Since 2002, Luke Lalonde, Mitch Derosier and Steve Hamelin have been honing the unique, often bizarre sound that drew a sold out crowd to the Starlight Thursday night. The sound belongs to internationally-acclaimed band, the Born Ruffians.
Their dedicated fan following showed up in full force for the band’s second Waterloo show on Thursday night, recklessly crushed against the stage.
The security staff were kept constantly on the alert by determined crowd surfers (some willing, some selected by others), as well as eager fans jumping on stage to dance – which took place as early as the very first song of the Born Ruffians set.
Bass player Mitch Derosier agreed to an interview after the show, exhilarated and sweating buckets.
The band started up in Midland, Ontario where the Born Ruffians, then named Mornington Drive, were often the sore thumb in hardcore punk shows.
“Don’t worry about what people think of your band,” suggested Derosier in regards to their early experiences.
Strangely enough for a band that’s been playing for nine years, Thursday’s show was part of their very first coast-to-coast tour.
“We think it’s awesome that we get to go out there for the first time and see what it’s like out there.”
He continued, “A lot of bands don’t get to be so lucky where they can go somewhere for the first time and sing to people who know their songs.”
Born Ruffians has established their success on their uniquely quirky sound. “We had more ideas about what we shouldn’t do than what we should do. When we were a three piece, a lot of the time what we believed was that every instrument had to have its own part. You couldn’t just chug along, every instrument had to have its purpose.”
Born Ruffians are nothing if they’re not catchy, but they’re far from a pop band.
“We’re constantly trying to figure out what the music we’re trying to make is, and I think that struggle is what makes our songs sound that way,” said Derosier. “
We’re always kind of pushing and pulling on what we think the songs should be.”
Born Ruffians will be making their way out to Newfoundland, and returning for a show at The Opera House in Toronto on April 16, wrapping up their first Canadian tour coast to coast.
