The Village Steps

The Village Steps photo

Updated May, 2010 with new photos at bottom of page

After leaving the Inferno 5 Plus 1, Lance Whitman joined the Village Steps. They never recorded, but here are a few photos of the group that Lance sent to me. The original members were:

Mike Duhaime (singer)
Lloyd Duhaime (bass)
Dwight Snell (rhythm guitar)
Wayne Carriere (Drums)
Lance Whitman (lead guitar)

The Village Steps on stage photoThe Village Steps on stage photoThe Village Steps on stage photoThe Village Steps on stage photo

Below are two later photos of the group and a photo of Slowpoke sent to me by Jenny DuHaime:

The Village Steps, circa 1967, left to right: Dwight Snell, Lloyd Duhaime, Billy Irwin, Ray Servant, Danny Dube, Mike Duhaime
The Village Steps, circa 1967, left to right: Dwight Snell, Lloyd Duhaime, Billy Irwin, Ray Servant, Danny Dube, Mike Duhaime
Later promo for the Village Steps, left to right: Dany Dubé, Billy Irwin, Ray Servant, Mike Duhaime, Lloyd Duhaime
Later promo for the Village Steps, left to right: Dany Dubé, Billy Irwin, Ray Servant, Mike Duhaime, Lloyd Duhaime

The promo photo below is for an early ’70s Sudbury group, Slowpoke, with members from the Squares, Stepping Stones, Associated Press, the Riots and the Village Steps. Besides Dave Mathe and Rick Pitts, other members could have included Rick Tannis (spelling?), Ryan O`Neal (spelling?), and Jim Dunn.

Slowpoke, from left: Dave Mathe (drums), Jim Dunn (gutarist/vocalist), Bryan O'Neil (bass) and Rick Pitts (guitarist/vocalist)
Slowpoke, from left: Dave Mathe (drums), Jim Dunn (gutarist/vocalist), Bryan O’Neil (bass) and Rick Pitts (guitarist/vocalist)

Thanks to Lance Whitman and Dan Dubé for help with identifying the members in these photos.

14 thoughts on “The Village Steps”

  1. For some reason the Inferno Five popped into my head and I looked online, I remember the guys playing in town. Also remember the Village Steps as 2 of them were married to friends of mine, and Bryan O’Neil from Slowpoke was dating another friend. Back in 1970 my ex husband and John Bell were tossed in jail for loitering!!

  2. I’m very sorry to report that Lance Whitman of the Village Steps and the Inferno 5 +1 passed away suddenly on January 20, 2013 in Sudbury.

    I had heard from him as recently as November, so this comes as a shock. I wish I had had the chance to meet him in person.

    Lance contributed many photos of his bands to this site. I don’t think I had ever come across a local band as well documented in photographs as the Inferno 5 + 1, and I have Lance’s diligence to thank for that.

  3. spelling corrections: Brian O’Neil, bass. Rick Pitz, 2nd lead guitar and vocals. Came out of Village Steppes (Version 1) and Original Cast. Contemporaries of other groups mentioned, and some of these names are unknown to me. Thanks for posting this and I have others if you’re interested.

  4. Sudbury Musicians and bands in Sudbury far outshone their contemporaries… Bands like The Village Steps … featured Bill Irwin and his Fender Jazz and count them 2 drummers… The Beasties.. Crimson Manual …Associated Press… Tea for Two… The Original Cast with Pete Wolfe , a Brian Jones lookalike… Inferno 5.. Marketville Riot…Excellent musicians Jim Dunne,. Rick Panas The Matte Brothers. Danny O’ Connor . I mean the list goes on and on…Many are still active and still playing today…I consider myself one of the lucky ones to watch and witness the Awesomeness of the Sudbury Music Scene circa 1965-70. OMG lets not forget the Laurentian Combo with the CAt…and singers like Dave Powers and COOL dudes like Brian ONeill Thanks to all of you and many more of you that made my youth and Music in Sudbury so memorable

  5. Hi…so cool to see these pics of so long ago…I miss these guys and would love to jam again someday. I’m in BC now and doing some playing and a heap of writing.
    We all looked so young
    Sudbury was a big music town. I’m finding now that everywhere I go, there are so many talented players.

  6. It’s great to take a look back…I posted earlier but it doesn’t appear to have come up.
    Those were fun times…I’d love to jam again with these lads..
    I’m in BC now, playing but mostly writing…add this to your site..there are so many good players everywhere…
    Thanks !

    1. Brian and his sister have both passed away (a few years ago now) both of cancer! Sorry to tell you this 😢

  7. I grew up in Sudbury, went to high school at St. Charles College from 1965 to 1969. I was in a band from New Sudbury called “The Dawn of Time”. We played mostly in surrounding areas like Estaire, Espanola, Elliot Lake, etc. I became a solo artist and toured Canada and had a semi-hit in 1975 called “Angel in Disguise” which got air play on both CKSO and CHNO. I started playing in the U.S. , did gigs on the Vegas Strip, on 3 major cruise lines and became a local favorite on a small island in SW Florida. In high school, I was in the same class as Dennis Castellan who played bass with the Riot when Rick Panas was drummer. I remember bands like “Times Square” and a guy named Gary Cuomo, who fronted a band out of Hanmer. Also, I was friends with Danny Dube, one of the drummers from the Steppes. Rick Landry was our guitar player and Doug Cousineau was our bass player for a short stint back with the Dawn of Time. My faves were Jim Dunne’s Associated Press and the “Kat” from the Laurentian Combo. Sudbury also had a lot of big name acts come to the arena, like Neil Diamond, the Troggs, and Burton Cummings and the Guess Who. Loved the 60’s!

  8. The original “Dawn of Time” included Gary Altman (lead singer), Rick Landry(guitar), Steve Paul (organ & bass pedals) and Doug DeRusha (drums). Gary really couldn’t sing too well so we left him behind and performed mainly as a trio. Later we added Doug Cousineau on bass for a couple of gigs and then added Brad Storms as our regular bass player. As far as I know, Doug DeRusha is somewhere in B.C., Gary & Rick have passed away to rock’n’roll heaven. Fondest memories include 4 of us carrying my Hammond organ up and down our basement stairs and into clubs. Also, driving the rental truck my dad used to rent for our gigs, to places like Chelmsford, Manitoulin Island and once, the Caruso Club, as well as the Sudbury Arena for “The Battle of the Bands”. The band broke up when high school ended for all of us. I moved on with my music and made a career of it, with no regrets.

  9. I have met all of the above mentioned musicians on occasion;all were great and fun to be around.So sad that many have passed( LANCE WHITMAN, BRIAN O’NEIL,RICK PANAS. DAVE MATTE,DANNY GAUDET)to name a few…there must be one hell of a rock’n roll party somewhere!!

  10. Awesome just found this page. Looking for info on The Village Steps, wondering how many are still around. Particularly Dwight Snell. Hung with these guys back in the 70’s.

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