Primal, pummelling, powerhouse Montreal shows this week

It’s a big week o’ gigs this week, and there is not one but two ex-pat bands returning to lay down a special hometown beat-down.

Friday: Fans of U.K. pop will want to make it to BBAM Gallery to catch the La’s’ Mike Badger, who will converse with BBAM owner Ralph Alfonzo and read excerpts from his new memoir The Rhythm and the Tide, as well as perform an acoustic set. 3255 St-Jacques W., 7-10 p.m., free

For a night of noise rock, you could do far worse than heading down to Bistro de Paris to catch Nuage Flou with Caapi and Children of the Sea. 4536 St-Denis, 9 p.m., PWYC/$8 suggested

Montreal synth wave artiste Marie Davidson is about to embark on a three-month tour but before she packs her bags and ships off she’s squeezing two shows in this week. The first one is a night entitled Bullshit Threshold,  a show in 10 acts including music, visuals, theatrical performance, projections and more. John Londono will handle visuals and Hub Studio will do projections. This all goes down at Sala to close out the Phénomena Festival. 4848 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $12

On a more metal tip, Metropolis’s walls will shake to the righteous thunder of Gojira with Tesseract. 59 Ste-Catherine E., 8 p.m., $34.50/$38

Le Ritz will pack ’em in for L.A. post-hardcore band Touche Amore with Tiny Moving Parts and Culture Abuse. 179 Jean-Talon W., 7:30 p.m., $20/$23

For a night of snarling punk rawk, you should be at la Vitrola to catch Drip, F.I.T.S., Moblish and Red Skull. 4602 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $5/$10/PWYC

Saturday: The always energetic and occasionally drunk Derm Kean and an Incredible Woman launch their new jammer Incredible at God’s favourite watering hole, Barfly, with Errhead opening. 4062 St-Laurent, 11 p.m., price unlisted

Our old post-punk buds Pelada take a break from Berlin and get some hometown love with openers Sleazy (featuring Marie Davidson and Ginger Breaker), M. Salaciak, Stressor, DJ Carmen and Jaclyn Kendall. Secret location, 11:30 p.m., $10

A definite rad night would be had at le Ritz with Adam Torres and musical powerhouse (and Swans member) Thor with his friends and the droney drones of Echo Beach. 179 Jean-Talon W., 8:30 p.m., $12/$15

One of the most intimate rooms in the city, Brasserie Beaubien, will host Portland punks White Fang with No Parents and Birth Defects. 73 Beaubien E., 9 p.m., $8

Sunday: Vancouver punks White Lung will play at l’Astral with Flasher. (White Fang and White Lung playing one day apart from each other? Weirdsville maaaan.) 305 Ste-Catherine W., 8 p.m., $18/$22

Tuesday: Deadly Mardi DIY Shows series at Rockette keeps kicking with Sad. 4479 St-Denis, 10 p.m., $5/PWYC

Wednesday: Parisian situationist punks Guerilla Poubelle will be at le Ritz with the Montreal rocker super group Speed Massacre and Athena. 179 Jean-Talon W., 9 p.m., $12/$15

Finally, another ex-pat band — Vile Intent — will lay some power violence on yer sorry ass at Casa, launching their new record Machine Into Flesh with openers Ghost Taco, Ultrarat, Remwar and False Lives. Although musically on different planets, don’t be surprised to see some familiar faces from the Pelada show here. 4873 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $5/PWYC

Current Obsession: Descendents, Milo Goes to College

jonathan.cummins@gmail.com