History of The Void
Band Members:
Laurence Klotz Toronto Keyboard
Darrell Drachenberg Winnipeg Lead Guitar
Paul Johnston St. John’s NFLD Singer
Rob Hamilton Toronto Drums, occasional guitar
Michael Kogon, Richmond Hill Bass, occasional drums
John Preiner, Toronto Rhythm Guitar
History of The Void, by L. Klotz April 2019
As a faculty member at the European Winter Urology Forum in Davos Switzerland in around 2009, I heard the UROBAND, led by Jens Rassweiler, a German urologist-guitarist. The band played from 9 PM until no one was left standing. Jens knew I played piano (keys, in Rock lingo), and gave me the opportunity to play with the band. It was a blast.
This experience inspired me to try and pull a Canadian Urology band together. I knew some musicians. Michael Kogon and John Preiner had been my residents, and they had musical talent. Michael Kogon’s first degree was in music. He was an experienced arranger, and played at least 5 instruments. John Preiner was an accomplished rhythm guitarist who played regularly in several venues in Toronto. Rob Hamilton, who had also been a resident of mine, was a superb musician who played drums and guitar. We discussed the idea of forming a band of Canadian urologists, and they were enthusiastically on side. But we needed a lead guitarist and a singer to achieve critical mass. Many doctors are musical, but these talents are often hidden. How to find the musicians we needed?
The key event was at the CUA meeting in Montreal in 2011. At the ‘Fun Night’ we were listening and dancing to a great rock’n roll band. I noticed Darryl Drachenberg, who I knew only as a Winnipeg uro-oncologist, go up on stage between songs and whispered to the band leader, who nodded. Darryl then picked up a guitar and launched into a manic, high intensity version of ‘Johnny B Good’. I had found our lead guitarist, and we were almost there. Some colleagues then reported that a young urologist who had just finished his training and joined the staff at Memorial in St. John’s, Paul Johnston, was a singer. I reached out to him. Paul had led a band through his residency, cut several CDs, and was a gifted singer. Both Darryl and Paul agreed to be part of the group.
A minor problem was that Darryl was in Winnipeg, Paul in St. John’s, and the rest of us in Toronto. But we managed to get them both in Toronto at the same time, and had our first rehearsal in 2012. John Preiner had built a music studio in his basement, complete with a massive sound system, and a museum level collection of instruments. Our first jam session was a joy, and we were launched. We named ourselves ‘The Void’, which resonated both from a urological perspective and as cosmic sentiment. The name stuck. We approached the CUA about playing at the CUA meeting. Although understandably skeptical about our musical quality, the CUA organizing committee took a chance. Our first gig was at the CUA in Niagara Falls in 2013, following the hired band. The hired band never knew what hit them, and we never looked back.
The Void has played at every CUA, either at Fun Night, at the banquet, or (our preferred venue) in a local pub after the opening reception. We’ve played at the AUA, often in a ‘Battle of the Bands’ with the Sticks and Stones, an American band led by Lou Kavoussi, and Jens Rassweiler’s Uro Band; and at other Canadian meetings, including the CURC/CUOG Retreat (C2R), and the CUOS conference.
The band members all agree that the Void has been one of the most gratifying initiatives any of us have participated in. The experience of creating great music, and performing in front of friends and colleagues, is something very special. Over the years we’ve all become much more relaxed about the performances, and have also been stimulated to improve our musical skills. Our repertoire was ‘Contemporary Rock’. For me, as a lifelong jazz fan, to play rock music, recapitulating the original arrangement as closely as possible, was a challenge.
Everyone enjoys seeing one’s colleagues in a different, more informal role, and that has been the key to our success. We have fun playing, and the fact that the audience knows the band members personally (and vice versa) makes our performances memorable. The Void looks forward to many more years of playing at our national meeting (and elsewhere), and we encourage Canadian musician-Urologists to jam with us.
Laurence Klotz
