Being on the sold-out dancefloor of Newspeak last Friday felt like being transported to a smoke-filled Manchester warehouse or an underground party in the heart of Sheffield. For Montreal’s UK bass community, this was no ordinary club night. Feb. 13 had occupied calendars for several months, as rising garage producer[Read More…]
Tag: concert
Dijon transforms Montreal into a playground of sound
Halfway through his sold-out tour, Dijon walked out onto the barely lit L’Olympia stage in a sweater and jeans—no opener, no fuss—and somehow transformed a 2,400-capacity venue into a jam session in his living room. Before the stage lights even turned on, he slipped into the first notes of “Many[Read More…]
A Virgin sacrifice, live in Montreal
On Pure Heroine’s twelve-year anniversary, Lorde was reborn a Virgin at Montreal’s Bell Centre. After a four-year hiatus since Solar Power, she arrived incomplete and half-made, perpetually becoming—an invitation to get ready with her—for one tender night of confessional pop. Discussing her fourth album, Virgin, Lorde told Apple Music: “Everything[Read More…]
Tokyo Police Club says a final “au revoir” to Montreal
On Jan. 23, Canadian indie rock band Tokyo Police Club (TPC) announced their farewell tour, and on Oct. 12, they played for the last time in Montreal, a city with strong ties to their beginnings as a band. The news of their breakup was met with overwhelming support from fans.[Read More…]
Melodies of a lifetime with Claude Dubois
As I pulled into the parking lot of Théâtre Hector-Charland on March 29, eager to see a Québecois musical legend perform, I noticed a bus transporting residents from a nearby retirement home had beat us there. This moment hinted at the crowd that I would find sitting inside, waiting for[Read More…]
An open letter to Taylor Swift
Dear Taylor, The Gaylor and Swift-zerland Delegations of McGill University would like to warmly congratulate you on the success of The Eras Tour and the whole soon-to-be-billionaire thing. More importantly, we would like to beg—ahem—invite you to perform for us. Yes, the Miss Americana persona is classic, but your neighbours[Read More…]
Astroworld tragedy renews debate on the safety of mosh pits
The Travis Scott Astroworld Festival tragedy, which left 10 concertgoers dead and hundreds injured, has renewed discussions on the question of violence at music events, leaving many wondering if such a tragedy would have occurred without the influence of mosh pit culture. Moshing involves pushing and slamming—or sometimes just vigorously[Read More…]
PUP don’t care about nothing
Early into their Oct. 22 concert, the Toronto-based punk rock band PUP halted their performance; lead singer Stefan Babcock pointed to the mosh pit and said a few words to the sold-out crowd at Corona Theatre. “Someone lost a shoe,” Babcock said. “Whose shoe is that?” The shoe found its[Read More…]
Mashrou’ Leila echoes voices of Arab resistance at Club Soda
Mashrou’ Leila celebrated their 10th anniversary this year; to commemorate the occasion, the band released The Beirut School, their fourth studio album. The band have begun international superstars, with their tour covering Europe, the Middle East, before making stop in Montreal at Club Soda on Oct. 9. Singer Hamed Sinno, violinist[Read More…]
No shame, no apologies: Lily Allen sparkles at Corona Theatre
Following the June 8 release of her electropop record No Shame, English singer-songwriter Lily Allen brought a spirited energy to Corona Theatre on Oct. 27. A few hundred concert-goers, damp and cold from the first snow of the fall, convened near the stage in anticipation of Allen’s performance. Accompanied by[Read More…]