Sunday is seen by many as a day of rest, perhaps even a day for reflection. And while it’s true that after three long days of shows going well into the night, I was in need of a bit of rest, that doesn’t mean I was going to mellow out on the final day of FME. Not by a long shot. Instead, I decided to close things out on a high note.
Sure, by Day 4, things were slowing down a little and the final day did feel a bit more chill. But it was far from restful, with intense sets from the likes of Baby Volcano and Despised Icon standing out as a couple of the day’s highlights.
I had caught Baby Volcano’s late-night set just the night before in the basement of Petit Théâtre—a setting much more suited to her energetic and provocative performance than the early evening lakeside stage she played on the festival’s final day. It was still a stellar set though. And while it had a very different vibe from her late-night show, both were equally enjoyable, and she didn’t seem to dial down the intensity one bit for her second appearance.
True to her namesake, Baby Volcano may be small in stature, but there’s a lot of energy inside just waiting to explode. She showed this early on in the set, shooing away a rather intrusive photographer who was pretty much right up in her face. She kept that level of attitude and intensity throughout, delivering an incredible show that blended electronic and hip-hop influences with a smattering of occult ritual vibes. Baby Volcano was absolutely one of the most memorable performers of the whole weekend.
Also memorable – though offering up a completely different sort of vibe – were Montreal deathcore titans Despised Icon. Playing FME in advance of their upcoming seventh full-length album Shadow Work, the band delivered an impressive show, highlighted by their dual vocalists and chunky riffage.
On a side note, this was the only show where I particularly noticed a bunch of locals without wristbands lining up outside the venue beforehand to grab a ticket. That’s hardly surprising though – French Canadians love their metal. And Despised Icon made it well worth their while. I was also pleased to find that, whether in French, English, or any other language, the universal term for “circle pit” appears to be … “circle pit.” And Despised Icon definitely inspired their fair share.
There was space for more restful and relaxing moments too. N Nao (whose cry of “Vive la musique émergente!” could serve as an unofficial motto for the festival) and Nadah El Shazly kicked off the evening portion at QG Salle de Spectacles with some beautiful sounds. El Shazly offered up a mesmerizing set of ambient, experimental music accompanied by a harpist, while N Nao impressed with selections from her latest album Nouveau Langage, hitting the sweet spot between glitchy experimental electronica and poppier sounds.
And the day got off to a good start with a great early afternoon set of cumbia from Empanadas Ilegales, who played a free show at the city’s botanical gardens. That show, along with several of the other free events throughout the weekend, demonstrated the festival’s strong commitment to community. These open-to-the-public events brought out many locals to sample the music on offer. Also: free corn on the cob.
A remote mining town in Northern Quebec may not be the first place that comes to mind when thinking of cool destinations for music festivals, but for those willing to make the trip, FME is a great time and overall, quite a unique experience.
All In all, not a bad way to spend the Labour Day long weekend.
