Pointed Sticks

Pointed Sticks

Company type	Band
Industry	Music
Founded	1978 in Vancouver, Canada
Founder	Nick Jones, Bill Napier-Hemy, Tony Bardach, Ian Tiles
Headquarters	Vancouver , Canada
Products	Studio albums, compilation albums

Pointed Sticks—occasionally referred to as the Pointed Sticks—are a Vancouver-based Canadian band known for their contributions to the punk rock and new wave genres. The lineup includes vocalist Nick Jones, guitarist Bill Napier-Hemy, bassist Tony Bardach, drummer Ian Tiles, and keyboardist Gord Nicholl. Initially active between 1978 and 1981, the group reunited in 2006 and has maintained intermittent activity since. By 2025, their discography comprises four studio albums alongside three compilation releases.

History

Originating in Vancouver in 1978, the band was founded by Nick Jones, Bill Napier-Hemy, Tony Bardach, and Ian Tiles, with Gord Nicholl joining shortly thereafter. The ensemble later incorporated saxophonist Johnny Ferreira, replaced Bardach with Scott Watson on bass, and saw drumming duties transition from Tiles to Robert Bruce and then Ken Montgomery.

Following the release of three singles, they secured a deal with Stiff Records, marking them as the first Canadian act signed to this British label. Although they recorded an album in London under the production of Nigel Gray, it remained unreleased. Upon returning to Canada, they re-recorded tracks with producer Bob Rock which culminated in their debut album Perfect Youth issued in 1980. The band dissolved in 1981.

In 1995, Zulu Records issued their initial compilation titled Part of the Noise. Later, Perfect Youth was reissued by Sudden Death Records in 2005 featuring additional bonus material. A further collection of singles and rare tracks named Waiting for the Real Thing appeared in 2006.

The original members reunited in 2006 for a tour across Japan and have since performed occasionally throughout North America. A Japan-exclusive compilation called Stiff Sessions was released in 2008. In 2009, Northern Electric Records put out their album Three Lefts Make a Right.

The band was highlighted in the 2010 documentary Bloodied but Unbowed, which focused on Vancouver’s punk scene. In 2015, they released a self-titled album through Northern Electric and Sudden Death Records. Their most recent studio work, Beautiful Future, was launched in 2022.

Name

Their name derives from a sketch by Monty Python, titled "Self-Defence Against Fresh Fruit," where Eric Idle humorously proposes that mastering defense against a pointed stick might be more useful than protecting oneself from fresh fruit.

Band members

Current

• Nick Jones
• Bill Napier-Hemy
• Gord Nicholl
• Tony Bardach
• Ian Tiles

Former

• Robert Bruce
• Ken Montgomery
• Johnny Ferreira
• Scott Watson

Discography

Studio albums

• Perfect Youth (1980)
• Three Lefts Make a Right (2009)
• Pointed Sticks (2015)
• Beautiful Future (2022)

Compilations

• Part of the Noise (1995)
• Waiting for the Real Thing (2006)
• Stiff Sessions (Japan only, 2008)