Leonardo Reuben Jonson Played By: Oliver Sykes (Bring Me The Horizon) Voice: n/a. Birthdate & Age: 06/06/88 (20) Screen name: taking back leo. Biography: Born and raised in Sheffield, England, Leo began to indulge in the british music scene from a young age. The youngest of four boys, he was the baby of the family but by the age of eight, he'd started to learn how to play the piano. Music was something he always seemed to have an exceptional gift for (much to his mother's liking as she was a part time violin teacher) and his older brother Levi would teach him chords after his own piano lessons. Money was short so there wasn't enough to cover two boys having lessons at first, unfortunately. He didn't stay such a calm, respectable musician for long though. When Leo was fourteen, he bought his first Green Day CD. This would change everything for Leo and his music tastes started to sway more towards punk and rock. His classical piano playing which he was now receiving his own tutoring for ended and at aged fifteen, he joined a small school garage band with friends called Cute Throat Razor. The band sucked at first; they were just a few kids getting together after school to make noises on instruments they didn't really know how to control. To the surprise of his friends, Leo picked up the drums instead of the keyboards and began to taught himself how to play (badly). By chance, he managed to get friendly with the school music teacher, Mr. Bradley, and secure himself a few free lessons, eventually becoming a competent player within about six months. Six months after that, Leo used his savings from his part-time job pricing groveries at mini-mart, to pay for some intermediate drum lessons focusing upon rock style and to improve his style. Cute Throat Razor played a few small shows, a school party, a few house parties, a beach party, a few small club shows in Sheffiel... Leo's sixteenth birthday approached and he, along with his bandmates, bought train tickets to London. It was their first time in the city. Not only did they arrive armed with demo tapes to hand out to two record companies in the city, but Leo also got his first tattoo in Camden on a whim. The demo tapes seemed to amount to nothing at first, but it was an invaluable experience all the same. However, three months after going to London the band received a call; they'd play a small club show back in London and a record company representative would be happy to attend. They did, he did, a contract was signed and Cute Throat Razor released their first, and what would amount to be their only, record "Gradient of Pain and Oppression". It was compiled of old tracks they'd been playing since their garage days and newer tracks written especially for the record. Over several years, they sold about 3,000 copies which stunned the members of the band. Still does to this day, actually. It earmarked the dawn of an era for Leo and when he left school a few months after later, he forfeited college and signed upto an internship with Warped Tour... in the United States of America. He was replaced within Cute Throat Razor and the band still play some steady shows around Sheffield but are still hoping for a new record deal. Needless to say, his parents weren't best pleased about Leo's decision to move abroad. Warped didn't want to offer him the job either as he was still really young. By means of a compromise and by a stroke of luck, one of the organisers recruiting interns had worked briefly with a London based company and recognised Leo from his old garage band. He vouched for Leo and offered to take the kid under his wing and that was it, Leo was packed and set off for a crazy summer working the tour. It gave Leo the opportunity to work and experience touring life and straight away, he was hooked. He began to be-friend and socialise with kids much older than himself, ended the tour with several new tattoo's (which would soon become a growing obsession) and a taste for bud lite. He returned home to England until his eighteenth birthday, after which he packed a rucksack and purchased a one way plane ticket to Toronto, Canada. The purpose of the trip wasn't really clear to Leo at first; for the first few weeks nothing much happened. He slept on a couch belonging to a friend he'd made on Warped Tour the year before, working any shows in the local area he could and through friends, Leo managed to secure himself some steady PR work at small, local venues. He fell into the drumming spot of a new band, Tiny Metal Mouth, which whom Leo recorded one record, their debut self titled album. He played on and off with them for the first two years of being in Canada before finding himself a replacement. It was time for something else. His interest in sound and mixing got him some experience in working on the audio decks, alongside the dubbing and mixing guys and he began to become interested in sound engineering. It was whilst cruising the local concert scene that Leo befriended Ryan Barclay. Ryan Barclay was drumming in his own sister's band, Barclay, at the time. Leo didn't know the rest of the band at first but he grew to enjoy the band's music, offering himself up for working at their shows, helping put their kit together and to assist working the mixing desk. He became good friends with Ryan, jamming with him casually and Barclay actually became one of Leo's favourite bands. Following the guys on tour whenever he could, life didn't seem as if it could get much better for Leo. But by a stroke of luck, when Ryan decided the band wasn't holding his attention anymore and a new drummer was required, Leo was one of the most obvious choices. Leo loved the band and had jammed with Ryan a few times before and knew over half of the songs already. Nervous despite himself and not having played in a band since leaving England almost two years previous, Leo slipped into the temporary drummer position for a few shows. The summer approached and Leo received an offer to complete his internship for Warped Tour, however this time he had to refuse it. He was going to be working, but not as an intern, or in PR, or wristbanding. Instead, he would be playing as Barclay's new permanent drummer and he couldn't have been happier. Leo is a fun-loving, easy going and laid back kid. He's still only nineteen years old but he's independent and mature beyond his years, always looking for the next opportunity to enrich his life and to have a little fun. He's honest and loyal, a little impulsive at times and on the downside, can be quick tempered and a little bit bossy. But he's hugely passionate about music and is always committed to his job above everything else. He hates sitting around doing nothing, despises time off and loves being on the road, seeing new places and being kept busy. And he's addicted to his sidekick. Anytime Leo isn't drumming, he's holding the damn phone in his hand. Credits: Here. Other stuff: I'm a british rp'er so I'm on a GMT timezone. I also have a 9-5 job but I'm usually online pretty much every evening and I'm not the slightest bit AIM shy. I prefer AIM scenes over threading but anything goes. I'm a fan of long scenes and forming good friendships between characters. I can't think of anything else to add so I may come back to this later.