May 18, 2025
Despite horrendous weather, Pouzza fest was a brilliant time
When it was announced that this year’s edition of the Pouzza Fest – it’s 13th edition – would once again have the outdoor stage as its key component, no matter the weather, I was elated. Not a single band had yet been announced. It didn’t matter. I knew there and then where I was going to be for those three days, come hell or… high water.
Of course, the weather leading up to the festival was gorgeous. Warm and sunny. Spring was in full bloom and people were out and about in shorts and tee-shirts. Until the Friday upon which the festival began, where the skies above opened up and pissed rain non-stop for the entirety of the time the festival was set to play. Early Friday saw thunder and lightning – the sort of thing that will prevent an outdoor stage from going on. Safety concerns or some such nonsense. But it blew over, leaving just the rain in its wake. As if the rock gods had said yes, you can have your outdoor stage back, but fuck you, here’s a monsoon for you to dance about in.
See Also: What is a pouzza?
Long story short. Hell or high water, the show must and did go on. And holy shit was it messy.
While it is physically impossible to see every band that plays across a slew of venues around Montreal’s downtown core, like a punk rock pick n’ mix, we can select a few artists to see depending on where you happen to be and at what time. Sort of like disorganized or semi-organized chaos. You’ve just scarfed down six steamies at the Montreal Pool Room, for example, and now you’re frantically checking the schedule to decide if you should go next door for a show at Club Soda, or across the street to Café Cleopatra (which is more of a landmark than just another strip club, by the way) or to either of the two stages at the legendary Foufounes Electriques, or the the Beer Garden or… so many options!
You could just order a couple more steamies too. No judgements passed here. (Wait! Do people outside of Montreal even know what a steamie is?!)
On the first day of Pouzza, my true love gave to me… a beer!
The festival began with a severe thunderstorm and squall watch an hour or so before the main stage, the Beer Garden stage that was making its much anticipated return, was due to open.
Why is that relevant, you might ask? Well, the beer stage is an outdoor stage where the bigger bands were scheduled to play – and the weather network was now calling for intermittent thunderstorms all weekend long.
I crossed my fingers and would have prayed, if I was a religious type, that the rain would quietly pass us by-ee-yee-aii! (I hope someone gets that brilliant referrance.)
Even without the power of prayer, the rain did hold off long enough for the festivals first day to go ahead as planned. Oh! It raining like a bastard, don’t get me wrong; but the thunder and lightning held off so that the bands could still play. And as a result, there was great rejoicing – by way of mosh pits and alcohol abuse and yay, it was grand.
While impossible to see every artists that played, as I mentioned earlier; there is no doubt that the best performance I personally witnessed, was that of Béton Armé. Now, it’s no secret that I consider Béton Armé to be the best punk or Oi! band currently in Canada, from coast to coast, and I try not to ever miss their shows. There’s so much effort and energy that goes into their live set. So much power. And it’s contagious, too. Watch their crowds and see how the energy levels transfer from the stage, through the band, into the crowd.
Singer Danick Joseph-Dicaire is an incredible front man, that truly brings his bands shows to life through solid crowd interactions and onstage and offstage antics. You’re part of the show when you see these guys, always and today wasn’t any different. I wondered how anybody was going to usurp them as the band of the festival, already, so early on the first day. Some came close – I’m not sure if any did better though.
We Are Wolves came out in fancy dress and changed the tempo that Béton Armé can laid down considerably. Making things more calm and peaceful, through happy keys and synthesizers, rabid drumming and power chords on the guitar. We didn’t yet know it – but this was the best weather we were going to get all festival long right here, split between We Are Wolves and Les Marmottes Aplaties.
Oh, speaking of Les Marmottes Aplaties, they were great too. Appearing in the rain, with cups of tea, in their nightgowns – I felt as if we were kin. I too wanted warmth and tea. But I settled for rain and delicious cold, cold beer. Dressed all in red, all matching, Les Marmottes Aplaties weren’t about to let the bad weather grind them down. They were here to weather the storm and help us all do the same.
I can’t imagine what the poor Vulgaire Machins are thinking – every time they try play an outdoor stage in Montreal, it rains. The last time I saw them play, was last year at the Punk In Drublic festival, where their set and only their set was almost a complete bust, as thunder and lightning stuck amid a seriously impressive storm that prevented them from playing the majority of their set. Like troopers, they did squeeze a few songs in – and this time, the rain had held back enough for them to play.
On the second day of Pouzza, my true love gave to me… a beer!
With my shoes, my only pair of shoes that I own, still sopping wet from the first day of the festival, I squelched my way back for more – but today’s rain was battering us harder than yesterdays and I was struggling to find motivation.
Guilhem & The Bamboo Bones were on stage at the Beer Garden, and I didn’t want to miss that. So, I made my way through the sodden grounds and did my best to enjoy the music before me. That part was easy, Guilhem & The Bamboo Bones played a wonderful set. I was hopeful that the weather would ease up while trying my best to concentrate on the band on stage. I imagine it was the same sort of ordeal for them and all the other artists that had to play in these conditions too.
The main stage, outside, in punk rock mecca, Montreal. How great that must have sounded when all these bands were booked. Mother nature can be a cruel bitch.
New York’s The Slackers were up next – a staple of the festival throughout its existence. If anybody could bring the sunshine back, it was them. Only, the rain got harder and more intense and my mood got darker, despite hearing the glorious reggae sounds of these scene stalwarts. I have never had a bad time at one of their shows and I would be damned if today was going to break that streak. So I danced about in the rain and the muck, as my body grew wetter and wetter. I had come out to have a good time and a good time is what I was going to have.
Following The Slackers, we headed for shelter, warmth and food. The rain was beginning to eh, dampen our spirits, so to speak, and although there were three acoustic sets by prominent musicians Dave Hause, Tim Barry and Frank Turner still to come – I just couldn’t handle the rain any longer. At least not today. Besides – The Raging Nathans and Brutal Youth were playing the Fouf at the same time and, when at Pouzza, you have to make sacrifices of this sort. Pick one great artist over another. Did the rain have anything to do with these decisions? Maybe. Probably.
On the third day of Pouzza, my true love gave to me… a beer!
By now, where the grass around the Beer Garden stage had once grown, was nothing but a mud pit that pigs would happily call their wallow. The grounds were so destroyed by all this crappy weather that the early portion of the days activities had to be moved inside, to Cabaret du MEM. The Yoga stuff for the bendy punks, and the bambino stuff for the kids – the next generation of punks. Margaret Tracteur too. But not the wrestlers! Fuck those guys! They stayed outside in the rain. I’m not a wrestlin’ fan at all but that was still a lot of fun to watch.
Enfants Sauvage had played a highly energetic and theatric set, one that I would say is in my top ten performances of this years edition (There’s a list coming, hold on! Tune in! News at six!). Stomping about in rain boots while the rain continued its dreary duties. Playing on despite it all.
The Subhumans had been great but I couldn’t help feel a little bit sorry for them, for the crowd and the festival – because if the weather had been better, the park would have been beyond packed. There isn’t a doubt in my mind, that the rain kept of a lot of people away, which sucks for all the bands that played the main stage – but more so for a legendary anarcho-punk back that had flown in all the way from England. The turn out was good – but it could have been massive.
Living up to their name, Fucked Up arrived on stage and shit was about to get wild. Singer Damian Abraham spent about two minutes and seven seconds on stage before jumping into the photographer pit, over the barrier and into the crowd, where he promptly plopped himself into the mud and rolled around it, all while still singing, until he remerged to pluck his lost shoes out of he mud, throw them on stage and keep on slopping about in the cease pool below him. It was something punks will tell their grandchildren about one day. It was gnarly. It was messy. It was punk as fuck and seriously entertaining to watch.
Not even the great, great Voivod could out do that, although they came out and kicked ass regardless. Early this year, I got to see these Quebecois legends performing at the prestigious Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier concert hall, with a full orchestra – and now, some three months later, here we were, up to our genitals in mud, with the pissing rain falling upon us. Weirdly, I’m not sure which of those two scenarios best suits the band. No matter the setting – it always is and always has been an honor to witness Voivod play live.
Read More:
>> A celebration of Pouzza festival ‘s past
>> Voivod and the OSM at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, Montreal
>> C.I.D.B at Batiment 7, Montreal
I’m soaking wet. I have been for three straight days now. I smell something awful and my shoes are well beyond fucked. I’ll never get these things clean. But you know what, if I could go back and do it all over again – I fucking wouldn’t even hesitate to do so. This was such a great weekend, even if the weather was lousy, it was fun beyond fun. The people that put so much effort into this weekend deserved better than to have it get rained on like it did – but we got the outdoor stage back anyway, and it was glorious!
I just hope the festival made enough money to do it all over again next year – and every year after that! Pouzza Fest forever!
