Swamp (band)

(official web site)

Swamp (sometime styled as S.W.A.M.P) is a Canadian tribute band to Creedence Clearwater Revival formed in Montreal in 2005 by Charley Dionne and Jerry O'Brien.

Swamp has a vintage tone with a gentle touch of modern while keeping the songs close enough to the original classics by carefully recreating the tight-but-loose spirit of Creedence. They are not mimicking the original band's appearance, as they believe is not really a matter of high importance since they have chosen to sound more in-between the original studio recordings and the recent live performances by John Fogerty rather than the old live sound of CCR. That's also why they now mainly tour as a band of 5.

They're often listed among the best CCR tribute bands in Canada. Their tribute act covers a wide range of CCR's hits, showcasing the band's love for the original music. Swamp's synergy is undeniable, making their performances a must-see for fans of CCR.

Swamp drummer, Rick Cameron, also adopted the look of Kenny Aronoff, Fogerty's current drummer, which enhances the visual experience of the band.

The roadshow often includes a Bayou Swamp stage set up with a full-sized wooden dock, cattails and alligators. A nod to Fogerty's 1998 Premonition tour.

Swamp also seems to respect the arrangements and dynamics of the songs, something that is often overlooked in other tributes where the emphasis is sometimes on a freer or more modernized interpretation. Other tribute bands may focus more on a general vibe or stage presence that resembles CCR, but without accurately recreating the sound and technical details that make CCR so unique. This can result in less authentic performances. This attention to detail shows that Swamp appeals not only to casual fans, but also to purists who appreciate authentic, polished work, bringing their performance closer to the experience of an original CCR concert. This may explain why their reputation stands out among the many CCR tribute bands.


History

Dionne and O'Brien grew up in Quebec and have known each other since kindergarten. They started making music together in 1994, then lost touch in 1996. Following a high school reunion in 2004, the two friends who used to enjoy getting together to play Beatles and Eagles songs decided to repeat the experience in memory of the good times. As Dionne prepared to leave at the end of the jam, he noticed a CCR songbook lying around the room. Dionne got excited and said that his father and him used to listen some CCR records together when he was young and it brought back a ton of memories. A few minutes later, they took their guitars out of their cases again and played Born on the Bayou for fun. As soon as O'Brien heard Dionne's voice, he was struck by how similar her raspy, powerful voice was to the John Fogerty of the early years.1

At that time, there was only one CCR tribute band touring in Quebec and it was from Ontario. O'Brien knew there was an opportunity and founded the band with Dionne and started touring in Quebec shortly after.2

In their early days, the show featured costume changes. The boys used to start shows wearing plaid flannel shirts just like John Fogerty in classic CCR days. Then, the boys dressed in army fatigue depicting the era of CCR's Vietnam protest songs.

In 2014 and 2015, the arrival of two experienced musicians, Joe Lefebvre and Rick Cameron, gave the group a new lease of life. They also modernized their logo at the same time.

Collaborations over the years on social networks with companies such as Green River Soda, Playing For Change as well as with small suppliers of musical accessories (VVco, Pedalock, Cusack, Franklin, Diago) have allowed them to be discovered in the rest of Canada and the United States.

A 2024 Facebook ranking of the most popular US-based CCR tributes showed that Swamp would rank 10th if they weren't a Canadian band. Then considering additional criteria such as the tone, the look, the stage presence and having a well-polished tone, Swamp does better than several of them. Unlike other tribute bands, Swamp doesn't just play CCR songs: they live the songs. They care about the mood, the tone and structures of the songs.


Overall Sounding

Big fans attending their show are often enthusiastic at the end of their show, mentioning the accuracy of their tone and the performances.3 4 Unlike many tribute bands that are content to capture the general spirit of the songs, Swamp's approach of light saturation and clean guitar tunings reflects CCR's signature tone of simplicity and efficiency.

They combine elements from the 60s (CCR) and Fogerty's solo career, providing a complete sonic palette.

Vocals

Dionne and Lefebvre both have their own vocal particularities which allow the group to have the rocky voice of Fogerty's early years for certain songs or the more nasal voice of Fogerty today. The songs are played in their original key which is very demanding on the voice.

Guitars

Over the years, the band has used several guitars on stage primarily for authentic sound rather than overall look. Almost the same guitars that John & Tom Fogerty used. To name just a few:

Guitar amplifiers

CCR used Kustom solid state amplifiers on tour mainly for their ruggedness but used Fender amp tubes (Twin Reverb, Deluxe Reverb) for their recordings. Kustom amps were also used by CCR as PAs but this is no longer necessary these days. Since Swamp has chosen to sound more closer to the original studio recordings rather than the old live sound of CCR, O'Brien uses Fender Deluxe Reverb amp.

"first time I picked up a Les Paul custom guitar, plugged it in to a Fender Blackface Amp (A twin? maybe a deluxe) in 1969, I think February.. I tuned the guitar down to D, kind of like in Proud Mary and Bad Moon Rising. I played one E chord which came out as a D chord. I believe I was on the bridge pickup. The sound that came out was the opening chord of Midnight Special. Even to this day, when I play that chord live in front of an audience, I always take a moment to revel in how great that sounds."— John Fogerty

Drums

Cameron uses a custom Yamaha 4-piece drums kit with a large bass drum like Doug Clifford had. However, his techniques are more inspired by those of Kenny Aronoff.


Band members

Current members
Names Years active Instruments
Charley Dionne 2005-now Lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Jerry O'Brien 2005-now Lead guitar, backing vocals, harmonica
Joe Lefebvre 2019-now
2014-2019 (sub)
Lead and backing vocals, acoustic guitar, keyboards
Rick Cameron 2017-now
2015-2017 (sub)
Drums, backing vocals
Sylvain Quintal 2024-now
2023 (sub)
Bass
Past members
Names Years active Instruments
Ghyslain C.2023 (sub)Drums
Daniel P.2022-2024Bass
Pierre R.2006-2022Bass, backing vocals
Martin R.2017 (sub)Drums
Sylvain L.2013-2017Drums
Francois C.2005-2013Drums
Michel L.2005-2006Bass

References

1France Paradis, Le Lac St-Jean (August 13, 2010).
2Francois Joseph, Plaisir 95,5 FM (August 15, 2022).
3Nelson Fecteau, La Tribune (August 18, 2017).
4Catherine Paquette, CBC/Radio-Canada (August 12, 2022).