DTTB EP.28 – Real talk with Rich Beddoe (Ex Finger Eleven & Saint Asonia)
Touring can take its toll on people. It’s not a new story in Rock, but it’s one that most people ignore, hide, deny or just cope with. Some musicians seem to just be able to survive no matter how much they ingest, like Lemmy for example. At no point (as far as I know) did that man ever consider giving up drugs or his Rock n Roll lifestyle, he made it to 70 which was pretty incredible. Keith Richards, well… some people just continue to defy the odds.
This of course, isn’t the case for the vast majority of musicians. Most never achieve that legendary status of course and in the case of Lemmy and Keef, the substance abuse has become a celebrated component of their fame. The age old cliché of Sex, Drugs & Rock n’ Roll. The reality of course, is much different. Ask any touring musician and they’ll tell you, riders almost always include booze and the entire environment is built around a party atmosphere. That’s why rock shows are fun. But as a musician, it’s easy to get caught up in “life on the road”.
Over the course of the series, these issues have come up here and there, but for the first time I’m going to have an in depth discussion on just how far one can do down the spiral. Rich Beddoe and I connected online and he told me that he was ready to share what he’s been through, for the first time. The majority of his career was spent behind the drum kit in Finger Eleven. They enjoyed MASSIVE success as a band. Movie soundtracks, WWE (he has a funny story about climbing in to the ring with Kane) and of course the universal smash hit “One Thing” that probably introduced Finger Eleven to your parents. Then he went on to be a founding member of Saint Asonia with Adam Gontier and seemed to be off on an amazing new musical journey, then he quietly disappeared. WHY?!?!?!
Rich has come out the other side of some serious darkness and for the first time, he’s ready to tell his story.
Darryl Spring
Darryl Spring is a 20-year rock radio veteran with a history at Toronto’s 102.1 The Edge, Hamilton’s Y108 and Kingston’s K-Rock 1057. Most recently he was Program Director, Music Director and Afternoon Drive Host at Ottawa’s Rebel 1017 where he essentially got to create all the programming and curated the stations playlist, primarily from his own music library. His passion for music was clear to anyone that listened to his show. Darryl always made great efforts to elevate independent and emerging artists and built up a reputation as an interviewer. Darryl Spring says, “Artist interviews rarely happen on radio anymore, when they do its brief and offer little depth, and that means music fans are really missing out. The goal of my podcast is to provide people who are passionate about rock with a new and innovative connection to the Canadian Music Industry and the bands and artists they love and support.”
