 Hitting the streets of Montreal next week (Oct. 19th – 22nd) is the mega popular and trendy festival MEG Montreal. Showcasing talent from three continents this ultra hip electronic groove fiesta promises to be one of Montreal’s finest festivals of the year. This undeniably great musical event, which was initially set up as a musical link between Montreal and Paris, and founded by Jacques Primeau and Mustspha Terki, is celebrating its 7th year anniversary; following its auspicious debut in 1999. Over the years this festival has grown into an internationally recognized event amongst the artistic community for its exceptional quality. With a firm foundation in showcasing a musically diverse international line-up in the past; from M83, Miss Kittin and Nouvelle Vague, and displaying such a resounding success into music expression locally in Montreal, MEG has been invited to host events in various cities scattered around the four corners of the world, most recently in Mexico, Italy, and at Printemps de Bourges in France.
Some of the high profile names confirmed for this year’s four day event stem from the rock infused Toronto native group Broken Social Scene, to the German experimental tech producer Superpitcher, and finish off with the new-school of old-school hip-hop Peanut Butter Wolf. The festival line-up also includes: local Quebecer Satan Belanger (alias Bruno Tanguay), the Chilean group Panico, the young Parisian producer Jackson, the American ultra sheik duet Adult. and the German electro-pop group Der Plan. In addition to all of the “pay” events there will be “pay-what-you-can” 17:00 – 20:00 showcases throughout the festival highlighting up-and-coming local talent. The grand finale will be an event co-hosted by MUTEK, and puts the icing on the cake, as Canadian techno legend Richie Hawtin will slam it down with Marc Houle and Ernesto as part of his DE9: Transitions tour.
The ingenious goal of the MEG affair is to mix a medley of extraordinary artists from diverse international locales whose music is characteristically daring and exploratory. It is this inspired goal that solidifies the MEG festival as a unique hub of cultural exchange, and ensures that it will draw both the musically inquisitive and melodically cultured masses.
Links to the artists performing at this exceptional festival can be found on the MEG Montreal homepage (www.megmontreal.com); in case you are interested in checking out a little bit more about each band performing over the course of the event, so as to best direct your focus of attendance to upcoming artists most in touch with a style of your own. The venues hosting this year’s MEG Montreal festival, Metropolis, Club Savoy Du Metropolis, Station C and Societe Des Arts Technologiques (SAT), are all in close proximity to one another; so as to enable individuals with a festival pass to transfer between venues with ease. As the MEG festival has become one of Quebec’s most highly acclaimed and anticipated festivals of the year it is important, if you desire to ensure your entry, that you purchase your tickets early!
Review by Melissa Burton |
