Tuesday evening, Barfly, downtown Montreal.
Having arrived Monday afternoon and done my best to stay up until 10pm local time (23 hours since I got up) to try and fool my body clock into not being jet lagged, Tuesday was my opportunity to see some of Montreal before the training started. And what an introduction to Canada it was.
Two other monitors had arrived Monday evening and a few more turned up Tuesday day time, four of whom I cajoled into heading downtown for a gig I’d been told about.
After a slice of pizza and a can of fizz for almost no money we turned up at the bar – black and scruffy on the outside, dark and dingy on the inside, “Montreal’s favourite dive bar” according to one of the band. The drinks were cheap, $4.75 a pint while light outside, $5.45 when it got dark.
The band was L’embouscade – three key members plus a few friends, including Mark Berube, one of my all time favourite musicians. He was sitting at the bar by the stage when I went over to say hey, not really expecting him to recognise me after more than two years. I should’ve had more faith in the friendliness of Canadians.
“Hey, Jen! You made it. How’s it going?” accompanied by a hug and kiss on the cheek. So we had a chat, later on he came over to where I was sitting with my friends to meet them too before disappearing. He came back just before the band were due on stage, sidled up and said “a present, don’t tell anyone” as he passed me his new album under the table. The joy of this was magnified by the fact that to save weight I'd left all my CDs at home and was stuck with just mp3s. I was already missing my music collection so a CD with a jewel case and insert was just what I needed.
The band was amazing. I’d read a review that said “as precise as a terrorist strike and as tight as the finest knit sweater” and I’d have to agree. It was just a shame that it was the drummer’s last gig with the band before he goes to study in Vancouver and that the band seemed to be built around the drummer who also did lead vocals and played melodica.
It was the perfect start to my time in Canada. Perfect.
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