September 11, 2026
A record crowd showed out to see Bad Religion play Music 4 Cancer
The incredible Bad Religion tonight played to what is now a record setting crowd just outside of Montreal, in Sainte-Thérèse – a quaint and beautifully little town that this weekend played host to the fourteenth edition of the Music 4 Cancer festival. And before we go any further, yes, we all know that the title of the festival seems to suggest that this is in fact a festival that supports cancer. We know. It doesn’t, of course.
Technically, Music 4 Cancer was already into its third day by the time we motley crew of Modern Free Press journalists showed up – and while it would have been rad to have been there for the while thing, its a bit of journey from Montreal to get here. Obligations and all that adult crap.
See Also: Rush at Bell Center, Montreal
Still though, getting off the train and walking into town felt great. Exactly what we needed. Fresh air and an escape from the mundane monotony of the every day. As is the case every single year – we were briefly lost, confused and afraid, until we saw the church steeple and the crucifix upon it to guide us to our punk rock destiny. In the distance, we could hear the faint sounds of high octane puck rock and smell the wonderful wafting scent of beer.
Arriving on site in time to catch most of 1994’s set – cover versions of some of the better known skate punk tunes, was pretty cool. We didn’t really need a primer, as we were already stoked as the train clicky-clacked its way along the railway, yet it still felt cool to have a soundtrack as we walked in. A welcoming theme song of sorts.
Everywhere the eye could see, people were wearing Bad Religion shirts and hoodies, hats and I swear I saw somebody wearing socks with the bands moniker sprawled across them too. Sure, you get that when a band the size of Bad Religion come to town but that was excessive – and I soon discovered why. The clue was the massive line for the merch tents. Tee shirts for twenty bucks, hoodies for forty …what year was this? And yeah, you bet I got in on the action.
Over the years, as the festival has grown not just in size but in reputation as well, more and more international bands have it on their radars. This year, Belgium’s For I Am where part of the party and even if they weren’t band that many knew yet, much like the Czech Republic’s Krang last year, I am sure that they left a mark on many and saw their spotify numbers grow as a result. (Would be a hell of a lot cooler if their physical album sales grew instead but that’s a topic for another day!).
Lead singer Hanne belts out powerful vocals as her band drive home powerfully energetic skate punk rhythms and today, I felt their sound perfectly fit the bill. Watching For I Am up on stage as they danced about, it was apparent that they were having as much fun as the crowd was, enjoyed the day as much as we all did, and were as happy to see us as we were them! Bienvenu chez nous!
It seems that every summer, Music 4 Cancer manages to show me how much more there is out there. Great bands that might be getting over-looked in this part of the world – and to those bands, the Krang’s, For I Am’s and The Fair Do’s – Quebec is the place to break into the North American market. This place is punk rock mecca, baby!
Boston’s A Wilhelm Scream are always a good time. Always a fun band to see live and tonight, of course, was no different. Tonight, they played the side stage, which isn’t to say the small stage, as it overlooks the exact same crowd as the other stage does. Its quite the genius set-up if you think about it, and the smart ones know that if they get onsite early enough, they can score a spot that is practically the perfect view of both stages.
Leaping about, giving as high octane of a performance as they music does, seemed to energize everyone. The crowd surfers that surfed on hands and heads throughout A Wilhelm Scream’s set were testament to exactly that. A non-stop barrage of kids and adults alike.
Sweden’s Satanic Surfers are always a band I try and see when they’re in town or somewhat nearby, as was the case tonight. For decades (fuck is weird to able to say that) Satanic Surfers has been a band I have adored, from my ill-fated days as a skater, a very bad one at that, through to today, this is a band that have been in my headphones. I assume that will be the case for many more years to come.
Anyway, I digress. I’m always amused seeing a drummer also perform as the lead vocalist. As if the drums don’t require enough concentration, you’re heading the band too. Of course, this is nothing new from these lads but it still tickles me every time. The Surfers played a lot of their earlier tracks, dragging back the nineties into full view, and I really was into that. It was the medicine I needed on a day like today. Guess if I was sad that day! (I fucking was, read on to find out why!)
Another highly energetic band, Teenage Bottlerocket, were next up. A pattern was emerging here, I thought, of bands that really love to bring chaotic energy to their live show – maybe to overcompensate for the lack of jumping about that Bad Religion do. You see, Bad Religion are more of the sophisticated style of puck rock – Phd’s and doctorates and the like. So, the rest of the artists on the day amped their shit right amp. Turned to eleven, to allow Bad Religion to bring us all back to earth and rock our pants off with some the best music the genre likely will ever know. Genius really. Balance and shit.
That lead to the band that everyone had come to see, Bad Religion. Already, this had been a brilliantly memorable day but everyone that had squeezed into this church parking lot knew that the best was still to come. That’s not to take away anything from the artists that had already perform, it’s just stating the facts.
The crowd was ready. All that build-up had lead to what was to come. So many people now filled the festival ground. There was a moment now that I was dreading. A Music 4 Cancer tradition. A sobering moment where the names of those we have lost over the last year were read off. One name, that of a friend of mine, I had asked the festival to add and I now had to face the consequences of those actions. This was going to suck. It did.
With that reminder of why we do this every year still fresh, the great Bad Religion walked out on stage.
Opening with Recipe For Hate, which is the title track to what is, in my opinion, their greatest album, soon had my spirits back up and while there was sorrow, I was elated to be seeing Bad Religion again – and for it to be here, in Sainte-Thérèse, at Music 4 Cancer was special beyond words.
For the next hour or so, I wasn’t counting, Bad Religion railed off gem after gem. Tracks I have known for what feels like forever, and I knew that the next day I wouldn’t have much voice left. Probably music to the ears of those closest to me in life. Through Do What You Want and 21st Century (Digital Boy) – which somehow seems to grow more and more poignant as time marches on, to Fuck You and I Want To Conquer The World, Sainte-Thérèse was in a tizzy. I briefly felt bad for the nearby residents who had to put up with us all, then I realized, these bastards where getting to hear Bad Religion too!
Then, they played We’re Only Gonna Die and I was a briefly grief-stricken again, but this time more in an acceptance sort of way. They say there are levels to grieving and I was doing that tonight through the music of a band I adore, and that somehow gave me hope. I can’t explain it. The next three songs seemed to be curated for how I was feeling, which of course they weren’t – its just one of the weird things that happens in life. Pay attention and you’ll see. No Control, Struck A Nerve and Suffer.
Next, came Punk Rock Song, only the songs chorus tonight couldn’t have been further from the truth. This wasn’t just a punk rock song, this was everything. Looking around, at all these people out here for the music and for the a cause, so many of us affected by cancer, I felt a sense of pride wash over me. I felt happy. We are bruised but we are not beaten. All the bands that had played this festival, not just this year but every year, I felt kin with them. I wanted to shake every member of those bands by the hand and thank them. They were here for the same reasons we were.
They played You. I flippin’ love that song. However, the night was wearing on and the allotted time dwindling away. Four songs remained and each was brilliant. Generator, then Fuck Armageddon .. This Is Hell, which meant the two best Bad Religion songs had been saved for last. Of course they had. Sorrow and then American Jesus.
This year was a particularly hard year for me. Music 4 Cancer is a festival that has meant a great deal to me since its inception and one that will always hold a special place in my heart. What it stands for, why it exists, is both tragic and inspiring. We have a bastard of a dieses that strips us of our loved ones but it also units us, by dragging everyone out to this small town, music lovers, all the artists and everyone that just wants to to get together and raise a middle finger, and yell fuck you, I’m still here.
This year though, was rough. A week prior to the festival, we, as in the city of Montreal, lost an icon to cancer. My friend and mentor, Susan Moss. She was on my mind the whole time and I won’t lie – I struggled. I still am while writing this. There were moments where I needed to hide a bit. I missed some stuff because of it. It is what it is. So with every ounce of my soul, fuck cancer. Say it with me, fuck cancer! To everyone going through something similar, I stand with you. If we’ve never met, I stand with you anyway.
Music 4 Cancer makes me proud to be part of this subculture.
Read More:
>> Montreal Vans Warped Tour: A Nostalgic View
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>> Montreal Vans Warped Tour: Summer Festival Season End
I don’t know if I would call it an unfortunate set of circumstances – but I was called on to cover the AC/DC concert back in Montreal, which meant that my Music 4 Cancer journey this year was cut short and I wouldn’t be seeing Face To Face. While I was pretty bummed about that, I was going to be seeing AC/DC for the first and probably the last time, and that was always going to be something special.
Sometimes life offers us surprises and choices have to be made. Not getting to see Face To Face sucked – but I don’t regret the decision to see AC/DC at all. Chances are that Face To Face will come back around again, and I’ll be at that show.
