A celebration of Pouzza festival ‘s past

Today would have marked the tenth edition of the Pouzza festival. An annual music festival that takes place in Montreal’s downtown core. One that takes place in multiple venues and features an outdoor beer garden and stage. For free. That’s right – the main artists each year, play free outdoor shows. And Beau’s brewery and Le Trou Du Diable are always on hand, slinging cold pints of quality beer.

The Dreadnoughts // Photo : Kieron Yates
The Dreadnoughts // Photo : Kieron Yates

Then the COVID-19 pandemic swept in and wiped out everything that was cool and fun. It has been building its reputation as a real bastard. Thanks to this COVID-19 thing, we can’t have music festivals for the time being. Or sports of hangs with pals. Don’t even think about going grocery shopping with your significant other. And you can get arrested if you try visit Grandma. There’s cops making sure you don’t drive around with people you don’t live with and even the doggo’s are staying well away from each other.

Seeing as the tenth edition of Pouzza festival was supposed to bring back a slew of bands that have played over the years. We thought it would be neat to put together a gallery from our favorite photographs from over the years.

See also : What is a pouzza?

There have been so many great memories over the years. So many great sets. Hangs with awesome people. Gallons of Beau’s beers and countless poutines gobbled up. And that was just me. Anybody remember that one time when the media tent was sponsored by Sailor Jerry – with a real-life Australian bartender? I don’t. What a weekend that was. It even had a tattoo artist for the musicians, right next to the bar. I shit you not. Good times. Good bloody times.

Or the time that Elissa Sapp from Molly Rythym climbed the speaker stack only to fall off and bust open her face. That was gnarley. Or that one guy that back-flipped off of the stage during a Pears set at the Fouf. Remember that? How his head made a hollow thud and how we had to wait for his ass to wake up for the show to go on. That was wild. And then the guy came back to mosh for the last few songs. Dude! Wow. Oh and that time that all the metal kids came out because Municipal Waste were playing, and they threw every square of toilet paper in the building around all crazy like. If only they knew the value of toilet paper these days.

Even the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles showed up – and they brought pizza. No, seriously. Then the punks all did yoga together. Drank from leaking pineapples and played baseball. There were all these stand-up comedians on this terrasse we all loved. A bar called Katakombes that got shutdown thanks to gentrification and shitty landlords. Stupid rich people. The music started at noon , ended at three o’clock in the morning, then they served you breakfast. I’m serious.

So there you have it – the reasoning behind us tripping down memory lane. Arguing over which of house photographer Kieron Yates’ photographs to compile for this bit.

Photo gallery :

 

 

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