Been absent, but here to amend:
going back...
Michel Pagliaro
Saw QC legend Pagliaro in action late september. Half empty ornate theater. He played a few hits including this one but all in all it was pretty cheese ball. He was inspiring though since he was not self serious and made an effort to lighten the mood with self depricating humor, likening the sparsely attended ballroom to the grand canyon and waxing about his career. He is a man of the people and the next day at the record store every guy over 50 had a story of hanging/ partying with the Pag. Biggest disapointment is that he didn't play Les Chanceliers tunes (his 60s garage band) which was the only reason I went (also had a free ticket).
Brainbombs / Puppet Wipes / GI Jinx
Monster gig that got a lot of heat locally for obvious reasons. The controversy sort of converted to anticipation in real time as everyone in town buzzed about it and the gig was moved and zines were made. GI Jinx was running hot and after 3 songs of dialing in the sound things started really cooking. Wipes, who are one of my fave contemporary bands for sure and whom I've seen probably 8/9 times at this point had a similar arc to their set. Cool to hear songs from the new record. I will say the 2 best shows I've seen them do were in Hamilton ON, mid day in a park, hungover and to a a handful of people and at the Total Punk retreat year 1 to a room of adoring fans. A testament to their versatile and crude showmanship.
Brainbombs were greater than expected. I am not a staunch fan and sort of find their shock tactics grating. I think it's funny that they have so much cacher and hold interest to this day when other bands of the time / ilk who don't trade in contraband lyrics couldn't be more forgotten. Like this was a packed house, but if someone booked Monoshock in Montreal, I think there would be 5 people there. Anyway, you couldn't hear a word of the lyrics which made the stooges by way of flipper riffs pop all the better, and their presence was akin to business man/librarian/unemployed guy coalescing on some hippy jam bad trip.
Cavala
An incredible show caught by pure chance. A local Porto band that we happened to catch in a small club while travelling. They reminded me of Rose merci, perhaps a lazy comparison as they were a left field rock band composed of 4 leading women, exchanging vocals and never leaning into a punk or agressive sound, but a delivery more bent on playful and art forward punkiness.
Zounds / Life Expectancy
Can't say I'm a huge Zounds fan but it felt nice to be in the room as the core contigent of fans in Montreal sang along with gusto. Short afternoon set and the crowd's average age was hard to place, a sprawling swath. The sound was a bit funky (too much bass) but the songs certainly came through and the clean guitar and general melody was a nice break from a bill packed otherwise with hardcore and the like.
Life Expectancy was the actual highlight of this matinee gig for me. Donna from Chronophage drumming like a left handed open gate octopus. the band made music that wouldn't typically have been my cup of tea unpredictable and exciting.
Cindy Lee
Last night everyone in town was out. Lotsa ink has been spilled on CL, and certainly there will be some lip service for last nights show. It was very good however I think it would be more powerful with a backing band, produced as the imagenary backing band in the recordings. Some sort of cocktail ensemble. Having seen Ronnie Spector in the same theatre (same as the Pag show) some years back, this was top of mind.
Anyway I should really do some work instead of typing this garbage.
