My Influences and Direction:
If there was ever a more enjoyable, more self-satisfying instrument than the drums.? I haven't found it yet. I have been a whole hearted drummer and percussonist since the tender young age of nine. Now fifty-one and still "giviner" like I'm in my twenty's. I really enjoy the cover tunes of the seventies and eighties and ninties. The power, the feeling and intencities of covering bands like Van Halen, Johnny Winter, Motley Crew, Dr. Hook and Led Zepplin are a real gas for me. This past year I decided to dig way back in to the early seventies, to the days of "Iron Butterfly" and cover the classic hit In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida. "are ya with me so far?" I have now also just streatched the drumming parimeters to covering the intricate and progressive sound of Rush. I have started to master the instrumental called YYZ! Yikes! I also enjoy singing some country-rock cross-over songs like "Cover Of The Rolling Stone" by Dr. Hook and Can't You See by Marshall Tucker. So you see that in this mixed bag of song selection that "Anchor" does we can offer you, the party animal a great night of entertainment and good old R&R tunes. I'd also like to offer a great rendition of Moby Dick a well as In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida as drum features. I belive the drum solo feature is getting to be a dying art form now. Not many drummers that I see these days are in the frame of mind to attempt such a feat or allowed to venture out and create on the drum kit or in the percussion section. However I am more than certain that this will come full circle soon. More new production tricks are paving the way for drummers to step out and "Do It"!
Background:
My musical background is a track record a mile long. As I left my home town of North Bay, Ontario when I was 18 for the open road and tried to make it big. I won't boar you with alot of the road stories and behind the scenes garbo but... I do have a few fine venues under my belt now. In /79-/80 I was the most used drummer in any opening act at Toronto's old El Mocambo. Opening for acts like "The Ramones", Link Wray" ,"Bob Segarini", "Ellen Folly", "Ronny Hawkins", and may more. I did tours in the late /70's and mid /80's with the likes of "Goddo", Platinum Blonde"," Matt Minglewood" as well as I had many encounters through the Toronto music scene in guest sit-in's of all types. The best had to be when Bob Segarini was at the El Mocambo one night, we (Twitch) were in the opening spot, well, we were joined by Burton Cummings from The Guess Who just showed up and did an amazing performance for the house. Remembering all of these times is so awsome for me but, none can compare to the experience of the Canadian World Music Festival in /83 at the C.N.E. where I was put on stage with the amazing Ted Nugent band. This show was a one hour closing for "Heart", Nazereth","Johnny Winter","Edgar Winter"and Aerosmith. It was a monumental task, in front of sixty thousand sceaming fans. A technicaly basic rock and roll show but a monster production to say the least. Wow! To-date the best gig of my drumming career. I'd like to close here by opening an invtation to you and all your friends at any Anchor gig. Don't be shy, come up and talk with us and share in the R&R experience.
Trophy Rainbow Trout In Coberg:
While doing a great gig at the Ganaraska Hotel in Port Hope Ont. With The Miller Bros. Band (Rattlesnake). I was told of this awsome trout spot just 8 miles away. The Factory Cr. in Coberg Ont. is one of the hottest Steelhead (big rainbow trout) spots on the Lake Ontario watershead. I was escorted there by a great fishing talent by the name of Adam Gregory. He is a young wiz-steelheader from that area, who has many large rainbow and Chinook Salmon to his credit in those waters. I had the pleasure of fishing many daybreaks right next to Adam in both Coberg and Port Hope at peak feeding times. Now I have seen Adam Gregory in some episodes of Fishin' Canada with Pete Bowman. His trout and carp shows are awsome to watch. Techniques, playing fish, catch and release are all key elements of theses shows. Adam, I thank you for the opertunity of this experience. Now trophy rainbow trout like this 18 pounder, are not just a dream for me!
Nickname: The Fishin' Musician
I'd like to share with you an expierence of mine the has landed me a cool nickname. In 1985, was living in North Bay, Ont. but doing some full six nighters as well as weekend gigs on the road. One tour was with a great musician out of Barrie. His name was John Howard. He played a mean piano and could really do the Jerry Lee Louis routine like no one. We worked the northern route through Timmins, Cochrane, Hearst, Kapuskasing, and more. Up in that territory I did not like to stay in the bars or cooped up in a hotel room with no T.V. during the day when the weather was nice out. I would bring the most basic of fishing tackel with me. I'd venture off to a near by fishing hole, stream, river or lake in each town we would play in. One week while booked in Hearst Ont. I was playing with John Howard and Eric Kidd, as my food funds were low that week I ventured off to a great little spot near the hotel in the mid afternoon and landed three nice size 3 to 5 lbs. Northern Pike. Our bass player at the time was one Mr. Robin Munroe and he carried an electric frying pan and slow cooker with him on the road always. We coloaborated and with a quick order of fries, the meal was complete for the whole band.
John Howard was the main editor and founder, some trime after for "Gig Magazine" from Barrie Ont. He ran an article in the spring of /90 that featured none other than "The Fishin' Musician", one "Stephano J. Leroux" Cool nick name eh? I was holding up a 46 lbs. Chinook Salmon caught in the Luzon Cr. I caught it while being booked at the Lincon Hotel in Blind River Ont. with the group called "In The Middle". Well the years to follow the name stuck and the practice of going out and catching my dinner on the road became a common practice for me and many other road warrior musician types in Northern Ont. I would run in to guys playing in other bars in the same town, out fishing during the day. The guys in the bands Helix, Billy Kid, Lone Boney, Wooden Army, Beddrock, Platinum Blonde, Silver Eagle, In The Middle, Rattlesnake and many more were all practicing "Fishin' Musicians". Now I'm back home in North Bay, still fishing, playing and loving it!
My Drum Kit and Equipment List.
Well this is gonna be some topic ,,,,,I use a /62 set of Ludwig drums. The basics of which was owned by my good friends Steve and Tim Clarke of North Bay Ontario. They ordered the kit as a double set called "The Ludwig Blue Note Kit"in the colour finish of Sky Blue Pearl from the Ludwig factoy somwhere in the states. Now they are covered with white table top arborite and splatterd with black Tremclad Paint, thanks to the help of Sara and Megan (my daughters). When the drums arrived here in North Bay at the old Music City, the set was split in half and each Clarke brother used these drums in a lot of different places and aplications. I know Tim Clarke used his half in Algonquin High School to teach percussion for both jazz and classical lessons. Steve used his half to play in some late /60's early /70's psychadelic rock bands. I can walk through the memory hall of Music City's picture colection and see my drum kit in many old promo pics. NEET!! They have more history than me!!! In 1977 I bought it all up, put the kit all back together and added to it. So now it consists of:
Equipment List
OK,,,,,, 2 -22"X 14" Bass Drums, 1- Pearl Double Pedal, 1-Rogers Swivel-Matic Pedal, 1- 8"top tom, 1-8"X12"top tom, 1-9"X13"top tom, 2-16"X16" Floor toms, 1-6,1/2"X 14' chrome Yamaha Snare, 1-8"X14" Slingerland Wood Shell Snare (1941). 6",8",10"Remo Roto Toms. 1-22"heavy Zildjian Ride, 1-20"Meinl Streamer, Heavy Ride, 3-14"quick crashes, 2-15"Hi-Hats,
1- Fostex Low Imp. Vocal mic, 1-Realistic PZM area mic, 1-Red Teak Carpet, I use 5B Headhunter Sticks with nylon tips, a real step down from the 2B's and 3S I use to use in the late /70's.
Hand And Percussion Kit Includes:
Yamaha DD5 Digital Drum Unit, 12" & 13' Mano Percussion Deep Congas, 10" X 11" Pearl pro Series Mini Congas, 6"&8" Stewart Bongos, 6",8",10" remo Roto-Toms, Three LP Tri-angles, One Rthym Tech Tambourine, one 6'' Ufip Ice Bell, Three LP Cowbells. One 13' Sabian hand crash. Hardware, casses and stands for all.
Canada Day /07 was a real blast!!!!!! it marked the first time I had been out doing a solo percussion gig. I was a bit nervous but I plowed through it. I worked for The North Bay Newcomers Network. I had been asked to supply a main P.A. for the day as there was five other acts to perform that day. Ann Welsh thanked me for both performing and keeping the sound and C.D.s rolling. To put it honestly it was dream come true for me as I have had it in the back of my mind to play a full out percussion kit in an outdoor venue. It was awsome to do it at The Kawinnis Bandshell. Thanks so much Ann Welsh.
If there is ever a call for a percussionist of this sort, I will do my best to accomplish any rythm style required. Please contact me at the inclosed e-mail or phone number for a date or booking?
Stephano J. Leroux
Drums/Percussion/Vocals
Please. drummers feel free to send me an e-mail with your equipment list, I'd like to see what your using? ludwig_perc_@hotmail.com or check my other life out at
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