May 4th, Free Show, Truck Violence's incredible single release party
*Through the echoes, circling me, pitch black around, my breath intensifies, voices keep screeching, I can't understand surely what is said but I can distinguish Bad Objection, 4th Of May and a mention of a free show.*
I wake up as an eerie scream swims out of my throat. Oh geez, I'm back in Montreal. It's been two weeks I'd been on a boat, away from all lunatics and the vices emancipating from the city's conducts. I get up, and I'm immediatly tipped off. My body's moving from side to side, all around me, the ground, the walls, the flowers, nothing moves. Every object seems to accept their state, where as on a boat, the sea caresses you and keeps reminding the boat's crew that nowhere is safe, no anchor may allow to settle for good, and every furniture as and inch away from being seasick. I open up my cellphone and upon arriving on Instagram I stumble upon a show, May 4th, besides Van Horne Skatepark, Free, All Ages! Conflit Majeur, Bad Objection, and Truck Violence are set to play. I can't believe it, my dream was true! Geez, that'll be a hell of a night!
*Night Arrives*
Here I am travelling through the maze of youngsters from all around waiting for action. Guys from General Chaos, Evergreen, The Snatchers, Death By Knife, photographs and other freaks are all there waiting for the night of their lives. Friends of friends came, some a conducting interviews with the bands and others are simply lurking in the shadows waiting for a pit to open and sprawl upon someone's head. I look for faces or smells I'm familiar with and suddenly at the far right corner of my eye, I catch sight of Bad Objection's bassist Jacob and the rest of the band. After the hugs and greeting and daily catching up, we regroup along the others and the truck filled with amps and cables where the show'll be happening. Upon arrival on the scene, I drop my skateboard and bag on the side and salute the guys from Truck Violence. I exchange a couple words with Karsyn, the bands singer, tall guy sporting the stache and razor cut hair. Around here, many know him and his incredible prouesses at catching the crowds attention. But at the moment, he's calm, we talk about big concerts and laughs sprout along the road. "My issues with concerts billed higher than say 25ish dollar ticket is that it just becomes too hectic. It just ain't worth it, people aren't there for the music and truthfully I don't believe artist receive the benefits. I'd rather stick with the local scene and enjoy music the way it should be enjoyed, in small venues with friends who share a mutual love and respect for the scene." I can't disagree with him, honestly now a days big concerts are filled with drunken lads who don't very much care for the performance nor the entourage or organization it took to bring up the show. He then jokingly say's he hates all skaters and I laugh and pray he hasn't spotted my skateboard in the distance. In the background, Chris the bassist desperately tries to swing his bass full circle around him while playing hoping he could pull the stunt off during the show. But sadly all hopes are gone as we see the strap's peg exit out of it's hole and the instruments succombs to gravity. Luckily Chris catches it back with a worried smile. That's good enough of a conviction to him, he'll have to wait next show to try it again, or at least until he gets it repaired. Meanwhile, the guitarist is setting up the truck. Midway through the pluging and getting ready for eventual drum setting up, he has the idea of climbing up and therefore best all acts by playing atop and jumping down later with style. But as he looks down, he realizes he'll surely bite hard in ridicule because the chances of landing in the gravel with the guitar and with style have considerably lowered as he realizes how high he is. As the preparation and shenanigans stretch out we all decide to go eat and regroup around seven thirty when the show'll start.
Seven thirty comes and first on the bill we've got Conflit Majeur. "Four guys who met during high school sharing one common thing, they all wanted to make some fucking noize." excerpt from Le Phoque Off who've got a small article on em'. From my point of view, I guess theses guys ditched picking their nose early on and instead picked up instruments and had the opportunity to meet and share a passion for fast pace noizy punk music. Lucky for us, they were able to rock on since and have been praised by many for their incredible on stage presence and attitude. I've never been a great fan on punk like Blink-182, Dead Kennedy's or say NOFX, but when I listened to their EP titled Le Recueil Des Clowns, I was blown away by their steadiness through all four songs and how cool it was to hear punk sang in french. Their catchy choruses brought me back to the times I skated younger listening to Simple Plan and although not the biggest fan, their energy and dedication to french kept me hooked. Now back to the show, first of all a lot of people I believe came to see em' which is awesome for such a young band to have such recognition! I, being spat on a ciment block far from the front, I watched savages starting to scramble their feets in the soon to be pit as the band played their first song. By the end of the song people were perched along beams and trying to get up front in the crowd excited to be part of this high fueled set. "Now this next song is the song to mosh to," announces the bassist or guitarist, as they dig into their second song. Without questions asked, people jump in and start going ape. By the end of their set, everyone is captivated by their performance and screams can be heard all around. My verdict is they are awesome, rumours are true for such young lads, this quartet holds up great. Their songs are catchy, addictive even I'd say, especially their riffs. I can only see them getting better at their craft as time goes!
Now I decide it's time for me to dart up front, mates from Bad Objection are to play a crazy set, and I must dip my toes in the pit for sure. I advance and as I criss cross with people, I find myself up with mates from Evergreen and we all await patiently for the set of Bad Objection. The set starts with Rotten World and we are shoved in the pit for such a energetic performance and by the time I come out of it, they've had the time to play Die Fast which reminds me a lot of Suicidal Tendencies' self titled album where there's a lot of call and response along the songs. During the rest of the set I am caught in the pit being stomped alongside Evergreen's drummer Jeremie and relentlessly I pick myself up and keep shoving people off my body and I am reminded how good it feels to be alive! The band bring us to a climax as they play 3 Strikes You're Out and as always everyone is chanting while Jacob the bassist is orchestrating us all just like Jacob Collier would. A new song titled Whore is demonstrated and the crowd's reaction is just amazing! As seen before, Bad Objection once again succeed to lift off the night and by the end of their set everyone is screaming and youth has never felt so alive, and as if not enough, the guitarist and singer smashes his guitar. To me these guys remain one of punk's greatest hope for the new wave of artist in the local scene. And before I keep on going, did you know the singer's voice was really in a bad shape during the show but Jacob helped out and picked up where Ric couldn't suffise and that is a great thing to see! A band bonded so tight that even with the singers voice gone, many left the night in awe thinking of Bad Objections' incredible set.
Next and final act on the bill, Truck Violence who was recently signed to Mothland's label. The whole act was set for the release of their new single titled, Undressed You Layn't Before. Before I start with the show, this new single is incredible, it's a Tom Waits entangled in Bukowski's grotesqueness blended with an incredible touch of heaviness and experimental music. They're not looking to fit much in a style, there's poetry through heavy riff raff hardcore and screeching voice that reminded me of early Slipknot. Yet the words are delivered with a sincerity that I have heard through Tom Waits' numbers such as Christmas Card from a Hooker. I'm not saying they tend towards Waits style of music nor are they renound poets or anything, what I'm trying to say is, their new single is Raw Heavy and fucking hypnotizing with it's skin crawling textural folk textures blended with a touch of hardcore. I've surprised myself listening to it for a whole week now and still I'm captured inside the singer's desperate call to be written about. I haven't written a novel yet but I hope he can be satisfied with this article about the outstanding performance of his band. Their set is comprised of songs I wasn't too aware of such as Lecture, Drunk to Death, He Ended the Banger Hanging, I Bore You Now Bear Me, Along the Ditch Till Town and of course, their new song, Undressed You Layn't Before. Sadly, I couldn't be much part of the action, because somehow through the first song, I was smoking and ended up getting cigarette in my eye and I was just stunned for the rest of the set. I backed up and stood on my cement pillar like a crow, lurking and preying upon everyone's reaction to every song played by the band. From afar, I could tell you one thing, dedication was what I saw. Chris the bassist was jumping and just riffling hourra's while the guitarist and the singer kept on hurling the mascarade. This trio is just baffling to see live, even from far away, I could sense just how energetic and hungry they were to play their songs and have the crowd just tumble one over another inside this now huge pit that formed. By the end of their set, we all left and some screamed the cops were coming others were just screaming out of excitement after all we'd been served. Truck Violence made sure we were all fucking dead by the end of the night and proceeded to nail each one of our coffins.
In retrospective, this night was just incredible. Conflit Majeur lack a tiny bit of assurance I believe on stage in spite of their reputation but it'll come and they truly rocked the place for those who'd never seen em' and for those who came to see them again. Alongside band's such as Les Sarcastiques, I believe that Conflit Majeur will have a great role in bringing back Quebec Punk back into the mainstream if they keep up their hard work. Bad Objection wanted to set the bar higher and succeeded with style! Truck Violence proved us they could bring the heat a step further and sincerely this band is doomed to leave others in awe and leave an indelible trace wherever they'll go. Thanks to all bands and to everyone who came. For those who missed or those who were seduced and want to see these bands again later on, Conflit Majeur are set to play at the MEM near Place des Arts during Pouzza Fest on the 17th of May, Bad Objection have a show on June 8th at Traxide alongside Family Man, Evergreen, and Fresh Wax. For Truck Violence, a second single release show is happening on June 8th, alongside Mulch who played Montreal Madhouse, Cloned Apparition, and Sigil Grove featuring Bad Objection's ex-bassit Chad. See you all next show wankers.
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