Return of Industry
I crept past the open courtyard under the rain of a black sky, red lights winking above. At the iconic, eclectic Foufounes Électriques was Day 1 of AMP Industrial Festival. As I peeked past the door, it seemed like just another night at Foufs, but there were little details out of place.
A couple of leatherbound aliens lounged at the bar. They were an amicable troupe of industrial heads from Ottawa, drawn by the return of a major industrial festival.
I ambled up the stairs behind them. The door at the top opened, and the music crested out with smoky rays of red. Before the first hallway of Foufs was a mixed-up crowd, all ages, all genders dressed down in all shades of black. It was starting to swell. Thronged around under the red spotlights were vendors like Hexed Haven and Bark and Bite. Between them were spikes, chains, leather, and records.
The gathered group were a friendly, warm bunch beneath the sharp exteriors. Vanessa from Hexed Haven was a longtime member of the scene in Montréal. She spoke about how it felt like a big homecoming, a long-awaited gathering of many key personalities both from Montréal and beyond.
By now, Laura Krieg, based in Montréal, came on next as the third performer of the night. Her darkly whispered voice wandered over the top of a grooving electro bass line as she paced across stage. By the front, the crowd was already swaying, swinging, dancing, playing.
Continuously, concurrently, a smoky DJ set ran in the separate room on the far side of the vendor hall. A steady crowd trickled in and out, vibing and swaying within the coloured smoke, whether a respite from the concert or a taste of something different. Throughout the night, I was surprised by just how danceable the music was. It was just as melodic as house, but with far more bass and far more speed.
As I peered around the smoky corridors after the set, people chatted, some embraced. It felt more like a reunion than a big festival.
Sandrine, helping to sell merch for some of the acts, was a big fan of industrial music. She really missed the Kinetik Festival! But AMP Festival was something new, something nice, a new project after Kinetik closed down.
For one era, Kinetik had once been one of the defining festivals of the North American industrial music scene, inspiring several others across North America until it closed suddenly in 2013.
David was a new member of City Gates, a band which played earlier in the night. For him, it had been a great experience playing at AMP, with a friendly, artistic crowd that noticed every note.
Denuit took the stage next. They were a French band familiar with touring the European industrial circuit. They were playing their last night in Montréal before flying back. Singer Lis Araignée unfurled around the stage, her billowing voice sailing high and clean above the crowd, before dropping into a snarl among the bass lines.
Maya was a visiting industrial fan from Connecticut, rather charmed by their first time in Montréal. They were here on a weekend on a whim, pleasantly noticing that some of the DJs they had followed back home were also at AMP. The festival and the energy were welcoming and warm, reminding them of the various Goth nights in Connecticut, more or less carrying the same vibe. For me, it was a reminder that our community can even be international. And a point of pride for the artists and people of Montréal, always a city both self-assured and open to the world.
