The RetroActives

Activating the party vibe with rock classics from the 60s, 70s, and 80s.
About

Hailing from across the Lower Mainland, The RetroActives unite decades of musical experience and a shared passion for classic rock.

We deliver an electrifying mix of danceable rock anthems and beloved one-hit wonders from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. With strong vocal harmonies and dynamic energy, every show celebrates music that transcends generations.

We create an unforgettable party atmosphere that gets everyone on their feet and singing along. Turn your event into a nostalgia-fueled dance party!!

Join Us

Upcoming Gigs...

  1. images
    West Beach Bar & Grill, White Rock
    October 25, 2025 , 7:00 pm
  2. images (1)
    West Vancouver Legion, West Vancouver
    November 22, 2025 , 7:00 pm
  3. west-beach-bar-and-grill-white-rock-1-940x600
    West Beach Bar & Grill, White Rock
    December 6, 2025 , 7:00 pm
  4. images (2)
    Admiral Pub & Grill, Burnaby
    December 13, 2025 , 2:00 pm
  5. donegals-irish-house
    Donegal's Rock & Irish House, Surrey
    December 27, 2025 , 8:00 pm
The RetroActives are:
Phil Laffin
Lead vocals and Guitars
Ellen Cash
Keys, Vocals and Percussion
Grant Gilron
Bass and Vocals
Ross Halliday
Drums and Vocals
Bruce Nunn
Lead Guitar and Vocals

About The Band

Each of the Retros brings many years of experience and musical history to the band:

  • Phil grew up singing and playing guitar in kitchen parties in his home province of Newfoundland. He’s played in bands all across Canada including Picture Show (Halifax, N.S.), Hoolie Snatch (London, ON), Decade of Sleep, Fool Hearts (Toronto, ON).

  • Ellen is a Motown native and classically-trained pianist. She directed Whistler‘s first acapella group, Vocalicious, and began playing keys in 2019 with Poor Dirty Sylvia in Whistler, joining Astro’s Collar (with Mike, Bruce, and Ross) later that year.

  • Grant has been holding down the low end for over 15 years, performing with artists including Dave King, Jeff Standfield, Bend in the Road, and Lost Hours.

  • Ross has toured across Canada with many bands, playing clubs, concerts and festivals. His bands included Metalworks, Spyder, Classified, No Secrets and Bossa Boys.

  • Bruce played in Frames Per Second, The Passports, Perfectly Norman and Anyhow Snap, the latter was a finalist in The Province’s Battle of the Bands in 1986. He recorded with bands produced by Paul Hyde (Payolas, Rock & Hyde) and Joe Vizvary (Images In Vogue, Skinny Puppy).

Song List

We don’t just play the hits you know – we dig up the ones you forgot you love! Our setlist’s always changing, so even we don’t know what’s coming next… but we promise we’ll get you on the dance floor!

SONG ARTIST
You Could Have Been a Lady
April Wine
Feel Like Makin' Love
Bad Company
No Matter What
Badfinger
Baby Blue
Badfinger
Sail on Sailor
Beach Boys
Back in the USSR
Beatles
Birthday
Beatles
Come Together
Beatles
Nowhere Man
Beatles
Taxman
Beatles
Dancing w/Myself
Billy Idol
One Way or Another
Blondie
Ride Captain Ride
Blues Image
Suffragette City
Bowie
Smokin' in the Boys' Room
Brownsville Station
Summer of '69
Bryan Adams
For What It's Worth
Buffalo Springfield
Rock and Roll Woman
Buffalo Springfield
You're So Vain
Carly Simon
Fortunate Son
CCR
Suzie Q
CCR
Rock the Casbah
Clash
Brand New Cadillac
Clash
Something So Strong
Crowded House
Ohio
CSNY
Bohemian Like You
Dandy Warhols
Heroes
David Bowie
Suffragette City
David Bowie
Smoke on the Water
Deep Purple
Drift Away
Dobie Gray
Love Her Madly
Doors
Spooky
Dusty Springfield
Take It Easy
Eagles
Knock on Wood
Eddie Floyd
Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting
Elton John
Pump It Up
Elvis Costello
Go Your Own Way
Fleetwood Mac
All Right Now
Free
What is Life
George Harrison
Some Kind of Wonderful
Grand Funk
Breakup Song
Greg Kihn
No Time
Guess Who
Runnin' Back to Saskatoon
Guess Who
Shakin' All Over
Guess Who
Mama Let Him Play
Jerry Doucette
I Love Rock and Roll
Joan Jett
Feelin' Alright
Joe Cocker
Is She Really Going Out with Him?
Joe Jackson
Rocky Mountain Way
Joe Walsh
Dancing in the Moonlight
King Harvest
Black is Black
Los Bravos
Can't You See
Marshall Tucker
I Melt With You
Modern English
Wild Night
Morrison/Mellencamp
Cinnamon Girl
Neil Young
Rocking in the Free World
Neil Young
Like a Hurricane
Neil Young
Cruel to be Kind
Nick Lowe
Jet
Paul McCartney & Wings
Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd
It Don't Come Easy
Ringo Starr
Honky Tonk Woman
Rolling Stones
It's Only Rock and Roll
Rolling Stones
Dead Flowers
Rolling Stones
The Last Time
Rolling Stones
Let's Spend the Night Together
Rolling Stones
What I Like About You
Romantics
Talking in Your Sleep
Romantics
Don't You (Forget About Me)
Simple Minds
Stuck in the Middle
Stealers Wheel
Jet Airliner
Steve Miller
Rock' n Me
Steve Miller
Green Eyed Lady
Sugarloaf
Life During Wartime
Talking Heads
Psycho Killer
Talking Heads
Take Me To The River
Talking Heads
The Weight
The Band
Shape I'm In
The Band
Just What I Needed
The Cars
Just Like Heaven
The Cure
Lovesong
The Cure
Can't Explain
The Who
Summertime Blues
The Who
Breakdown
Tom Petty
Mary Jane's Last Dance
Tom Petty
American Girl
Tom Petty
I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better
Tom Petty / The Byrds
Draggin' the Line
Tommy James
8675309/Jenny
Tommy Tutone
Werewolves of London
Warren Zevon
Get Together
Youngbloods
Gimme All Your Lovin'
ZZ Top

RETRO ACTIVE

Videos & Highlight Reels

You Missed It

Past Gigs...

legion2025
The Legion 179 on Commercial Drive, Vancouver
June 13, 2025 , 7:00 pm
donegals-irish-house
Donegal's Irish House
August 1, 2025 , 8:00 pm
admiral aug 2
Admiral Pub & Grill, Burnaby
August 2, 2025 , 8:00 pm
pitt meadows 2025
Summer Serenade Concert Series, Pitt Meadows
August 20, 2025 , 7:00 pm
shhhhh
Private Event
August 24, 2025 , 2:00 pm
images (2)
Admiral Pub & Grill, Burnaby
August 30, 2025 , 7:00 pm
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