Day 4
After the excitement of the previous three days the fourth and final day of FME had a very different energy, kicking off with a performance by Arts & Crafts’ Jean-Michel Blais. The neoclassical performer came on stage to a request that everyone shut off their phones, however this wasn’t enough to silence the constant popping of beer cans, and rustling from the audience. He did manage to transcend the constant distraction, and spent the time between songs making jokes and generally trying to break the stuffy image you’d expect from that kind of performance. Afterwards was a performance by Montreal electro-pop band Le Couleur, slipping into the attention of English Canada by virtue of the Polaris Long List they had a bit of hype to live up to. Thankfully they quickly dispelled any doubts and singer Laurence Giroux-Do had the crowd dancing in no time. They are definitely a band to keep your eyes on in the future.
The festival’s final performance was set on a special stage, set up actually in Lac Kiwanis as a tribute to Rouyn-Noranda native Richard Desjardins. As one of the biggest performers in the region, there was a genuine affection in all the tributes to him, which ranged from authentically quiet, to bombastic. Crowds came out in droves, with the beach packed to the absolute limits with more than 12,000 people in attendance. They were all in for a real treat however, as at the end of the 2 hour set Desjardins joined the performers on stage for a couple of songs in a rare performance.
When I spoke to artists who’d travelled from outside of Quebec, none of them had any idea where they were going when they accepted the festival, but they all had nothing but nice things to say about everyone involved. At the end of four days, FME truly revealed itself as a special event. It had a line up that stretched across pretty much any conceivable genre, and an event space that comprised of constantly appearing secret shows. From the festival staff, to the performers, everyone was extremely friendly and generous with their time, and it really did wonders for the atmosphere of the event.
Jean-Michel Blais, Le Couleur, Klô Pelgag, Matt Holubowski, Richard Desjardins, ANEMONE
Jean-Michel Blais
Le Couleur
Klô Pelgag
Matt Holubowski
Richard Desjardins
ANEMONE