- Story by Darcy Nybo Photography by Don Denton
They say music is only as good as the people who play it. Westshore’s We3 are proof of that. At a recent gig, people were up and dancing from the first song and barely sat down for the rest of the night. It’s no wonder the band has a steady stream of bookings: people simply love them.
In June of 2017 Steve Lalonde (guitar and vocals), Roger Prive (drums and vocals), and Dave Donovan (bass and vocals) formed We3. It was, in Dave’s words, like magic. “We feed off one another,” he said. “The gel and the groove was there and we have never looked back.”
All three members have fond memories of growing up with music. Dave played in a band when he was 15. He fell away from music in his younger years and came back to it when he turned 50. Roger played in a high school band, and like Dave, playing music faded from his life. At age 40, he picked up his sticks and started drumming again. Guitar player Steve, wandered into a piano teacher’s home when he was only five. The teacher took him home, and his parents bought him his first six-string guitar. He’s been playing ever since.
All members of We3 love it when they get in the zone. “There’s no better feeling than when everything feels and sounds good,” Roger said. Steve added, “When you see people in the audience enjoying themselves, there’s a push to play even better.”
When the trio isn’t playing rock ‘n’ roll they are with their families or at work. Dave is a Senior Technical Analyst with the Provincial Government, which is where he first met Steve, who is a Technical Network Consultant. Roger is a store manager at Quality Foods.
Getting people up on the dance floor is easy for We3. “Ballroom Blitz, is great for getting people up,” Dave said. “It surprises people as you don’t hear it often any more.”
Guitarist Steve’s favourite is their modernized version of “Born Under A Bad Sign.” “Half-way through we get a hypnotizing groove with the bass and drums and I put a nice little guitar solo a la David Gilmour.”
For a three piece band, the group has a well-balanced sound. “We play a lot of B sides,” Dave said. “They aren’t the songs most bands play, but the audience recognizes them and they get up and dance.”
When it comes to making music, the trio have some words of encouragement for fellow musicians.
“Just do it,” Dave said. “There are no bad bands, just bands that are at different stages in their development.”
Roger believes that anyone who enjoys music can be a musician. “It all comes down to practice and more practice. Encourage kids to learn an instrument when they are young, even if they don’t stick with it. They will always have that musical knowledge and could pick it up later in life.”
Steve added: “Learn some basic music theory, then practice, practice, practice. Most of all, have fun.”
The band also have a great sense of humour. Their motto is: We’re really not that bad!
You can find out where We3 are playing next by going to their Facebook page.
