The Harmony of Friendship and Fun When Kris Gear sold Patrick McLaughlin a house in 2013, nei - ther of them realized it would be the start of a creative endeav- our that would morph into an enigmatic, high-energy Green Day/ punk cover band called The Insomniax. Kris and Patrick grew up in Komoka and Delaware, respective- ly. They met while playing hockey together in their twenties; yet their musical paths never crossed until that fortuitous sale. “The house was close to mine, and we enjoyed hanging out,” recalls Kris. “We realized we had music in common, and that became a regular part of spending time together.” Jam sessions, featuring Kris on guitar and vocals and Patrick on drums, became a weekly event for years, even during COVID. “I wouldn’t have gotten through the pandemic without Kris and the time we spent together,” adds Patrick. Four years ago, Jody Pincombe, Kris’s friend from Strathroy, heard of the weekly jams and wanted in. “I told Jody to learn bass because we had the other instruments covered,” laughs Kris. “He bought a bass and taught himself to play!” It didn’t take Jody long to fit in. “Jody has been an amazing ad - dition,” adds Patrick. “He’s a great guy, and he’s improved leaps and bounds as a bass player in his short time playing.” Three years ago, an invitation to perform at a backyard party lit a new fire in the trio’s heart. “The energy from the crowd felt so good,” Kris shares. “We began craving doing more live shows and decided to start a formal band.” The band was dubbed The Insomniax in honour of Kris’s love for Green Day’s music. “After listening to song after song, I scanned the Green Day album names and The Insomniax stuck,” says Jody. The Insomniax play nineties pop punk and rock, but their music spans other genres. “We do rocked-up versions of great songs. Anything from John Denver to the Ramones and everything in between,” says Jody. “We take older songs and add a twist to give them a bit of an edge,” Kris adds. The Insomniax brand themselves as the “most mediocre high-en- ergy Green Day/Punk rock cover band in London,” but all three members bring years of experience to their gigs. Kris has played guitar and sang in bands since high school. Jody has also been a musician since his youth, playing a multitude of
Left to right: Jody, Patrick, and Kris
instruments including piano, trumpet, guitar and now bass. He and Kris became friends when they sang in the same band as teens. Patrick, the only member who worked as a professional musician, grew up playing drums, guitar, and singing. He started his first band in grade 7 and toured as a drummer in his twenties, perform- ing throughout Canada, the US, Europe, and Scandinavia. Modesty and talent aside, it’s the love, respect, and deep friend - ship these three men feel for each other that feeds the notes they play and sing together. “It started for me as guaranteed hang time with Kris,” says Pat - rick. “I value this time with my friends and look forward to getting together the same way I did when I was 12.” Jody and Kris concur. They also look forward to having fun play- ing great tunes together. Kris sums it up: “I love playing the mu- sic that I love, with friends that I love.” The Insomniax are all about sharing that love on stage, igniting the energy with their harmonies and creative spins on classic songs, revving up their audience to join in the fun. To book The Insomniax for parties and events or see where they’re playing next, follow them on Facebook at "The Insomniax". Photos courtesy of Insomniax
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Hometown Strathroy-Caradoc September 2025
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