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BobCats History
The history of the BobCats really begins decades before the actual forming of the band in Vancouver in the Spring of 2001. Two of the members of the group have a musical relationship that dates back to the mid 1960's in Winnipeg, Manitoba.   Bob White and Danny Casavant were young Rock & Roll musicians at that
time and place, busy in the early formative stages of developing their talents. Winnipeg in those days was a hotbed of Rock & Roll music, with the Guess
Who being the great role models for so many aspiring rock musicians. Neil Young
was also on the scene with his first group the Squires, and the city was loaded
with groups and gigs at every High School, Community Club and several rocking
night clubs.Both Bob and Danny were a part of that scene in their respective early bands. Although socially aware of each other in the Winnipeg musicians' community it wasn't until the late 1970's that the two got together and played in a formal gig. When they did, they clicked musically in a big way coming from such similar musical backgrounds. Sporadic gigs continued for the two until early in 1982, when Bob decided it was time for a change and moved out West to seek his fame and fortune in Vancouver. Danny also decided to try his luck in Vancouver, but had quite separate plans for playing on the Coast at the time. As things progressed and time went by Bob and Danny crossed paths in Vancouver, and in mid 1983 formed the very successful music duo Fat City which morphed into a 4 piece band over time and continued until the band disbanded in the summer of 1989. At this point Bob moved on to a very successful 7 year plus run with the Surreal McCoys who were the Sunday to Wednesday House Band at Vancouver's famous Roxy nightclub. 
Danny moved into a period of varied sideman gigs; first
with the Billy Cowsill Band ( yes--of the Cowsill family -"Hair" etc.), which was
about as far from the Partridge Family as possible. They played Rockabilly and
Roots Rock with real passion. Danny also did tours and recordings with Lisa
Brokop, Fred Penner, Joel Feeney and many others.
As time passed Danny and Bob kept in touch as old friends always do. After leaving the Roxy gig Bob was freelancing and had a regular Wednesday night gig at Vancouver's West End pub the Dover Arms. Danny dropped by one night to visit and listen and came back to sit in and play and sing. 
As Danny tells it, it was great to play
together again and before long another old friend, Jimmy Walker, dropped by to
play some bass and sing a little as well. (Bob and Jimmy had worked together on weekends in a band they called The Rockolas between 1990 - 95. In that band Bob was on bass and Jimmy on guitar). The audience and management of the Dover Arms agreed
that the trio sounded great and before long they secured a regular Sunday afternoon
gig under their newly coined name, the BobCats ( Bob and the two Cats). They
soon secured a gig at North Vancouver's Rusty Gull bar every second
Wednesday. Both of these gigs have continued up to the present (4 years for the
Dover at the end of March 2005 - 4 years at the Rusty Gull come September 2005).
The BobCats booked themselves in various pubs across the Lower Mainland as a trio until the
urge to rock a little harder led them to take on Darrell Mayes on drums. He is
the original drummer with the Colin James band and stayed onboard until gig
scheduling became too difficult. His replacement came in the person of Vic Bicego (the aptly nicknamed Ringoletto - the Italian Ringo) who had subbed for Darrell on occasion and become available as his previous band, the HipCats wasn't working a whole lot and he really seemed to be the right drummer to make the BobCats complete. His excellent drumming, good humor and dashing Italian good looks make him now a full-time BobCat. Although the BobCats are a four piece band there is, in fact, a mysterious fifth BobCat. He appears on occasion as a special guest vocalist and adds a whole new dimension to the BobCats' experience when he joins the band on stage. His name is Bill Mac and here's the story of how became the fifth BobCat.  When the BobCats were in their early days playing Sundays at the Dover Arms Pub, the band began to notice certain people who became regular listeners and struck up conversations on breaks with many of them. One of these people was Bill Mac and after hearing him sing at Karaoke one evening after the BobCat's
Sunday show, Danny, Bob and Jimmy realized he was not only a fan, but a fellow
musician. The band asked him to sit in and magic happened!
 Bill became a good buddy of the BobCats and actually joined a another group, the HipCats, named by Danny, (notice a theme here?). This band was made up of Bill on lead vocals, Nick Bicego (Vic/Ringoletto's twin brother) on guitar, and a not yet BobCat, Vic/Ringoletto Bicego, on bass and drums. When the drum position opened up in the BobCats, Vic became a regular BobCat, and the HipCats subsequently disbanded, leaving Bill without a band.
Bill then became a regular guest at BobCats gigs at various pubs, but until there was a budget to hire him, it remained a casual thing. With the BobCats rise into more Corporate/Special Events type of work the band can now add Bill onto the show as a paid guest when his schedule and the budget are right. He brings a distinctly 50's Rock & Roll presence to the show that never fails to ignite and excite!! A particular high point is reached when he joins Bob in vocal duet on the Righteous Brothers hit "You've Lost That Loving Feeling". The BobCats have been expanding their gig range to include more Corporate events. The Rogers Communications Christmas Party at the Westin Bayshore [see Kudos], the CSSAM/ISSAM Congress on the Aging Male-Fun Night at the Hyatt, The North Shore Girls Soccer Association Fundraiser at the Squamish Nations Hall in North Vancouver and many more are a part of this development. The BobCats have also become regulars at the new River Rock Casino in Richmond, appearing at LuLu's Lounge on a regular rotation. Things are most definitely moving forward for the BobCats.They are also putting the finishing touches on their first "Live BobCats" CD, which will be released shortly.
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