Maur - lead vocals, bass guitar
- Steve Durand - lead guitar
- Jordan Zadorozny - drums
- Alexander MacSween - drums (1992-1994)[4]
See also
References
- ^ MAdM | Melissa Auf der Maur | Archive | Biography melissaaufdermaur.org 2009-11-09 http://melissaaufdermaur.org/content/page/5/biography Retrieved on 03-29-2010.
- ^ spfc.org : tour history - dates: 1993/11/30 spfc.org 2010 http://www.spfc.org/tours/date.html?tour_id=280 Retrieved on 03-29-2010.
- ^ The Smashing Pumpkins, live 1993/11/30 @ SPLRA.org SPLRA.org 03-09-2010. http://www.splra.org/wiki/index.php?title=Tsp1993-11-30 Retrieved on 03-29-2010.
- ^ MacSween, Alexander. "Biography (English)". Alexander MacSween Music. Retrieved 4 June 2015.