The Queen’s student band scene isn’t known for bitter rivalries.
Even at Queen’s Music Club (QMC)’s Battle of the Bands, it was clear: no matter the winner, everyone was excited for the chance to show off their skills and hear some live music. On March 3 at The Mansion, bands The Cottage, Althea, Sleep on the Couch, TwoTime, and The Bends each played a roughly 20-minute set in a bid to secure the opening spot at QMC’s Ale House concert in late March.
QMC Executive Jack Blurton, CompSci ’26, hopped onstage before the night kicked off to announce a $200 CAD cash prize for the winner of the audience vote. Attendees were each given a raffle ticket upon check-in to deposit in one of five boxes, each decorated to represent a different competing band.
The winner of the opening slot at Ale was decided by members of Last Call, RevZed, and Dutchbaby, three student bands comprising the rest of the Ale House show’s bill. The bands deliberated after the show’s conclusion to vote on a winner.
The Bends kicked things off around 9:22 p.m. with a cover of Train’s “Drops of Jupiter,” a mellow vibe compared to their subsequent, electric covers of Wheatus’ “Teenage Dirtbag,” Bryan Adams’ “Summer of ’69,” and Guns ‘N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child ‘O Mine.” By the end of their set, the audience was about 100 members strong.
At 9:55 p.m., Sleep on the Couch took to the stage with a cover of Metric’s “Black Sheep,” a staple among the cover band scene and a fan-favourite for indie moviegoers after its appearance in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010). Sleep on the Couch followed with a fantastic rendition of Steely Dan’s “Do it Again,” with impressive keyboard and guitar solos. Their final song, Paramore’s “Still Into You,” had the crowd jumping and singing along.
Althea leapt into a low-key cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain” at 10:30 p.m., another classic student band cover. Highlights from their set included The Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter,” showcasing their lead singer’s jaw-dropping vocal range.
As they concluded with The Backseat Lovers’ “Kilby Girl,” I started to get nostalgic for my first year at Queen’s, when this song was all the rage among student bands and titans like Kings of Queen’s and Carnelian, who dominated the scene. It felt like a sweet, full-circle moment, emphasizing the strong potential for all the evening’s bands and the continued support Queen’s students have shown for the live music scene.
The Cottage began at 11 p.m. for their first major gig with the night’s loudest fan base. They started strong with WALK THE MOON’s “Shut Up and Dance,” followed by another Backseat Lovers’ staple: “Pool House.” Ending with Coldplay’s “Viva la Vida” was an excellent choice, stirring the audience’s emotions as they sang along in the Mansion’s now-packed Attic space.
Finally, TwoTime took the stage at 11:45 p.m. with Kings of Leon’s “Sex on Fire.” Even close to midnight, they commanded a packed pit of dancers, throwing in covers of Neon Trees’ “Everybody Talks” and the first and only Tragically Hip song of the night, “Grace, Too.”
TwoTime was also the only band to play an original song during the show, an unreleased number titled “Closer to You.”
After TwoTime’s set concluded, Blurton once again took the stage to announce The Cottage as winners of the $200 prize, and TwoTime as winners of the opening slot at Ale.
“All of us in the band are Kingstonians; we’ve been playing together since high school. We’re so blessed to play in the amazing Queen’s music scene that we grew up watching from the crowd,” lead singer and rhythm guitarist Maxim Cameron, CompSci ’29, wrote in a statement to The Journal.
“Every single band that played was amazing and equally deserving of either of the awards as we were, and we’re really stoked to play with all of them sometime soon,” Cameron wrote. “All we want is for those people in the crowd to go home and start their own bands as we did.”
If Tuesday’s show was any indication, we’re sure to see many of these potentially new bands on stage at next year’s Battle of the Bands, continuing the Queen’s student band scene for generations of future live music fans.
Tags
Battle of the Bands, Live Music, Music, QMC, Queen's Music Club, student music
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