Montreal collective Octov has been producing techno parties for 10 years. That’s an exceptional lifespan, given the growing precariousness of the nightlife scene. With the City of Montreal’s nightlife policy expected this fall, the organization is inviting its community on Saturday to a day of conferences — and a big party — at the Société des arts technologiques (SAT).
“Since the pandemic, all our costs have exploded: room and equipment rental, artist bookings, labour… At the same time, the appetite for the kind of evenings we organize is growing exponentially in Montreal. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to meet demand with our means,” says Rodolphe Busuttil-Décousus, head of scenography at Octov.
Saturday’s event is therefore an opportunity for the collective to celebrate its longevity and its roots. undergroundwhile promoting the development and supervision of nightlife at a pivotal moment.
It is well known that, in the wake of the activist actions of organizations like Montréal 24/24, the sector has particularly mobilized in recent years to be recognized as a cultural industry in its own right. Collectives that were previously more marginalized, like Octov, are increasing their media appearances, while the City is overseeing more pilot projects for which alcohol permits are extended until 6 a.m.
But, after some delays, the City of Montreal’s nightlife policy has been pending since 2017. Let’s recall that a municipal commission responsible for the issue recommended last spring the creation of a night office with the “necessary human and financial resources.” The establishment of “night vitality zones” was also mentioned. It remains to be seen what measures will be ratified by the Plante administration.
Housing crisis
At the moment, the nightlife industry is experiencing significant difficulties. Like the entire cultural sector, it is suffering from the housing crisis and inflation.
Benoît Gigay, founder of the techno party collective Noreiner, who was invited to a conference Saturday at the SAT, says he doesn’t know if he will be “able to continue for much longer.” “I remember a venue I visited before the pandemic, which could accommodate a few hundred people,” he says. “At the time, it cost $1,000 for an evening, which was exceptional. But today, the cost is $2,600 plus taxes. The city should regulate such completely abusive rate increases.”
In a brief filed with the City, Octov cites “gentrification” as one of the main obstacles to the development of the sector, highlighting the precariousness of venues like La Tulipe in a context where “building permits are granted without paying attention to cultural venues.” Clearly, current events are catching up with them with the “temporary” closure of this performance venue.
This is why Bérénice Sensey, co-founder and head of administration at Octov, suggests that the City “make available a place that can be shared by different groups.” “With the help of the municipality to acquire a building,” she adds, “the community would share the operating costs in a viable and safe environment.”
The non-profit organization also believes that the sector should benefit from exclusive government subsidies. “We know how much the industry brings in tourism revenue and supports an entire cultural ecosystem,” emphasizes Rodolphe Busuttil-Décousus. “DJs, VJs, lighting designers, digital artists and many others are part of it.”
Wave of enthusiasm
When Octov started out more modestly, the local electronic music scene wasn’t as developed as it is today. “We arrived in a lull, a few years after the rave movement, which peaked in the 2000s in Quebec,” explains Corentin Guérin, Octov’s technical manager.
“We started with events that attracted about 150 people,” he says. “Today, we welcome 1,500 and we produce impressive scenographies for underground evenings, for which we don’t even pay ourselves salaries.”
Benoît Gigay says that the current craze for techno music has allowed him to “achieve in two years what other collectives took seven or eight years to do.” “We welcomed 1,500 people to a party last year, even though we started in 2022. The problem is not the public’s interest, but the increasing costs. We lost money with our last event.”
The nightlife industry is therefore eagerly awaiting the nightlife policy and hoping that it will be accompanied by financial commitments. “The cultural context is favorable to us, the popularity of electronic music has exploded since the pandemic,” concludes Rodolphe Busuttil-Décousus. “But the economic stakes remain difficult. If we can institutionalize our industry, things can only go better, on many levels.”