Musician's Career Has
Run the Musical Gamut

Mike Devlin - Victoria Times Colonist


There's nothing Paul Pigat hasn't done during his two-decade career as a musician, right down to a rite-of-passage stint in a gimmicky cover band.


Though he willingly talks about that dark period - "It was the only way to make a living in Ontario at that time, and possibly still is," Pigat jokes - he's not particularly proud of his role in a Garth Brooks tribute band.


"It was horrible, dude. It was like doing time," the Toronto native says with a laugh. "The closest thing to prison I've ever seen."


It didn't last long. The classically trained guitar player says he had a revelation in Thunder Bay, Ont., during a road stint with the group. "It was a pretty debaucherous band, so we'd been on a bender for about a week at the time. I woke up one morning and said 'You know what? I hate this.' So I called up my lady I was seeing in Victoria and told her I was moving out there."


Pop country's loss was Victoria's gain. Pigat, whose current group, Cousin Harley, performs Saturday as part of the Vancouver Island Blues Bash, quickly became a fixture on the local music scene in the late 90's, largely with Swan's Pub favourites the Smokin' Jackets.


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