The Riff Vandals are a volunteer band who have performed more than 250 shows over the past 5 years. We guarantee that we will cut the reins that tether your imagination for as little as $600 for a 2 hour show. We need a large stage to contain the attitude otherwise it spills over into the audience, and we can't be responsible for the outcome, lol. If you enjoy dancing then you will probably enjoy the band. You will find some rough demos of the songs we currently play listed below. We are always looking to perform concerts for Charities or Fundraisers as well as Festivals, Street Parties, House Concerts and any mainstream venue that will take a chance on a new-band-in-town.
Previous performances 2012
Previous performances 2011
Previous performances 2010
Why not join the Riff Vandals fan club on 
Here are some photos of The Riff Vandals over the years, performing at their various functions; we may look a little older nowadays, lol.
The Riff Vandals LiveGet the Flash Player to see this player. |
Popular Tunes A Dreamer's Holiday Any Road Bad Moon Rising Beyond the Sea Call me Cheek to Cheek Country Road Diana Dream Lover Enjoy Yourself Everyday Feeling Groovy Hello Mary Lou Hey Good Lookin Brown Eyed Girl bye bye love Cupid Heartbeat It doesnt matter anymore Love is all around Wonderful World Oh Boy Twisting the Night Away With a Little Help From My Friends Beer Barrel Polka |
Buffalo Gals You Are My Sunshine Something Good Peaceful Easy Feeling Do Do Ron Ron Originals I Wish For You Too City Heights Dancing In Vegas Funeral Song Ghost The Coming Of Your Age - Live at Ray's I Don't Know Why My Love Grows For You - Live at Ray's I Feel Like Changing Just Be You Baby I Miss You - Live at Ray's If You Could Just See Me Now Lovers After Rain - Live at Ray's My Kind Of Girl - Live at Ray's One Sweet Moment Still In The Game - Live at Ray's Stop Feeling Guilty (For Being Human) Stranger In A Foreign Land Heading Down To Dixie Your Best Move - Live at Ray's |
|
Early in life, Ray knew he was destined to become a drummer when, at the age of 12, he was compelled to wander off into the bush near the rural Manitoba farm where he grew up, cut down a tree, and carve a set of drumsticks out of a branch. Singing and playing music were always encouraged by his parents, so he has always felt the joy that expressing yourself musically can bring. Fast forward 30 odd years. The time demands of raising a family and running a business leveled off to a point where he could pursue his love of music. A life changing experience seeing Blue Rodeo in concert at The Walker Theatre on a cold December night in 1995 showed Ray that music was all about honesty and passion. After a lot of encouragement from his wife, Nancy, he got his first drumset in August 2000 and has been hitting things with sticks ever since! Rayšs musical influences come from artists like Blue Rodeo, The Beatles, Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, John Mellencamp, Fred Eaglesmith, Tom Petty and the multitude of Winnipeg underground musicians that hešs been fortunate enough to play with over the past few years. Ray also plays bass guitar and sings whenever he can. The whole household is musical as Nancy sings and plays guitar, his son Matt plays bass guitar, and his son Derek is a guitarist. Ray lives by the mantra "Music, like Life, is a Journey, not a Destination". Check out Ray's |
|
The Riff Vandals were lucky indeed to tether the reins of this fine young stallion. Craig's love of music is equaled only by his love of photography, cooking and friendship. His musical past stretches all the way from High School, where he played in local bands before he could even play guitar. Over the years Craig has been part of a number of musical projects, and his latest endeavor finds him both performing and recording the Riff Vandals music. He is affectionately called 'Inspector Gadget' because of his technical prowess. All kidding aside, Craig is a wonderful bass player and along with Ray, forms the backbone of the band... Check out Craig's |
|
A most welcome addition to The Riff Vandals is Dr Sonny May Jr, who brings with him the big band sound from an itsy-bitsy set of lungs, just kidding. Sonny lives in Canada year round (lucky him), and plays guitar, sax, harp, bass, and vocalss, as well as a little percussion and recording. Sonny has recently taken up the nice sounding clarinette too. |
|
Jonathan is a freelance guitar player/teacher here in Winnipeg. His first instrument was the Violin, followed by the Alto Sax and finally the Guitar which he's been playing for 17 years now. Besides music, Jonathan is also a competitive amateur golfer with over 30 years of experience under his belt. He also enjoys working out, RPG's & Vsauce. |
|
Mike Garbutt has always been a dreamer, though unfortunately his first dreams of becoming a musician ran into a cold winter back in 1974. Despite a reasonable summer of busking in London England, the earnings in winter and spring were enough of a reality check to persuade him to abandon his dreams; at least for a while. Closing in on old age faster than he cares to, he's decided that its time to revitalize his dream of becoming a musician. He has hooked up with a couple of great guys to form The Riff Vandals, and because of their caring nature, they perform primarily for those less able to get out and enjoy life to the full. The rewards are immediately obvious in the smiles and kudos from the audience; a perfect example of a win win situation. Mike has been songwriting for almost 40 years, and hopes that his songs will not seem out of place with the thousands of great songs out there already. He hopes that when you get the chance you will enjoy listening to them just as much as he enjoys performing them. Check out Mike's |
Please contact Mike at: 
for more information and bookings.
