Festivals & Events: Pouzza Fest 8 mini interviews (part 2)

Pouzza Fest is happening next week. This will be the 8th year that punk festers will descend on Downtown Montreal for the three day festival. Reel Big Fish, Anti-Flag and Face to Face is set to headline the weekend. A Wilhelm Scream, Cancer Bats, Get Dead, Chixdiggit!, Tsunami Bomb, This Is A Standoff, War On Women and much more is set to perform as well. The festival will happen on May 18th to the 20th, 2018. Weekend passes are still available. For more information on the festival, you can click here .
To celebrate the 8th year of the festival, we have asked Reel Big Fish, Penske File and Nightmares For A Week a few questions as a apart of our mini-interview series and here are their responses.

Aaron Barrett of Reel Big Fish

Is this your first time playing Pouzza Fest? Did you come for the poutine?

This is our first time playing and I had no idea till just now that this fest had anything to do with poutine! We all LOVE poutine!!!

What band(s) on the Pouzza line up are you stoked to see or play with?

It's always great to play with our friends in Anti-Flag! We also love Dan P and MU330! It'll be fun to see PkewPkewPkew again, we just toured with them last year and they're awesome! So many great bands on this bill, it's gonna be a fun time!!

Is there a band on the Pouzza lineup this year that you would want to collaborate with, who would that be and what would you hypothetically work on?

I'd love to do an album of Warren Zevon Ska covers with Dan Potthast!

What is the best thing about Montreal? What makes it unique for you?

So much culture, so much beauty and art and such wonderful people! We feel so lucky every time we get to come to your town!!

Would you ever try Pouzza? (Pizza and Poutine together)

I didn't even know that existed in real life, I only imagined it in my wildest wet dreams!! I'm soooooooooo stoked and excited to try some!!!
Photo by Jonathan Thorpe.

Travis Miles of Penske File

Is this your first time playing Pouzza Fest? If no, how many times before and what years? Did you come for the poutine?

Nope, we actually played Pouzza Fest quite a few times. We've all been to Pouzza every year since Pouzza 2 and have been playing the festival consistently since Pouzza 3. It's always a weekend we really look forward to. Didn't initially come for the Poutine, but it has become a staple of the pilgrimage.

What band(s) on the Pouzza line up are you stoked to see or play with?

There are so many bands I want to see. Really just tons and tons of friends from all over coming to one place to do the thing is just so dang excited. I doubt I could narrow down a list. But I will say I'm super stoked on the lineup of our show at Katacombes on the Saturday. So many wicked friends are on that bill (Fire Next Time, Rules, JSM to name a few) and also This is a Standoff will be closing the night right after our set which is exciting. We all grew up loving that band so it'll be a blast watching them shred again.

Is there was a band on the Pouzza line up this year that you would want to collaborate with, who would that be and what would you hypothetically work on?

Haha. I saw the girls in Mobina Galore answered a similar question for Punkanormal Activity, where Marcia said they'd join up with us to form a "supergroup" and we'd call the band Christmas Gator or something like that. It's an inside joke of sorts bore from a touristy day off on our tour down to fest last year. Seeing as there would only be 5 of us combined it seems like it could actually work well. Essentially we would mainly write #1 smash comedy pop hits and we'd have an online show through CBC comedy and probably also a private jet.

What is the best thing about Montreal? What makes it unique for you?

I've always had a great time in Montreal, and for some reason a lot of fond yet hazy memories of mine have been made there. Maybe that has something to do with the general demeanour of the city? And if it does I definitely admire it for that. I also love Mount Royal. We often try to do a hike to the top and check out the overlooking view of the city. Always a nice way to start off a show day in MTL.

Would you ever try Pouzza? (Pizza and Poutine together)

Oh yeah! We've had it a few times. Always the best and worst decision simultaneously!
Photo by Sean William O'Neil.

Nightmares For A Week

Is this your first time playing Pouzza Fest? If no, how many times before and what years? Did you come for the poutine?

This is actually our 5th Pouzza Fest! 2010,11,13,16 and now 2018! We didn’t come for the poutine.

What band(s) on the Pouzza line up are you stoked to see or play with?

Excited to see soooo many bands. Hope we can catch War on Women and our dear friends After the Fall.

Is there was a band on the Pouzza line up this year that you would want to collaborate with, who would that be and what would you hypothetically work on?

Would love to collaborate with Such Gold or Timeshares… We’ve all crossed paths over the years and we really enjoy what both those bands do…

What is the best thing about Montreal? What makes it unique for you?

Every time we visit Montreal we don’t want to leave. The sights the city itself is easy to get around and always feels welcoming. It’s unique for us because we only love 5 hours away but it’s a different world from our normal day to day..it’s always a mini vacation.

Would you ever try Pouzza? (Pizza and Poutine together)

I think we did try Pouzza… I’m 98% sure… It was great if we did.Photo by William James Manley.