On a cold March night in Montreal, music lovers flocked to see a host of bands at La Sotterenea, with rock band Thunder Queens headlining. The small space was filled with people eagerly anticipating local and touring bands. The event was organized by Les Insoumises, an intersectional punk collective based in Montreal that does a wonderful job of giving local talent a chance to shine onstage. Opening the night was Niivi, an Inuk artist whose passion for songwriting could be felt throughout their set. They played original songs such as “Backstage”, which they revealed is their favourite song to play live. They swung from high energy rock songs to softer pieces all delivered with an easy confidence; rounding off their set with a folk song off their new ep that is entirely in Inuktitut. After a brief pause Revi My Beloved hopped onstage with a commanding stage presence and voice that captivated the crowd. Based in Montreal, her set contained several songs from her aptly named EP “The Girls From Saint-Denis”. She shared that her songs were originally all recorded solo in her bedroom and redone with a full band for the EP, and the most improved song was “Runaway”, which she delivered with gusto. 
Next up was Mellonella, a local prog and math rock trio that impressed with their technical prowess. They played their demo “The Frog” along with their first foray into math rock titled “Father Fowler”. Their well curated set ramped up in intensity and ended with their track “Saturday”, a seventeen minute song that showed off their skill as musicians. The Show Continues (In January) paraded onstage in cowboy themed attire, and delivered an appropriately fun time with two-stepping and dancing abound. Opening with their song “Patricia”, the band ran through songs off their EP “Sheldon’s Passing” as well as rocking a cover of Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead Or Alive”. The band’s enthusiasm was infectious, and their last song was met with cries for an encore, and rewarded us with a last performance that left us wanting more. Last but certainly not least was Thunder Queens, a 3-piece punk band from London Ontario who delivered a high energy set that got the crowd moving. They opened with their tune “Breakout” and more from their album “Strike One”. 
Coming off a show in Toronto, the band took a moment to applaud the other bands, a sentiment that has been echoed throughout the night; seeing the bands cheer each other on from the crowd added to the warm sense of community that had been fostered. Ending a fantastic night, Thunder Queens performed “Teenage Years” to an enthusiastic mosh pit and wrapped things up on a high note. If you missed out on seeing Thunder Queens, they’ll be back in Montreal in May for Pouzza Fest! For those that didn’t get a chance to make it out to the event, you can still check out the photo gallery just below from March 22nd in Montreal featuring all five bands. Make sure to follow Thunder Queens on social media @Thunderqueensband for for all future updates on the band.
Article & Photos By Lucia Vinson (@lvin.photography)
