SLIK TOXIK – Rare Live Footage Of "Cheap Nicotine" Shot At Toronto's Rock N' Roll Heaven Posted

The clip below, posted by former Slik Toxik frontman Nick Walsh (Famous Underground), is rare footage of the band performing the song “Cheap Nicotine” at Toronto’s (in)famous Rock N’ Roll back in 1991. The song was featured on Slik Toxik’s full length debut, Doin’ The Nasty.

Walsh previously posted a news item about A&R for a record company from what is to believed as a CBC broadcast circa 1989-90. In this segment we see the television crew club hopping with A&R men describing the role they play in the signing of an artist.

Walsh: “This video has footage of the very first ever Rock ‘n’ Roll Heaven appearance of Slik Toxik with drummer: Alex Munro. We will post an unreleased vintage song from that performance in its entirety soon. Stay tuned…”

Slik Toxik formed in October of 1988 by singer/songwriter Nick Walsh, lyricist Dave Mercel and guitarists Rob Bruce and Kevin Gale. They had all played together previously in various combinations but it was at this time Nick brought them all together as a unit. As a songwriting team they showed immediate promise, but it was with the subsequent addition of bassist Pat Howarth and drummer Neal Busby that the band coalesced into a potent creative force.

Perris Records has released what they’ve dubbed the 20 Something Anniversary re-issue of Slik Toxik’s Irrelevant album.

Irrelevant is the third release and second full length album by Canadian hard rock band Slik Toxik. The album was originally released in 1994 during a turbulent time for hard rock. This was a time when the airwaves and magazines were being bombarded with the advent of alternative, grunge and pop groups.

After the release of their debut CD Doin’ the Nasty selling well over 50,000 units in Canada (Gold status) and receiving the Juno Award (Canadian Grammy) for Hard Rock Album Of The Year, the climate in the music industry started to change.

“It was a crazy time for us, as we like so many other rockers were in a state flux,” recalls Walsh. “We were in a darker place.”

Met with critical acclaim, this eclectic collection of songs has been touted by some critics as being ahead of its time with hard hitting de-tuned riffs, snarly vocals and bombastic drumming. The band went on to only having a Canadian release with this recording and touring across Canada multiple times before calling it quits and going their separate ways in 1995.

“Dive” and “Twenty Something” were released as singles and video. The album was recorded in Toronto at Phase One Studios again with producer Paul Gross at the helm.

The Irrelevant re-issue tracklisting is below.

“Twenty Something”
“Kill The Pain”
“Voodoo”
“Drained”
“I Wanna Gun”
“Liquid Calm”
“Fashioned After None”
“Dive”
“Blue Monday”
“Mother Machine”
“Just Fade Away”
“White Lies/Black Truth” (’89 demo)

Slik Toxik’s cover of the Sex Pistols classic “EMI” which appeared on the original version of Irrelevant does not appear on the re-issue.

Check out “Twenty Something” below: