News Archive November 2010

M For Metropolis: Gene Simmons Can't Top Misteur Valaire, The Dears
From: ChartAttack.com
by Erik Leijon
Posted: November 24, 2010

The fifth annual M For Montreal - the alliterative showcase giving up-and-coming Montreal bands a chance to make names for themselves in front of foreign music bigwigs - got a big dose of GS this time around.

In what brought a more amusing, far-less-intrusive-than-one-might-suspect aspect to the very rigidly structured festivities, KISS founder and newfound Canadian label head honcho Gene Simmons brought his Canuck life partner and cameras to M to film an on-location episode of his popular television show Gene Simmons Family Jewels.

Simmons' transparent, all-business attitude caused two very funny moments.

The first was during the opening press conference where he told a room packed with local media (i.e. mostly French) that any self-respecting band interested in making money has to sing in English. The Scorpions, he pointed out, could barely speak two words of English and managed just fine.

The second was during the keynote debate about music branding. The tongued one was trading thoughts on forward-thinking multimedia band Gorillaz with a prominent local ad man when he referred to frontman Damon Albarn' other band, Blur, as the "woo-hoo" guys who never made it in North America. Considering the large contingent of British music journalists and promoters in the room, Simmons was lucky he didn't receive a broken beer bottle to the skull.

Of course, Simmons was absolutely correct in both instances, but it's true that sometimes it takes an outsider with such a singular focus as Simmons to point it out without fear of stepping on any toes.

Therefore, when reviewing the bands performing at the big M finale party at Metropolis (the one event tailored to the public instead of the international delegates), I couldn't help but wonder what Gene was thinking while watching Montreal heroes The Dears or Ghislain Poirier.

Did he get how important both of them were to the development of Montreal as a powerhouse musical community? Or did he just see a nerdish looking rock band and an unassuming DJ, neither capable of lending their likenesses to condom wrappers, slushie cups or caskets (all KISS bestsellers)?

In every respect, the most-talked-about act to emerge from the M For Metropolis gig were electro-party quintet Misteur Valaire, described as being a bit like a Quebec Hot Chip (minus the vocals and songcraft).

The five multi-instrumentalists were all clad in glittery vests, and performed, danced, jumped and maintained an infectious energy level that had the crowd enraptured. The frontman shouted English hip-hop slogans as the musicians around him switched between turntables/keys and horns seamlessly, every action intent on getting the crowd excited. Misteur Valaire scored a local hit earlier in the year with "Ave Mucho" - a track featuring Bran Van 3000 - but even without their famous friends around Valaire were very impressive.

The Dears premiered a new track from their upcoming Degeneration Street album, and if the mammoth guitar of returning member Patrick Krief and frontman Murray Lightburn's intro of "We're the fucking Dears" are any indications, the new new Dears are more ready to rock now than at any point in their already decorated history.

The presence of Gene Simmons was no doubt a source of intrigue, but ultimately M remained firmly about Montreal.