Music

Pouzza Fest's founder talks pizza, poutine and punk rock

by Nicole Villeneuve

This year marks the fourth Pouzza Fest in Montreal, a three-day, multi-venue punk-rock pilgrimage that takes place over Canada’s first long weekend of the (unofficial) summer and that is, in very disgusting pop-punk fashion, named after pizza with poutine on it.

Initially modelled after The Fest in Gainesville, FL, Pouzza has plateaued to a size that organizer Hugo Mudie is satisfied with; he continues to spread the Pouzza fun around outside of the main weekend: there’s also Pouzza Pelouzza, an outdoor festival in Lavaltrie, QC; the Hochelaga BBQ outside of Montreal; and about 80-100 shows as Pouzza Presents throughout the year. (Plus, after years of fronting beloved Montreal bands the Sainte Catherines and Yesterday’s Ring, Mudie is working with bandmate Fred Jacques again in Miracles and is also fronting the recently Asian Man Records-signed Powernap. Busy dude.)

This year Pouzza is bringing in current cool kids like the Menzingers, the So So Glos, Laura Stevenson, and the Flatliners, plus old-school draws such as Dillinger Four, 7 Seconds, SNFU, and tons more.

We spoke with Mudie from his car in Montreal where he was for sure using hands-free, we swear, about keeping the festival tight and right, trying to see even one band while he’s running the thing, and bringing all the punks to Canada.

 

AUX: How are you feeling two weeks out from the festival?

Hugo Mudie: We’re pretty excited. It’s going to be one of the best years. It’s the last 10 days so it’s always the hardest time of organizing something like that, so we’re pretty stoked.

I know you started Pouzza as a sort of Canadian answer to the Fest. Did you accomplish that?

I think Pouzza is going to stay like this. Our goal was never to be competition, it was to do something based on Fest but in Montreal with our own flavour and our own tastes involved in it. I played Fest three or four times and always loved it and always thought it would be cool to do something similar in Montreal.

Montreal and Gainesville are very different. Have you been able to establish that same kind feeling of being at Fest?

I think so. I think people here really like it. We have a lot of people travelling from around the world to attend Pouzza, even since the first year. Fans of punk rock in general are really dedicated to their love of the bands. They travel to see bands that don’t play a lot. It’s like you said, to be some kind of summer camp for older people. It’s cool to experience it in a city as cool as Montreal. I think that’s what our success is, really.

The first to second years had some growing pains. Have you been able to level it out to a point you’re satisfied with?

We’re not trying to grow any more. The first year was the test year in a way. It went really well, so we wanted to do it a bit bigger the year after. Then a bit bigger last year. And we felt last year was a bit too big for us. We didn’t necessarily like everything about it being bigger. This time we kind of went back to the first two years, I guess, like the kind of bands that are playing, and the kind of venues and size of venues and all of that. Our goal is to not get bigger and bigger.

As someone who has spent some time touring, you know that Canada isn’t the easiest place to get around. How does it feel to stay put and have everyone come to you, in a way?

I think it’s cool that it’s in Canada. I also think it’s cool that it’s northeast, even for the Americans. It’s not everyone that can travel and go to Florida every year for [Fest]. We get a lot of people from Jersey and New York, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. The festival is literally downtown Montreal. My favourite streets are where we host the shows. It’s a really cool way to see the city.

Has the city embraced it?

The only financial aid we ever had was from the City of Montreal. Everyone likes the festival and there’s never been any problem.

I have to ask the obvious: What bands are you excited for this year?

Mad Caddies and Dillinger Four are two I’m really stoked about. We toured with them and know them and they fit really well with the Pouzza spirit. Also old school bands like 7 Seconds, Dayglo Abortions, Reagan Youth, SNFU. It’s a really cool lineup. We like to show the respect we have for the older punk scene. That’s part of that. My main discovery this year was the So So Glos from New York City. I hope I can catch their set.

Plus you got that Christie Front Drive exclusive.

Yeah! I didn’t even know they were still around! Jonathan who does booking with me told me he was going to get them for that reunion.

Do you even get to catch any sets ever?

The first year we did everything ourselves. The next year we tried to see more bands and enjoy it more and hang out with bands, but it never happens. I always try to disappear and go see a band. Unplug my radio and go see them for 30 minutes then go back to work. Or sometimes I see the secret shows because they’re so late. We do those between 2 and 3 a.m. I don’t have as much work at that time.

Pouzza takes place May 16-18 at venues and outdoor spaces around Montreal. Come mosh.