A decade on, Amnesia Rockfest remains a manic mix of music, moshing, misfits and mayhem. Although this year’s line-up wasn’t my particular favourite, it’s the festival’s unique, anything-goes vibe that’s kept me coming back for the last five years. It’s also what has most certainly catapulted the once-tiny, rural Quebec festival onto the must-see international circuit. Let’s just say, I couldn’t be more proud when I spotted Amnesia Rockfest on Rolling Stone’s “Summer 2015 50 Must-See Music Festivals” list in April. Well, after a hot shower, a goodnight’s rest and some reflection, here’s my Rockfest 2015 highs and lows.
High:
There’s almost as much to see outside the festival as inside and, as usual, the cops aren’t interested in harassing you for open alcohol. Costume-clad, scantily-clad, mohawked or painted, the streets are filled with a colourful array of revelers. Greasy casse-croûtes and food trucks abound, as do bong vendors and peddlars of offensive t-shirts. You can even find a selection of inflatable dolls, if you’re so inclined. Hit the midway or catch a ride on a pedal-powered bus. You could also take a surprisingly affordable $50 helicopter ride over the festival grounds. And, of course, there were all sorts of free musical acts to be found playing in parks surrounding the festival.
Low:
A sad little patch of shade at Rockfest
Shade is at a serious premium at Rockfest and the blazing heat can have an adverse impact on endurance. Some of my friends paid extra for VIP passes and were sorely disappointed. Not only were the first tier VIP stands significantly farther away from the stage than they expected, they also didn’t include any shade as advertised. A “stupid waste of money,” was how one described it. On the plus side, there were far more paramedics wandering around the grounds than I’ve ever seen before. But nappers be warned, if you looked a little too comfortable, you could expect to be woken up by a gaggle of worried first responders.
High:
Did I mention that Rockfest has become a truly international festival? People are friendly, and striking up a convo with a stranger is a great way to meet new pals. It’s how my partner and I ended up rocking out to awesome sets by gypsy-punk band Gogol Bordello and classic punk rockers Rancid with a group from Ireland and the U.K. Amnesia Rockfest was a key stop on their ongoing festival-hopping circuit. This means that I know for a fact there were at least two groups of international revelers at this year’s show, as another fellow from overseas indicated in the comment section of my blog post from last year that he was looking forward to attending the 2015 edition. Yep, that makes it a truly international festival. I stand by this statement.
Second from left is author, Tobi Cohen rocking out with new pals from Ireland and U.K.
Low:
I thought Tenacious D was a joke by Jack Black. Not really sure why this act got a prime time spot on Saturday night. That being said, the crowd was surprisingly large and well versed in the band’s lyrics. Maybe the joke was on me. However, I’d add that ska punk crowd pleaser Less than Jake got a bit of a raw deal as the opening main stage act that very same day. The band clearly agreed as they made a number of references to and self-deprecating jokes about the unfortunate time slot. For example, if I remember correctly — it was early, give me a break — frontman Chris Demakes said: “We started drinking at 9:30 to get ready for the show!”
High:
Just $5 for a pedal bus ride through Montebello.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t say something about the bands. Very pleasantly surprised by Rob Zombie’s take on James Brown classic “Sex Machine” and rocked out hard to set closer “Dragula”. Also enjoyed Ministry, though, to my grease monkey partner’s great dismay, they didn’t play “Jesus Built my Hotrod”. (Note: He skipped a car race to attend this year’s Rockfest!) The Slayer light show was pretty spectacular and The Offspring remains one of my favourites even though I’d have preferred to hear them play “Smash” rather than “Americana”. The Pixies rocked way harder than I remember them rocking at Robert Guertin Arena back in 2004 where they played the same song twice, and Irish punkers Flogging Molly put on a high energy set and gave me a bit of a history lesson to boot: did not know about the forced slavery of the Irish in Barbados under Oliver Cromwell as described in the song “Tobacco Island”.
Low:
Sadly, it’s impossible to see it all. More so than year’s past, I left this year’s Rockfest feeling as though I’d missed a lot of acts I’d have liked to catch. In speaking with the lovely Montebello couple that has let my group squat on their property for the last two years, I learned that there’s talk of shrinking the festival next year to reduce costs. My first thought was “no way!” But the more I think about this, the more I think it may not be such a bad idea. So long as the festival doesn’t skimp on big names, perhaps less is more. The addition of a third night — Thursday was a “fuck sponsors night” featuring Propagandhi — was, arguably, unnecessary.
