From somewhere in Southwestern Ontario there are rumblings of a band so outrageous, whose live shows are so lively, that they can only be referred to as royalty. But on this evening at Lucky’s Wings in Kitchener, after their sound check is over, all the Ascot Royals have on their minds is food.
The musical quintet called The Ascot Royals is made up of the Brothers Chauveau, Ben and Jimmy, who moved to Canada from a town southeast of London in 2004. They met up with Joey Vinegar and Scott Cunninham at McMaster where they all played for different bands. Eventually they all came together as their own outfit and Jesse Gilroy joined them a few months later. And for the past eight months, The Royals have been keeping up a hectic pace of touring as they try to make a name for themselves in a crowded music field.
“It’s been really, really busy and we’ve had some help from some great bookers and agents,” says Ben who plays keyboard. “Plus, Scotty still drives from Barrie for every practice and every show. He’s one of the most dedicated people I know.”
Cunningham plays drums for the band, and says that he does plan to move closer to The Royals home base in Brantford this spring to cut down on his commute. But it’s a good example of how diverse this group is both geographically and musically. Vinegar, the band’s guitarist, was classically trained in several post-secondary programs. Gilroy, the bassist, also received some classical training. Jimmy rounds out the group as the lead singer.
“I really enjoy the fact that we haven’t had to categorize ourselves as one sound, and I’m sure every band says that,” says Ben of their musical genre of choice. “I think with the North American influences with Jesse and Joey and with me and Jimmy coming over here, being raised on the Brit rock scene, I don’t I think it’s just a combination [of sounds].”
I ask about the origin of the name and everyone in the band looks to Ben. “None of us actually know,” says one Royal to the general agreement of the rest. “It came from Scott originally,” offers Ben, and then Cunningham takes the story from there. The name first came from Cunningham’s e-mail, ascott, The name also has roots from the British origins of Ben and Jimmy who lived near a town called Ascot, birthplace of the Royal Ascot Races, an annual horse race like the American Kentucky Derby.
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The Ascot Royals keep adding more shows all the time. For up-to-the-minute concert updates, head over to their MySpace Page.
