The Edge


l-r Darcy MacDonald, Ray Roper, Bernie Aubin, Danny LathamAfter guitarist Ray Roper first left Stonebolt in the mid ’80s, he joined Trooper alumni bassist Doni Underhill (also ex of Zwol) and drummer Tommy Stewart called Trama, a band that had been around for nearly a decade, but never had anything released.

Not long after their demise, he formed The Ray Roper Band in ’84 with ex Headpins‘ touring guitarist Darcy MacDonald, Danny Latham on bass and drummer Doug Grant. A management deal under Sam Feldman was signed, and they quickly became staples on the Vancouver bar circuit. But Roper disbanded the group not long after to work on other studio projecs.

Grant left for the Guy Jones Band, and Latham and MacDonald hooked up with the remnants of The Headpins – guitarist Brian MacLeod and Bernie Aubin (also ex of Loverboy) on drums. They recruited frontman David Steele, and went by the name Steele MacLeod before changing it to Prisoner by the end of 1987.

But after that had run its course about a year later, Roper was looking to put a new band together, and got back with Latham and MacDonald, and Aubin. But before long Aubin was out on drums, and Doug Grant was in the picture again. MacDonald left soon after, and was replaced by Alfie Galpin, fresh off a stint on guitars with Plain Jane (another Headpins connection), and alumni of Guy Jones.

They went up and down the west coast over the next year, also playing some dates in the US and out east, while putting together some demos to shop around. But unable to find a deal that suited them, Roper eventually packed it in and ultimately returned to Stonebolt, and in the mid ’00s formed his sideline gig, The Ray Roper Project.l-r Danny Latham, Doug Grant, Ray Roper, Darcy MacDonald

Over the next few years, the paths of several Edge alumni would cross again. Latham, Galpin, and Grant formed Longtrain, and when that stint was over, Latham played in the reformed version of the The Headpins that featured Chrissy Steele, MacLeod, and for a time Aubin. After MacLeod passed away from cancer in ’92, Latham toured with Doug & The Slugs, before forming Epic. He then became a studio musician for awhile before moving home to Saskatchewan.

Aubin meanwhile eventually reformed The Pins, and Galpin joined in the late ’90s, following stints in Wild Kingdom and Scotty & The Slam Dogs. A few years later while the Pins weren’t touring, Aubin and Galpin joined up with Roper again for a cross-country trek, this time with Holly Woods as part of ‘Toronto.’

  • With notes from Alfie Galpin, Danny Latham, Ray Roper
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headpinsguy jones bandlongtrainplain janechrissy steelestonebolttrama