The RetroActives
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!!

Upcoming Gigs...

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
|