After some much-needed sleep, it was time to head to a Media event: Bonsound BBQ.
All around the circular pool were the artists that make up Laurence-Anne. The crowd huddled close, under the heat of the midday sun, some with their feet in the water as the band started to play a mix of Dream Pop with Alternative undertones.
I was loving the vibe of the location, the attendees, and this incredible band. That was when I began to understand the pull of this event, so far from home.
I felt truly disconnected from the reality of my business and the stresses back home, as I was starting to immerse myself in the experience.
The music was flowing freely, and as it entered my ears, the worries left me, like an auditory mental health cleanse.
Élégie
Élégie played a secret show at a nearby park, performing some Francophone Alt Rock.
The show started strong, with some catchy tunes, but at some point, veered into an awkward ditch.
In between songs, the chatty drummer pointed out an old school friend, showering compliments. Not long after, what seemed like a mock “almost” fight between the drummer and some lanky dude from the audience, left us all bewildered. The aggressor tore down some of the papers behind the band and went back to their seat.
It was made all the more awkward because a few kids were in the audience.
The drummer then referred to the old school friend as someone they didn’t know…all so random and distracting.
The friend left disgusted, as did I. I overheard the friend say: “If he doesn’t know me, then I’m outta here.”
Heaven For Real (Mint Showcase)
Heaven For Real took the stage for the Mint Showcase featuring some complex Indie Rock.
Speaking with Mark Grundy the next evening outside a venue, he confirmed at least one other person said there was a hint of Violent Femmes, as I suggested. He added Ween as well to the mix, which made perfect sense.
You can catch them playing one of the last shows at the Diving Bell. Ticket here.
Nora Kelly Band (Mint Showcase)
The Nora Kelly Band hit the stage with some Alt-Country. They played some songs off the newly released Rodeo Clown LP, which I quickly picked up and got signed by the band to add to my collection.
The sounds brought me back to a time when Those Darlins opened for Shakey Graves, and I was tricked into liking country.
You could tell there was some Punk residue from previous projects, but the slide guitar as well as Nora’s twang was just irresistible.
Catch them at Casa del Popolo on September 28, 2023. Get tickets.
What a rush to discover fantastic music, in a genre that I would not have otherwise investigated. This FME event was really beginning to grow on me.
Interview La Sécurité
Had a fun interview with Éliane Viens-Synnott & Kenny Smith, which turned into a great discussion with Kenny on the struggles of a musician in today’s scene.
The Interview and post interview will be posted soon in a separate article.
Rip Pop Mutant
We entered to the crazy antics of Alexander Ortiz (We Are Wolves) for his solo project Rip Pop Mutant.
The signature voice is mixed with tortured Pop to create a unique Electro-Pop mix from another world.
Rip Pop Mutant’s music is the antithesis of bedtime music. One way or another, it will awaken something!
Alias
Did Kurt Cobain have a twin? Quite possibly in the form of Alias, who rocked the stage with some entertaining bilingual Grunge meets Psych Rock combo.
Stuck around just enough to appreciate the performance, but I did not want to miss the band I had just interviewed.
Catch Alias on September 9th, at Bar Le Ritz: Get Tickets
Milk TV
Caught the tail end of the Milk TV set, who came all the way from Brussels to deliver some Art Punk/Post Punk tunes.
They could get quite hard and fast at times, and the crowd was really digging the tunes.
La Sécurité
Wow. What a show!
Éliane Viens-Synnott was a captivating front person, dancing and even playing drums for a few songs.
Kenny Smith shined with a ferocious attack of the drums, something that was talked about for the rest of the festival.
Laurence-Anne on guitars and synths really added some interesting sounds to the project, as well as Melissa Di Menna..
Although missing Félix Bélisle (Choses Sauvages) the band gave it their all, which ended up being one of the top performances of the weekend in my opinion.
It was as if the candy POP ROCKS came alive in the form of a band. It was popping!
Another signed album for the collection!
Conclusion
FME rocks! What a day! Saw some incredible performances, had great conversations and did yet another day with about 11,000 steps, all for a worthy cause: Emerging live music.
It was at this point where I fell in love with FME…yet more was yet to come to make this festival a bucket list festival for music lovers.
Writer: Randal Wark is a Professional Speaker and MasterMind Facilitator with a passion for live music. You can follow him on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. His Podcast RockStar Today helps musicians quit their day jobs with out-of-the-box advice from Ted Talk Speakers, Best Selling Authors and other interesting Entrepreneurs and Creatives. He created the Rock Star Today Music Business Jam Session for musicians. Randal is a collector of signed vinyl, cassettes and CDs.
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