This weekend, downtown Montreal — precisely the emblematic intersection between Sainte-Catherine Street and Saint-Laurent Boulevard — will be declared a zone with a high rate of punk irradiation with the 12e edition of the Pouzza Fest, which offers nearly 150 groups from here and elsewhere one of the eight stages in the sector.
Fiercely independent, the event is also a model of musical inclusiveness, covering the punk-rock spectrum in all its breadth, but also genres, origins and languages of expression, which delights two participating musicians, Charles Laplante, from the group CHOU, and Justine Beaulieu, from the Crachat trio.
It’s a festival that well represents our values. We campaign for inclusion and we are feminists. It’s fun to see a festival that has that at heart too.
The Pouzza Fest also opens its programming to emerging groups from the province, as evidenced by the presence of Crachat, who will be on the Saturday evening bill at the Sainte-Catherine theater, in the company of a dozen other guitar enthusiasts electric: “Yes, it will be our first participation, and we have been hoping to participate for a long time,” says Justine Beaulieu, singer (“Well, I don’t scream anymore…” she explains) and guitarist of the punk trio feminine.
The CHOU group
“It’s a festival that represents our values well,” she explains. We campaign for inclusion and we are feminists. It’s the fun to see a festival that has that at heart too. They invite bands from everywhere, Francos, Anglos, women, queers; these days, we often play with bands of guys, it’s going to be the fun to meet other kinds of musicians. »
The group CHOU (that name!) has already participated in Pouzza, following the release of its first self-titled album in 2022. The Montreal quartet, which does not hesitate to mock the music industry the music in his lyrics, had the nerve to name the Pouzza, among other festivals, in the caustic title song “Chou”, which opens the album. “The people at Pouzza were the first to find it funny, so they invited us,” says Charles Laplante. Then, the people of [la boîte de production et maison de disques] Mothland heard it too, so they invited us to the Tavern Tour,” also mentioned in the song. “In the end, instead of pushing them away, our song had the opposite effect! »
The program is put together by real punk music enthusiasts who take the time to listen to the projects submitted to them. Musically, they also dare to go into punk’s left field.
“What I like about Pouzza is that it is inclusive”, on a social level, but also musically, underlines Laplante. “The programming is put together by real punk music enthusiasts who take the time to listen to the projects submitted to them. Musically, they also dare to go into the left field of punk — CHOU, for example, we don’t really go into sound skate Punk is not our mold, but we are welcomed with open arms by this audience. »
CHOU will be at the big closing party of the festival, Sunday at Foufounes Électriques. Headlining, the trendy punk quartet surf, San Diego native Wavves, and singer-songwriter and trans activist Laura Jane Grace, co-founder of the American group Against Me! ; his most recent solo album, Hole in My Head, was published last February. “I don’t know if I will have the opportunity to meet her, but she shared our stories on social networks about the concert we are going to give! It’s special because I have the greatest respect for her. »
The Pouzza Fest, which says it is “proud to be one of the only festivals on the island of Montreal that is still independent, unlike several other events that have joined the ranks of Evenko/Live Nation”, has the other distinction of resembling a rock marathon, featuring numerous groups on the same stage during evenings starting at aperitif time and continuing until bedtime.
Programming for children (Pouzza Bambino), a wrestling gala, comedy cabarets (Pouzza Laughs) and a barbecue are also on the program, alongside a rich selection of local artists from the United States (Strike Anywhere, Against All Authority, Diesel boy, Direct Hit!, among others), from Canada (Kiwi Jr., The Anti-Queens, The Penske File) and even from Australia, with the presence of singer-songwriter Alex Lahey .
During their respective concerts, Crachat and CHOU plan to perform songs from their next albums, which will both be released next October.