Submitted by Kevin Kelly
Cover Photo Credit: Gerry Antle
“’Cause when you see me comin’, you better get out of my way.”
-Runaway Train by Skidderpup
When you visit the rural Newfoundland community of Grand Bank on the province’s Burin Peninsula, you see a close-knit community of 1500 with a rich connection & history to the sea.
But lately, Grand Bank and the rest of the South Coast has been rocking more often than not lately, thanks to the sounds of a power rock trio named Skidderpup.
The band, which features Dave Noseworthy, Damon Greene & Chad Grandy, is no stranger to the area, and have been together since 2001.
The musical bug was likely introduced by Chad’s grandfather, George Grandy, a well known Burin Peninsula entertainer, who was one of the originals in the growth of the area’s music scene.
“I was only young when I watched my grandfather play,” Chad recalls. “He was the face of rock and roll on the Burin Peninsula from the 1950’s onward, filling dance halls around the Peninsula.”
But the elder Grandy instilled a love of music in young Chad.
“I was very curious about music even back then and I’ll never forget the very first guitar and amplifier he bought for me,” the younger Grandy recalls. “Even today at 81 years of age, his passion about music and playing is something I’m extremely proud of. That’s what has formed the strong connection between us. He’s an inspiration to all of us.”
The band’s beginnings came almost by accident.