Don't miss two incredible live bands performing in Montreal this month

Whenever the question “Who is the best live band ever?” comes up, I always have to offer up Nomeansno as one of the most transcendent and blistering shows I have ever witnessed. I’ve been lucky enough to have seen them more times than I can count and just always assumed that they would always be around and remain as vital as ever. Sadly, in 2016 they hung up their army boots for good.

In early 2024, the incredible NMN biography From Obscurity to Oblivion by Jason Lamb dovetailed with the debut release of NMN drummer John Wright’s new project Dead Bob. For Nomeansno fans, Dead Bob’s Life Like record has everything you want, with teeth-gnashing intensity, stop-on-a-dime arrangements and a constant state of urgency always at the fore. If you want to see this old-guard punk slug it out and play for all the marbles, scroll down to the Nov. 23 announcement. Happy birthday to all of the Scorpions!

Nov. 9

The greatest watering hole in the city, the Barfly, has been a fly in the ointment of gentrifying condo dwellers on the Main for almost three decades now. Helping them ring in 28 years of slingin’ the suds is Barfly’s fave band the Tina Trons, who will get the dance party started with all of your ’80s synth-drenched delights. In a Yelp review, an out-of-towner once described Da ‘Fly as “stabby,” which is the raddest thing ever. 4062A St-Laurent, 9:30 p.m., $10

Nov. 12

If you wondered what noise rock should sound like in 2024, you could do worse than check out Chat Pile at Club Soda with Agriculture and Traindodge. 1225 St-Laurent, 8 p.m., $41.50

On the flippity flop, utter Black Metal legends Mayhem will celebrate 40 years of thrilling young acne-ridden incels that just got out of professional wrestling at l’Olympia. Don’t get me wrong as Mayhem’s debut (post-Deathcrush) is still lethal after all of these years, and they can still draw blood, but their last stint in town at Club Soda was so limp, I actually left in the middle of the set to eat a poutine. Bad night? Maybe, but that poutine hit the spot though. 1004 Ste-Catherine E., 8 p.m., $70.75 [Ed.’s note: This show has been cancelled.]

Nov. 18

If you want to witness classic thrash from Bay Area duders who were at ground zero back in the early ’80s, you can catch legends Exodus with Havoc, Candy and Dead Heat at Beanfield Theatre. 2490 Notre-Dame W., 7 p.m., $52–$73

Nov. 23

John Wright from Nomeansno, under his new band Dead Bob, will obliterate Foufs like he did back in the day, with openers Lung (and my own rock ’n’ roll bonanza USA Out of Vietnam). Their debut Life Like is amazing at every turn, but it’s when stomping pines that Wright’s merry band of West Coast weirdos prove they are one of the best live bands in Canada. 87 Ste-Catherine E., 7 p.m., $30.20

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Nov. 25 & Nov. 26

Speaking of one of the greatest live experiences you can have, you’ll have to check out the two-night stint from one of Montreal’s best bands ever — actually, probably THE greatest — godspeed! you black emperor at MTELUS. Most things flying under the “post-rock” flag prove to be as boring as watching paint peel, but these local freaks can still raise the goosebumps with slow-crawling crescendos, and still manage to hit new heights that easily beat their best days above that car-repair garage. 59 Ste-Catherine E., 8 p.m., $57

Current Obsession: Nomeansno, One

“One” by Nomeansno

This article was originally published in the Nov. 2024 issue of Cult MTL.

For more Montreal music coverage, please visit the Music section.