In Montreal life can be hard if you’re a promoter. You can book the best act in the world but you’re always playing Russian roulette. One snowstorm and it’s over. Your venue will be half packed. This is kind of the same scenario that happened for Daniel Bell’s dj set last Saturday but instead of fighting against a snowstorm the 13% crew was fighting against a way bigger monster: La Nuit Blanche. I had a lot of friends interested in seeing the legendary techno dj but when you can choose between hundreds of free activities all night long or a dj set costing $35 most people will pick the first option.
While walking to the venue I was quite impressed by the industrial surrounding. It was a bit spooky but exactly the kind of playground you want for some techno music. The staff was friendly, not the usual aggressive afterhours bouncers. Daniel Bell was already on and a few people were dancing. It remained like that most of the night. The venue could have hosted a hundred or more people, but the vibe was good.
I wasn’t too impressed with the music and I was expecting way more from Bell. I thought he was playing very linear music and wasn’t taking very many risks. But still it wasn’t a bad night. The dozens of different shooters I tried at the fairly priced bar were quite enjoyable. I guess at that point I decided that kissing my neighbors and leaving the club without my winter coat was a great idea! Sometimes going crazy is the way to go. Especially when the dj’s most famous song is called Losing control.
The 13% crew is bringing amazing acts to town. Keep an eye open on their bookings. Next one will be Masomenos on March 18th at U.N.
Photo: espacereunion.ca