Defunct Local Band Profile Series: Bin Hawdon & The Taliband

For our second post of the day, here's this month's Defunct Local Band Profile, as we once again look at one or two local metal, hard rock, or punk bands that are no longer active, in order to spotlight them for current readers! This month's randomly selected choice was definitely a fan favourite attraction during their local run, and feature a number of familiar faces in their ranks, so here's what you should know on them!
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Bin Hawdon & The Taliband

Genre: Punk Rock

Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

Members: (This information may be incomplete. If you can confirm any missing former band members, let us know!)

Mikey "Bin" Hawdon (The Fairmounts, The Inner City Surfers), vocals/guitar
Lucas Schmiedendorf (Bankshot, The 12 Gauge Ready), guitar
Mark Rand (Cross Dog, Lion Ride, Fuller), bass
Aaron Mooney, drums

Audio/Video: Primarily known for their covers, Bin Hawdon & The Taliband have plenty of live videos to go around for fans of their local run. The YouTube channels of frontman Mikey Hawdon and the 705 Video Magazine are loaded with over 2 dozen videos of theirs combined, largely from late 2006 concerts at the former Foggy Notions, though videos have also been posted there from The Oddfellows Hall and their one-off set in December of last year, and early audio recordings can be heard on their MySpace page. Here's the guys covering Operation Ivy's "Knowledge" at Foggy's, and for similar original studio material, check out Mikey's current Toronto-based band The Fairmounts!



Info/Analysis: Originally active from circa 2003-2009, Bin Hawdon & The Taliband were a punk supergroup who fans will recognize for many raucous headlining sets throughout the mid-2000s. Despite the Middle Eastern-referencing name, the band didn't play that up in concert that I ever knew, though outrageous (and sometimes minimal) clothing were a frequent sight in their heyday, as were many guest appearances from fans and friends. Though the band announced plans to begin writing original songs in 2004, little of their own material survives online today, nor does much of their early band information. Increasingly becoming a Christmas season attraction (in part due to members moving from the area), The Taliband fell inactive after their December 2008 show, though they held a one-off reunion for December 2016's Guy Thiffault benefit concert at The Rockstar Bar, with former Bankshot drummer Clint Wilson guesting in Aaron Mooney's place.

Bin Hawdon & The Taliband were a fan favourite outfit who definitely left big impressions on local stages throughout their run, and for last fall's reunion, it was like 8 years never passed, with a huge crowd response to sing and rock along with the guys! Mikey & Mark always showcased a fun chemistry with this and other projects, Lucas was a solid hand on guitar, and Aaron was an underrated drummer too, adding up to a very solid package for punk aficionados, with loads of familiar covers in their sets! Hopefully we see The Taliband back for another holiday show sooner or later, and check out Lion Ride for Mikey & Mark's 2007-2012 collaborative metal project!
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I hope you guys liked this month's Defunct Local Band Profile! Next month in this series, we have a Sault Michigan band for our next month of our rotation between the Twin Saults, and we have randomly selected inactive local hard rock group/entertainment collective The Highest of Fives to profile next, so look for this projected solo profile on or around June 10th! That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews next! Thanks everyone!