Birthplace: Kitchener, Ontario, 1962

First Bass Played: 1979 Gibson Ripper owned by Cameron Heights Collegiate
(for High School Jazz & Concert Band)

First Bass Purchased: 1980 Ibanez Rickenbacker 4001 Copy

Current Main Instruments:

• 2006 Ibanez SDGR 6-String,
• 1983 Ibanez Musician (De-fretted in 1986),
• 2002 Spector,
• Roland GT-60B Effects / Processor,
• Mark Bass 450 Amplifier,
• 210 (with Bullet) Eden Cabinet,
• * the 1986 Warwick Thumb Bass pictured above was stolen August 2006; I'm still hoping it'll turn up

First Inspiration: 2 bars of "Ghost of The Aragon" in "La Villa Strangiato" by Rush. If you don't know which 2, you will when you hear them!

Role Models / Aspirations:

• Geddy Lee (Rush): The master multitasker balancing bass, voice, keys & foot pedals
• Chris Squire (Yes): Even though he plays with a pick (the ultimate bassist cop-out), he's still a captain of melodic lines
• Percy Jones (Brand X): While everyone else was gaga over "Jaco", this understated fretless virtuoso literally made his instrument talk, and it appeared to be telling some pretty good jokes
• Mark King (Level 42): "Lessons In Love" is a right wrist killer.
• Pino Palladino: Pete Townshend's "Give Blood" and "Face the Face" plus Paul Young's "Every Time You Go Away" have some of the tastiest fretless playing in pop music.
• Billy Sheehan, Stuart Hamm: the dirty and clean sides of the flashy pulling-off and tapping that I was doing before I heard them
• Tony Levin: Pure solidity; proof of how less can be more.

Onstage Chronology:

1981-82: MIRRORS / DRAMA (Kitchener)
Post High School Trio with high-end tastes; Over half the repertoire was Rush songs, mixed with Top 40 and Progressive Rock, some originals in the Yes / ELP / Genesis flavour. Ran the gamut from King Crimson's 21^st Century Schizoid Man to Ozzy Osbourne's Crazy Train.
Duties: bass, keyboards, Moog Taurus^® Pedals, lead vocals 70%
Musicians:
Mark Davis: guitars, keyboards, vocals
Scott Annandale: drums

1983-85: TALL (Saskatchewan / Alberta)
While babysitting my nephew, an offer to join a constantly touring and working straight-ahead rock quartet was welcomed despite my snobby Progressive Rock upbringing. From AC/DC to the Rolling Stones, the song list was not one I'd have chosen. Crude humour was one of the band's staples, and the claim to fame was the leader playing slide guitar with a plastic piggy bank (the "Party Pig"). Taught me the value of a good onstage attitude, which I still hang on to.
Duties: as above, lead vocals 30%
Musicians:
Keith Hill: lead vocals, lead guitar & slide piggy bank
Dave Hill: rhythm guitar & vocals
Tony Antonie: drums

1985-88: K. LEIGH REICH (Edmonton / Vancouver)
Pronounced "Kay-Lee-Reesh," and named after the singer's wife, who "owned the band." Happened to meet with them in Lloydminster, Alberta in the same week that they fired their bassist and I had given Tall notice (without knowing of the position available). Originally a Top 40 quartet in a Bryan Adams / Bon Jovi vein, but member changes throughout the years improved the line up, ending up as a five piece band doing a four piece set (without the lead singer) of Pink Floyd and other non-pop material. Despite some success as a progressive quartet, the players were unwilling to break out of the band's "safe" niche. Reformed after a short break as a 4-piece without second keyboard.
Duties: as above, lead vocals 25%
Musicians:
Barry Reich: lead vocals, rhythm guitar^(1,2,3)
John Stoltz: drums⁽²⁾
Steve Crane: lead guitar & vocals^(2,3)
Kevin Martin: keyboards⁽¹⁾
Doug Davis: keyboards⁽¹⁾
Matteo Caratozzolo: keyboards⁽²⁾
Todd McGarvey: drums⁽³⁾

1989: ZOMBO X (Vancouver)
Short-lived original pop band. Tom Cochrane meets Bryan Adams; they do lunch; they go home.
Duties: bass, backing vocals
Musicians:
Ted Tosoff: lead vocals, guitar
Brian Esplen: guitar

1990-92: NICK DANGER (Vancouver)
Resurrection of one of the 80's top touring Western Canadian progressive bands, remodeled into a coastal classic rock act with emphasis on comedic delivery.
Duties: bass, lead vocals 25%
Musicians:
Ted Okos: lead vocals, guitar, hilarity
Brian Peter Jones: guitar
Geoff Gilliard: drums⁽¹⁾
Brian Lousley: drums, vocals⁽²⁾

1992-94: STEELER (Calgary)
Another always-on-the-road cabaret act, touring from the West Coast to as far east as Thunder Bay, Ontario. Top 40 mixed with classy classics such as Supertramp & Pink Floyd. Brought in silly but effective props, such as Viking helmets for Metallica's "Enter Sandman", and a tiny toy helicopter circling the stage on a tether during Pink Floyd's "Another Brick In The Wall"
Duties: bass, Taurus Pedals, keyboards, lead vocals 30%
Musicians:
Steve Hall: keyboards, vocals
Greg Cox: guitar, vocals
Byran Bueckert: drums

1995: CRISTON/HARVEY (Vancouver)
Short-lived venture by two former members of Kick Axe; a handful of live performances.
Duties: bass, backing vocals
Musicians:
George Criston: vocals
Ray Harvey: guitar, backing vocals
Rob Kurzreiter: drums
Steve Hall: keyboards, backing vocals

1995-98: MONKEY BUSINESS: (Vancouver)
What began as a guitar / keys / drums trio evolved with my addition of another voice and live bass. When the keyboard player left, I took over all of the sequencing duties and took center stage, and we rounded out the quartet with the addition of a female singing guitarist, giving the band the ability to pull off many different styles, from rock to disco to country to funk to... you name it.
Duties: bass, keyboards, sequencing, lead vocals 40%-60%
Musicians: (Four different incarnations)
Steve Hall: keyboards & vocals⁽¹⁾
Bob Richard: guitar, vocals^{(1, 2, 3, 4)}
Dave Robinson: drums⁽¹⁾
Rob Kurzreiter: drums⁽²⁾
Randy Black: drums^{(2, 3)}
Rich Oler: drums⁽⁴⁾
Taylor James: vocals & acoustic guitar⁽²⁾
Kimberly Baskerville: vocals, percussion, guitar^{(3, 4)}

2000 - 1: SQUISH (Victoria)
Original Celtic Pop / Rock
Duties: bass & backing vocals
Musicians:
Michelle Steeves: lead vocals & violin
Glen Ritchie: acoustic guitar
Brian Young: electric guitar
Cory Schile: drums

2001 - 2003: dB COOPER (Victoria)
Classic Rock
Duties: bass & lead vocals 40%
Musicians:
Don McMeckan: guitar & vocals
Alan Medcalf: guitars
Pat Hetu: drums & vocals

2001 - Now: THE PONY CLUB (Victoria)
Original Country / Traditional Country & Country-Rock
Duties: bass & backing vocals, lead vocals 30%
Musicians:
Toni Hammond: lead vocals
Don McMeckan: guitar & vocals
Joe Kovacs: drums & vocals ⁽¹⁾
Greg Murray: drums & vocals ⁽²⁾

2003 - 2005: THE BREAKFAST CLUB (Victoria / Courtenay)
'80s Covers
Duties: bass & lead vocals 40%
Musicians:
Norm Gordon: guitar & vocals
Andy Lorimer: keyboards & vocals
John Kelly: drums & vocals

2004 - 2007: THE WINGMEN / A.K.A (Victoria)
Whatever we want to wing.
Duties: bass & lead vocals 40%
Musicians:
Jack Jazloweicki: guitar & vocals
Malcolm Cooley: drums

2004 - 2008: THE USUAL SUSPECTS (Victoria)
'80s and Modern Rock.
Duties: bass & lead vocals 10%
Musicians:
Mark McKee: lead vocals, some guitar
Pete Wilson: guitar
Sean Wallbridge: drums & vocals
Arman Tesoro: keyboards & vocals

2008 - Now: SUPERSAUCE (Victoria)
'80s to Modern Rock.
Duties: bass & lead vocals 50%
Musicians:
Dave Dahlberg: guitar, some vocals
Sean Wallbridge: drums & barely any vocals
Arman Tesoro: keyboards & vocals
Ellen Crossley: vocals

2009 - Now: FASCINATION (Victoria)
'90s and Modern Dance / Pop
Duties: bass & lead vocals 25%
Musicians:
Arman Tesoro: keyboards & vocals
Dave Dahlberg: guitar, some vocals
Peter Arbor: drums & vocals
Ellen Crossley: vocals
Megan Johns: vocals
Derek Mansfield: keyboards

2011 - Now: ROCK STEADY (Victoria)
'90s and Modern Dance / Pop.
Duties: bass & lead vocals 50%
Musicians:
Dave DeGrassi: guitar & vocals
Craig Stewart: drums

CD Appearances

1995: EDISON » Pirate

1996: JOE FISH » Chowder

1998: ROSS GREEN » Biting The Hand

2000: STEVE HALL » In The Middle

© 2012,