The Program for the 17th edition of the FME
While concerts at the Guinguette chez Edmund have helped us stay patient until the 17th edition of the FME begins, our team is finally ready to unveil our official programme, an ideal combination of our latest discoveries and Festival stalwarts! With more than 47 Canadian acts and 13 international artists, including 19 female artists, the musical epicentre of Quebec is set to migrate to Rouyn-Noranda from August 29 to September 1.
Sure shots
Darlings of the FME, Montreal quartet Half Moon Run, who appeared at the Festival in both 2012 and 2016, will take up residence at the Agora des arts for two intimate shows, offering premieres from their upcoming album. Les Sœurs Boulay will also grace us with a brand-new stage show, while La Force, known for her contributions to Broken Social Scene among other achievements, makes her first visit to Abitibi. The opening outdoor show will resound with Jeanne Added, an electro-dance artist who has been rocking Europe with her intense performances and irresistible voice. The night continues with the unique sounds of celebrated virtuoso DJ Kid Koala.
Hip-hop invades 7th Street
Once again this year, MCs will take the FME by storm with two outdoor hip-hop shows. None other than Loud is sure to rock the crowd at the first show, accompanied by two talented young artists you are sure to hear from in the years to come: KT Gorique and Sarahm e. The next day, it’s up to Koriass to fire up 7th Street, along with crowd favourites Alaclair Ensemble and FouKi. The beats will continue all over town, with the R&B-flavoured stylings of Heartstreets, Naya Ali’s heartbreaking bars, and the trap collective MISCELLANIUM.
Traditional rock
Fans of stoner rock, alternative, and good old rock’n’roll will once again be delighted by this year’s vintage, starting at the Petit Th tre du Vieux-Noranda with the Franco-southern rock of MIELS and the industrial-electro sonorities of Swiss band The Young Gods. Chileans LA Julia Smith and Philippe Brach will appear at the Agora des arts for a folk-rock soir e that promises to be a touch trashy, but oh so lovely! Rockabilly fans will also get their fill with two incendiary nights at the Diable Rond featuring The Televisionaries and The 5,6,7,8’s, the Japanese trio made famous by their contributions to the soundtrack of Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill. Punks and night owls will happily convene at the Cabaret de la derni re in the company of VICTIME and American band Material Girls; the insatiable can regroup the following day for Motherhood and FET.NAT or, if they prefer, can amble over to the Petit Th tre du Vieux-Noranda, where Atsuko Chiba and Texan collective …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead will preside over a prog-rock wake. The “After FME” events at the Perdrix will feature the psychedelic new wave of Lesser Evil and noise rockers zouz. Headlining the closing show are The Sadies, western rock veterans who will ignite the Agora des arts. Along with a new show from Doiron-Placard and the vintage psych-rock of Daniel Romano, the closing show is sure to be a memorable one. At the same time, Necrotic Mutation, Archons, and Despised Icon are on the bill for the annual meeting of the metalheads. And finally, for the real troupers, the very last show is reserved for Last Train, a post-punk French revivalist quartet who are sure to make you forget your fatigue!
An unparalleled lineup of free concerts
The Saturday afternoon family show features two promising new acts in Bon Enfant and P’tit Belliveau et les Grosses Coques. Once again the Qu becor “cinq- -septs”, offered for la Clique FME holders, features a long and diverse list of musicians: Laurence-Anne, David Marin, Sessa (Argentina), Barrdo, Lou-Adriane Cassidy, Dominique Fils-Aim , Simon Kearney, The Flamingos Pink, M lissa Laveaux, Caravane, Emilie Kahn, Adam Naas, and Louis Venne. Whether you are in the mood for bewitching voices, sensitive rock, evocative pop, or all of the above, rest assured that the “cinq- -septs” have never been so exciting!
Electro abounds
Electronic music fans have a lot to look forward to as well, with DJ Edsik, DJ Millimetrik, Ellemetue, and Absolutely Free all featured on opening day. This year, electro night has been entrusted to AbiTek, a local DJ collective well-known for their colourful and inclusive free parties. It takes place at the Paramount from 10 pm until 6 the next morning and features several promising DJs: Zu and Luciole, 14k-Volts, BoLoW, Harry Potar aka ROMS, Folie Furieuse, and Sim Wou.
7th Street: Hallowed ground of the FME
True to tradition, 7th Street will be as animated as ever, with outdoor concerts including the opening concert and two hip-hop shows, in addition to the Saturday family concert. As always, it is the epicentre of the festival, with lounge spaces animated by DJs and refreshment and food stands, from noon til 3 am Friday and Saturday nights.
The digital festival returns
By popular demand, the ephemeral VR Garden is back as well. Defying the limits of possibility, it comprises fifteen innovative and immersive projects, all in partnership with the Consulate General of France in Quebec, the City of Rouyn-Noranda, UQAT, and the Phi Centre. You will be able to dive into 360 videos in virtual and augmented reality from artists of all genres, Bauhaus-inspired choreographies, and retro videogame worlds. If you feel the need to realign your energies, you can immerse yourselves in masterpieces of classical music, or even interact with a shaman in a virtual Amazonian rainforest…
Passports and individual tickets
Passports go on sale today, July 16, and priority show selection continues until July 22 at noon. At that time, individual tickets go on sale at the Festival’s online box office. Note that at that time, passport holders will no longer have priority of purchase.
FME La Clique
La Clique returns this year; its bracelets confer free access to the Qu becor “cinq- -septs” and cashless payments. As a reward for their contributions, La Clique donors will also be treated to a free concert. Furthermore, one lucky La Clique member will be selected at random for a free trip, along with a guest, to a famous European festival, to be named later this summer. This contest is held in collaboration with our travel partner, Club voyage lite de Rouyn-Noranda.
CFME Radio
La bouche croche, the FME blog, offers original content all summer, and the official FME radio station CFME will be on the air starting August 15 at 100.5 FM and at radio.fmeat.org. CFME will feature big names from local media, including Fred Savard, Barbara-Judith Caron, Louis-Philippe Labr che, and the regional podcast Appropriation culturelle. Its programming will also include two international shows, NoFun from Binge audio and Ferarock.
Follow us on social media to keep up with other announcements, including pop-up concerts! We can’t wait to see you at the 17th edition of the FME, from August 29 to September 1!