So looks like Laurent Garnier will be playing Canada again at the end of April with gigs in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto… I was especially surprised to hear that apparently Garnier will be playing at Helsinki in Ottawa on a Saturday night… I never thought I would see the day a promoter would book him in Ottawa!! His Montreal gig is also a bit strange… looks like he will be playing Parking on the Thursday night. I know Parking has booked some solid names, but it’s definitely a notable reminder that times are certainly changing in Montreal.

When Garnier last played Montreal at Aria in April 2003, it wasn’t a packed club, and it was shortly after Jeff Mills also played to a club that was far from full. To me that period really became the end of regular techno bookings at Aria. There are various reasons for this, I know it’s not just one factor or another. So aside from Martin’s RM party last month where he booked Rush at Soda and Alex Bau at Aria, there hasn’t been any techno announced at Aria so far this year. I haven’t even been to a resident night on Fridays in ages because it’s not the solid night of techno it once was… I don’t even know what to expect on any given Friday.

So ya… seems like Aria has definitely fallen off the map now for techno completely. Before I complained mostly because there were fewer names passing through but I came to terms with it.. now it seems like there isn’t even anything in sight!

I sure hope we get a few names like Liebing anyway in 2006... or I guess I will have to keep doing what I have been for the last little while and make the trip to Toronto to see anything… they’ve had names pass through in the past 8 months like Dave Clarke, Marco Carola and Speedy J and it’s a shame Montreal hasn’t been able to take advantage of their visit to this side of the Atlantic to make something happen.

I didn’t start this thread to start any arguments… but sometimes I feel unless these things get pointed out to people they don’t realize the missed opportunities or the decline in solid techno bookings here.

C’est vraiment domage.

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27 Avril 2006

Laurent Garnier
Canada / Montréal / Parking night Club

29 Avril 2006

Laurent Garnier
Canada / Ottawa / Helsinki

Montreal EDM Scene is far more techno than Vancouver or Toronto, which are more Trance based. Personally, if Aria goes more Trance and less Techno, I don't really mind because I much more prefer Trance. But I gotta admit, this is sad for many TAs. If I'm right, it took a while for Mauro Picotto to come back at the Aria. About a year and a half or 2.

Any news for Liebing gig at the Aria??

^^ That is just what Kate said in her post...

looks to me like it did.

too bad Garnier will play at Parking... PARKING! FROM ALL PLACES!

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It's really hard to put out a techno night right now. Altought DJ Rush and Alex Bau was a huge success in terms in quality, music and vibe, we did miss a LOT of people at Club Soda.

We had a fair amount of people for Alex Bau, good party, but still, I gave everything I had to have a decent amount of people.

The fact is, aside a few people like yourself that goes all the way to promote and support techno, the people just don't show up.

That's why a club like parking can afford nice guests lately, the club is full no matter what. They can afford pretty much everybody cause with all the money they can do having a bar with drinks... it works out financially.

You can't blame Aria for letting go techno a little, you cannot ask somebody to loose their shirt everytime just to support something that, for the moment, is not really working out for them.

if thats the case, then what happened to all the tech-heads from a few years ago? back in the day, aria was packed with techno fans (me included).

but now, all they have there is house/trance...so where did all the techno freaks go? did we all grow up and start listening to prog-house?

quote:

Originally posted by Soundwerks if thats the case, then what happened to all the tech-heads from a few years ago? back in the day, aria was packed with techno fans (me included). but now, all they have there is house/trance...so where did all the techno freaks go? did we all grow up and start listening to prog-house?

thats what i did

Hmmmm Laurent Garnier at Helsinki? That is the big annoucement they have been teasing us with.

I don't think most in Ottawa know this little tidbit of info yet

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Martin you make valid points and I completely understand, but I just see basically zero effort to promote the sound on their part anymore.

It's true that it is much easier to book names when your club is full all the time. I just think some effort can be made to work with other promoters who ARE bringing these names to Canada to try to showcase some quality techno. It just feels like Aria has given up, instead of even trying to build something up again by trying to work more within their means. I know it's not just techno though, their other nights have suffered as well.

I will go see Garnier at Parking... but for him to be playing a 175 person capacity club in Ottawa on a Saturday night, I have a hard time believing it couldn't have worked at Aria financially. (I realize the fee might not be the same but you get the idea)

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Not that I've been in the scene as long as some of you, but I definately am missing the techno also...At the beginning of Picotto's set a few weeks ago, it really hit me! I just hadn't heard some banging techno in forever, and the crowd was going fkin nuts to it!

Liebing came twice last year....to Aria and to Swirl, so that was good. And I guess Liebing and Preach are really the only big techno names that would unquestionably fill a venue in Montreal. Like you said, Speedy J, Marco Carola, Dave Clarke, recently came to Toronto, but would these names really fill a club like Aria? If DJ Rush could barely fill up Club Soda, I highly doubt it...

quote:

Originally posted by Soundwerks if thats the case, then what happened to all the tech-heads from a few years ago? back in the day, aria was packed with techno fans (me included).

A lot of my older tekhead friends just got tired of going to what they consider a dark dingy drug hole... they still love the music though. I don't know what the solution is, just trying to help explain why some don't come out anymore.

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