bio
This is the famous BIO. The bit where you trump yourself up no end and pretend it's someone else doing it! But as I can't find anyone to say I'm anything more than a lazy bugger that steals young children's french fries and never uses two or three words when a couple of thousand will easily do, I'll do it myself.
I owe my genius to my parents, not only for doing the deed but for putting up with me hammering on the tubs to my record collection all day and night. They are the only parents I know who are familiar with early Genesis freaked out 24 minute epics about botanical creatures taking over England! Seriously though, I cut my teeth playing along to my varied collection of Prog, Pop and Folk music and occassionally when my mum and dad were ready to crack, Lionel Ritchie, Roger Whittaker and other gentle favourites. This all helped me to become familiar with different styles and dynamics.
After basement graduation I started off in a percussion ensemble called 'Patterns Of Change', which opened my experiences to African, South American and other world rhythms as well as improvising and playing weird shit. After joining a New Wave (hee hee) rock band in my then home town of Windsor, Ontario the band splintered (well we left the lead singer). We then formed a straight ahead original rock band in the vein of The Cult, REM, Zeppelin etc., but mostly we wrote and performed our own music and moved to Toronto to conquer the world. I wouldn't be writing this if we'd pulled it off. I then freelanced in Toronto playing with some great bands and songwriters and learned what I think is one of my strongest aspects to my playing; listening!... figuring out quickly what is and is not needed as well as who to follow.
I moved to Vancouver in 1993 when I answered an Ad for a Celtic band looking for a drummer. I've been a real enthusiast of the Celtic tradition for a long time and felt compelled to respond. It turned out to be THE PAPERBOYS who were looking. Fortunately I got the gig. What followed over the next six years was a journey filled with great fun, adventure and road experiences that I will never forget. I learned great road lessons such as always travelling with a can of peas in case an exhaust pipe should split in two and, as the' van loading guy', changing the load every night TAKES LONGER!. . Mostly though I learned how to perform well. The Paperboys were nothing if not tight. 300 shows in a year will do that. I played on three Paperboys albums, sang back ups and wrote a song or two as well. One appeared on the JUNO AWARD and WEST COAST MUSIC AWARD winning album MOLINOS. I also appeared on the POSTCARDS album which also won a WEST COAST MUSIC AWARD.
With the success of the Molinos album creating a buzz I was afforded other cool experiences like making videos and appearing on live television and radio. But the best experiences were the music festivals. Playing to large audiences with little or no time to soundcheck further developed my experience in performing and working professionally with stage crews and improvising with other musicians in workshops.
I retired from music in 2000 in favour of financial stability and some pints on home soil. Though I enjoyed it for a while I missed playing and performing. Enter THE IRISH ROVERS who put me right back in it. I am currently banging the tubs as well as playing the traditional Bodhran (irish frame drum) for this lengendary outfit. After 40 years of the best possible gigs imaginable including their own TV show on CBC for ten years, these boys still know how to entertain and please an audience. With the Rovers I am playing theatre gigs in Canada, USA, New Zealand and Australia for audiences of about two thousand people. I appeared on their last 'LIVE' album and am currently working on their 4OTH ANNIVERSARY album. The Rovers do not perform full time however and I am always on the lookout for other gigs. Because of my experience and familiarity with the music I do get called for a lot of celtic and folk styled gigs but enjoy playing all forms of music. Locally I am involved with the BRAZILIAN BATUCADA style ensemble SAMBATA which fuses Brazilian and Cuban rhythms, as well as performing and recording with anyone else who recognises my immense talent and is willing to buy me a pint to prove it!
If you've made it this far I commend you and hereby certify you qualified to claim that I do in fact never use two or three words when a couple of thousand will easily do. My contact info is below. I have to run now I'm starving and I just spotted a six year old that just got his fries supersized.
Paul.
PAUL LAWTON
2239 STEPHENS ST.
VANCOUVER, BC
CANADA.
V6K3W5
(604) 736-1590