Jeff
My earliest memory of rock n’ roll took place at Skeleton Lake, Alberta in the early eighties.
I was sitting at the table for dinner at my cousin Craig’s cabin when I was about four years old, and out of nowhere I decided to pick up a tablespoon and yell “Look at me… I’m Gene Simmons”. Then I broke into what was my favorite song off of his solo record “I’m livin’ in sin at the Holiday Inn!” Uncle Marvin immediately proceeded to grab me by the ear and pull my head to the table. “Jeff, there will be no such behaviour permitted at my table! You must be quiet and eat your supper”. I didn’t appreciate this and chose to rebel. I was sent away from the table. Then I knew in my gut that I needed to play some sort of music and find food.
Years later my brother Greg and cousin Craig were really getting into music and were both taking guitar lessons. Mom made me take piano lessons and I really hated it. The two of them started playing cover songs together and I felt left out. After all, what little brother isn’t a tag along? They decided they wanted to form a band and I begged to play too. Greg played bass, Craig was guitar, and finally I piped in “You need drums!” Mom was not into the idea of drums at first. But, they were still a musical instrument. And she wanted all of her children to be musical. So, she caved in and I turned out to be not a bad player. I studied under the teachings of John McCormick who was the percussion director at the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. I was to be his youngest student at the age of eleven. My biggest influences as a drummer would become Keith Moon, Mitch Mitchell, Loz Colbert, and Graham Bonar.
I played in several bands with silly names like Turnip Farm, Milk Run, and Pinnochio’s Revenge. Eventually they would need to play shows in bars. But I was too young, and mom had to write to the government to get permits for me to play that stated I was under age and that I was not to be in the presence of alcohol, and also that I couldn’t be an exotic dancer? Dammit, I couldn’t dance anyways! This permit really started things for me. But when other band mates could drink and have fun, it meant that I had to stay in the back of whatever club we were playing. Mostly I stayed in kitchens. Then when I was of age I got more involved in the local music scene. More notable bands were Superchap, Deepseat, and Scarlet.
After a while I began to feel that drums were stifling, and learned how to sing and play guitar. I began to write my own songs and over the years have also fronted my own projects. The ‘deadfilmstars’ was a big one for me. And I am currently fronting in a project called ‘The Lee Majors’.
About seven years ago I moved to Vancouver and answered an ad seeking a punk rock drummer. And met Sean Jones and Dan Esterreicher. We started to jam a lot. I was finding it hard to adjust to living in a new bigger city and immersed myself into the project that we now call ‘Friends of 7’. We have come to tell many different stories as to where the origins of the name come from. But I have always liked the one of how we were three friends who would play seven days a week. And we really did! Hence, we are the ‘Friends of Seven’.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot! My name is Jeff Kolodychuk and I’m the drummer.