Part One: Newfoundland Devils

If you believe the tall tales, the devil has left his mark all over Newfoundland. There are hoof prints in the resettled community of Flat Islands, Bonavista Bay and more in Keels on the Bonavista Peninsula but, perhaps, his most celebrated scar is in Fortune Harbour where a rock supposedly bears his handprint.

Visit Product of Newfoundland to see pictures.

This episode presents the story ‘Mr. Kinchler and the Devil,’ a folktale that describes the night the Devil visited Fortune Harbour, tangled with a card prodigy and left his mark in stone.

Mr. Kinchler and the Devil is a Newfoundland variant on a classic folktale.

Not all stories of Newfoundland's devil and demon stories are old — some of them are being created right now.

The Duds are a musical duo comprised of Melanie O’Brien and Philip Goodridge. They have been creating compelling pop music for ten years.

Part Two: The Duds

After touring Atlantic Canada in 2019 they released their debut album, These Words I Can’t Forget. The record, which was produced by award-winning singer-songwriter Ian Foster, combined a folk-tinged roots sound with bright pop beats. The Duds were subsequently nominated for two MusicNL awards including Bell Aliant Pop Artist of the Year.

Separately, Melanie and Philip have each built solo careers in the entertainment industry. O’Brien’s debut solo album Shining in The Blue earned her three MusicNL Award nominations and, as a vocal coach, she holds the 2017 MusicNL Award for Music Educator of the Year. Goodridge is a multi-faceted artist, writer and seasoned professional theatrical performer, who has been thrilling audiences in Newfoundland for over 20 years.

As The Duds they create playful-yet-confessional music with plentiful hooks and big emotion.

On October 1st, 2023 they are turning their attention to Halloween, as they release two brand new spooky tracks. ‘When He Danced With Me’ and “Your Dead Heart’ were written with Halloween in mind and are inspired by dancing with devils and falling for demons!

O’Brien and Goodridge were kind enough to agree to appear on the podcast and discuss their new tracks as well as their current roles in the Terra Bruce musical The Wild Rovers which is running at the newly-renovated Majestic Theatre in St. John’s from September 22nd to October 1st, 2023, and from October 14th to November 4th, 2023 at the Winter Garden Theatre in Toronto.

When he returns from Toronto, Goodridge is set to appear in the latest production of the Ladies Who Lunch Three Tales of Terror VII: The Curiosity Shop. It’s a show designed to transport the audience to the Golden Age of Radio by performing original audio dramas live on the theatrical stage. Philip discusses the show and some of his inspirations when writing his segment. The show hits the stage on November 24th and 25th at the Elks Club Lodge in St. John’s.

Part Three: Monstrous Things

In the second instalment of ‘Monstrous Things’ I present the strange case of a sea monster attack reported in Hawke’s Bay, on Newfoundland's Great Northern Peninsula, in 1903.

Was it a 'real' monster or a known creature? You decide!

For links, sources and further reading, visit the episode page.