Forgotten Rebels

The Forgotten Rebels are a punk rock band from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. With roots dating back to 1977 to the present day, the Forgotten Rebels have left a discography of seven albums and a collection of EPs and singles that have influenced many other Canadian and international bands forming in their wake.

In the early days, before the band existed the lead singer and creator Mickey DeSadist would sing and do shocking theatrics at various shows such as barn dances. This sometimes resulted in being assaulted with beer spray from the audience. He also performed at the Hotel Isabella with the Condemmend, a Hamilton punk cover band during an intermission of the band the Battered Wives who were playing at the hotel. Mickey had been jamming and practicing with members of the Condemned when the Sex Pistols were releasing their singles and these musicians were all trying to copy this Sex Pistols style. Iggy Pop and the Stooges as well as the Ramones were also influencing the sounds of these early years. Other bands like the MC5, Kiss and Bowie were also models of dress and costume. There was a strong sense of theatre and designed character intended.

In 1979, Chris Houston, (aka Pogo Agogo) joined the band and played bass on the 1980 release In Love With the System. Houston left the band just over a year later citing "creative differences" and time constraints as he pursued post secondary education.

“It’s time that we be nice to each other. And if somebody’s acting out of line, he gets his ass kicked. Racism is stupid,” lead singer and founder Mickey De Sadist has stated. “People should listen to our music for what it is. I was making fun of rednecks in “Bomb the Boats”. More than anything, I was just making fun of that. But I guess it came across the wrong way.”