EDMONTON - Gwen Stefani might have been just a girl when No Doubt first exploded in the '90s, but a decade and a half later, she's reigning rock royalty.

It's impossible to tell how many people turned up at Rexall Place last night as fans of the legendary ska-punk band and how many came just to see the 39-year-old front woman.

The band, which formed nearly 20 years ago when its members were still in high school, wasn't catapulted into mainstream superstardom until their 1995 release, Tragic Kingdom, a record lauded for its furious blend of ska and pop mixed with a hint of punk.

Since then, they've been in constant battle with press that treat the group as a mere backing band to its stunning, ferocious singer.

But the platinum blond bombshell -- who gracefully straddles the line between acting like one of the boys and attracting throngs of them -- has never easily blended in.

She and the band were literally unveiled by a large white curtain for the 40th show of their tour as the familiar riff to one of their first beloved singles, Spiderwebs, pierced the air.

Decked out in a white coat, (which quickly disappeared) matching pants and baring her familiar midriff, Stefani skanked, kicked and head-banged, her hair twisted into tiny knots on her head, looking just as she did decades earlier.

It's been nearly eight years since the band released their last album, Rock Steady, and a whopping five since they've hit any stage. As everyone who hasn't been living in a cave in recent years knows, No Doubt went on hiatus from 2004 until recently, leaving Stefani time to launch a blindingly successful solo career, have two baby boys with husband and fellow rocker, Gavin Rossdale, and workout like a demon to regain her signature six pack (at one point in the show she actually challenged an audience member to a pushup contest. The fan quit at 20.)

The one feat she hasn't yet managed to pull off: churn out another album with bassist Tony Kanal, guitarist Tom Dumont and drummer Adrian Young.

The whole point of their summer tour, Stefani has said, is to glean inspiration for their forthcoming album. The group is said to have toiled for months in the studio prior to hitting road, but they couldn't seem to conjure up any hit-making magic.

"This is our 40th show," Stefani announced, after some help tallying the numbers. "This is where it gets nice and juicy."

But proof that they're capable of putting together a solid record of chart-topping tunes was laid out plain for the crowd of 11,500 dancing Edmonton fans.

Not that anyone needed convincing, but just in case, they offered up an arsenal of their most popular songs, which, somehow, haven't grown stale, despite repeated airplay over the years.

The band blasted the sultry single 2001's Hella Good early on, rousing the crowd to their feet.

"I wanna see every single person here jumping now," Stefani demanded.

And they did. No one, after all, argues with royalty.

The entire band also took part, bounding around the futuristic set, which featured a series of white platforms connected to the ground by slides. Behind them a screen flashed colourful graphics, used to its fullest during Ex Girlfriend when Andy Warhol-esque images of band members floated by along with key lyrics, creating a karaoke feel.

While the rest of the band's performance was as tight and heartfelt as its singer's, there was a palpable downward shift in mood when they played a short musical interlude, allowing Stefani to dash back stage and change into a sparkling checkered top.

She returned, screeching the lyrics to New and launching into the crowd. Pandemonium obviously ensued.

Opening up the show to significantly less fanfare, Bedouin Soundclash offered a short set that played to No Doubt's prominent reggae grooves.

It was likely a surreal experience for the Toronto band whose tour stops just a few years ago included 100-person capacity venues.

Shortly after, Nashville rockers Paramore tore through their hits, much to the delight of hundreds of squealing, fist-pumping teen girls. While the majority of the songs bordered on bland, 19-year-old singer Hayley Williams and her four head-bobbing male counterparts, played a fierce and sincere 50 minutes.

Williams, who emulates the tomboy side of Stefani's persona, gave it her all, bouncing, strutting and occasionally spitting -- never for a minute standing still -- she lacked Stefani's infectious charisma.

Is this Paramore's year to shine? Possibly. But will Williams turn up on the Rexall stage decades from now with a storied career behind her? Unlikely.

For now, it seems, there can only be one queen.