What the hell is Fish Fest?

Yep, you guessed it. As long as snow blizzards are not being forecast in the near future, Montreal will forever be in festival season. Fear not though as the Fish Fest has been going for a while now and boasts organizers that are just solid music fans. The Fishbum Records festival starts tonight and will run over the weekend at hip hotspot l’Esco.

In non-fest news, you can also catch a classic stoner rock record played in its entirety by some serious riff slingers as well as a show from a truly legendary UK82 punk band who were wearing make-up when Darkthrone’s Fenriz was still in diapers. Dig it!!

Thursday: As lovingly stated in my intro paragraph, heavy-duty duders Truckfighters return to town and will play their classic Gravity X record from beginning to end. Also taking part in the righteous rock at le Ritz is Sierra and Mooch. 179 Jean-Talon W., 8 p.m., $20/$25

Don’t be a total boner! Get in on the Fish Fest for all three nights starting tonight with the greased up and dressed down rawk power of Dangereens with Chacal, Light Bulb Alley and Efy Hecks at Fish Fest’s favourite watering hole on God’s green acre, l’Esco. 4461 St-Denis, 8 p.m., $12 (three-night festival pass $30)

Friday: It’s a Friday night fish fry at l’Esco when Fish Fest hold down their hump night with the doomy heaviness of Toronto’s Witchrot. (For a truly howling public break-up between Witchrot, members click on this link and get ready to grab yer sides.) They play with Charogne, Binoculars and Sugar Coma. 4461 St-Denis, 8 p.m., $12

Before you get your doom on with Witchrot, you can get your twang on with local Americana crooners Three O’Clock Train who will play for free at Cabot Square (Atwater & Ste-Catherine) at the ungodly hour of (get ready for it) 3 p.m.

For some catchy af down stroked punk you can make it down to Turbo Haüs to catch Barrasso with Oak Hearts, Screaming at Traffic and Jeffrey Lost Control. 2040 St-Denis, 9 p.m., $10

My big pick of the week is definitely going to go to the almighty Adicts, who will prove why they are the kings of U.K. punk when it comes to killer live shows. They’re playing l’Astral with local hardcore heroes Boids. This will be fuggin’ great! 305 Ste-Catherine W., 9 p.m., $41.25

Saturday: Fish Fest cap of this year’s shindig at l’Esco with a stonking gig with local psych punkers Red Mass, Fu, BloodSkinAtopic and Broken Column. 4461 St-Denis, 8 p.m., $12

I always got the doom and gloom set covered and they are probably already hip to the Nevermore goth night happening at Katacombes with DJ Faith and DJ Wax. Whatever you do make sure you show up at 2:55 or something cuz being the first person at a goth night is a serious bummer move, and not in a good way. 1635 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $6/$8

If you want to get into some serious punk rawk at a place that just drips punk, make it to Barfly to check out Leeech and the Rotten (totes punk name). 4062A St-Laurent, 9 p.m., PWYC

It seems that Barfly is booked so local rockers Ashtray Heart had to stretch out a bit and book the romantic environs of Bistro de Paris with their buds Leadheads. 4536 St-Denis, 9:30 p.m., price not listed

Sunday: For a night of primal garage, march down to l’Esco, which will be in Fish Fest hangover mode for Boston’s the Monsieurs with local horror punkers les Necrophiliacs and the Rejectors. 4461 St-Denis, 8 p.m., price not listed

Monday: If you have a hankering for some post-punk-encrusted shoegaze, you can take a chance at l’Esco with the City Gates, Laveda and Murmure at the busy as fuck l’Esco. 4461 St-Denis, 9 p.m., price not listed

To get your total metal fill this week, you will want to make it down to le Ritz for the pummelling power of Vatican with Type Caste, Hell of Self and Sink. 179 Jean-Talon W., 7 p.m., $13/$15

Tuesday: Tuesday is definitely a great night for people who like music that likes to colour outside of the lines. Things start off with the 46th edition of experimental music night Eardrum Buzz at Barfly, which starts early, ends early and boasts a free pool table (!). This edition will feature Unknown Blemish Master. 4062A St-Laurent, 6:30 p.m., PWYC

If you want to keep your experimental music night churning and burning, you can start off at Eardrum and then walk up the Main to la Sotterenea to catch Xarah Dion, Will Eizlini, James Schlidowski, Alexandre St. Onge, Antonin Bourgault and Dominic Jasmin. 4873 St-Laurent, 8 p.m., $10/PWYC

Current Obsession: Peter Laughner, self-titled box set

jonathan.cummins@gmail.com