Erik “Rik Wainer” Wainio (vocals)
Chris Langstroth (sax)
Scott “Lou” Lewis (guitar; later bass)
Marc Wonnacott (bass)
Norm Vandenberg (drums)
Geoff Stewart (drums; replaced Vandenberg)
Andy “Trendy” Zealley (keyboards)
Don Mercer (drums; replaced Stewart)
How’rd Pope (guitar)
The Biffs were formed in 1977 by four high schools students in the wilds of suburban Scarborough as an antidote to fur lined vans, bands like Boston, Pink Floyd and The Eagles, Greb “Kodiaks” and Hockey hair. The founding members were Chris Langstroth (sax), Scott “Lou” Lewis (guitar), Erik “Rik Wainer” Wainio (vocals) and Marc Wonnacott (bass).
Hugely unpopular amongst their suburban peers, they took every opportunity to escape to Queen St West, where in the summer of 1978 they debuted at The Horseshoe Tavern opening for The Mods and The Existers. A couple of weeks later they were opening for The Cads at The Beverley Tavern, and in the weeks following, Martha and the Muffins and The Scenics.
They had begun to attract a following that included: General Idea, David Buchan, members of The Dishes, The Diodes, The Drastic Measures, The Government and a host of students and faculty from OCA.
Around this time the first recruit on drums (Norm Vandenberg) got fed up with having to hide behind a welder's mask while playing and Geoff Stewart took over, making his debut with the band as they opened for Martha and the Muffins at the OCA Halloween Party. By November Andy “Trendy” Zealley had joined as keyboard player and the band appeared on CFTO’s 'Toronto Today'.
The Biffs were headlining at The Beverley Tavern by January of 1979, and by the end of February were looking to replace drummers again. This time Don Mercer joined, and became the permanent fixture behind the drums for the duration of The Biffs. By this time they were establishing themselves as a fixture of the Queen West scene.
Late that summer Marc Wonnacott left to pursue new musical directions and Scott Lewis moved to bass and How’rd Pope (formally of Drastic Measures) took over duties on guitar. In the winter of 1980 The Biffs appeared in a film entitled 'Exposure'. At the same time The Biffs were making a foray into the recording studio and there was talk of a single release featuring a song called "You Kill Me". Unfortunately before this could happen, the band self-destructed in April of 1980.
The Biffs spawned other musical entities however; Langstroth, Lewis and Wainio formed Overacting and released an independent cassette; Mercer and Zealley joined TBA; and Wonnacott went on to form Land Of Giants who released a 12" electro-pop dance single in 1982 called "Cannibal Dolls/Seven Men" on their own label, AV Records; How’rd Pope released a dance-hit remake of "Le Freak" with NYC based Zette And The Zettettes in the late eighties.
Don Mercer died in the mid '80s and How’rd Pope died in 1996.
with notes from Marc Wonnacott
Singles
Albums
Video
Compilation Tracks
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