The fall festival clusterfuck is here

The behemoth in the room is definitely the POP Montreal fest, which starts this Wednesday. Rest assured that I will help separate the wheat from the pop chafe in this column next Thursday, and try and guide you to the true gems under POP’s ever-expanding parasol, but this week features not one but three festivals which are going to be just fuggin’ rad. Yumpin’ yiiminy!

 

The Fests

 

For fans of industrial and noise you are not going to want to miss the jam stacked first annual Component One Festival, which starts tonight with Selfish Implosions, Un Regard Froid, Lowebrau, Grekzel and Nausia (not the N.Y. crust band) at Casa. 4873 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $5-$10/PWYC

On Friday, Component One goes off at Casa again with Appetite, Hyena Hive, Thames, Blankets, Bachelorette and Musique Electronique Extreme De Eeyou Pstchee. 4873 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $5-$10/PWYC

On Saturday, the pummeling continues with Paul Trafford, Parliament (wow, George and Bootsie have really changed things up), Vromb, Pelvic Floor, DJ Fishead, a screening of the Frederick Maheux film Ana with visuals and other short films at Matahari Loft. 1673 Mont-Royal E., 9 p.m., $5-$10/PWYC

The Montreal Psych Fest returns for another year with a killer night of bands. Things kick off tonight with Birds of Paradise, Crosss, Milk Lines and Poncuation at Divan Orange. 4234 St-Laurent, 10 p.m., $20 (or $50 for a weekend pass)

The Psych Fest lets you know it’s okay to trip two nights in a row when they take over la Vitrola with Paul Jaobs, Pachyderm, les Marinellis, Demon’s Claws and the always great Pypy. 4602 St-Laurent, 9:30 p.m., $20

Ending with a bang, Psych fest wraps at la Vitrola on Saturday night and hosts Idale, Adam Strangler, the Auras, Blue Cheese and…..Human Eye!!! If you saw the singer from Human Eye stick his head through a big of guacamole at POP about five years and some change back you know this will be utterly killer. 4602 St-Laurent, 9:30 p.m., $20

Finally one of the best festivals in Montreal — which manages to fly under the local radar every year but is packed with out of towners — is the Wings of Metal festival happening over the next three days at Katacombes. The bummer is that if you’re not gripping tix for Friday and Saturday night’s shows, they sold out almost as soon tickets became available online. You can definitely make the kick-off party with Metalian, Occult Burial and Demontage, with co-promoter DJ Satannick keeping things evil. 1635 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $10

If you’re holding tickets, you can catch Razor, Vulcain, Amulet, Zemial, Throaat and Barron Night. 1635 St-Laurent, 6 p.m., SOLD OUT

Saturday night is the real jewel in Wings crown as they managed to snag NWOBHM legends Angel Witch for the headline slot, with Mefisto, High Spirits, Votax, Christian Mistress, Savage Master and Droid. 1635 St-Laurent, 5:30 p.m., SOLD OUT

On Sunday you can return to the scene of Wings of Metal’s crime for a record fair starting at 2 p.m. followed by a BBQ on Katacombes’ awesome terrasse. 1635 St-Laurent, 2-5 p.m., $5

 

The Rest

 

Thursday: For those of you who are in town for Wings of Metal, you should head to Hemisphère Gauche to catch Oakland’s Ragana who are playing with the devastatingly great black metalists Spectral Wound (who are calling it quits with one more show after this), Night Witches and Dearth. 221 Beaubien E., 9 p.m., $5-$10/PWYC

Local promoters Analogue Addiction have cooked up quite a night at l’Esco, with Varger (who’ll be launching a record) plus Feefawfum and Nushu. 4467 St-Denis, 9 p.m., $7

New Pornographers’ Kathryn Calder is right next door to l’Esco that night with ex-Devil Eyes’ Ghost Vines and Valsseau d’Or. 4481 St-Denis, 9 p.m., $7

Turbo Haus presents their first show in their Blatant Localism series with the heaviest band in Montreal, the Great Sabatini, with Kennedy and Sabatini offshoot band Angles. 5011 Notre-Dame W., 8 p.m., PWYC

Friday: As part of the Escales Improbables festival, 10,000 Horses (aka Alexis O’Hara and Stephen Lawson) launch their debut rekkid at Bain Mathieu with help from l’Orchestre d’Hommes – Orchestre, Frank Dadure and Cirq’ Antiq. 2915 Ontario E., 8 p.m.

Saturday: The Great Sabatini playing on Thursday is certainly a no-brainer but my big local pick of the week would be doomy trio Big / Brave, who launch their debut Au de la on super giant label Southern Lord!!! Congrats folks! Helping them out at le Ritz will be Lungbutter. 179 Jean-Talon W., 9 p.m., $10

Coming out of the woodwork with the release of a new album, the Adam Brown will lay it down at Salon Sweet William with the GT’s and Lunar Exile. 5337 St-Laurent #210, 9 p.m.

Sunday: Don’t miss Turbo Haus faves Mountain Dust with Blood Pheasant, Harris Hawk and Fatigue Kills at — you guessed it, Dorothy — Turbo Haus. 5011 Notre-Dame W., 9 p.m., $10

Wednesday: POP Montreal comes out swingin’ hard and heavy with a stacked night starting off with fucking rock ‘n’ roll legends the Sonics with les Breastfeeders, and you betcha, squirt, this without a doubt gets my pick of the week. I defy you to play me a rawer rock ‘n’ roll record than the Sonics’ blaster “Boom.” 5240 Parc, 9 p.m., $30/$33

All psychonauts report at Rialto to engage in the otherworldly sounds of Suuns and Jerusalem in My Heart with Hrair Hrachian. 5723 Parc, 8 p.m., $16/$18

Finally, champion stoners and serious riff slingers Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats make a speedy return to town at Theatre Corona with Ruby the Hatchet and Ecstatic Visions. 2490 Notre-Dame W., 8:15 p.m., $20/$23

 

Current Obsession: Godflesh, Streetcleaner

jonathan.cummins@gmail.com