Action Now

The first release on Avebury Records is a 27-song compilation from Action Now, All Your Dreams...and more, featuring studio and live recordings from 1981 to 1984. Click here for info on how and where to get your very own copy.

For an in-progress history of Action Now, starting with Paula Pierce at age 14, click here

The original lineup, pictured here is, clockwise from top left, Jim Schuster (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Mike Lawrence (bass, backing vocals), Paula Pierce (lead guitar, backing vocals) and Scott Hillman (drums). Photo by Greg Salce.

Action Now celebrated the release of All Your Dreams...and more with a final show at International Pop Overthrow Presents at The Scene in Glendale, CA on Thursday, March 18. The Action Now (v.2) lineup of Jim Schuster (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Chris Bagarozzi (lead guitar), Mike Lawrence (bass, vocals) and Scott Hillman (drums) played together for the first time in 20 years! Filling in for the late Paula Pierce was Kristi Callan (backing and lead vocals, rhythm guitar). Click here for the photo gallery from the show.

Action Now played its first show in 20 years as part of the 2003 International Pop Overthrow festival in Los Angeles. Replacing the late Paula Pierce was Kristi Callan (of Wednesday Week and solo fame) on vocals and guitar, and Chris Bagarozzi (of Clawhammer, Down By Law and Midget Handjob fame, and Paula's replacement in Action Now in 1983!) on lead guitar. Drummer Scott Hillman was unavailable for the show, so Avebury Records founder Kelly Callan (also of Wednesday Week) filled in on drums. The show was at The Echo, in the Echo Park District of Los Angeles on Tuesday, July 29, 2003. Check out photos from the show here.

Reviews

Logo Magazine (UK): Action Now recently reformed for a gig at The International Pop Overthrow Festival, an event that LOGO was proud to sponsor when it made its way over to Liverpool’s Cavern Club earlier this year. Sadly, original lead guitarist Paula Pierce is no longer with us, but this paisley-flavoured power-pop act were tailor made for such an event. Originally from California’s San Gabriel Valley, their only real moment of fame came courtesy of the French-only release of the album All Your Dreams, reissued here alongside a complete live concert from 1981. Though they tended toward a power-pop version of Rezillos, in places they also prefigured the likes of Orange Juice and the whole C86 movement. As the live segment shows, they were a far more powerful proposition live, illustrated by See If You Can, sounding like a chirpy, suntanned Jam.

Aiding & Abetting (North Carolina, US): This includes the band's All Your Dreams album and a healthy portion of live recordings as well. Perhaps best known for lead singer Paula Pierce (who went on to form the Pandoras), Action Now also features 2/3 of the band Battery Life (reviewed in this issue). There are a couple early versions of what became Pandoras songs, but mostly this disc is enjoyable for what it is: solid early-80s punk pop.

Daredevil Magazine (Germany): Do you feel down and you think nobody likes you? Then you should listen to this CD, cause Action Now brings you up again. Garage Power Pop at it´s best and with a girl like Paula Pierce (The Pandoras) in the band...you can only win. This album contains 12 studio songs which are so huge and groovin'...you have to dance to this...plus...a live concert from 1981...a really good one. All in all the best Garage stuff I heard in a long, long time. Do yourself a favour and buy this CD...before it´s sold out!!! I highly recommend this album!!!

Studio
1. All Your Dreams. 2. Then and Now. 3. I Want You. 4. This One Chance. 5. So Much On My Mind. 6. When Wednesday Comes. 7. Stop Pretending. 8. I'm Not Trying To Hurt You. 9. See If You Can. 10. Every Word I Say. 11. Taking Care. 12. You Say. 13. Try

Live at Madame Wong's West, December, 1981
14. I Can't Get Over You. 15. Stop Pretending. 16. Every Word I Say. 17. I'm Not Trying To Hurt You. 18. Trust In Each Other. 19. Betrayed. 20. See If You Can. 21. Try. 22. Anyone But You. 23. For Just One Night. 24. Looking For A Reason. 25. In Our Home. 26. Never To Be Forgotten. 27. Then and Now

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