Squid Should Get Used To The Applause

September 9th, 2004

The Daily News

The members of Squid are still taken aback by applause. The piping-hot band of nine young musicians, ages 18 to 28, got its start with the Dartmouth Pipeband.

Forming their own group four years ago, they've played shows for corporate gigs, parades, tourism events, even a rock festival - and dazzling precision drumming always attracts attention.

"(The crowd reaction) made us shy on stage - we're not used to it," says Daniel St. Pierre. "It's like, 'Oh no, they liked it!"

The standing-O's are apt to become old hat. Squid - drummers St. Pierre, Ian MacMillan, Mark Jamieson, Matthew Guest, Roberta St. Pierre, Casey Vaasjo, Lauren Connors, bagpiper Ryan Fraser and stepdancer Sabra MacGillivray - just copped the Aliant People's Choice Award at this year's Halifax International Buskers Festival. An amazing accomplishment, considering it was their first Buskerfest, and that they just developed a half-hour show.

But they're just so darn talented. Even a small sample of what they can do amazes, with it's mix of diverse elements such as hip hop, Celtic music, African rhythms and American drum-and-bugle-corps stylings. Not to mention the drumstick tossing and spinning, all done at breakneck speed.

"Our learning curve was insane. We really owe it to the producers of the buskerfest taking a gamble on us," says MacMillan, 28.