Hi John, I was interested in a November 1984 "Les Foufounes Électriques" gig with John Cale that I saw on the wiki a little while ago and I was wondering if you remember anything about how it came about. Was that show the first time the band performed in Canada?
JF: we played at a place called the Pyramid Club A LOT which was really THE SPOT in downtown Manhattan in the early and mid 80s. A lot of very decadent nights roaring until dawn. And because we were part of it, folks from elsewhere would approach us and others about getting "the downtown scene" to their town. Our show in Burlington VT in the early days was billed as a "Downtown NYC" show, and I suspect the John Cale opening slot was given us for similair reasons.
I do remember finding the dressing rooms very unprivate and the cocktail party atmosphere with tons of kinda sketch people just floating through a bit unfun, but nothing I wasn't well familiar with from playing discos.
Any Montreal recommendations for someone who’s road-tripping there this summer?? I saw your post about the Shrek rave, Spice Girls burlesque, and the New Tokyo cyberpunk bar and trust your taste lol
Okay so honestly I fucking love Montreal but the way I travel is not like the way most people l know like to travel. Here’s my main points.
Stay: Rue St. Hubert, St. Andre, Plateau, Mont Royal, near Rue St. Catherine but not on Rue St. Catherine. I have gotten really good advance room rates at M Montreal. It was more expensive in April but it’s a very nice, updated hostel with laundry.
Transport: Park in a garage and buy a metro pass. I don’t even bother checking the timetables until past midnight. The trains come every few minutes. Green line will get you into the party district. Orange line will take you to the Old Port. Yellow line will take you to Île Saint-Hélène, which has a really good view of the downtown skyline. Depending on where you stay you can walk to most things.
Safety: Lots of people are still out after dark in the Village and Downtown and the main roads are well lit so I would consider it relatively safe. I’m a bulky muscular white guy so your experience may vary, but I never witnessed anybody getting harassed. Be more cautious inside and around metro stations since this is where more stabbings and robberies happen. Montreal is relatively safe so just use common sense like not being super obvious about being lost or carrying a huge amount of cash.
Food: I just use a maps app and sort by distance and rating. Get a fresh everything bagel from Fairmount Bagel (24/7 in the Plateau). La graine brulée near St. Catherine is pretty cute. They have vegan options and pretty good coffee. I’ve always found pretty good food by just walking into a cafe I liked the look of.
Bars/clubs/partying: Les Foufounes Électriques has live alt, grunge, punk, metal, hardcore type shows. Club Electric Avenue plays only 80s/90s music underneath a huge mural of Leonard Cohen. Really awesome interactive light-up dance floor and nice bartenders here. Drag shows en français á Bar Le Cocktail. I don’t hit the hetero clubs in Montreal so I’m not sure if that will make a difference here. Scruff usually has listings for a lot of stuff going on in the Village. Liquor is usually cheaper than it is in the USA. Mushrooms are available by mail order. SQDC is the provincial dispensary and they have several locations around Montreal.
You don’t need to know any French to operate in Montreal but you will get better service and meet more people if you muddle through a greeting and your coffee order in French. Driving around can be a really fun way to see the city but do it between 8pm-4am. Tipping culture is similar to the USA. Don’t underestimate googling “events/concerts/shows Montreal [dates]” and also check out community posting boards in shops and on the street. Pride is happening August 3-13. There’s lots of museums and a nice botanical garden if you want a shorter daytime activity. Walking around is really the best way to see things.
Enjoy the trip! Montreal is an awesome, diverse city with tons of interesting things to see and do.