The Stoned Poet

On the 30th April, a special gathering was happening at La Sottorenea . Bands who book shows on week days are always on a gamble. Who knows how many people will show up after work, knowing they have to come in to work on the next day. But as summer approaches, people tend to go out more and that means that every booked shows week or weekend can benefice a larger crowd. I was one of those people who was working on Friday but decided that the beautiful weather and sun was enough to get me out of my basement for the night. So I grabbed my suit, ran to my car and drove right up to La Sottorenea in a hurry. Serial Milk , a band who's gaining more attention following the release of their brilliant EP titled Animal Disguise, where celebrating their new music accompanied of In Headlights and Escape. I was quite curious to see Escape as I'd never heard of em', In Headlights I'd seen at B7 previously but was not quite familiar with their sound. Upon arrival, parking found, and ...

  It's early. I wake up feeling strung up. On my floor lies a Bowie book, a Black Sabbath magazine on their elastic fazed out career, a Beatles vinyl and many more relics from the past. Lately, I know that I have to hang on to the present. No amount of old memories will help me seek my freedom of mind and body. The world runs on fuel and god knows fuel burns fast. To look upon the old days is futile. As I brush my teeth, I ask myself what has come out recently in terms of music, what can I listen to, to get a grip of the new age. As a critique or whatever it is I do, I've desperately need to let go of my Beatles Idolization, I can't constantly compare everything to the Beatles. Times have change, the only similarity is the imminent threat of war. War never changes, innit what the old folk say? As I prop my phone screen open, I open Spotify, and bang, a notification comes up, Serial Milk have released a brand new EP titled Animal Disguise . Is my phone listening to my though...

Seum , a stoner sludge doom metal band from Montreal have recently released a new album titled Parking Life . To celebrate the new release, the band decided to perform four shows in metro stations around Montreal just before their performance at La Sottorenea on May 2nd. It's a bold move, unique, unforseen, wild and most of all satisfying for us fans to have such crazy times in the metro. Their performances were wild, packed with action and nasty riffs, people even moshed at times. The question remains, was it a good idea? Was it worth the hustle? Will it happen again? First of all, two famous acts have done so in the past, Yo Yo Ma a world renowed cellist, and Stromae in 2013 which saw his performance start in the metro and gradually move to Place des Arts. Around the world, Jimmy Fallon helped U2, Miley Cirus, Ed Sheeran and more to perform undercover around New York's subways. What makes these performances so special is the element of surprise and the fact that usually so...

  C'est une soirée chaude, une humeur dans l'aire qui nous colle un sourire. J'arrive, après treize milles nids-de-poules, des travaux et des ponts par-ci par-là. N'oublions pas, j'arrive de la Rive-sud de Montréal, et ce soir, je suis à Sainte-Thérèse pour voir un groupe nommé Picbois , qui ouvre pour Cordial . La soirée prend son envol aux alentours de 8h30, tout le peuple ce présente. Ce peuple, c'est les amis des amis. Des jeunes étudiants du Cégep Lionel-Groulx qui est tout près de ou se tient le spectacle. C'est aussi les habitués du Saint-Graal qui viennent, curieux de savoir quel surprise les attends sur stage. Je parle des habitués parce que le Saint-Graal, c'est pas juste un pub, c'est un lieu de rassemblement au tour de la musique. Il y a les lundis jazz, il y a des spectacles, et une population d'étudiants qui ne cessent de vouloir jouer. Le Saint-Graal est un point central d'exposition pour les musiciens qui gravitent dans le coi...

On the 24th of January, t'was a cold, minus thirty fucking degrees, outside weather. Luckily, no need for any speedball, downers or uppers or whatsoever creative cocktails or drugs to warm up. For the news came to my ears, Oddcharm were playing at Quai des Brumes alongside Rien D'alarmant . So I drove up to Quai des Brumes, arriving at 9h30 exactly, as the first band started. I bolt in, a guy in a Hawain dress welcomes me. I can't help but think, well he's unaware of the cold outside. Turns out, as I fix him a bit more, I realize it's Thomas the singer of Oddcharm. Having seen the band once, I now believe the dress is all about a stage play, something is brewing in the back of his mind. I get pass the stage, rumble is echoing on the scene but I dart towards the bar, I'm thirsty and I'm freezing, what better than a beer? Pause, is that what defines an alcoholic? To find every reason possible to have a beer? Maybe so, I don't know, I've been everythi...

 It was a cold Friday night. Only option was to get in the car with friends and drive to Montreal. There, lay all hopes of finding twindling and fiddling to do. There'd be no beauties nor druggies outside with the cold weather, only option was to find a venue to scuffle in and drink and fade in the crown. That meant money would be needed, and I had all but money honestly. But nonetheless we went, drove, stopped at Atomic Cafe, gave a guitar back to a friend, bought a Pink Floyd Echoes 1965-2025 Magazine reviewing the band's entire career. I couldn't help but start reading it and sure it inspired more psyched lsd induced ideas to my brain. Possibilities seemed infinite. Thus, an idea came, I could try and bargain a ticket for the gang to go to a show. The show in question I wanted to see was, Sunday Riot Club, Street Panther and The Space Wizards @ L'Escogriffe. My friends Antoine and Jordan seemed unbothered of the uncome, but I was determined to get in, whatever the co...

 19th December, show at La Sottorenea with Violence City, Snatchers, Caniche 666 and No Waves. I arrived there around 19h45, I see julian at the entrace. He's there early, hopes to leave not too late, having more plans to come. We smoke, talk about Gun's N' Roses, local scene controversies and bands. Controversies are everywhere in this scene, everyone wants a name, no matter how dirty or how insane you have to act to have a tail waggin behind you. Rumors spread like wildfire, the music is the wind that keeps hailing the fire. Truly, I believe the scene is not at it's best, because politics, drugs and the social media have been injected in it. People demand from the artists certain standards, lyrics not too controversial, a certain dress code, a way to act and speak. The kids want to be represented, but I state that they don't even fucking know what they want or what they should resemble. Whatever. Cigarettes are done, inside we are, no one. Dead. Silence. Almost. I...

Sunday, Funday it was on November the 16th! I went down to l'Escogriffe to see Cordial a French multi genre band that have swept everybody's feet at every venue they played. Tonight, the opening band was Oddcharm , followed by Cordial and finally, Lezart played. I came, smoke, breezed and freezed my ass off. No intake of insane amounts of alcohol would be seen from my part tonight, but as the cold bit through my limbs, I was forced to admit I desperately wanted to warm my bones. So in we got, Fanny the picture taker was there, Cordial had arrived, Oddcharm were there patiently waiting and Lezart were roaming, unseen and seeking warmth, praying on us, waiting for the right time to strike. At the door, I greet the sax player of Lezart and we exchange a joke about having a line of coke in exchange of paying the ticket for the show, which I think is very inviting for the spectators yet I do reckon that now a days, everyone is broke and drugs aren't cool anymore. I go sit down...

  October 2nd, I wanted to go see le P'tit Belliveau at Quai des Brumes . Of course, it was sold out. So I was about to dip. But, But But, my friend Charlotte insisted we stay to watch live music. So what stands besides Quai des Brumes other than the mytical Escogriffe !   Going inside, we are greeted with a 20$ or PWYC, so we get our money out and reluctantly or rather unsurely we give it to the door gal and in we are. On stage, a girl with long curly black hair is swaying left to right with her grey guild motherfucking cool looking guitar. She sings out words, plays her guitar and enchants anyone who locks regards with her while the bassist dressed with an oversized green slick shirt is, well let's put it this way, making love to his bass as he chants out the groove. The drummer in the back is controlled, tamed yet gashed with a wildness that is subtle yet thrilling. The guitarist seemed straight out of sitcom was a melody virtuoso. He definitely knew a thing or two abo...

September 5th there was a show at Bâtiment 7 . A maniacal show for sure! Everyone was there cunts, batters, mad hatter's, clowns and more underage uncivilized pot smokers. Girls boys, trans, and more were at the rendez vous for a five band lineup. I came up dressed, stressed and with little rest.  First up was Mildew , they crammed up the venue and tore down any worries of a bad show. Their act was on point, even better than anything I'd saw before. They seemed to be willing to destroy the place if possible. James the bassist was caught crowdsurfing and playing bass once again, Matteo was seen making love with the feedback of his amp with the guitar posted right in front! What was missing tho was a drummer to smash his kit. But I know, money is scarce and the kit wasn't his so their was no possibility of utterly destroying the whole kit! But they swept the kids off their feet. Stay Out by  Mitch Afterwards, I was out, it was too hot. Slackin Idle were about to go on, playi...