Lauren Baron
BRANT NEWS

It never gets old for Canadian classic rockers Honeymoon Suite.

“We play these songs many times, but when you start New Girl Now or What Does It Take? and that roar from the crowd comes up, that’s enough right there to keep you going,” said guitarist Derry Grehan. “And that never gets old.”

The 80s rock band will play all its hits and more during a Friday night performance at the Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts that begins at 8 p.m.

“It’s all songs that everybody knows from the band, except for one or two newer songs,” Grehan said. “Overall, it’s just a great, power-packed show. Its just fun, lots of energy on stage and hopefully we will get that back from the audience.”

Together since 1981, lead vocalist Johnnie Dee, Grehan, keyboardist Ray Coburn and drummer Dave Betts have toured extensively throughout Canada, the U.S. and Europe, opening for Billy Idol, The Kinks, Heart, Journey and more.

During the last three decades, Honeymoon Suite hasn’t stopped making music, constantly touring to promote its eight albums and more than 20 singles.

“We never broke up,” Grehan said. “The band has always been together all of these years. We go out in the spring and summer and go like crazy for three or four months and do all the fairs and festivals right across Canada. We will play some casinos in the winter to keep it going because I don’t want to go months and months without a gig.”

Honeymoon Suite can keep performing year after year thanks to a legion of dedicated fans, Grehan said.

“It’s the fans, it’s the air-play after all these years,” he said. “They are still playing our songs on the radio and there is a demand.

“A lot of our fans have grown up and have families and they are turning their kids onto us. We are seeing a younger generation of fans of Honeymoon Suite and the cycle just keeps going.”

A few things have changed over the years, with members coming and going and the band’s core members settling down with families in different parts of the world. But no matter how spread out they are, they always find their way back to each other.

“When you’re in a band for 30 years with the same guys there is a bond there because you’ve been through so much and so many experiences and miles,” Grehan said. “They are like family members, you have that history and connection. It’s like an old marriage. You can’t walk away from it.”

That bond, as well as Honeymoon Suite’s commitment to its fans, makes the Sanderson Centre concert one not to miss, Grehen said.

“I don’t want to sound like I’m blowing our own horn, but we take great pride in performing well and playing the songs properly and sounding good,” he said. “We realize, especially with the price of shows today, you don’t want to disappoint. They won’t be disappointed.”

Tickets to see Honeymoon Suite cost $44 and can be purchased at the Sanderson Centre box office at 88 Dalhousie St., by phone at 519-758-8090 or online at www.sandersoncentre.ca.