Queen's Maid are five guys based in St Johns, Newfoundland pounding out original Rock n Roll tunes plus covers of Zeppelin, GnR, Pearl Jam, the Hip, and more. For more info on each member, check out the About Us section or some of the Press Interviews we've done.
DANETTE DOOLEY
Special to The Telegram
A duel to determine the best rock band in St. John's gets underway Saturday night at the Ship on Duckworth Street, an event that's been two years in the making.
And if you listen to guitarist Steve Vincent, Queen's Maid will emerge triumphant.
Drummer Derek Pink, on the other hand, says if you're smart you'll be backing the Ruins.
The bands first challenged each other during a three-hour non-stop rock concert at CBTG's in February 2007.
The Ruins came out first, piping hot, at an event that drew more than 200 fans.
"They pounded out about a dozen songs straight and 11 of them were original, which was awesome," Vincent says of the competition.
Not to be outdone, his band retaliated with its own original music, belting out song after song.
The night ended in a draw.
Queen's Maid is a five-piece outfit (Vincent, Sandy Stokes, Jon White, Robbie Welcher and Ryan Strickland), with all of them but Point May native Strickland being from the New-Wes-Valley area.
They've been playing the downtown scene for about two years.
"In St. John's, you've got a few rock bands that are doing well for themselves," Vincent says. "Some people say the Ruins are the best. Then there are the naysayers who say Queen's Maid are the best. So, this is a chance for everyone to show up and take a stand on which one is going to come out on top."
Queen's Maid hopes their original songs like "Care Free" will get people on their side.
"It's about growing up as a teenager in a small town and how time changes, with everybody doing their own thing," Vincent says of the song written by White.
"But it's also about what it would be like if we could all go back to when we were young and carefree."
The Ruins is a four-piece group (Pink, Patrick Dwyer, Aaron Flynn and Neal Anderson).
Pink and Flynn are from Placentia, while Dwyer is from Fogo and Anderson is from Port aux Basques.
Pink acknowledged the competition has a slight edge in terms of confidence.
"Queen's Maid are more proven than we are," he said. "So, their crowd will show up and know what's on the go. People coming out to see the Ruins really won't know what's on the go, but we'll all come out and put on our best fight.
"When Queen's Maid got on the go it was pretty much just the Novaks doing all out rock 'n' roll. It's what we were trying to do, too."
Pink describes his band's tunes as "aggressive style music."
"The songs are not about someone going out and beating up on somebody - it's more like a tough guy sitting there minding his own business, but if you mess with him, he's going to explode," he said.
Both bands are so energetic when it comes to showing their fans what they can do, that bloodshed - while not planned - isn't out of the question.
"Neal (Anderson) busted his hand open on the string of his guitar one time," Pink says.
"Nobody knew because he just kept playing on. But when we were taking our equipment down there was blood all over his guitar."
As Vincent and Pink talk about their bands, they manage to get in a few good-natured jabs at each other.
"When we heard about the Ruins, we heard they were a salty rock band. I'm like, 'What's that, Ches's choice or what? A take-out order?'" Vincent says with a laugh.
"Sure, the first time I heard about Queen's Maid," Pink quips, "I thought it was an all-girls band."
Round 2 of this battle of the bands begins 10:30 p.m. Saturday, with an opening acoustic set from Maggie Meyer.
Admission is $5 at the door.
And if the duel ends in another tie?
Well, Round 3 is a possibility, or the bands could just join forces.
"Who knows, maybe we'll take the Ruins vs. Queen's Maid across the island," Vincent says.
danette@nl.rogers.com
Original Article - TheTelegram.com