End to Mile End?

by JOHNSON CUMMINS

As reported in last week’s issue of the Mirror, the Mile End Cultural Centre’s Main Hall and Green Room are in jeopardy as live venues, and need your help. Due to recent noise complaints from a residential neighbour, a wrench has been thrown into their application for a live-music-venue permit. They’re increasing their soundproofing, but red flags such as this in their file could sound a death knell for them.

The club is reaching out to people to sign a petition stating the importance of the two venues as platforms for artistic expression, while contributing greatly to the immediate Mile-End community and, by extension, Montreal. If you go to www.mileend.ca, the petition there needs your signature and, to further increase their chances of getting their necessary permits, all bands, promoters and anybody who has frequented the clubs are encouraged to write a letter of support to media@mileend.ca. We have already seen gentrification decimate live-music venues in Vancouver, so don’t let it happen here.

Another call-out has been issued by the fine, furry folks at the Unpop Festival, who are booking their fest right now for dates at the end of summer. There is no application fee or hoops to jump through, so any interested parties can sign up at unpopmontreal@gmail.com

Tonight, July 12, gets the weekend started a little early with the return of Montreal’s favourite potty-mouthed punks Launie

Anderssohn and the hardest working man in Montreal, Bloodshot Bill, at the Barfly. On a completely different tip, Built to Spill and Attack in Black are at le National tonight. Built to Spill are true indie-rock legends, but are hardly for the faint of heart, as their frenzied family jams have to be witnessed live to be believed.

Friday night starts things off at the Barfly with Speedhair and instrumental doom-meisters Squalor, who incidentally just scored the opening slot on the upcoming Pelican show. Not bad, considering they have been largely playing possum for the last year. Down at l’Escogriffe on Friday, AIDS Wolf will show off some of their new tunes, hot off the presses, before heading down to California to record with producer Weasel Walter (Arab on Radar, Glenn Branca, Coachwhips). Opening will be Wax Attic, who had to cancel their Barfly show a couple of weeks ago due to intense vomiting, so may their constitutions be cast-iron tonight.

Finally, you are not to miss the return of Battles when they play at la Sala Rosa on Saturday night. If you haven’t flipped yer wig over their debut disc on Warp, you have to check this out. Featuring ex-Don Cabellero member Ian Williams and former Helmet drummer John Stanier, these musical geniuses blur all lines while playing guitar with one hand and twiddling knobs with the other. The best part, though, is watching Stanier hit his lone, ridiculously out-of-reach cymbal while proving he is still one of the most intense drummers you could ever witness. Opening up will be Singer, featuring two ex-members of Godhead band U.S. Maple, and Toronto upstarts Etaoin Jhrdlu. Questions?

“It’s a small world but I wouldn’t
want to have to paint it” —Steven Wright
Jonathan.cummins@gmail.com