It's no secret that the live music industry is in a strange place right now, and that goes doubly so for large-scale, multi-day events. As festival after festival declares 2024 to be its last year, or even cancels its already planned lineup, here at Consequence We’ve exhausted our keyboards trying to get to the bottom of it. From sustainability issues to disappointing lineups, it seems the way forward is experiential and niche, and that’s exactly what Quebec’s Festival de Musique Émergente (or FME, for us anglophones) seems calibrated to.
Held in the small town of Rouyn-Noranda (which is about seven hours north of Toronto and eight hours northwest of Montreal), FME is part music festival, part community gathering, and three parts party. Think South by Southwest if it were modest, manageable, and French-Canadian; or, perhaps, your neighborhood block party if it had the budget to bring in bands from around the world.
Unlike, say, Coachella or its Quebec cousin Osheaga, you won’t find big-name, multimillion-dollar headliners at FME. What you will find is a series of intimate, genre-spanning shows spread across the quaint town, from clubs to venue basements to a parking lot in front of the late-night poutine joint. It’s an electric environment filled with surprises, excitement and playful discovery.
For its 2024 edition, FME offered a diverse and highly curated lineup of acts (by none other than Canadian label and agency Mothland!). New York post-punks Bodega proved their brand could be the lives of attendees, Quebec art rockers Karkwa received a welcome from their home country’s heroes, and Oakland-based Malian funk outfit Orchestra Gold shined like precious metal – and that was just the first night of the main stage.
Here's a rundown of the highlights from the 2024 Festival de Musique Émergente, a little-known production that might just have it all figured out.
FME goes psycho(rock)o
While FME's lineup was very varied, there was one clear trend that held true throughout the four-day weekend: punk, edgy, funky psychedelic rock. Night after night, in various bars and venues around Rouyn-Noranda, the sweet sounds of phaser-laden guitar tones, outlandish vocals, and crazed, energetic sounds of madness echoed through the air. There's something about cottage cheese and sauce that really puts you in the mood for wild guitar music.
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