Ten Reasons Why You Should Regret Missing La Noce

Angine de Poitrine Spotted in Their Natural Habitat

Angine de Poitrine is a cultural phenomenon on a global scale, but Khn and Klek have not forgotten where they come from. Mars? Maybe, at first glance, but in reality, from the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region. In the heat of the mosh pit, swept up in their microtonal rock shaped like mathematical functions, music fans experienced something momentous—the return of the prodigal children, in a way.

// Read also: Angine de Poitrine, From Cult Oddity to Global Sensation

Les Louanges Debuted Alouette

We couldn’t wait to hear the live versions of Les Louanges’ new songs from Alouette, his generous and sovereignist-minded album. It was moving to see Vincent Roberge so sure-footed, putting his musical talent at the service of causes larger than himself, such as the independence of Québec, welcoming immigrants, and the realities of caregiving.

Le Belladone Shocked Prudish Festival-Goers

Prior to La Noce, we knew Le Belladone for their album Eucharistie, which had the obvious potential to rile up what’s left of the clergy. But onstage, they take things to another level. Highly theatrical and provocative, their experimental pop offering is rooted in the codes of drag queen culture, with elaborate costumes and reveals, and gestures make quite an impression. Special mention goes to their backing vocalist, Fyore, who accompanies them in full sisterhood.

Lou-Adriane Cassidy Reigned Supreme

The singer-songwriter from Québec City is, without a doubt, one of the most important and beloved musical figures in La Belle Province right now, and at La Noce de coquelicot, she lived up to that reputation. With her powerful voice and sweeping gestures, she lifted the crowd, fully inhabiting songs that already haunted us on record. The table is set for a lasting career that will surely inspire many others.

Robert Robert Gave Everything He Had

With his house-inflected pop firestarters, Robert Robert fills listeners with a powerful will to live—and, incidentally, to party, to quote the title of his best-known song. In extremely fine form, the Montréaler brought La Noce to a roaring close, jumping around nonstop, pushing his body to the limit, and urging the crowd to do the same. You simply had to be there.

Gab Bouchard Sang for His People

“Even my uncle’s here—hey, Unc’!” Gab Bouchard exclaimed between songs, from the roof of a bus decked out in the colours of Chicoutimi’s 350^th anniversary and parked right in the middle of Racine Street, the main, the historic commercial artery of Saguenay City. Flanked by the equally excellent Éléonore Dessureault—also from Lac-Saint-Jean—he tore through his rock, almost country-tinged tunes, whose lyrics are disarmingly down to earth and honest.

// See also: Gab Bouchard presents “Encore, Encore”

VioleTT Pi and Klô Pelgag Shared the Stage

They have been a couple for years but have remained very discreet about it. But thanks to their duet Jeûner, from VioleTT Pi’s brand-new album, Klô Pelgag had the perfect excuse to join her partner in the spotlight. What followed was a tender, offbeat moment, fully in tune with their respective creative worlds, where, among other things, they share a love of the French language and rhythmic progressions.

// Read also: VioleTT Pi, Deliberate Drift

Maten Entranced the Crowd

The band from Mani-utenam wrapped up its world tour at La Noce, among the flood ruins at Chicoutimi’s former pulp mill. Armed with his “Amazon-bought” drum—as Samuel Pinette joked—Mathieu McKenzie kicked off two makusham dances, a traditional dance that, in this setting, brought Indigenous and non-Indigenous people together while a whiff of reconciliation hung in the air. We would be remiss not to mention the virtuosity of guitarist Ivan Boivin-Flamand.

Jashim Led a Revolution

Originally from Colombia, Jashim has now put down roots in Montréal, where they are an active part of the underground Latino scene. Others have described their music as post-reggaeton. Whatever the label, their electro approach hits home when it meets the rhythms of cumbia. In Spanish, they also voice a very “fuck the system” politically charged message that is anti-capitalist and unmistakably pacifist.

Gab Paquet, Wedding Singer

The festival’s name says it all: at La Noce, people choose to get married onstage, just like that, in front of total strangers. For three days, Chicoutimi becomes Québec’s answer to Las Vegas. Gab Paquet had the honour of providing the soundtrack to these ceremonies—some real and moving, others wacky and funny. And he did it with flair, making classics from the French-language songbook his own.