You can’t fight the will of the crowd. It’s an undertow, you have to ride it out, and if you’re smart, you’re doing it in sensible footwear.
Speaking with fans and musicians has got me thinking about the relationship between crowd and artist. It’s obviously a symbiotic relationship, but the back and forth flow of energy depends so much on culture, location and expectation. The success of FME is due in no small part to the distance from the inherently more cynical crowds of bigger urban centres. Specifically Toronto, where expectations run high and fans are a bit more reserved (to put it mildly).
It’s interesting how many great bands have been forged in the crucible of Montreal and have had to prove themselves by winning over fans world-wide before being « discovered » in Toronto.
Abitibi has become a hub for punk, hard rock and metal for years (maybe its the mining), and when you combine home-town fans with world class bands you get epic results. The Gros Mené show last night was a perfect example. The home town heroes handily inspired religious experiences from local fans.
New York based Blonde Redhead (already a very well established band), almost seemed taken aback by the hospitality that this small town could display. I’m realizing that crowd sociology is one of the more interesting aspects of festival going. Let’s see how it all plays out in the mosh pits of Indian Handicrafts and tomorrows Nuit Métal.

I was having music school flashbacks last night. They weren’t flashbacks of anything I’d played or heard, but rather the budding realization of what I wanted to hear from my band or the bands I loved at that formative time.
There were those of us who believed that technical proficiency would trump all. The logic being, that if you play in perfect tune, swing with metronomic precision and arpeggiate the most fiendishly extended chords on your solo, then the crowd would be moved (if that were the case we’d all be wearing Joe Satriani T-shirts right now…but we’re not). Something in me knew that line of reasoning was flawed. But how could you blame us? The musicians we loved were technical masters. Our teachers were technical masters. Problem was, you can’t teach someone to emote.
Which brings me to last night…My friends and I arrived a bit later than expected and after securing my media pass headed over to Agora Des Arts. I was sincerely moved by Pawa Up First. Without a doubt they are incredible musicians, but they also have an ability to craft a story through a strong use of visuals and cinematic samples.
The venue can be a bit of a sauna though, little FME-brand fans notwithstanding (nice touch though). Makes me wonder if the Catholics made that a condition of the conversion from church to music hall. « You heathens can have your music, but you will suffer for it! »
I saw a lot of young, good looking people go in to that place, and then a lot of sweaty Rob Ford look a likes come out.
I staggered out of there and caught the end of Misteur Valaire’s excellent set and then over to Au Diable Rond for my Sophie’s Choice.
I had heard enough about Random Recipe that I had to see them. (Later reports indicated that Mordicus and Solids were amazing acts as well, but I’ve only got two ears).
Let it be known that Random Recipe can move a crowd (in any direction they want). I haven’t witnessed that kind of energy in a long time. They worked a perfect formula of solid rhythm section, samples, Fab’s MC’ing and Fran’s vocals. But above all they glued it all together with a visceral love of hip-hop.
They play they music they love, they feel the way they want the crowd to feel. It sounds simple but it is profound and it works in large part because of the cultural mix of the band as well. Fab and Fran didn’t set out to be hip-hop superstars, they are respectively, Translating and Anthropology majors whose education no doubt strongly colours the art they want to make.
It’s not about perfection or imitation; of course you need to know your shit, but beyond that it’s about taking the things you love and wrestling in the mud with it.

-Zeus