THE STORY of THE SNITS

The story of the Snits began on a cruise ship off the coast of Brazil, where two young brothers, Dickie and Dougie Snit, were working as dishwashers. One night, a week into the cruise, fate tapped them on the shoulder as the house band fell ill from that night's meal of improperly prepared blowfish. The ship's captain, knowing that Dickie sang and played guitar, and Dougie played bass, quickly pressed the pair into musical service in the ship's Tropicana Lounge.

Although shaky at first, within a couple of songs it was obvious that the two had found their calling. They brought the crowd to their feet with a rousing version of 'The Girl from Impanema' and rocked the rest of the night away. By the time last call rolled around, the captain had permanently reassigned them to performing.

While their new assignment was a dream, there was still something missing to their sound - a backbeat. Luckily, fate once again dealt the brothers a lucky hand as the ship steamed into Sao Paulo. While ashore for some rest and relaxation, the Snit brothers were sightseeing at the Sao Paulo Zoological Park, where, in the petting zoo, they came across Karlos J. Wildebeast.

Karlos had been a baby when he and his father, a Uruguayan soccer star, were flying in a chartered plane which crashed into the jungles of Brazil. In an ugly episode, the survivors resorted to cannibalism in a 'Lord of the Flies'-type situation of which Karlos was the only survivor. Luckily, the infant Karlos was taken in and raised by a family of lemurs, a species known for their compassion as well as an impeccable sense of rhythm.

In the mid-1980s, an expedition from the Sao Paulo Zoological Park found Karlos and the lemurs and brought them back to the zoo. Although Karlos was non-verbal, it was obvious that he and the lemurs had a special bond and he was allowed to stay in their enclosure with them.

When Dickie and Dougie saw Karlos sitting cross-legged and drumming on a turtle shell, they knew they had found the backbone of their act. Quickly concocting a plan, they returned to the zoo that night and led Karlos out past the gates by leaving a trail of sugared plantains.

Once back on the ship, the Snit brothers set about socializing and educating Karlos. Within a week, he was doing three sets a night with them in The Tropicana Room.

They stayed with the ship for another year, until one day it steamed into Vancouver. Awestruck by the city's natural beauty and easy-going attitude (especially towards feral drummers), the trio decided to stay and start their musical career in earnest.