As a foreigner travelling around watching bands all over the place, I always try and understand the local scene, wherever I go. In this particular case, what I got out of the Montreal scene was that you may go to Berlin, London or New York and chances are you are going to find great rock bands that are both creative and genius but here you get people smiling on stage, you get happy musicians. Why is it so? Is it something in the water? Anyway, the 2 day week end started with a bang. Shock Terapy was an outfit with tons of energy. It was a display of pure adrenaline… I was in for a treat that night. Pete came on and played excellent pop songs (aahhh… those melodies!). Great band. The ill Effect was next and showed great technical skill as well as a good professional approach. The Terrorists soon followed: they were young (I think the youngest there) and you could tell they were having fun like a bunch of loose teen agers on an alcohol fuelled frenzy. Les Clients and Les Voisins closed the evening with similar pop-rock songs that is traditional “Quebecois” (these parts of Canada are very proud indeed). Saturday night started with a 3piece rock outfit fronted by a fantastic singer and a female bass player that made all the boys in the room melt. True rock and roll!! (She was playing a Les Paul after all). Book For Banners was a really young and energetic band. The boys had a permanent smile on their faces and that alone was infectious ( all teen-age bands in Montreal are cool or was it just my luck?). Something completely different in the form of Warfare was up next and they were heavy (and I mean heavy). Big loud guitars and attitude… great combination! Deluxe Mixed Nuts was a mad duo doing electronics mixed with noises and heavy guitar sounds… they’re show was so crazy that the audience shat themselves…(they shocked people literally). Obscene Machine was a great bunch of youngsters with an really good keyboard player showing his skills… these boys rocked. Y The Band was a group of lads that have been around the block. Blessed with a voice that would make girls weep, the front man went ahead and belted tunes that sounded like they should be on the radio. A technically competent band with a drummer that is so solid that he did not need the kit mics on it. He could teach everybody in that room a thing or two. Truly brilliant. Sunyata closed the night with a Nirvanaesque tinge and a voice that meant personal pain and anguish. These boys were solid and pulled off a good performance. After all it was a great Friday and Saturday. Two days of Montreal rock for an Australian cousin (that’s what we Aussies and Canadians call each other) that truly appreciated it… don’t forget to smile when you get on stage!