Timothy J. Gallant (former member)
I started playing at an early age. I can remember listening to Twisted Sister
"Were not gonna take it," on my Dads Record player and pretending to be the
drummer. I was about five or so when my mother brought home a toy drum set from
one of those garage sales she always went to. Well that was it! They put me in
lessons around the age of seven. From then on I played in the basement
till I was a teenager. I think it was Guns n' Roses "Appetite for Destruction"
album that really made me want to join a band.
In high school I started
a band with
a few friends (I always hung around with
musicians). We were a metal band called "Mr. Regicide." We got some radio play
on a small radio station in Windsor, my home town. We won a battle of the bands
at the International Freedom Festival in 1994. I was also awarded the best
drummer. After that, we started to get a pretty good following. About a year
later we were playing all over the Downtown Windsor area. Even though we were
under age, we usually could pack every bar we played at. Our biggest songs were "Frustrated,"
"Pulse," and my favorite "First Impression". We were together for about 3 years,
then things grew stale so we called it quits.
After college I moved into my own apartment, putting my drums in the closet and
forgetting about them entirely. It didn't feel right, as if I was living a life
that wasn't me.
I started doing
some studio recordings with some other friends, played out once, but we broke up
after about 6 months. It just wasn't happening. A few years went by playing
alone, then I ran into a great guitar player and friend. We instantly clicked!
Both sharing a love for delta blues, we started a classic rock/ blues band named
"Draft". We
played all over Essex County. I remember one night in particular...... We were
playing on a beach on Lake Erie, facing the water, about 200 people present.
Beautiful summer night, Moon Glaring down on the water. The air was thick so the
fog wasn't rising.
All were dancing and feeling good, including the band. We were starting our 3rd
set, it was Canned Heat tune "On the road again". Nothing but smiles everywhere I
looked. I knew there I wanted to play drums the rest of my life. It was a
wonderful experience. We decided to go against all odds and do what we loved the
most, Blues. Changing our name to the "Blue Midnight Band", we played John Lee
Hooker, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf etc. We played all over Windsor and Essex.
Some places were nice, some were a little scary.
We had some
great times. After a year with "Blue Midnight" I decided to take a break when I
got a phone call from my Brother. He said he was starting a band in Plymouth, a
rock band and they were looking for a drummer. So I packed my drums in the jeep
and off I went.
-Tim Gallant
