If you were anywhere else in Montreal last night, you missed a tour de force in kinetic energy, bold showmanship, and the unfiltered power of live music. The Bell Centre traded its hockey legacy for pop-punk adrenaline, arena-sized sing-alongs, and theatre-of-the-absurd spectacle, one of those nights where you’re grateful your city still hosts shows this wild.
Point North
Point North set the tone, launching into their set and instantly flipping the arena’s mood from “hockey cathedral” to “hotbed of pop-punk adrenaline.” I can’t say for sure what the opening track was (sometimes even a reviewer gets caught up in the moment), but standouts like “Bring Me Down”, “2 Liter Spite”, and “Ghost In My Home” hit like a cold Molson on a sweaty July afternoon—crisp, refreshing, with just enough bite. While “Safe & Sound” was off the menu, Jon Lundin’s passion and the band’s tight, punchy sound turned even the curious newcomers into instant fans. Point North made it clear—they’re gunning for your next favourite playlist, and you could feel the crowd buying in.
Hollywood Undead
Hollywood Undead kept things mask-free but totally unhinged, storming the stage with “Riot”—a barn-burner opener that set the vibe for the night: high-octane, no holding back. Early in their set, they pulled a young fan on stage and—because only Hollywood Undead could get away with it—had him flip off the entire crowd, earning the loudest cheers of the night (and, possibly, a lifetime memory for the kid—and his parents). Their new track “Savior” landed with the force of an instant classic, though I found myself wishing they’d slotted in “Hollywood Forever” too.
The set’s latter half brought us “Bullet,” my personal highlight every time. Musically, the track radiates sunny, infectious good vibes—with its melodic bounce, you could almost believe you’re listening to an anthem of optimism. But lyrically, it’s anything but. That contrast—dark subject matter cloaked in pure pop effervescence—is what makes “Bullet” not just a standout but a classic in their catalogue. Right before that highlight, they led a euphoric “Sweet Caroline” singalong, setting up the crowd for pure contrast: a song that bounces with sunshine and pop hooks, hiding heartbreak in plain sight. That’s Hollywood Undead in a nutshell—crowd engagement maxed, surprises around every verse, and zero filter.
Falling in Reverse
Falling in Reverse took every shred of anticipation and detonated it across the Bell Centre with a masterclass in modern arena rock showmanship. Theatrics were in no short supply: a muppet video opened the set, and from there, all bets were off. Ronnie Radke commanded the stage like a ringmaster with a devilish grin—whether orchestrating the infamous “asshole cam” (inviting a sea of Montrealers to join him in some truly shared hand gestures), bantering with that puppet between songs, or donning a cowboy hat for the unexpected country flavours of “All My Life.” Every move felt precisely reckless, and the crowd ate up every second.
What truly elevated the night, though, was the production—pyro blasts timed to guitar drops, strobes that sent the arena’s shadows dancing, and a light show that made every track from “Just Like You” to “Watch the World Burn” feel cinematic. It wasn’t just a concert; it was a full-spectrum spectacle. The setlist was a fan’s fever dream: older bangers like “The Drug in Me Is You” and especially “Situations” (the Escape the Fate throwback, which nearly blew the roof off) bled easily into newer juggernauts like “Popular Monster” and “Voices in My Head.” Radke’s versatility was on full display, careening from spitting venomous bars to belting arena-filling choruses, sometimes holding his hand high near his mouth as if physically pulling every note from deep in his chest.
Genre lines were obliterated—hip-hop, metalcore, electronic flourishes were all woven together into one relentless blitz. It’s clear why this band refuses to stand still; every song was a statement on evolution, with Ronnie shaping and reshaping the band’s identity on the fly. Audience energy never dropped, every fan in the pit screaming back the lyrics, crowd-surfing, or just losing themselves in the sheer scale of the thing.
The closing stretch was pure catharsis: “Popular Monster” and “Watch the World Burn” had the pit heaving, not a stationary body in sight. Then, as if the night needed one last communal exclamation point, Falling in Reverse led us all through a soaring, crowd-wide singalong to Queen’s “We Are the Champions”—lifting the Bell Centre to a wall-of-sound crescendo that still feels lodged in my ribcage. This was everything you want from a headliner: jaw-dropping musicianship, unpredictable theatre, nostalgia with new edge, and a frontman who knows exactly how to keep a crowd talking for weeks.
Across all three sets, there was one small technical hiccup: the side-stage video screens lagged a good quarter second behind the music. It was noticeable (to me at least), annoying, and—for anyone more than halfway back in the floor or standing—a real buzzkill. Bell Centre, seriously, these acts (and your crowd) deserved better for a show of this scale.
This was a night where every band brought their own brand of spectacle—Point North with earnest energy, Hollywood Undead as swaggering masters of crowd engagement, and Falling in Reverse turning arena rock into pure theatre. Here’s hoping Bell Centre tweaks their AV setup before the next wild night rolls through. If shows like this are the standard for arena rock in 2025, bring on the next wild night. Montreal—never change.
Review – Maxime le Huidoux
Photos – Sydney Bishop
