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mtltix · 7 years

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’77 Fest 2017 @ Jean Drapeau – 28 July, 2017

Rancid

Ever since the Warped Tour started to skip over our fair city a few years ago, there’s been a punk-sized hole in our Montreal summers. Pouzza Fest has carried the torch admirably, but there’s really nothing quite like a day of punkin’ in the park on a nice summers day. Clearly, a group of punk promoters here felt the same way; after booking punk rock shows for over 25 years, they decided to take matters into their own hands.

Enter ’77 Montreal. 13 bands across 2 stages in a small section of Parc Jean Drapeau, blessed with a rare day of dry weather in this bummer of a summer. No bands overlap either – the bane of many a festival. This year’s inaugural event, likely due to the schedules of the headliners, takes place on a Friday, so crowds are a little sparse to begin with, which makes sense. After all, many of the “punks“ towards whom this line-up is aimed are now grown-ups with full-time jobs who can’t get a day off frivolously… or perhaps it’s just me!

Jake Burns

After the bizarre request to surrender the top of my plastic bottle (note to organizers, despite the various admonitions around the site, this makes staying hydrated quite difficult, irrespective of the presence of water filling stations, if I can’t actually store it in my pocket for when I need it), I finally enter the venue midway through Jake Burns (of Stiff Little Fingers fame) set, which is the perfect soundtrack to a relaxed afternoon in the park if ever you heard one. It sounds especially chilled in comparison to what follows next: New York hardcore legends Madball.

Madball

The chilled vibe is obliterated within about 2 seconds of the first song, as the crowd explodes into life in the mid-afternoon sunshine. Frontman Freddy Cricien is an engaging one: he patrols the front fence right off the bat, and, as if the crowd isn’t already involved enough, waves his finger like a lasso, the universal symbol to start a circle pit, to which the hardcore-heads duly oblige. He’s funny too, introducing Madball as “a brand new band working on their first album,” and declaring “we love coming to Canada…but not the border.” An explosive 45 minutes.

Madball

New Jersey’s finest The Bouncing Souls are immediately up next, and draw another huge, excitable crowd. Frontman Greg Attonito skanks his way onto the stage and launches right into the epic Manthem, and they keep up the frenetic pace on Late Bloomer. Greg roams the front fence too, shaking hands and high-fiving as many as possible, and then darts up the aisle that splits the crowd down the middle right to the sound desk on Lean On Sheena, accompanied by a huge sing-along from the rabid crowd.

The Bouncing Souls

Gone sounds epic too, and after wishing everyone “have a great night, have a great everything!!!”, they wrap up a brilliant set with the classic True Believer. The pit picks up once more, and due to a bizarre design on the smaller ‘Scene Ouest’ stage (in which the middle of the floor area is raised a few inches up compared to the left and right sides), those at the edge of the raised area are thrown off the edge during the crowd surge (including myself). Thankfully, no damage is done, save for one punk’s young daughter who leaves the area in tears, but such a floor design is certainly asking for trouble in the form of sprained ankles and tumbles. Another note to the organizers there then…

The Bouncing Souls

Old school So-Cal punks The Vandals follow, and despite being physically older dudes, clearly haven’t gone all ‘grown-up.’ Opening with Its A Fact (complete with comedy guitar solo) and Take It Back, frontman Dave Quackenbush then dedicates People That Are Going To Hell to himself. Seriously, these guys were joking about on stage way before Blink 182 made it mainstream.

After Cafe 405 and Pizza Tran, Dave demands to see himself on the huge screens on the opposite stage during Live Fast Diarrhea, all to no avail. Still, he sparks a huge sing-along to the chorus, and you know that The Vandals are the only band who could get a whole crowd to yell “Diarrhea” and make it sound anthemic. Oi To The World and the brilliant The New You follow before Dave and bassist Joe Escalante once again address the crowd: “you know The Vandals, we like to address political shit; we know your President, he’s fuckin’ good-looking, he could be a Kardashian!!”

The Vandals

On I’ve Got An Ape Drape (their ode to mullets), Dave replaces ‘Queensryche’ with ‘Bouncing Souls’ to declare “I’ve been growing that one braid back there for years / I’ve had it since the first time I saw Bouncing Souls!!!”, much to the amusement of anyone who actually caught the joke. And Now We Dance, Anarchy Burger, My Girlfriend’s Dead are blazed through next, before the set concludes with I Have A Date, and the biggest goofball of all of them, guitarist Warren Fitzgerald, heads into the crowd, onto the sound tent, dancing crazily for the video screens. Anyone who didn’t know The Vandals before today will certainly not forget them in a hurry; 50 minutes of ridiculous genius fun.

Many bands to this point have expressed their excitement at seeing punk legends X at this festival, who in the words of Dave Quackenbush, are “the only band here that really live the spirit of 1977” (after which this very festival is named). Indeed, even Mac DeMarco has turned up for them, watching their set from the side of the stage and singing along to We’re Desperate (at least I think its him…). However, it seems that most of the crowd uses their set as an excuse to grab some food, as the crowd is notably thinner at the front during their set. Not that any of the band seem to notice, or if they do, they don’t seem to care. Oozing cool, frontwoman Exene Cervenka has her hands in the pockets of her X hoodie, and you know how cool you have to be to get away with wearing your own merchandise. Aside from a cover of a 1920s country song (since “the 1920s were way more punk than the 1970s,” according to Exene), the set is unmistakably old-school punk, and sounds as timeless as it did back in the day.

After lining up for 40 minutes for a supper of 2 waffles (and that was the shortest of the line-ups for the 3 food trucks available to service the entire festival; one had sold out already. Note to organizers: more food trucks are needed for an event of this size!), it’s time for the first of the co-headliners in the form of Massachusetts legends Dropkick Murphys. It’s hard to know if it was them or Flogging Molly who first merged the Celtic influence with punk, but it’s a sound they’ve never strayed from across their 9 studio albums, and why would they? It’s clearly beloved by the thousands now assembled for their set. Indeed, it’s traditional celtic music and tin whistles that signal their arrival on stage, and after a melancholy intro, the pit explodes into life with the first bars of The Boys Are Back, and is swiftly followed by Blood and bagpipes.

Dropkick Murphys

Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya starts out very traditionally with a mandolin, before again erupting into life, and the energy of the crowd is palpable. Some down-time arrives with a stirring cover of You’ll Never Walk Alone, which is followed by the anthemic Rose Tattoo, which sounds even more fantastic in conjunction with the sun setting over the trees around the venue. The pit erupts back into life with The State Of Massachusetts and I’m Shipping Up to Boston. At this point, various members of the crowd gatecrash the stage and dance and sing with the band, and remain there for Until the Next Time, and in fact are joined by even more of the crowd; the stage is pretty packed by the end. A cannon-blast of confetti into the crowd wraps up the epic set.

Dropkick Murphys

For the first time all day, there’s a lull in proceedings, with no bands playing, as Rancid‘s crew set things up on the same stage Dropkick Murphys just vacated. The tiredness of a busy week at work and an afternoon on my feet in the sun begins to set in, and I wonder if I have one more band left in me. Of course, when that band is Rancid, there’s absolutely no way I’m leaving early, and as soon as Tim Armstrong staggers onto the stage and sings the opening notes of Radio, the tiredness evaporates and euphoria takes over, as they blast through classic after classic, as Roots Radicals, Journey to the End of the East Bay, and the bass-shredding Maxwell Murder follow soon after. Its amazing stuff.

Rancid

During The 11th Hour, Tim tells us how they and Dropkick Murphys participated in a draft as to which band would headline each night, and he chose Montreal! The crowd roars approval at his choice; tonight, there really couldn’t be anyone else headlining. Guitarist Lars Frederiksen rips through Ghost Of A Chance, despite some obvious annoyance at some clowns who intermittently throw junk onto the stage, and when he proclaims “we’re gonna take you back to 1995 to a little record called And Out Come The Wolves,” the ska vibes of Old Friend kick in and get everyone dancing once more.

New song Where I’m Going follows that ska vibe perfectly, despite being over 20 years younger. For It’s Quite Alright, Lars asks for circle pits either side of the central aisle, which the crowd are happy to provide, and they keep this up for Buddy. Fall Back Down is met with a huge clap-along, and ends in a huge sing-along for the last chorus The timeless Time Bomb brings back the ska vibe once more, before Ruby Soho closes out the main set with the biggest sing-along of the set so far. A truly magnificent hour of music, from a truly magnificent band.

Both Rancid and Dropkick Murphys emerge for a combined encore of covers, consisting of Cretin Hop (Ramones), I Fought The Law (The Clash) , Folsom Prison Blues (Johnny Cash) and TNT (AC/DC) , to bring the festival to a carnival sort of conclusion, before leaving the stage and leaving the tired but elated crowd to fight their way onto the Metro and back home.

Setlist Radio Roots Radicals Journey to the End of the East Bay Maxwell Murder The 11th Hour Nihilism East Bay Night Dead Bodies Ghost of a Chance Telegraph Avenue Old Friend Where I’m Going Salvation Bloodclot Black & Blue Olympia WA. It’s Quite Alright Buddy Fall Back Down Time Bomb Ruby Soho

Encore Cretin Hop (Ramones cover) I Fought The Law (The Clash cover) Folsom Prison Blues (Johnny Cash cover) TNT (AC/DC cover)

Will this Festival be a regular thing, or a one-off? One would hope the former, since the video screens read “see you next year” on the way out. Here’s hoping so – despite a few minor glitches and gripes, the first edition of ’77 Montreal was a resounding success, and here’s hoping for many more years punkin’ in the park!

Pale Lips

This mighty creature was hanging out in the Monster energy tent

This little guy emerged from out of the shadows of the Monster Energy tent to have a quick nibble and was gone as quickly as he had appeared. Its not a common occurrence, to find a rodent that digs the Dropkick Murphys.

Barrasso

Genetic Control

The Kingpins

The Creepshow

Hairdressing in the Monster energy tent

Review – Simon Williams Photos – Kieron Yates

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mtltix · 7 years

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Osheaga is getting ready for the week-end in its new home!

The first thing you notice when you exit the Metro is the massive construction. Imagine being the one of the biggest festivals in Montreal and having to completely redesign your site in a completely new location. This is the challenge Nick Farkas and his team took on while a permanent 65,000 seat natural amphitheater is being built, slated to open in 2019.

“Are you nervous?” I ask Nick as our tour of the new facilities stops for lunch. “Always.”, Nick comments. This isn’t a job for Nick, this is a passion that started in 2006 with a small team of just under 15 people, working under the spell of Nick’s vision. The evolution of Osheaga is impressive. Year after year, Osheaga is the talk of the town in terms of must see events. 120 bands over 3 days comes out to a little over $2.50 per band! It’s more than just a festival for music. Art installation are throughout the site and the whole experience is unlike any other festival out there. Even the sponsors get creative with booths and we can’t wait to see what they have in store for us this year.

Get your tickets and avoid the lineup: https://www.osheaga.com/en/passes

Week-end & Day Passes are still available.

Osheaga Map

The new layout will be quite different from previous years. The two main stages, Scène de la Rivière & Scène le la Montagne will face each other instead of being side by side. A large digital screen will separate the two areas so all can see. A similar layout will host Scène Verte & Scène de la Vallée which neighbors the main stages. This new layout should create less walking for those that like to hop from stage to stage to catch their favorite artists throughout the 3 day festival.

Osheaga Scene de la Montagne being built.

Osheaga Scène Verte & Scene de la Vallée will face each other.

Scène des Arbres with synthetic grass.

The most innovative change this year will be a floating stage for Scène de L’Ile for the EDM fans. This floating grid will bounce throughout the week-end on the waterways of Parc Jean-Drapeau. Ships at sea will wonder where all these rhythmic waves came from, as they keep on rocking.

Osheaga Floating Dance Floor!

Having a festival on Ile Notre-Dame creates an atmosphere similar to another world where music lovers can immerse themselves in the music, art and food of Osheaga World. Rodeo FX have created some visual imagery for each stage inspired by their names.

Osheaga Art Installations

Montreal Rocks sat with Nick Farkas to discuss the Osheaga legacy under the hot sun of the day. When I asked if he wanted to go inside in the air conditioning, he said he preferred to stay outside and prepare to get his “Osheaga Sweat On.”

Montreal Rocks: The first thing I noticed about you is that you were driving one of the carts that was touring our group around. Obviously, you are right in the thick of the action.

Nick Farkas: I love the carts! They don’t usually give me one.

MR: I want to bring you back to 2006. What was your vision for Osheaga back then? Did you think it would become what it has evolved to be today?

NF: I’ve thought about this question and we didn’t really think about it at whole lot. For me, at the time, I was thinking: If we could ever do 20,000 people a day, then we can keep doing it and it would be amazing. I also knew it would be hard to get to the point where we could get 20,000 people. So the goal was to get to 20 and not lose money. We came from very humble beginnings and the gradual process to get to this size has been unbelievable. I don’t use that word lightly. It’s unbelievable. I cannot believe that Osheaga is this. At the beginning, when I walked around, I knew everybody that worked on the site. Now, I hardly know half the people, there are thousands of people everywhere. It’s crazy. It’s an absolute orchestrated chaos.

MR: I was speaking to Sandra in the cart, who is part of your original team, back when you were under 15 employees. As a leader back then, you had a vision and you built this team who all bought into your vision. What are the qualities of the people you surround yourself with?

NF: People that listen to me. (we laugh) What I look for in a team are people that are incredibly competent and incredibly driven. They have to believe in what we are doing. I’ve done panels and spoke to school regarding the music & entertainment business. It looks glamourous. Hey, I get to meet Kate Upton at the Formula E. People look at that and say that’s really exciting, but the reality is that the hours are terrible, you work harder than you could ever possibly imagine and you have to be passionate about it. You have to love it. You have to see that the output of what you are going to do is worth all this pain and suffering. For us, that first year, sitting and watching Ben Harper in the rain…and I don’t think it stopped raining since the day I stepped foot on the site two days before…and going WOW, this is incredible. We did it. We had a great a team and we were so proud of the fact that we were able to put on a four stage festival with a bit of art and no people, but the people that were there had a great time and so did we. I’d been a concert promoter at that time for a while already. What concert promoting is in 2017 is so different. You book a band, you put them in your venue. They give you the artwork, tell you what to say and then you market it. That’s it. That’s why Evenko is such a great place to work because there is nothing that we won’t try. We’ll do a car race. We’ll do a food festival. We have a team in place that embraces challenges, that loves the idea of getting up the next day and doing something completely different. If it was just cookie cutter arena booking…I still love that, I always have…but what allows your team to be creative is that you have to gather and bring them in as a unit to feel that once it’s done, they did something impactful. We create the name, we created the artwork. Everything that happens is from us, there is no one telling us you have to use this picture, etc. This is the look we are going with. This is the way we are going to cover the water (referring to the new EDM floating dance floor). Whatever it is, it’s all on us, so that gives people a tremendous sense of commitment. You can’t let people down and it’s a massive team now. If you can’t handle it, you are letting down an entire team of people. It’s really camaraderie. I like the term a “camaraderie of misery.” You have the guys sleeping under the stage waiting for bands to come in at 3 AM. You are all living it together and you are all getting something more out of it. It’s more than just a job.

MR: It’s like a Band of Brothers & Sisters.

NF: Exactly. I was a tree planter. I was a bike messenger. In all these jobs, you are miserable together and that brings people closer together. People will work harder for each other, look out for each other and help. That really is the spirit we have at our small company of about 80 people. We do 1,400 events per year along with massive festivals because everyone is so bloody committed, so good at their jobs that we can do a volume that is, I think, unprecedented.

MR: The Eminem Osheaga (6th) was the one that put your name on the map and was the first one that made you a profit. What did that allow you to do going forward, now that you had this momentum?

NF: What Eminem really did for us was to give us a mainstream notoriety in this city. At that point, we were still a very niche indie rock festival. We had Coldplay and Arcade Fire, so people were starting to be able to pronounce the name, which was cool. Eminem took it to another level in the fact that I think he only did us and Lollapalooza that summer and he never plays.

MR: It’s like he put you on par with Lollapolooza.

NF: Exactly. He hadn’t played forever. People came from everywhere. People in the city where saying: What is this Osheaga thing? Eminem is playing. My initial instinct for that day was that everyone was going to show up at 8 o’clock to see Eminem. At doors, people were pilling in, watching all of the bands perform, going from stage to stage and having a great time. So I go, OK, the longevity of this thing goes beyond an indie rock festival and becomes something bigger.

(At this point in the interview, Nick takes a call. They need his permission for something. His first question to them is: “Does it block anyone’s view of the stage?” Up until then, I witnessed the passion shine out of his eyes behind his shades. Now, I see a man dedicated to making this an unforgettable experience for guests. His guests are foremost on his mind. They are placing 200,000 square feet of synthetic grass in front of the stages to cover the rocks below it. Crowd flow is being considered in every detail along with placement of the various facilities needed for such a festival.)

MR: This makes me think of the fact that you have synthetic grass. You are really thinking of the guest experience. What are you hoping people will think, as they leave the festival on Sunday night?

NF: I’m hoping that they will write down next year’s dates. I’m hoping that they will say: OK, that was awesome. I want to come back. We weren’t sure about this new site, but they did a good job. We are not going to wait for 2019, this was so much fun we will come back and do it again next year.

MR: What was your first festival?

NF: It must have been The Police Picnic in the 80s at Molson Stadium. Rubin Fogel did it back in the day. That was probably the first festival, other than that I saw small stuff with my folks. There was one also at the Olympic Stadium that was billed as a festival with Peter Tosh & The Police and a bunch of other bands.

(Nick is speaking of a show on August 3rd, 1983 with Peter Tosh, Talking Heads, Stevie Ray Vaughn & The Police

MR: What performer do you not want to miss this year?

NF: I’m not going to miss Dawes. That is one performance I’m not going to miss because I really like that band and I’ve never seen them before. It’s rare that a band is playing Osheaga that I really like but I haven’t seen. For me, a chance to see a band that most people don’t know who the hell they are, these amazing singer/songwriters, is the one I will guarantee myself I won’t miss. Also, whatever my son wants to see. Last year, we missed the Strumbellas and he hasn’t let me forget about it for an entire year till we saw them at Canada Day on July 2nd at Niagara-on-the-Lake. We saw them and City and Colour and he loved it. Whatever band he tells me we absolutely have to see this year, I’m going.

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mtltix · 7 years

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The Franklin Electric debut new video

Montreal-based alt-folk band The Franklin Electric has released the video for the soulful and haunting single “Burning Flame”.

The video was filmed in Toronto and features an all-Canadian production team. The band released their highly anticipated sophomore album titled Blue Ceilings earlier this year via Indica Records that includes the singles “I Know The Feeling”, “Walk With You”, “Someone Just Like You” and “Burning Flame”.

The quartet who has amassed more than 5 million streams (Spotify, Deezer) start their tour in Europe next week and will have Canadian dates this fall including several dates around Quebec. See below for full routing.

Jon says about the song: “This was a spontaneous last minute addition to the record about the fire that feeds us and brings us to do all the things we do, or ignore the things we don’t do but wish we had. A voice inside most of us that can easily be ignored but the burn is a constant reminder. This video was all about the casting! I walked in the day of the shoot and met George, who plays the main role in this music video. He is the most endearing, honest, pure, yet driven 17 year old kid I have ever met. From that moment I was sold on the director’s story & concept. I invite you to meet George for yourself.”

youtube

The Franklin Electric’s soaring and anthemic debut album, This Is How I Let You Down, was first released independently before catching the attention of Montreal’s Indica Records (Half Moon Run, Phantogram). The label reissued the LP in 2014 featuring various remixes and two new songs to much critical acclaim for both their recording and their incredible chops live.

The Franklin Electric amassed an avid fanbase and rave reviews after spending 2015 playing over 180 shows from Canada to Australia – including 3 tours of Europe alone – opening for the likes of Ben Howard, Mumford and Sons, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, City & Colour, and Half Moon Run. Last year, TFE attracted newfound attention and a slew of new fans after their performance on The Bachelorette Canada during a scene filmed at Chateau Vieux-Montreal. The band has now performed over 300 shows all over the world including a date that meant a lot to them in their hometown at the Montreal International Jazz Festival.

TOUR DATES: 07.28 – Béthanie, Quebec @ La Grosse Lanterne 08.02 – Gothenburg, Sweden @ Bengens Record Store 08.04 – Hillerød, Denmark @ New Note Festival 08.05 – Aarhus, Denmark @ GrimFest 08.08 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Haven Bar 08.09 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Pumpehusets Byhave 08.10 – Esbjerg, Denmark @ Made In Esbjerg 08.12 – Wolf Island, Ontario @ Wolfe Island Music Festival 08.18 – St. Jean Sur Richelieu, Quebec @ Int’l de Montgolfières 08.26 – Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Quebec @ Festival Artefact 09.01 – Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec @ FME 09.16 – Kaiserlautern, Germany @ Kammgarn (w. / EMMA6) 09.17 – Berlin, Germany @ Badeschiff Open Air 09.19 – Mainz, Germany @ Schon Schön 09.21 – Nijmegen, Netherlands @ Merleyn 09.22 – Dortmund, Germany @ Das Hoechste der Gefuehle Festival 09.26 – Munich, Germany @ The LoveLace Hotel 10.26 – St-Hyacinthe, Quebec @ Salle Juliette Lassonde 10.27 – St. Georges de Beauce @ Theatre Place de l’Eglise 10.28 – Waterloo, Quebec @ Maison de la Culture 11.02 – Toronto, Ontario @ Mod Club 11.03 – Temiscaming, Quebec @ Salle Dottori 11.09 – Brossard, Quebec @ Le Club 11.10 – Levis, Quebec @ L’Anglicane 11.22 – Laval, Quebec @ Salle André Mathieu 11.23 – Val Morin, Quebec @ Theatre du Marais 11.24 – St-Therese, Quebec @ Collège Lionel-Groulx 11.25 – Sorel, Quebec @ Salle Georges Codling 12.01 – Lachine, Quebec @ L’Entrepot 12.02 – Magog, Quebec @ Le Vieux Clocher

Photo Credit: Charline Martel

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mtltix · 7 years

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Lamb Of God + Behemoth + Cryptopsy @ Metropolis – 24th July 2107

It’s a miserable, rainy evening in Montreal but the weather was never going to stop over 2000 Montreal metalheads making it to Metropolis for the arrival of Richmond, Virginia’s own Lamb Of God. Especially when they’ve brought the mighty Behemoth along for the ride, a band who headlined this venue on their own not so long ago.

First up though are long-time Montreal death metallers Cryptopsy, who were added to the bill long after tickets sold out but are welcomed with open arms by a venue already rammed from front to back. The four-piece splices hints of grind and death metal to create a guttural, avant grade sound that never lets up for their 35 minute set. No member moves from their designated position on stage but the intensity of their sound easily wins over the room as hair flies and heads bang both on stage and off. Daringly, they perform their 1996 album None So Vile in its entirety. Quarter of a decade into their career, Cryptopsy absolutely deserve the respect they obviously have in the Montreal metal scene.

Judging from the amount of the band’s t-shirts being worn by those in attendance tonight, Poland’s Behemoth should probably be considered joint headliners. As the lights dim and the band enter the stage they take their positions and the crowd go suitably nuts as they launch into the opening chords of Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel from 2014’s The Satanist album. From thereon in it’s a whirlwind of slashing riffs and angry corpse-paint faces. Nergal is a formidable frontman and his bandmates were equally impressive.

Ten minutes before the show Behemoth realised that their sampler was dead. As a result they had to rearrange the setlist and play the whole show with no click, and their set seemed all too brief at around 40 minutes long. But while they were on stage they set the intensity levels to maximum. Every time I’ve seen them live this band has been incredible and tonight was no different. “Now I know why we love coming back to Canada and Montreal” says Nergal before they leave the stage far too early.

Following a band like Behemoth would be intimidating for most groups but tonight’s headliners were obviously not worried. Having recently been on tour with Slayer, whose fans are notoriously tough on support acts, Lamb Of God undoubtedly welcomed the opportunity to play to a room full of converted fans. And as soon as they launched into opener, the appropriately titled Laid To Rest, Metropolis was a sea of moving bodies, crowd surfers and banging heads.

With Lamb Of God every member of the band is evidently fully engaged and committed to the performance, at the same time as being technically perfect in the delivery. Vocalist Randy Blythe never stands still for a second, pacing the stage like a boxer waiting to enter the ring and leading the fans like some pissed off preacher.

Backed by a wall of visuals, the stage looks more like something you’d expect in an arena than a 2300 capacity room, and I think it’s safe to say this is one metal band who will be headlining the Bell Centre in the none-too-distant future. Every song is a highlight, and new songs 512 and Still Echoes easily fit alongside classics like Now You’ve Got Something to Die For and a blistering Redneck.

Randy looks like he’s having a blast on stage and mentions how “Montreal has always been good to us. Merci beaucoup motherfuckers”. Lamb Of God have always been good to Montreal and their fans worldwide and we will welcome them back every time.

Setlist:

Laid to Rest Now You’ve Got Something to Die For Ruin 512 Engage the Fear Machine Walk with Me in Hell Blacken the Cursed Sun Hourglass Omerta Set to Fail Still Echoes Vigil Redneck

Words and photos – Steve Gerrard

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mtltix · 7 years

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Metallica + Avenged Sevenfold + Volbeat @ Parc Jean Drapeau – 19th July 2017

You know it’s going to be an interesting day when you wake up on your day off, thinking you are missing the concert of the summer, and you get a text from your friend telling you to come to Montreal because tonight you are going to see Metallica. An hour later I was on the road, for a two hour drive to get to Montreal from Gatineau, slowly realizing what was happening.

Arriving in Montreal early afternoon, I could tell the city was ready to greet Metallica. Everywhere in the metro I could already spot many Avenged Sevenfold and Metallica shirts. Although this was my first time at Parc Jean Drapeau for a concert, not knowing where I was going wasn’t a problem. Not only was it well indicated how to get there, following the Metallica fans was as easy as following the yellow brick road.

After a thirty-five minute walk to the site, the place was already getting crowded. Fans buying their favorite band tee shirts, drinking beer, and getting in line excited for the gates to finally open. Thirty-five thousand people waited in line for hours, but no one can beat the guy that had been there since six o’clock in the morning. I found a spot in line and conversation was easy with everyone being overly friendly, excited to be part of this experience. It was my first time at a Metallica concert, as it was for a lot of people. There were even a few kids around ten years old who were there for their first concert ever. I guess Metallica isn’t a band you see only once. A few people had seen Metallica a few days before in Quebec City, at the Festival d’Ete de Quebec, and many of them were at their fourth or fifth or sixth Metallica show. After thirty-six years of rocking the stages, they aren’t ready to quit any time soon.

At four o’clock, the doors finally opened and we all ran towards our zones, to get as close as possible to the action. The party had already started with friendly shooter girls and DJ Mix Master Mike of the legenday Beastie Boys up on stage. It was easy to get the party mode started, with two hours to kill before the show officially started.

Six o’clock came fast enough, as Volbeat took the stage. I had heard their hit song, “The Devil’s Bleeding Crown”, and very much enjoyed their song and singer Michael Poulsens voice, which put me in an upbeat mood. Seeing them live was a great way of discovering them and a pleasing way to start off the evening.

Avenged Sevenfold had been on my concert bucket list since I saw the music video for “Seize The Day” back in 2005. I could tell I was not the only one who was there for Avenged Sevenfold, either, with many people rocking the death bat tattoo. As rain began to poor, singer M. Shadows mentioned how every time they’ve performed outdoors in Montreal, it had rained, but was quick to add “if you’re OK with the rain, then I’m OK with the rain” and kept the show going. We sang every word to every song and my heart couldn’t have been happier. I had waited twelve years for this moment, and it was worth the wait.

There were all kinds of fans at the show; young in age and young at heart. I even had Quebec rocker, Eric Lapointe, and Travis, from TV show La Voix, walk right passed me to get to the VIP area. Everyone was getting ready for THE show to start. It’s tradition in Montreal to sing our hearts out to “Oh lay” to get ourselves pumped.

The moment we had all been waiting for; some of us for weeks – some of for us a lifetime. I have never seen an entrance quite like Metallica’s. With the giant screens with an M and A at each end, balloons, explosions and lighting, they were nothing less of impressive. There’s so much to say yet so little ways to describe the awesomeness of the show. I had always been a fan of Metallica, and now have a new appreciation for them. They made sure to let us know their appreciation for us, also, all throughout the show. Even after the show came to an end, and we walked out of Parc Jean Drapeau, we could still hear James Hetfield over the loudspeakers, talking to the fans. I, for one, very much appreciated that he took the time to tell us.

Like James said, “We don’t give a shit, all that matters is that we’re all here tonight”, and he was right. For that moment, nothing else mattered. And for those of us who were first timers; “What took you so long!?”… well I was wondering the same thing. With beer, sweat, and rain covered hair it was hard not to feel alive.

Random fact: Something I had been curious about was if French speakers had learned the lyrics to “The Unforgiven”, or if they went with singing the misheard lyrics at the concert (“Nous mangeons des oeufs, et Kwik Kwik il son doux”) . ANSWER: they sang the misheard lyrics.

Setlist: The Ecstasy of Gold (Ennio Morricone song) Hardwired Intro Hardwired Atlas, Rise! For Whom the Bell Tolls The Memory Remainso The Unforgiven Now That We’re Dead Moth Into Flame Wherever I May Roam Halo on Fire Motorbreath Sad but True One Master of Puppets Fade to Black Seek & Destroy Encore: Fight Fire With Fire Nothing Else Matters Enter Sandman (with ‘The Frayed Ends of Sanity’ outro)

Written by Jenny Watson (Cell phones snaps, also courtesy of Madame Watson)

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Thurston Moore Group @ La Sala Rossa July 18, 2017

Thurston Moore, creeping towards 60, shows Montreal that you don’t need a fancy guitar to be a rock star. The first thing you notice from the Fender he played most of the evening, was the lack of switches and buttons, which apparently decided to pursue a life of ease. If his guitar was in a fight, I assumed it lost, as it seemed to have seen better days. Thurston and his bandmate Lee Ranaldo (whom visited our city in January) are known for having a plethora of guitars, unorthodox tunings and can milk any sound out of them. While tonight, only two guitars dared to join him on stage, they did live up to their promise.

Doors opened at 8:00, but apparently, the doors where in another time zone and only opened a few minutes before 9:00 PM.

Jessica Moss

Jessica Moss came on stage, solo with her violin and sample pedals. She told us she would only play one song, but it was 25 minutes long. The song would tell the story, musically, about refugees going from danger to safety.

Thurston is all about experimentation, and Jessica did her own. As she started, we felt the desert heat hit our faces, like we were leaving an exotic bazaar to go on a journey. Her song felt like a movie soundtrack, but unfortunately, I wasn’t there to watch a movie. At several points, you could hear some loud laughing. I don’t think it was directed at Jessica, but it was a little distracting none the less. While her set wasn’t my cup of tea (actually, I’m more of a coffee guy…) it was cool for certain parts. I did not however enjoy the layers of vocals, which to me took me out of the soundtrack and wondering how much longer this was going to be. The cheers from the crowd proved that many appreciated the journey even if I wanted off after 10 minutes.

Thurston started quietly with “Cease Fire” which quickly gave us that “Sonic Youth” feel that we all love. The songs would lead to jams and feedback then return like a small detour from the scenic route back to the recognizable song.

Thurston Moore

Right before Thurston started, an amateur photographer barges through in front of me. I can only assume he is an amateur as he literally would snap no less than 200 shots per song. His little handheld camera being pushed to the limit. For the first half of the show, all I saw was his elbow propped up as he snapped away furiously getting shot after shot of the same man, at the same angle. I have a lot of respect for photographers, our site has some of the best photographers in Montreal and I’m always blown away at the shots they can get in the three songs they are allowed to shoot. A professional gets the money shot, moves on. Happily, an opportunity arose when someone left and as starred at his little camera, replaying the last shot, I made my move and got in front of him, where I could finally enjoy the rest of the show. At least he didn’t use a flash, as that would have put me over the edge (where I would politely ask him to get a life).

As Thurston starts the first notes of “Speak to the Wild”, the crowd is audibly pleased. You can tell Thurston is in the zone, eyes closed during the jamming sessions, fully immersed in the experience, just as the sold-out crowd joins him on this voyage.

Thurston Moore

“Smoke of Dreams” take it down a notch with a mellow groove and soft voice. Thurston would take his time between songs, have some light banter with the audience, even crossing the stage to shake the hand of a female fan who asked how he was doing.

They ended the set with Exalted which crescendos into a heavier version of itself.

The encore consisted of “Ono Soul” from the 1995 Psychic Hearts. Although only 9 songs were played tonight, we felt we had a full show. The songs would go from the structure we recognize to a journey of expression through different levels of intensity before settling back into the structure. Each song takes a life of its own, a 12” version so to speak.

Thurston Moore Group

The set was barely over, and Thurston bounces out of the back stage to the merch booth to sign records and take pictures with fans (myself included). Ten years my senior, this man is electrified by the night and energy is still pouring through his veins. His appreciating of the fans does not go unnoticed and I’m sure the merch sold more than those bands that isolate themselves.

Exhausted Fender

The sold out crowd lingers outside, still buzzing from a great experience. I can’t help thinking of our annoying photographer who will have to go through 2000 fuzzy shots and wonder why he can only remember Thurston from the angle of his viewfinder.

SetList

Cease Fire Turn On Feedback Jam Speak to the Wild Cusp Smoke of Dreams Aphrodite Exalted

Encore

Ono Soul

Review & Photos– Randal Wark is a Professional Speaker and Business coach with a passion for live music. You can follow him on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

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Montebello Rockfest 2017

For 51 out of 52 weekends, Montebello is an idyllic small town with tonnes of charm located between Montreal and Ottawa. For one weekend, it is run over by punks and drunks, partygoers and headbangers, rockers and gawkers for a weekend of debauchery known as Rockfest. The brainchild of native son Alex Martel, the festival has grown from a small three band affair to a full on three day extravaganza, one of the biggest rock festivals in North America.

This was Rockfest’s year to shine with Heavy Montreal on hiatus.

The party started on Thursday night with a St-Jean-Baptiste party. A highlight was francophone performance by local ska legends The Planet Smashers. The party was delayed by heavy showers, but most patrons partied in the rain until headliners Les Cowboys Fringants came in to cap off Quebec’s signature holiday.

The festival kicked into full gear Friday, for a day that saw “mudfest” trending on social media. The wet conditions didn’t stop the crowd and certainly didn’t stop the bands. The day kicked off hard and heavy with metal veterans Kataklysm and Soulfly making the crowd stomp in the mud.

The yearly hip hop act has become a popular addition to the fest. This year’s edition promised hip hop legends and hipster clothing moguls the Wu-Tang Clan. That billing deserves an asterisk, while it’s been unfortunately standard for them over the last few years, it’s still disappointing when they show up without Method Man, it’s like an Oilers alumni game without Wayne Gretzky. Despite the absence of the Ticallion Stallion, the crowd still bounced along to every beat.

Killswitch Engage provided some levity by decorating the stage like a tiki bar and performing in Hawaiian clothing.

There were a lot of veteran acts that came out and delivered like clockwork. Bad Religion, Bullet For My Valentine, Goldfinger, Reel Big Fish and Less Than Jake all brought sets had the weight of decades of on stage experience. Nostalgia is a huge part of what has made Rockfest such a success. The Offspring were no exception to that. The crowd went insane for every classic they delivered.

No festival promoter is as front and center as Alex Martel. He’s very proud of the beast he has created, as well he should be. But this year, Martel stepped it up a notch by reuniting his band Deadly Apples. This move might have drawn curiosity had it remained a side stage act, but instead took the ostentatious act of leaving the main stages empty for a full hour, right before the headliner, while the band played, drawing the ire of the crowd. There were posters promoting throughout the site as if it were a Led Zeppelin reunion. To be fair, 95% of attendees had no clue who Deadly Apples were before this fest.

But good things do come to those who wait. A countdown appeared on screen ending with fireworks, announcing the arrival of the fire hazard which is Rammstein. What followed was an hour and half blitzkrieg of sound, lights and precision. It was an onslaught. Every one of your senses was bombarded, from the vibrations, the music, the smell of propane to the intense lights. Okay, you couldn’t taste it, but I imagine it tasted like Beck’s and sauerkraut. The set ended with Engel and the band’s trademark fire breathing angel wings. By the energy in the crowd, you couldn’t tell many had been there since 11am. The Germans sent the crowd back to their camps on a high.

The final day promised a break from the mud and rain. The sun was shining as Anti-Flag delivered a high octane set to get people limbered up.

One of the dark horse sets that made the weekend great happened shortly after on the side stages. Vancouver’s The Dreadnoughts packed the back area and got the crowd whipped into a frenzy with their unique brand of polka gypsy punk. They’re jesters on stage, enticing everyone to have fun with them and you know they’re succeeding when even the security are laughing. There were cirlce pits and wall of death that separated and left a guy in a Pikachu suit in the middle. As vocalist Uncle Touchy screamed “kill the Pikachu!’ the wall collapsed on him.

Coming back to nostalgia, some of the great memories from these festivals comes from seeing bands you’d long forgotten about and you’d never go see on their own. You never thought you would, but there you are singing along with P.O.D. as they chant “Boom” and “Youth of the Nation.” There you are, skanking with The Specials as they deliver “A Message to You Rudy.” You’re swaying with the crowd as 311 croons “Amber.”

One name that stuck out as soon as the lineup was announced was Dee Snider. After last year’s edition, his band Twisted Sister made a huge fuss about the deplorable conditions in which they were treated, their rant going viral. Well, it apparently wasn’t so bad for Snider to return the very next year. He addressed the issue, saying he was being treated much better, then treated the crowd to a surprisingly good cover of Soundgarden’s “Outshined” in honour of the late Chris Cornell.

The set of the weekend has to go to the bipolar beast known as Alexisonfire, who probably should’ve headlined this day and closed out the festival. The crowd sang to every word from Dallas Green and screamed along to every word from George Pettit and Wade MacNeil. They drew from their entire catalog but leaned heavily on their iconic 2006 release Crisis. Their frenetic performance was a juggernaut.

Headlining duties on this night were handled by Queens of the Stone Age. They offered a solid set of radio hits that was low on frills. Vocalist/guitarist Josh Homme didn’t move around much, just stood and delivered. Perhaps the crowd just didn’t have much left.

A special treat awaited those who weren’t done partying. The weekend closed out with Iggy Pop performing as only the legend can. 70 years old, dancing shirtless on stage until 1:30am on a cold night, Iggy reminded us all why he might be immortal.

The true star of this weekend though is the town of Montebello, who once a year allow revellers to take over their quiet town and throw a massive party. They let them sleep on their lawns and drink in their streets and party along with them. And for that, we thank you.

Review – Richard Brunette Photos – Kieron Yates

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Chris Cornell’s new video released for World Refugee Day

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Multi-Grammy® Award-winning, Golden Globe nominee Chris Cornell‘s official music video for his song “The Promise” was released this morning by Survival Pictures. “The Promise” was Cornell’s last release prior to his passing.

“Chris Cornell was not only a dear family friend for many years, but he was also a once-in-a generation talent who is missed more than words can convey. It was such an honor to collaborate and partner on The Promise over the years, said Eric Esrailian, Producer of The Promise and Co-Manager for Survival Pictures. “His music and lyrics will not only shine a light on the Armenian Genocide and the human rights crises of modern times, but they will also inspire people and provide hope for years to come.

Esrailian added, “Although it is bittersweet because Chris filmed his performance in Brooklyn, NY shortly before his passing, he wanted his video to be released on World Refugee Day, and he was passionate about helping people through this project. True to Chris’s charitable spirit, he made a commitment to donate all of his proceeds from The Promise to support refugees and children, and to further the conversation about the refugee crisis the world continues to endure.”

The video was directed by Grammy Award winning director Meiert Avis (Audioslave, U2) and Stefan Smith (Madonna, Sting). “The Promise” is Cornell’s last music video performance. It also includes media donated by Academy Award nominated director Evgeny Afineesvky (HBO’s Cries from Syria), UNESCO Prize for Peace Recipient SOS Méditerranée, Freshwater Films (Ross Kemp’s Libya’s Migrant Hell), Keo Films (Exodus: Our Journey To Europe), Nazik Armenakyan (Survivors), Human Rights Watch, Refugee Rescue, and Nobel Peace Prize Recipient Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

At the time of the song’s release Cornell said, “The Promise” to me is mainly about paying homage to those we lost in the Armenian Genocide, but it’s also about shining a light on more recent atrocities. The same methods used in the Armenian genocide were used to carry out crimes against humanity in Bosnia, Darfur, Rwanda and right now in Syria on multiple fronts, contributing to a massive global refugee crisis. Unfortunately, the words ‘never again’ seem like just words when we recall these mass executions of the twentieth century, as well as renewed racism and prejudice around the world. Even in the US, the warning signs – isolating groups based on race and religion – are evident. We really need to tell these stories and keep telling them in as many different ways as we can. As humans, we have a tremendous capacity to trudge ahead in our lives and not look at the difficult and challenging moments… but I think it’s important. Educating ourselves on the past is the best way to understand the present and avoid future atrocities by understanding and intervening. We must educate and stand as one to combat this fear and violence, and as citizens of the world, work to protect each other’s human rights.”

In April 2017, Cornell and his family toured refugee camps in Greece and it was there that they decided The Chris and Vicky Cornell Foundation would focus its efforts on child refugees and the issues affecting them including education, health and human trafficking.

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Opening The Door: A Conversation with MAX & MIKE of ARKELLS at SASQUATCH! Music Festival

On Saturday, May 27th, walking into the media room at Sasquatch! Music Festival, my hands were a bit shaky due to the can of Redbull I had chugged that morning mixed with the high levels of excitement, nerves, anxiety, and hopefulness all rolled up into one single feeling. Flashback two days previous, I was on […] from Montreal Music and Tickets | Fresh Feeds http://indieunderground.ca/indie-music/opening-the-door-a-conversation-with-max-mike-of-arkells-at-sasquatch-music-festival.html

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Day Wave + Blonder @ Bar Le Ritz PDB – 11th June 2017

It’s been a long time coming, but finally, an EP and an album in, Oakland’s Day Wave make their first visit to Montreal. The project of Jackson Philips, Day Wave have been garnering all kinds of attention on alternative radio over the past couple of years, and almost 100 turn up at Bar Le Ritz tonight to check them out for themselves.

First up, though, are New York’s Blonder, playing apparently just their 26th show ever. For such a new band, they have an excellent stage presence, and sound a lot like The Virgins or Hot Hot Heat, with a smattering of The Bravery thrown in for good measure; very slick for a self-confessed “brand new band.” The band seem genuinely thrilled to have such a crowd to play their brand new songs for, and interact very confidently with them. An engaging 30 minutes, and certainly a promising start to their career.

Strangely, Day Wave don’t seem quite as confident and relaxed, and have notably less crowd interaction during their 65-minute set, which consists of offerings from debut EP Headcase and debut album The Days We Had, plus a stellar cover of Ceremony by New Order (especially appropriate given the Joy Division shirt Jackson is sporting tonight!).

Having been given heavy rotation over the past couple of years on satellite radio, the set almost has a Greatest Hits feel to it for those who’ve been listening over that time, though there is a sense that many of the songs follow a very similar formula (driving bass, upbeat riffs, etc.), such that it might be hard to tell them all apart for the untrained ear. Indeed, only with the arrival of You towards the end of the set do things slow down a little, and the vibe feels notably different. You Know Who You Are follows next, and is similarly laid back. Perhaps mixing these slow songs in amongst the first 11 songs on the set list would mix things up a little, and avoid it sounding a little samey? Minor tweaks though; all in all, it’s a very competent debut. Something Here, Wasting Time, and Drag elicit the biggest cheers of the night, and the band show their gratitude by returning for an unscripted encore of Promises, before leaving the stage for good. A solid first visit to Montreal, and hopefully the first of many more to come.

Set List 1 Something Here 2 Gone 3 Untitled 4 Come Home Now 5 Bring You Down 6 Ceremony 7 On Your Side 8 Wasting Time 9 Total Zombie 10 Deadbeat Girl 11 Ordinary 12 You 13 You Are Who You Are 14 We Try But We Don’t Fit In 15 Drag

16 Promises

Review & photos – Simon Williams

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The Avalanches @ Corona Theatre – 10th June 2017

When looking at the career paths taken by different bands in modern music, it’s hard to find a stranger one than The Avalanches. Just last year they released their sophomore record Wildflower to critical acclaim, SIXTEEN YEARS after their much-lauded debut Since I Left You. As soon as tonight’s show was announced in the cozy confines of Théatre Corona, you would think the place would have sold out in minutes, such was the buzz around both their debut and their long overdue return, and yet, as they take to the stage a little after 9pm, the balcony is closed off and the floor section is probably half full. Montreal, what were you thinking??

Only two of the original founding members remain, Robbie Chater and Tony Di Blasi, and it is they who lead the band out on stage, accompanied by touring vocalists Eliza Wolfgramm and Spank Rock (yes, THE Spank Rock who broke through in the mid-2000s with an acclaimed debut record of his own), and they storm into Because I’m Me, with both Eliza and Spank both singing over and miming to the backing track at different points throughout. The party really gets started with the arrival of recent single Frankie Sinatra, as Spank assumes vocal duties and the lights go up and down, just like the hands in the air, in a scene akin to a rap battle from 8 Mile, before dub beats take over with a storming cover of Guns Of Brixton by The Clash, with Eliza menacingly wielding a baseball bat as she patrols the stage singing that classic. After she and Spank share vocal duties on Flight Tonight, the dance party re-ignites once more with the oldie Radio and then newest single Subways.

The Hip-Hop vibes return with a run-through of Spank Rock’s own tune Bump, as both Eliza and Spank spit rhymes and Robbie leaves his post at the keyboards to assume a position behind a second drum set to really beef up the sound. It sounds absolutely brilliant.

After everyone catches their breath, the beat to breakthrough single Frontier Psychiatrist drops, and the dance party resumes. It’s a tricky song to play live, being essentially a mash-up of sound bites, so vocally its just a backing track, but heavy drums and synths give it an extra dimension. The song kinda breaks down abruptly about halfway through with a sample of The Who’s My Generation. The bass-driven dance tune If I Was A Folkstar and almost comedy beats of The Noisy Eater close out the main set.

Of course, the one gaping hole in the set is filled in the encore in the form of Since I Left You, and perfectly captures the summer vibes which seem to have finally arrived this weekend in our city. After saying their Thank-You’s, the band leave the stage for good after putting on one of the most musically diverse shows you could ever hope to see; a wonderful night despite the inexplicably sparse crowd. Seriously, Montreal, what were you thinking???

Setlist Because I’m Me Frankie Sinatra The Guns of Brixton (The Clash cover) Flight Tonight Radio Subways Bump (Spank Rock cover) Frontier Psychiatrist If I Was a Folkstar The Noisy Eater

Since I Left You 

Review & photos – Simon Williams

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Animal Collective + Circuit des Yeux @ Corona Theatre – May 27th 2017

I don’t think I’ve ever worked harder at liking a band than I have with Animal Collective. I saw them at Metropolis in 2009 when they toured the blogosphere-smashing Merriweather Post Pavillion – and spent half the “show of the summer” ducking the writhing crowds and listening to the PA from the toilet. Shortly thereafter, I bought the skittery Strawberry Jam after my buddy’s empassioned plea to “just hear them on record, man” – and worked myself into a panic attack of uncoolness trying to “get it”. In 2013, I figured I’d had enough personal development to grok them at their return to Metropolis and maybe also win cool-points with the girl I wanted to impress. I don’t think I was able to do either.

So it’s under this cloud of history that I entered the Corona Theatre to reunite with a band that I never successfully liked. And actually, with a much smaller venue and years of distance from their furry grip on the pantheon of taste-making mp3 blogs, I finally enjoyed Animal Collective.

This slow-grow narrative also extends to opener Circuit des Yeux, who provided a fittingly hypnotic table-setter for the rhythmic grooves to come. However, unlike Animal Collective’s bleeps and bloops and yelps, Haley Fohr opts to draw her audience in with dim lighting, ethereal quavers, and a single 12-string guitar. At times, Circuit des Yeux’s rubber band vocals evoke Nico, Joan Baez, and early Shearwater. But even with these touch-points, her steady strums and cryptic words gradually lure listeners into unfamiliar and otherwordly territory. This kind of meditative state creates the perfect opportunity for an artist to surprise their audience. Circuit des Yeux did just that, ending her short set with primal screams and shreds before kneeling to melt once again into hushed whispers and silence.

One then become four, as Avey Tare, Panda Bear, and Geologist took to their stations with a real live drummer bringing up the rear. Animal Collective’s recent record Painting With (as well as its companion EP The Painters) was singled out for its candy-coated cartoon sound, and the band very appropriately opened their set with samples of pig sounds and squelches before bouncing into the mid-tempo pulses and staggered harmonies of “Hocus Pocus”. This soundscape, spread out across the stage before an altar of bizarre statues (looking like Crazy Bones by way of Picasso) and projections of throbbing splatters, created a kinetic energy that floated up from the dance-floor to my comfortable seat on the balcony.

Painting With’s tracklist was also notable for their comparatively shorter run-times, but it seems like the live-setting gives Animal Collective the space and comfort to let these tunes breathe and see where they go. For more relaxed songs like the whim-oh-weh rhythm of “Kinda Bonkers” and the drones of “Guys Eyes”, this wider canvas allowed for an interesting ebb/flow dynamic that was easy enough for me to catch onto and ride. On the other hand, this also made it possible for denser and zanier songs like Painting With opener “FloriDada” and “Summing the Wretch” to stretch out long past their original welcome.

To my huge surprise, the band’s setlist – while giving equal attention to new material and Merriweather Post Pavilion – appears to have purposely left off two of their discography’s two biggest crowdpleasers, “Fireworks” and “My Girls”. Maybe not coincidentally, these are also the songs that helped win them big mainstream attention in the first place, with the former appearing on British drama Skins and the latter being sampled by Beyoncé. But today, the venue is smaller, the crowd seems older, and the band seems much more focused on just having fun – even if it occasionally gets a little self-indulgent.

This all somehow makes it a lot easier to root for these guys. Maybe it’s because I no longer feel the cultural pressure to like them or be left behind by the zeitgeist, or maybe my tastes really have evolved at last. Maybe it’s just because this was the first time that I watched from the balcony instead of flinging myself into a pit of sweaty teens. Whatever the reason, I was finally able to sit back for what felt like ten minutes of “Summertime Clothes” (and its protracted noise collage interlude) with a bobbing head and without groaning or needing to excuse myself for fresh air.

With my track record? That’s an improvement.

Animal Collective Setlist:

Hocus Pocus Kinda Bonkers The Burglars Guys Eyes FloriDada Summing the Wretch Sweet Road Bees Pride and Fight Water Curses Summertime Clothes

Encore

Peacemaker Daily Routine Taste

Review – Dan Corber

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Common Deer free show in MTL this Friday

Toronto “orchestral pop hybrid” Common Deer will perform a free show in Montreal’s Esplanade Financière Sun Life at the Olympic Stadium this Friday evening as part of Les Premiers Vendredis.

The band will perform at 7:30pm. The Beatdown and Valley will also be performing.

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Common Deer’s single Confessions (I Should Have Known) hit #1 on Spotify’s Viral Top 50 chart in Canada. The song was also top 10 at CBC Radio 2 for 4 consecutive weeks.

In April they performed a huge festival-style set in the sold-out Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto for Canadian Music Week. Their live show included many new songs, which were recorded recently in New York with producer Gus Van Go for their second EP “II” whose release date will be announced soon.

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Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds @ Metropolis – 29th May 2017

One of the most clichéd things any concert reviewer can say to start a piece is “theres a real buzz around the venue” (or words to that effect). Tonight though, makes me realize that all those other times I wrote that were nothing like this. I’ve been to many a sold-out Metropolis show, but none that were like this. Upon arrival on the balcony, people are sitting on the steps, leaning against the walls, and obviously, every stool is taken; the floor section is no less heaving. Yes, tonight is more packed than packed: 40-odd years into his musical career, Nick Cave is still unquestionably quite the draw. Metropolis is packed by 8pm, and ready for what we all know is going to be a great show.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Nick and his Bad Seeds take to the stage just after 8 to an unsurprisingly spooky soundtrack, and after a quick wave to the packed house, Nick takes a seat in the centre of the stage and begins the haunting narrative of Anthrocene over a backdrop of piano and haunting backing vocals. After standing and removing the chair, the feedback effects of Jesus Alone resonate as Nick patrols the front of the stage bearing tortured expressions throughout. Magneto starts softly with just piano, before slowly being joined by bass and drums, and at the front of the stage Nick leans over and waves his hands as if to beckon the crowd closer or even onto the stage (although the Security are ready and primed to make sure that doesn’t happen!).

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The strum riff of Higgs Boson Blues elicits huge cheers from around the room, and Nick again reaches from the front of the stage, reaching into the sea of hands swirling towards him, before reaching a furious climax with the crowd singing “BOOM BOOM BOOM” with Nick as he taps the mic to his chest to simulate his heartbeat; it’s a mesmerizing moment. After a brief pause, Nick yells “I WANNA TELL YOU ABOUT A GIRL!!!” to detonate From Her To Eternity, as drums, piano, Wurlitzer and violin all explode into life immediately thereafter. The pace keeps up with the driving bass of Tupelo, culminating in an emphatic “YOU WILL REAP JUST WHAT YOU SOW!” before cutting to silence, ending the song as suddenly as From Her to Eternity started.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Jubilee Street sees the room darken and Nick sing over just an electric guitar, before drums join the party and things get a little more frantic. Nick takes his place at his grand piano for the frenetic finale. Things slow down notably on The Ship Song to allow everyone to finally catch their breath, and continues through Into My Arms (dedicated to the bagel shop that fed him earlier today!), Girl In Amber and I Need You, before picking up again with the classic Red Right Hand, which will always remind me of Dumb And Dumber and that scene where Lloyd gets robbed by the sweet old lady on a motorized cart (with that song playing in the background). Live, it’s incredible, rumbling along on a stage lit only in red, before erupting into life with flashing white light during the breakdown, and is yet another set highlight.

The Mercy Seat sees another soft start that ends in almost a hoe-down, finishing with Nick slamming his mic onto the stage, before the ethereal Distant Sky and Skeleton Tree close out the main set, with Nick departing the stage first and leaving The Bad Seeds to finish the song in his absence. All return after a brief pause with Nick assuring the crowd “we’ll do several songs so don’t panic!” Rings Of Saturn almost resembles a spoken-word piece over a space-age atmospheric beat, with Bad Seeds adding backing vocals, and then Mermaids and the expletive-laden Stagger Lee follow. The eerie Push The Sky Away concludes the encore, with Nick proclaiming “Thank you Montreal, you’ve been wonderful!” After a final thanks to The Bad Seeds, he leaves the stage for good, again leaving the band to finish the song and the set, after a stellar 2 hours and 10 minutes. One of the shows of the year so far, without question.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Setlist

Set List

Anthrocene

Jesus Alone

Magneto

Higgs Boson Blues

From Her to Eternity

Tupelo

Jubilee Street

The Ship Song

Into My Arms

Girl in Amber

I Need You

Red Right Hand

The Mercy Seat

Distant Sky

Skeleton Tree

Rings Of Saturn

Mermaids

Stagger Lee

Push the Sky Away

Review – Simon Williams Photos – Steve Gerrard & Randal Wark

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from Montreal Music and Tickets | Fresh Feeds http://www.montrealrocks.ca/nick-cave-bad-seeds-metropolis-29th-may-2017/

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mtltix · 7 years

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Chance The Rapper @ Bell Centre – 25th May 2017

It’s not often you’ll find an act with no major-label backing headlining the Bell Centre, but Chance The Rapper is no ordinary hip hop star. Backed by the warm organic sounds of his longtime instrumental trio, the Social Experiment, the name of this multi-Grammy Award-winning young music phenomenon’s current jaunt is the “Be Encouraged Tour.” And tonight he offered plenty of encouragement — and thanks — to his listeners during a show that mixed gospel fervor, hip-hop swagger and arena spectacle in almost equal measure.

Despite him arriving on stage over 35 minutes late, following a rousing warm up from DJ Oreo, the crowd were in fine spirits as the 24 year old Chicago native eventually showed up, dressed in white t-shirt, jeans and sneakers together with his trademark baseball cap. Setting the tone with an energetic Mixtape which segued into Blessings complete with pyros and an impressive lighting set up, it was the beginning of 80 minutes of that included many songs. But some were so truncated and fleeting, even his biggest hits, they seemed to end almost in the blink of an eye.

Angels and Smoke Break follow and the whole arena is a sea of cell phone lights. Chance addresses the front row personally, obviously appreciating the fact that those against the barrier arrived early to claim their spot. It’s a moment that somewhat alienates the rest of the arena but it’s fleeting enough to never lose the atmosphere too much. What does alienate a large chunk of the audience is Chance’s repeated religious references which quickly grow tiresome, although perhaps not with any believers in the audience. “Make some noise if you wanna go to heaven” he shouts at one point, turning the party into more of an evangelical gathering. When one song references Jesus, there are sections of the crowd who cheer enthusiastically, but just as many who look around in bemusement.

Highlights of the set include the superb No Problem and a rousing All Night, but both are cut way too brief. His roadie, Kenny, brings a stool on stage for Same Drugs as it starts to “snow” throughout the venue. At this point an illuminated walkway lowers over the entire length of the floor and Chance casually wanders to the back of the room as he completes the song. It’s a great moment that adds intimacy to the arena but again it’s all too brief, lasting only a couple of minutes.

There’s no denying Chance is an excellent rapper. At no point does he stumble over his words, and his energy is infectious throughout. Despite being the sole person moving around on stage he manages to use the entire space well and interacts with his audience like a veteran.

The majority of tonight’s mostly young crowd do seem to enjoy the performance but it has a different effect on myself. I was on the fence with Chance’s music and was interested to see how it worked in a live setting. Often witnessing music live can lead to you appreciating it much more. Tonight, however, I’m left thinking this is not for me. The religious aspect and the hurried flow of the set left me unable to truly get involved in the performance. Sorry Chance, but tonight I left without being converted.

Review & photos – Steve Gerrard

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mtltix · 7 years

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The XX @ Parc Jean-Drapeau May 24th, 2017

Under the word “Cool” in the Oxford Dictionary, there is simply a picture of The XX. Well…I haven’t really checked, but if it isn’t there, after tonight’s show…it should be.

Kalela @ Parc Jean Drapeau

It feels like summer has started with my first outdoor show of the summer, The XX and Kelela Mizanekristos (a.k.a. Kelela) opening. Kelela took the stage and immediately, the first 50 rows were attacked sonically by a punch to the eardrums from the sub-woofers. Now, I’m not one to complain about loud music, but unfortunately for Kelela…we have no clue what she sang or if she could sing at all. Only through the occasional breaks in the overpowering bass did we get a small glimpse of her voice, ever so slightly till the assault continued. I actually thought she was from a David Lynch movie because for the first few songs, she was fuzzy because of the reverberations. Only thanks to my concert neighbor Karim, who drove all the way from Ottawa to catch the show and give me some napkins to stuff in my ears as I passed on this precious treasure to the next person, was I able to avoid permanent damage.

Santa the Roadie

During the intermission, one of the roadies looked suspiciously like Santa. I guess one needs a summer job and the for the first time ever, the crowd cheered as a roadie picked up a speaker.

The XX Parc Jean Drapeau

The XX entered and started with “Say Something Loving” from their newest release I See You. Like a well-oiled machine, Romy Madley Croft, Oliver Sim & Jamie xx played a tight set with a cool demeanor, yet relaxed and natural. I remember when they played the Canal almost 4 years ago and I thought: “Who wants to see a bunch of bored teens?” Now, I loved the album, but they did not seem like a high-energy bunch. I immediately regretted it when a good friend of mine told me it was the best show she saw, she loved it. Really? I wasn’t going to miss them again and I’m so glad my time finally came to experience The XX live.

The XX

The second song brought back those memories as they played “Crystalised”, much to the delight of the crowd. From their debut album, we would hear “Islands”, “Infinity”, “VCR”, “Shelter” and “Intro”over the course of the evening.

Romy and Oliver of The XX

For an intimate moment, Romy sang “Performance” solo, at the suggestion of the band which brought chills to the back of your spine. Both Romy & Oliver have this voice that digs deep into memories of being a teenager feeling lost love and being alone in the world.

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Although the events in Manchester were not uttered, it is always eerie to go to a show after such a tragedy. For a few hours, we were able to lose our insecurities and simply enjoy the moment. The great Evenko staff make us feel safe and live music reminded us that life is fragile and we should enjoy every minute of it and not let fear stop us from doing so.

The XX

An amazing set featuring songs from all albums ended with an encore starting with Jammie xx getting us going with the intro to “On Hold” which had us all dancing. Before ending the show with two last songs, there was a moment when the applause from the Montreal crowd seemed to go on forever, much to the surprise of the shy Romy. Oliver recognized that although much love was going towards him, he graciously directed it towards Romy, which just seemed to amplify the love. Romy mentioned how they appreciated each and every one who attended tonight and that they saw us. “Intro” & “Angels” took us home and wrapped up the evening like a gift we all received from the coolest band in town.

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The XX Setlist Montreal

Setlist

Say Something Loving Crystalised Islands I Dare You Lips Sunset Replica Performance Infinity VCR Dangerous Fiction Shelter Loud Places (Jamie xx Cover)

Encore On Hold Intro Angels

Review & Photos– Randal Wark is a Professional Speaker and Business coach with a passion for live music. You can follow him on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

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