Robillard Rod

Article by Roxanne Delage
Seaway News
14 August 2014

Anyone who was of age, in the 70s and early 80s, will certainly remember the unforgettable, live music scene in town, back then, in particular, at places like The Northway and The Villa Nova. It was around then that local rocker, Rod Robillard, a staple on that scene, who'd been playing professionally since his early teens (things were very different back then), hung up his guitar, to raise a family and work a "real job."

Well, just recently, after more than 30 years, Robillard dusted off that guitar and The Rod Squad was born. His posse, a who's who of some of the best rockers in the area, drummer, Jim Sharp (on loan from Gypsy and a number of other bands in town) and bassist, Steve Lefebvre, who also makes his way around the several other bands, in the area. "I was inspired by Marc Muir and Paul Deslauriers," said Robillard, who, not coincidentally, was their guitar teacher and admittedly a major influence on the musicians they are now. "I'd go see (Deslauriers and Muir) and they'd get me up to play. I started realizing that] could still hang with these young bucks; that's how it got started."

Robillard, now 58, admits that he is reliving his youth with his new band. "We'll be doing material from around that time, so if you're under 30, you've probably never heard of any of this stuff." "Stuff," such as "Deep Purple and Johnny Winters," he laughs ... (stop tape for a ten minute tangent that the two guitar players go off on, talking about their own individual Johnny Winters' stories, in the middle of this interview) .... And, we're back!

Speaking of Muir, who started taking lessons from Robillard when he was 14, says he still goes back after all these years to "get I some more licks ... He's been there the whole time," he says about his mentor. Robillard will be sharing the bill with the I gifted lefty and his trio (Jim Sharp, again! - I the hardest working musician in Cornwall and, I said it once and I'll say it again, mega- I bassist, Bobby Tessier, Gypsy), for a series of shows in and around the area, starting at local "watering hole" Lola's. "I've been living vicariously through this guy (Muir) for years; it's about time that I start doing it myself," said Robillard. "We're compatible, as far as our outlook on guitar playing, but we've never had the opportunity to play together in a band. This seems to be the closest we can get to it." If you are into some of the best guitar