The trek from Montreal to Granby was well worth it as Festival Au Lac’s second iteration proved to be a formidable one. Providing three days worth of music for fans of punk, rock, metal and hardcore, I would say the festival’s third day was perfect closure.
I arrived on site before the first band went up on stage. The crew was still setting up, and the festival goers hadn’t arrived yet. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but with seven different bands lined up from 3:00 to 11:00 PM, I knew I was going to be in for quite the show. Once the gates opened, I made my way to the pit and joined the other photographers. The front row was lined up with your typical hardcore denizens, pierced septums, stretchers and long, dark hair, and the volunteers guarding the pit were decked out in similar attire. Seeing what kind of folks I was surrounded made me confident that I was going to get some sick crowdsurfing shots.
Run Terry Run was the first band to make it onstage, a hardcore punk trio from Granby. Their set was a clear window into what I was to expect from this monumental third day. Sonically charged hardcore rhythms tinged with abrasive vocals. The band got the crowd riled up enough for the second act, Basterds, a hardcore band from Drummondville that were absolutely electrifying. Their sound was harsher, their tone was more irreverent, and their intensity was excessive in the best way possible. Run Terry Run was a great opener, but these guys were performers and it showed, with every one of their members dashing across the stage, jumping, jiving and kicking the air to the music.
Get the Shot was up next, and I didn’t think things could get moving any more than they had been but boy was I wrong. Lead singer Jean-Philippe Lagacé’s throaty and rapid-fire vocals matched his onstage energy as he hurled himself more than once into the crowd below him, never ceasing to sing as he was being carried around chaotically by the excited festival goers. Tommy Chiasson and Dany Roberge also killed it on the guitar and bass respectively, with Chiasson drawing particular attention for his jerky guitar playing.
Bigger names started to show up around evening time as each successive band had a longer set list, but the next few hours felt like things were slowing down a little. The Oakland-based beatdown group Lionheart came up just before 6:00 PM, their set being a little less energetic but no less aggressive. Lead singer Rob Watson didn’t have the captivating stage presence of the bands before him, but his guttural vocals and the band’s fierce riffs kept the crowd going strong. The last band before the headliners was Arizona’s own Blessthefall. A metalcore band who gave an equally enjoyable if somewhat redundant performance. They did know how to work the crowd though. The crowdsurfing was at its peak at this point and the headliners had not even come out on stage yet.
As the sky began to darken and the sun commenced its descent, In Flames took the stage. The difference between these guys and the ones before them was like night and day. Lead singer Anders Fridén moved a lot less than the previous singers, slowly meandering across the stage as he sang, but his command of the crowd was hypnotic. He knew exactly what he was doing. I was entranced at the seemingly effortless way he screamed into the microphone, and the chemistry between the band members was utterly palpable as guitarists Chris Broderick and Bryce Paul jammed alongside each other more than once onstage. In Flames’ set lasted over an hour, and by the time they were done (almost 10:00 PM), it was ABR’s turn.
I had never seen August Burns Red live, but I’m glad it was dark outside when they entered the stage. The metalheads cheered as every band member took their place, and after one strum of JB Brubaker’s guitar, the light show began, and the band immediately went into their first song. Their set had everything: a five-piece band all in sync with one another, flashing coloured lights pointed in every direction, dense smoke coming out at the songs’ peak, and an aggressively abrasive heavy metal sound. Lead singer Jake Luhrs brought the showmanship up to 11, hunching and spreading his arms and fingers out theatrically, reminiscent of a gargoyle or a demon. The flashing lights illuminated the stage for split seconds at a time, giving the crowd an illustrative glimpse at the band’s intense performance. Never saw anything quite like it.
Review & photos – Alex Distaulo
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