Rigby is Canada's premier tribute to the songs of the Beatles.
Not content to be a look-a-like tribute act, Rigby has complemented the legendary Beatles' sound with a touch of East Coast Canadian flavor. The addition of a violinist, coupled with the Motown-inspired lead vocals of Jill Schettler and the Led Zeppelin fervor of drummer Sean Mitchell, asserts Rigby's presentation of the mop-top's catalog is like no other.
Careful to keep the integrity of the music intact, Schettler and Mitchell have created an act that stays true to the musical voice of the Fab Four, while giving it an updated feel-- much like Sir Paul McCartney himself does on tour. Rigby focuses painstakingly on flawless vocal harmonies and impeccable musicianship, and is a big advocate of audience participation in their show.
As an added feature, the show also includes an "unplugged" set, in which audience members are encouraged to sing along with the band, as well as a version of "Yellow Submarine" you will not soon forget. Rigby is an act that is well-suited for all ages and prides itself on creating an authentically entertaining experience for those who love The Beatles.
Sean Mitchell (drums and percussion)
Sean Mitchell has fifteen years professional experience behind the kit. He has studied under such industry greats as Zoro (Lenny Kravitz), Mitch Dorge (Crash Test Dummies), Chris Sutherland (Kim Mitchell), Dom Famularo (Clinician), and Ontario’s African drum master Sean Jessau.
Schooled in a variety of styles including rock, blues, R&B, country, funk, soul, roots, bluegrass and world music, Sean adds an exotic flavor to the band with his pocket-driven grooves and melodic technique.
Sean has shared the stage with the likes of Shania Twain, Wynonna Judd, Jerry Lee Lewis, The New Guess Who, Blue Rodeo and Marty Stuart, to name a few. He has logged countless studio and stage hours playing all over North America. Add to his expertise behind the kit, Sean is the creator and publisher of The Black Page magazine, a one-of-a-kind online drum magazine read by over 4000 drummers in 16 countries.
Jill Schettler (lead vocalist)
Jill is an incredibly talented songstress who went on to graduate from Brandon University’s School of Music, majoring in both music and creative writing. Jill has also studied under the guidance of vocal coach Owen Fiidla Brown who's former pupils include Mary J. Blige and Celine Dion.
Jill has performed professionally across Canada for six years. She sites having opened for Nazareth, Streetheart and Rik Emmett at Minnedosa’s Classic Rock Weekend and opening for Trooper in Canada’s great white north as two of her career highlights. Jill was also among the many hopefuls that tried out for the popular Canadian reality show Canadian Idol.
While Jill realized that perhaps the show was not the direction she wanted to pursue, Sass Jordan paid her the ultimate compliment by giving Jill a standing ovation and saying that Miss Schettler had a voice, as good as Christina Aguilera.
Damien Steiger (lead guitarist)
As the son of one of Rita MacNeil’s burly Men of the Deep, Damien has proven that musicality runs in the family. Damien is a graduate of the Mount Allison University Conservatory of Music where he majored in saxophone, one of his many talents. During the course of his studies, Damien performed in many university symphonic and jazz ensembles. He also took up a position in the jazz combo Planet Blue, performing as a saxophonist, keyboardist, guitarist and vocalist.
Damien’s Atlantic Canadian heritage lead him to perform and record with the traditional Celtic group Drimin Down, until relocating to the Boston area. After moving to Massachusetts, Damien performed in the dynamic rock group Usually Normal on guitar, bass, keyboards, saxophone and vocals, and he regularly performed in downtown Boston with an acoustic duo called Absolut Acoustic.
Undoubtedly, Damien is an extremely gifted multi-instrumentalist, playing guitar, bass, piano, mandolin, fiddle, drums, saxophone, and harmonica. His smooth vocal blend and accomplished guitar leads prove a tremendous asset to the band.
Brad Prest (bass)
With more than 20 years of development and experience as a musician, Brad Prest unmistakably provides the solid, fat groove that a band like Rigby deserves. A jazz cat to the core, Brad began studying with the Canadian Conservatory of Music and continued his musical studies at Saint Francis Xavier University.
Known for his quick learning ability, Brad has been called on to perform multiple shows with limited rehearsal time. For Spirit Productions (Niagara Falls, Ontario), he learned and performed I Can’t Stop Loving You, a tribute to Ray Charles, in just two rehearsals. Brad has also been a regular player on Norwegian Cruise Lines (Miami, Florida).
During his experience aboard ship, he received the esteemed honor of being named the best bass player in the Norwegian Cruise line Fleet, and at one point in his career, Brad even acted as the line’s bandmaster. Aside from the cruise gig, Brad has been involved in numerous bands. Most notably, Brad has backed up such performers as Michael Feinstein, Johnny Thunder (The Drifters) Paul Tanner, Dave Sommerville (The Diamonds) and Lorna Luft.
Theo MacIntosh (piano)
Born and raised in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Theo MacIntosh began playing piano at an early age, later studying jazz piano at Saint Francis Xavier University. In addition to piano, Theo plays the guitar, bass, trumpet and tuba. Over the years, Theo has performed throughout Canada and the United States and has shared the stage with the Beach Boys, Honeymoon Suite, Alan White (YES, John Lennon) and Julia Baird (John Lennon's sister).
Jacques Mindreau (violin)
Jacques Mindreau was born into a musical family in Lima, Peru. His family moved to Canada when Jacques was six and his new home saw the aspiring virtuoso pick up the violin shortly thereafter. Jacques has been playing violin for 20 years and began his studies at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Mississauga, Ontario, receiving classical training in both the Suzuki and RCM methods. Jacques went on to graduate from York University in Toronto and eventually studied under Hamilton Philharmonic concert master Corey Gemmell. Jacques specializes in a wide variety of music including jazz, celtic, klezmer, Eastern European, and bluegrass.
