• Source: McGill Fight Band

The McGill Fight Band (also known simply as Fight Band), is the pep band for the McGill University Redbirds and Martlets in Montréal, Québec, Canada. The band performs and cheers at one or more athletic events each week. In fall semesters, these include rugby, soccer and Redbirds football games. In winter semesters, these include basketball, Martlets volleyball and Martlets hockey games. Fight Band performs at every McGill Redbirds hockey home game at McConnell Arena in both semesters.
Other performances include McGill Open Air Pub, Blues Pub, Gerts Student Bar, McGill Relay for Life and other campus events. The band also organizes several social events each year.
The band comprises brass, percussion, and woodwind instruments played by students from varying faculties on campus, and is led by a president and executive as well as a brigade leader who is also responsible for "creat[ing] an extremely hostile environment for enemy schools to play" by starting cheers at games. The band is open to anyone without audition, and regardless of skill level. Fight Band rehearses on Tuesdays in the McGill Gym complex.




History


Fight Band was founded in 2006 by Ted Smith with a group of friends at Bar des Pins, Inspired by Japanese Ōendan. The band originally had less than 12 members and practiced in an office building on Sherbrooke Street. Members were allowed to drink during games, which gave the band its rowdy reputation and led to the creation of the "root beer magic" drink mix. In response, McGill Athletics formalized an agreement with the band that provided funding and banned drinking at games. In the following years, the band grew to over 30 members from a variety of faculties, while expanding its repertoire and maintaining its spirit and "edge."




Composition






= Instrumentation

=
The band consists of members from various faculties at the undergraduate and graduate levels at any of the McGill University campuses who play woodwind, brass and percussion instruments. The instrumentation includes both marching band and concert band instruments.




= Executive team

=
Fight Band is organized by an executive team of elected band members. Fight Band's executive positions are president, vice-presidents administrative, finance, internal, external, alumni and ultra. Each year, a brigade leader is appointed to lead cheers. The band is overseen by McGill Athletics and Recreation.




= Sudbury Saturday Nights

=
While Fight Band plays at Friday night hockey games, the "Sudbury Saturday Nights" band (SSN) performs at all other Redbirds hockey games. The band is named after the Stompin' Tom Connors song of the same name. SSN is organized by Fight Band's VP Ultra. SSN is connected to Fight Band but it is directly affiliated with the Redbirds hockey team instead of with McGill Athletics.




Performance






= Performance style

=
Fight Band is known for their rowdy and boisterous performance style. The band will often chirp the opposing team's players during the game and lead cheers to support McGill. Band members stand in the bleachers while they play. The conductor or brigade leader pick songs that match the energy of the game. Popular songs include Hey! Baby!, Bad Romance, and Sweet Caroline.




= Hockey games

=
Fight Band plays at every stoppage of play at hockey games instead of a DJ. Rather than playing a song through, the band plays a short section between the referee's whistle signalling a stoppage and the next puck-drop.
Fight Band occasionally plays at Redbirds away games, particularly the annual Corey Cup game against the Concordia Stingers at Ed Meagher Arena. The band also travels to support the Redbirds at the U Sports national championship when they qualify.




= Notable performances

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2012 Rick Mercer Report
2017 U Sports University Cup in Fredericton, NB
2018 U Sports University Cup in Fredericton, NB
2024 U Sports University Cup in Toronto, ON




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