Concordia journalism professor by day, punk rock star by night
Montreal’s punk scene is thankfully not on fire, but thriving
Paul Gott, a Concordia journalism professor and lead singer of famed Montreal punk band the Ripcordz, is comfortable as interviewer and interviewee. After playing 21 shows nationwide, Gott was stoked to be back in Montreal for the band’s show on Oct. 11.
“It’s always fun to play [at] home, though it’s a little weird, too,” Gott said. “We’ve really just been playing Fattal, you know, the crazy place down by the tracks in Saint-Henri. It’s weird to be out of that atmosphere and in a regular club atmosphere.”
The Montreal show at Piranha Bar was extra special for Gott—who was also The Link’s news editor in Volume 4 from 1984 to 1986—because his son, Xander Gott, was in the crowd.
“I stopped playing shows like big tours for 10 years because I’m a single dad,” the proud father said. “I always vowed my son would never have a babysitter, and he never did.”
The younger Gott brought some friends along to the show. Mid-set his dad gave them a shoutout: “I’d like to point out that the kids from McGill have been out pitting the punks for well over an hour. What the fuck!”
Others in the crowd were also attending in support of their loved ones.
“Well, I’m dating the bassist. The temporary replacement, once in a while,” said cosmology student Caroline Rosanita Berenice Villamonte Potvin, whose forest green hair matched the bassist’s.
Rosemary Hosson was also proud to see her son, Ian Hoss, on stage as the bassist, and her boyfriend, François Demers, as the drummer.
Simon Pelletier, lead singer of opener La Dérape, has been a fan of the Ripcordz since he was 14 years old.
“It’s an old band that introduced me to punk rock and the scene in Montreal,” Pelletier said. “We’re proud to be a member of the crowd tonight. It’s an honour for us to open for the Ripcordz.”
La Dérape were followed by Crooked Jacks and We Told You So, whose energy got the crowd moving. The pit formed after their first few songs. Jim Giguère, lead singer and guitarist of We Told You So and also the event organizer, spun and jumped around on stage, dodging wires everywhere.
Despite being around since 1980, Gott believes the punk scene in Montreal “is more alive for punk rock than it ever has been before.” The Piranha Bar crowd, a true mix of young folks and punk rock veterans, was a sea of black t-shirts, beards, coloured hair and studded black leather. Couples made out, some people sang along, while others moved erratically to the music, like beyblades in the pit.
When Out of Order hit the stage, professional cameras and video equipment popped up out of nowhere to capture their set. It was quickly apparent why, as the lead singer had an incredible stage presence, swinging the mic around and standing on the speakers, quickly changing from a hoodie to a tank top drenched in sweat. They warmed the crowd up for the Ripcordz, who took the stage close to midnight.
The pit grew substantially. The music was fantastic and loud enough that a few songs in, no one could hear that the fire alarm had gone off. The bartender jumped on stage and asked everyone to evacuate. Outside the bar, roughly 50 punk rockers waited in the rain. Gott confirmed this was a first for him.
The crowd was given the all-clear to return; a smaller group now, but more pumped and energetic than before. The show continued and the fire alarm went off a second time. Montreal firefighters showed up and allowed the show to continue while they investigated the reason for the false alarms.
The punk rock scene is without a doubt thriving in Montreal and continues to bring people together perhaps more than ever before, according to Gott. It was certainly an unforgettable night, one where family, friends, fans and even firefighters came together to show their love for the legendary punk rock band, the Ripcordz.
