The announcement of the cessation of La Tulipe’s activities sparked strong reactions ranging from indignation to concern among music professionals Tuesday in Montreal. A group of venues is calling for an overhaul of the municipal noise bylaw to avoid similar situations in the future.
Djely Tapa, a Montreal singer of Malian origin, was scheduled to launch her new album on October 5 at La Tulipe. The event was moved at the last minute to Le National, on Sainte-Catherine Street, a venue operated by the same company as La Tulipe, which announced Tuesday that it was ceasing operations due to a judgment ordering it to stop making noise through “sound devices.”
Suzanne Rousseau, general manager of Productions Nuits d’Afrique, is pleased to have been able to move the launch of her artist, but is outraged by what is happening at La Tulipe.
If everything is not done to save this room, it gives a very bad image of the value we place on our heritage and culture in Quebec. It’s our history, I find that inconceivable!
Suzanne Rousseau, general director of Productions Nuits d’Afrique
La Tulipe is located in a building steeped in history on Avenue Papineau. Built between 1913 and 1919, it first housed a cinema before being acquired by actor Gilles Latulippe in 1967. He set up his Théâtre des Variétés there, whose name remained attached to the building, which he operated until the turn of the millennium.
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PHOTO PIERRE MCCANN, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Spectators at the Théâtre des Variétés, February 21, 1969
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PHOTO PIERRE MCCANN, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Gilles Latulippe in 1969 on the stage of the Théâtre des Variétés with other actors
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PHOTO DENIS COURVILLE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Gilles Latulippe in front of a photo of “his” theater, in 2001
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It is first of all the abandonment of a place associated with the cultural history of Montreal that shocks Suzanne Rousseau. She is not overly concerned about a possible domino effect on other venues in Montreal such as the Balattou, a venue operated by Nuits d’Afrique on Saint-Laurent Boulevard, near Mont-Royal Avenue. “It is on a commercial artery and it is very well soundproofed,” she assures.
A “dangerous precedent”
The story is different at Théâtre Fairmount, located on Parc Avenue north of Laurier Avenue. “I think it sets a dangerous precedent,” says its vice-president Olivier Corbeil. He worries that the current municipal laws could be used by neighbours of other performance venues. “All it would take is for someone to decide to be as intense as this gentleman,” he says, referring to La Tulipe’s neighbour, who has waged a long legal battle.
His point of view is shared by Jonathan Weisz, general director of the network of Alternative Music Scenes of Quebec (SMAQ), which brings together dozens of small and medium-sized venues, including the Lion d’Or, the Sala Rossa and L’Esco.
We have a lot of venues that are very, very worried because the judgment supports anyone who wants to seek an injunction against a neighbor who makes noise outside their premises.
Jonathan Weisz, general director of the Quebec Alternative Music Scenes network
He is “disappointed” by the decision rendered in the case of La Tulipe, but not at all surprised. “For several years, noise regulations in Montreal have been a problem for a significant number of venues,” he emphasizes. [Ce qui arrive à La Tulipe] is a high-profile example of a problem that occurs every two or three months, it is not at all a unique situation.”
Olivier Corbeil confirms that the Théâtre Fairmount and the two other venues operated by the same group, namely the Newspeak in the Quartier des spectacles and the Ritz, on rue Jean-Talon Ouest, have all been the subject of noise complaints over the years.
Soundproofing work was carried out at the Ritz with the help of a municipal program, he is keen to point out, and discussions have taken place in the past with neighbours of the Fairmount Theatre.
The problem, according to Jonathan Weisz, is not so much the number of complaints that the various venues receive as the fact that the current regulations “always give the complainant the right.” “The venues never really have any recourse,” he laments. Two cases come to mind when it comes to disagreements with the neighbourhood that led to closures: Divan Orange and Les Bobards, two bars and shows that were once located a few blocks apart on Saint-Laurent Boulevard.
Solutions?
Jonathan Weisz believes there are solutions. The first would be an overhaul of noise regulations. “The current regulation is completely subjective,” he says, explaining that it contains no objective measures of noise levels. He also suggests adopting what he calls the “agent of change” principle.
Such a provision would, for example, force an entity, such as a real estate developer, to take into account the existence of a broadcasting location near the building it wishes to construct. It would then be its responsibility to ensure that it offers its customers sufficient sound insulation. Conversely, it would be the responsibility of a potential new broadcasting room to ensure that it does not disturb the peace and quiet of the neighborhood where it is installed.
PHOTO IVANOH DEMERS, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
The singer Dumas was the first artist to perform in the new La Tulipe concert hall, opened in 2004.
“It’s never really been understood why the city never implemented these recommendations,” says Jonathan Weisz, noting that the principle of agent of change has been successfully applied in Toronto and elsewhere in the world.
La Tribu, which operated La Tulipe and produced shows there since 2004, declined our interview requests.
The venue has hosted a host of local and international artists, from Cowboys Fringants to Jane Birkin, Dumas, Malajube, La Bottine Souriante, Chilly Gonzales and Franz Ferdinand. In recent years, La Tulipe has focused more on dance parties, but concerts were regularly on the programme.