(photo courtesy of Jason Setnyk)
Cornwall ON – Ryan Leger of Cornwall Ontario has been literally drumming around the world, playing in Canada, the USA, Australia, and several European countries.
Leger who went to St. Joseph’s Secondary School and Life Long Learning, is now 26 years old and a father of one. He is currently drumming for Every Time I Die and playing across North America on this years Vans Warped Tour.
Leger has come a long way since getting his first drumkit thirteen years ago. “I got my first drumkit when I was 13 but played on anything from tupperware to hub caps ever since I was a kid”.
Leger who used to drum for Cornwall Ontario metal band Third South and ska band Misunderstood? has also drummed for some fairly well known acts including The Salads, Dead and Divine, and Skye Sweetnam.
Leger has made it this far as a musician through hard work and successful auditions.
“Almost every band I’ve been in so far has been some sort of audition process. Ones that stand out would be Everytime I Die as it was done through Youtube, and The Salads where Darrin Pfeiffer from GoldFinger was hosting the audition and kind of over seeing the drummers who came out”.
Every Time I Die, who Leger is currently drumming for, is a hardcore metal band that originates from Buffalo, New York.
“We will be playing all of Warped Tour minus the first week, we had a festival to do out in Norway, but we start Warped Tour today (July 2nd) in Houston. We will 100% be in Montreal”.
Leger recalls how he use to go to Warped Tour in Montreal, not as a performer, but as a music fan.
“I started going to Warped Tour in high school when Cornwall used to organize a bus to Montreal every year. There has always been something in my bones telling me if I worked hard enough I’d be doing tours like this one day”.
This will not be Leger’s first time playing Warped Tour, as he previously played it with The Salads.
Over 70 bands are scheduled to perform at Parc Jean Drapeau in Montreal on July 10th including the All American Rejects, Sum 41, and Alkaline Trio, and of course, Every Time I Die with Ryan Leger behind the drums.
John James Minou Ledoux is resurrecting the tradition of having a Cornwall bus go to Montreal for Warped Tour. He is organizing a bus to the out door festival and selling bus tickets on Facebook.
As for Leger, the music fan in him is still excited to see live music, “For this years Warped Tour I’m excited to see Suicide Silence”.
In conclusion, Leger has advice for young musicians who want to succeed. “Stop dreaming and just do it, practice as much as you can, play with as many people as you can, and treat anyone and everyone you meet with respect”.
Cornwall Bus to Montreal Warped Tour on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=125445204147817
Every Time I Die Myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/everytimeidie
Vans Warped Tour 2010:
http://www.vanswarpedtour.com/warpedtour/index.asp
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