Maid of Ace, English women punk rockers

This live music video says about itself:

Maid of Ace – 01.11.2019 – Collosseum Music Pub, Košice, Slovakia (Full Concert)

Members:

Alison C Elliott – Lead Vocals, Guitar
Anna C Elliott – Lead Guitar, Vocals
Amy C Elliott – Bass, Vocals
Abby C Elliott – Drums

Maid of Ace are an all-women punk rock band from England.

In that, they are a bit similar to other British bands. Like Nancy and the Dolls.

But the difference is that Nancy and the Dolls mainly play covers from other bands. Until recently, they were called the Sex Pissed Dolls, playing, eg, Sex Pistols covers, like this 16 May 2019 Anarchy in the UK.

Maid of Ace are also somewhat similar to the British Ramonas. The Ramonas play their own songs, but very often, covers of their role models, the Ramones. Like this 2019 Sheena is a punk rocker, recorded in Bilbao in the Basque Country in Spain.

Maid of Ace sometimes do play covers. Like this Happy House, originally by Siouxsie and the Banshees. Recorded on 23 November 2013 in Maid of Ace’s native Hastings.

But they mostly play their own stuff. And while the Ramonas, similarly to the Ramones, all have the surname Ramona on stage, Maid of Ace all have the same surnames because they really are sisters.

Maid of Ace interview: here. And here. And here. And here.

By Ged Babey in Britain, July 31, 2016:

Album Review

Maid of Ace: Maid In England (Maid of Ace Records) …

8/10

All-girl all-sister band from Hastings. New Breed Punk Rock’n’Roll. Ged Babey thinks they are ace…. For fans of the Distillers, the Runaways and Hole

I blame the parents.

If you have four girls why would you name them Alison Cara, Anna Coral, Abby Charlotte, and Amy Catherine? Well because if your surname was Elliott, you’d have, initially: Four ACE’s. A good hand and a great band.

The Ramones, as we know, were not brothers, and there are a few bands with sisters in, but I can’t think of any others who have FOUR sisters in. Apart from the Shaggs…

The best thing about Maid of Ace, apart from their biker-rock’n’roll punk-tunes, is the fact they don’t sell themselves as a tits’n’ass chick band or a preachy feminista-sista act. They just get on with it. They play hard and fast and loud and dirty. They have a blood-ties gang mentality and their mission is to have fun. The photo on the album cover captures their essence, as do their promotional videos. Maid of Ace’s brand of rebellion is about living now, getting pissed, having a laugh and kicking ass, rockin’ out … on a budget and in-spite of the bad-times, grey-skies, hell-in-a-handcart end-of-days we’re living through. That said,
it’s not possible to be ‘a punk band’ and not have ‘something to say’.

‘Raise the Minimum Wage’ is one song which touches on the daily grind. A brilliant imitation of a robo-computer-voice saying ‘You-have Zero-pounds, zero-pence’ is blow-torched by Alison’s throaty roar. Her voice shreds!

This is the 2018 video of that Minimum Wage song.

A song called ‘Fight’ is a manic manifesto of basic punk rock ideals “Fight for what you believe in…. Take Control …Follow your heart ’n’ feed your soul!” It is the most-hardcore track on the album and reminds me of Conflict, whereas the rest of the album is more street punk meets biker-rock.

‘Greed’ is an anti-capitalism rant you can have a good vent to when you sing-a-long. But targets poverty-porn too: “Somebody else’s tragedy is entertainment for you and me. Ignore!”

This video shows Maid of Ace playing Greed and Spittin Blood live in York, on 20 July 2019.

The title track is more about feeling homesick when on tour rather than any kind of flag-waving nationalism. The Oi! Oi! Oi! chorus will go down well at Rebellion no doubt.

Here is the video of that title track, Made in England.

Maid of Ace don’t really do ‘love songs’. The relationship songs, shall we say are just as raging. The people in their sights are either ‘Boring’ or a ‘Monster’. Even a song called ‘For You’ seems to be more about the romance of getting fucked-up together.

Maid of Ace are one of a bunch of bands who have female members who play a heavy but melodic, grunge-influenced kind of punk rock. Brassick, Trioxin Cherry, Army of Skanks, Hands Off Gretel … all of whom can out drink and outplay or holler their male contemporaries.

This is MOA’s second album -the highlights from the first, Dickhead and Bone Deth have played-to-death videos on Youtube. They were great statements of intent and Maid In England is a solid follow up; Hollywood Rain and Disaster of Noise show musical progression but with none of the rawness smoothed off. Superficial similarities to the Distillers and the Runaways aside, they actually have the feel of a band whose influences probably cover everything from Oi!, Goth, Greebo, Punk, Anarcho, Thrash and Metal. …

I would say that they were Lemmy‘s bastard offspring but that would be casting aspersions on their mum and dad who have raised them well, a ready-made sisterhood of rockers who raise Hell!

Like with musicians all over the world, the COVID-19 disaster now causes problems for Maid of Ace. Certainly in Britain, where Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s mismanagement causes infection after infection. Maybe it takes the removal of the Conservative government to make it possible for Maid of Ace to play safely with audiences again.

Here are their future concerts (if possible).