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Heathen Folklore

 To trace the history of the Beat Heathens involves tracing the history of two separate bands.

 The real "Beat Heathens" was the brainchild of former MuchMusic VJ Dan Gallagher and former Coney Hatch bass player Andy Curran. Among the original members of the band was guitarist Mike Montgomery (see the Dan Gallagher page). Mike played on and off with Dan for many years, as well as pursuing many other musical ventures including opening his own recording studio where he produced over 100 albums.

 Among Mike's external musical adventures was playing bass in a band led by guitarist Pete Christian known as "Big Sister Laura" that featured drummer/vocalist extraordinare Scott Apted. The band used a bevy of musicians to augment the lineup. One such musician was a friend of both Mike and Scott's named Wayne Deadder. Wayne was a guitarist and vocalist who had played with Scott in a local jam night.

 When Gallagher contacted Mike to find musicians for a new Beat Heathen's lineup (most of the original lineup was far too busy to commit to the project at this point), Mike suggested using Scott and Wayne. Dan, trusting Mike's judgment, agreed to use the pair. Thus began the new Heathens.

 After a "warm-up" gig in (of all places) Long Island, New York in July of 1998, Dan committed his new band to a regular Wednesday night engagement at the "Peel Pub" on King Street in Toronto. The gig lasted for almost a year. The band built up a solid reputation as well as a strong following, thanks in large part to Dan's talent at winning over a crowd, as well as the band's versatility. As weeks passed, the band became tighter and tighter, playing a spirited set of music that included some R&B classics as well as some carefully chosen pop music.

 Mike, Scott and Wayne were so impressed with the lineup they virtually "stumbled" across, that they decided to play some gigs without Dan (partially because of Dan's incredibly busy schedule). Knowing that they would draw out many disappointed fans looking for the nonexistent Dan Gallagher, the trio decided to use a different name when they played without Dan. The name "3lbs" (3 pounds) was agreed upon. Over the next three years, the band played with and without Gallagher.

 In late 2000, the band played a cancer benefit in Toronto with Dan. The day was highlighted by Dan taking it upon himself to host portions of the show (introducing other acts, drawing for prizes and generally entertaining the crowd) as well as taking the stage with the band that he essentially put together three years before. Less than a month later, the band traveled to Buffalo, New York to host a special event at Rich Stadium. Once again, Dan was on fire. The pre game show was a highlight of the day for many.

That would be Dan's last performance with the group.

In early 2001, Dan died suddenly of a heart attack at his home in Toronto. He left behind a family of friends that were reeling from the shock for a long time.

 Dan's last band (Mike, Scott and Wayne) decided to forge on, but with a significant change. They would adopt the namesake of the band that Dan created. With the permission of Dan's family, as well as co-founder Andy Curran, the current Beat Heathens was born.

 The band continues to play all over North America attempting to carry on the tradition that was started by Gallagher many years before. The result is a talented group that plays a wide variety of music that continues to win audiences over every night.