Bishops College
St. John's, Newfoundland

By Rosa Magalios and Allison Purcel (Grade 11)

On January 8^th, we had the opportunity to meet with the Moncton-based band, the Monoxides, and to speak with members Steve Hickox (guitars/lead vocals), and P.J. Dumphy (bass), before they opened for Our Lady Peace at the Memorial Stadium in St. John's, Newfoundland. We asked them about their music, touring, ambition, etc.

The Monoxides were formed when the original members Steve and drummer Ken Kelley met in grade 7 (around ten years ago). Several years later, the band fully formed when members P.J. and guitarist/backup vocalist Derek Robichaud joined the group. While their music is reminiscent of the acid rock of the 1970's, the Monoxides are a force to be reckoned with even today.

They are a talented band with a large fan base, (which they're hoping to broaden by touring in Japan in March) and Steve and P.J. figure that their main competition will be the irrepressible Puff Daddy (can't nobody hold him down!). They seek to support, not overcome, their fellow Canadian rockers. "We think the Canadian Music scene is great! There are some really great bands, but the lack of venues is just killing them. We're just glad to see that Arena Rock is back."

Since the Monoxides were formed, they have released two albums: Out of the Marsh (1995) and Galaxy of Stooges (1997), as well as several singles and two videos. They have done a lot of touring, the highlight of the tours being Newfoundland. Apparently, the guys love it here. Says P.J., "Yeah, it's really great here! We're going to get screeched in this weekend." They came to the Rock to tour with Our Lady Peace, but they hope to some day be able to play in the arenas by themselves, just like their main influence, KISS.

The guys in the Monoxides are a very dedicated bunch; hardworking and devoted to their music. After only a few months of promoting their new album, they are already writing new material and working towards releasing another ablum, and they're not getting much support from their record label. Said Steve, "At times it's stressful to be 'owned' by a record label, but there are people who really stand behind us, and there are people who don't. We figure that if we're dropped, we can just write an album with mean songs about them on it, so we don't really mind." If they are dropped by their label (which would be a bad move by BMG), it really wouldn't matter. If any band can accomplish their goals, the Monoxides can.