Anti-freeze
by JOHNSON CUMMINS
January 19, 2012
In keeping with Montreal’s end-of-January tradition, the shows are really starting to pile back up, so without any further ado, let’s get right down to it.
Starting tonight, Thursday, Jan. 19, you can make your way to Blue Sunshine to catch a screening of the not-so-aptly-titled film Punk Rock at 8 p.m. sharp. Directed in 1977 by smut peddler Carter Stevens, the film was originally made as your typical skin flick aimed directly at the trenchcoat set on 42nd Street. Once New York was submerged in the initial wave of punk, the producers, reeking of crass opportunism, demanded the “bumpin’ ugly” scenes be cut out in favour of a spotty detective story and a punk rock soundtrack featuring the Stilettos (well after the founders of Blondie had quit the band) and three unknown “punk” bands: the Squirrels, Spicy Bits and the Fast. If you’re looking for an accurate depiction of punk rock near its inception, you won’t find it here, but if you’re into great exploitation films with a smidgen of softcore…
On Friday night, you can catch the extreme riff onslaught of thrash metal band Firearchy (featuring members of Trigger Effect, Barn Burner, Bionic and Trung Hoa) with ex-members of the Illuminati’s new incarnation Djanguar and Brain Size 61 at Piranha Bar. Down at the new, Mile End-adjacent swill joint Jackie & Judy, you can catch a rare performance from Montreal favourite Lederhosen Lucil, with all proceeds going to support the post-production of the film Conversations With the Cosmos.
For something a bit more raucous, the noiseniks might want to make it down to Casa to get their ears seared by Âmes Sanglantes, Institutional Prostitution, Slug Bait and Triple Double V International. After almost a decade-long hiatus, KrazyFest will whip things back into action with a night of short and animated independent films and music. Expect the unexpected with live performances from the unusually quiet Dead Wife, the Doubt and Dissent Revival Band, Cobra & Vulture and a rare reunion of Holy Moly in what remains one of the best rooms in the city, Petit Campus.
On Saturday night, you can catch the post-punk-meets-Wipers sound of the currently non-plural Complication, with the Reagan-era hardcore of Scarlet Beast and Rat Patrol at the Valhalla of Montreal punk rock venues, Barfly. For those looking to put a bit more sway in the hips, you can make it down to Cabaret Playhouse for the solid triple bill of Evil Boys from Hell, Rockhard! and Hardwired. Just up the street, at Jackie and Judy’s, you can catch the punk rock of Holy Cobras, Porn Persons, Mannequin and Eternal Life, with DJ Ouija manning the decks. At Casa, things dive a bit more into the squelch with Hyena Hive and Souffle.
But the big ticket of the week is the Montreal debut of theatrical, “blackened,” hard rockin’ Swedes Ghost, who will pack ’em in at Théâtre Corona with the kvlt, blackened psych of Blood Ceremony and Texans Ancient VVisdom. If you dig Mercyful Fate as much as Blue Oyster Cult, you are not going to want to miss this. ■
CURRENT OBSESSION: BURZUM, FILOSOFEM. JONATHAN.CUMMINS@GMAIL.COM
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