There are other music festivals in town

Well we’re still stuck in festival season. Easily one of the best fests for heaviosity heads is the Rrroooaaarrrr festival (notice the Voivod snatch) that hits like a mittful of nickels over the weekend. For fans of blistering hardcore, sludge, grind, metal and noise, you’re definitely going to want to attend more than a couple of the Rrroooaaarrr nights.

Thursday: Rrroooaaarrr fest begins with a bang when noise/grind duo and true modern punk legends Bastard Noise will liquefy your fillings with Pharmakon, Pig Heart Transplant, Skull Katalog and Scalp Elevator at la Vitrola. 4602 St-Laurent, 6:30 p.m., $20/$23

Just down the street at Sala, the true gem in Rrroooaaarrr’s well-jewelled crown and my big pick of the week will be Windhand with doom gods Thou, False Show of Bedlam and Night Witches. Hotcha!!! 4848 St-Laurent, 8 p.m., $20/$23

Off the Rrroooaaarrr path is Sonic Youth legend Thurston Moore, who’ll play a free show at 8:30 at the ArtTV studio. (My prediction is that Moore and co. will definitely be at the Thou show at Sala.) 1600 St-Urbain, 8:30 p.m., free

Friday: Another fest happening in town is Punk-O-Rama. If you make it down to TRH Bar, you can catch a huge bill of local stalwarts the Ripcordz, les Ordures Ioniques, personal faves Bunchofuckingoofs, the Horny Bitches, the Matchup, Kill Matilda, Bad Crow, les Skalpes, the Filthy Radicals, Exploring Dora, Ruthless Ones, the grind of San Antone’s Bloodfuckers, the melodic punk of Walk of Shame and Manipulated Outcome. Phew! 3699 St-Laurent, 7 p.m., $12/$15

Rrroooaaarrr keeps roaring at Casa with Narc, Bleed the Pigs, Vile Intent, No Faith and Gas Chamber (Angry Samoans reference?). 4873 St-Laurent, 7:30 p.m., $15

On your way to Rrroooaaarrr, head down to Sound Central to check out the debut of Mythoklash. 4486 Coloniale, 7:30 p.m., free

Rrroooaaarr tightens its grip on the city at Sala with Antediluvian, Volahn, Horrendous, Black Anvil, Barghest and Putamen Insula. 4848 St-Laurent, 8:30 p.m., $25/$28

At Brasserie Beaubien, Montreal ex-pat and shock-rock legend Corpusse headlines Tropical Goth nite with Nothinge, Welk’s Mice, Cosi E Cosi with DJ Cold Hands spinning until last call. 73 Beaubien E., 10 p.m., $5

At l’Esco, catch ex-Devil Eyes members in Ghost Vines with Bécyk Fantome with Novellas. 4467 St-Denis, 9 p.m., $5

Saturday: Rrroooaaaarr presents a matinee gig at Katacombes with Severed Head of State, Absolut and Parasytes. 1635 St-Laurent, 2 p.m., $20/$23

Up the street, Rrroooaaarrr continues the mayhem with Glue, Zoloa, Gaucho, Narcoleptics, Miocoso and Torment at Casa. 4873 St-Laurent, 7:30 p.m., $13/$16

Across the street at Sala, Rrroooaaarrr lets the hardcore blitz with S.H.I.T. with Institute, la Misma, Green Beret, Exit Order, Farang and Ursula. 4848 St-Laurent, 8:30 p.m., $15/$18

Sunday: Finally Rrrroooar winds things up at Casa with VCR, Mueco, Detestados, Façade and Drip. 4873 St-Laurent, 7:30 p.m., $10/$12

Monday: Beat Cops‘ Mikey Heppner is hardly shy about celebrating his birthday and has arranged for his band to play (and host a pre-show BBQ) at his favourite digs, Barfly. Happy birthday buddy! 4062 St-Laurent, p.m., $

 

Current Obsession: Desmond Dekker, Israelites

Jonathan.cummins@gmail.com