Life, the city | Worker by day, amateur rock star by night

Our journalist wanders around Greater Montreal to talk about everything that marks urban life.

Some play hockey or tennis one evening a week. Others play rock for an end-of-session show, a real show which takes place in a bar on rue Sainte-Catherine.

Before this big evening, weekly rehearsals are held at the legendary studio in the Saint-Henri district formerly known as RCA Victor.

The whole thing is organized by Scott Cook, founder of Montreal Jams, who wanted to allow amateur musicians to experience a band.

On a Wednesday evening in October, we met one of the 10 groups in this session. The one who puts on a show of Smashing Pumpkins songs: 1979, Bullet with Butterfly Wings, Tonight… From Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville or Mont-Royal, the four musicians of the group arrive in turn in the studio parking lot. This is their fourth session out of a total of 10.

Mathieu Laurendeau is an actuary. When his sons became better than him at the guitar, he returned to his instrument. “A midlife crisis,” he jokes.

Second arrival and Montreal Jams regular, Roberto Osorio has already revisited the repertoires of the Rolling Stones, Queens of The Stone Age, Blondie, Pearl Jam, Oasis… But during his very first session, he was nervous, he confides. “I had never played in a band. »

“From one session to the next, we meet lots of people and we meet them again,” says the guitarist and lead singer today. originally from Venezuela. He even convinced his friend and colleague Alexandre Guertin-Aird to reconnect with music and try Montreal Jams. “I lent my bass to a friend’s daughter,” says the main person involved. Let’s say I took a 20 year break. »

“After a day at the office, it’s zen,” says Alexandre. It’s a change from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. »

The last member of the quartet, Pasquale “Lino” Sorella is 57 years old and has been playing drums since he was 5! It was at Steve’s musical instrument store that he saw a Montreal Jams poster. “I became a fan. It’s the ideal recipe, he boasts. I’m living a childhood dream of playing in front of an audience. »

Since 2018

There’s something endearing about seeing fathers pull cans of Labatt 50 or Pabst Blue Ribbon out of their instrument cases and enjoy one of their favorite moments of the week.

“There are so many things for our children. We also have to think about adults,” says Scott Cook, who teaches guitar at Vanier College and who had the idea for Montreal Jams in 2018, when a musician his age to whom he was giving private lessons was in the process of to reach a plateau. “I told myself: the next step to progress is to play with others. »

Scott Cook knew there was a strong demand for adult amateur rock, but he underestimated the extent to which Montreal Jams would also become a social club.

Please note that you do not need to audition to join one of the 10 groups in each session. You just need to be able to learn how to play a pop song on your favorite instrument. Scott Cook, like his sidekick Justin Saladino, as coach.

Live the experience of the pros

Since last year, amateur Montreal Jams groups have had the great fortune of being able to rehearse in the former RCA Victor studio, built in 1942. The list of big names in music who have already set foot there is long, from fifth Beatles George Martin to Sinéad O’Connor via Jean Leloup and April Wine.

The legendary studio building today belongs to office manager Allied. Dave Cervantes, who works in commercial real estate brokerage and who often collaborated with Allied, offered the company to become the tenant of the studio – and magnificent adjacent premises and offices – and to rent it in turn, notably to Montreal Jams , but also to professional musicians. He simply wants to preserve this Montreal jewel.

Dave Cervantes was once a participant in Montreal Jams and he compares the organization to that of a hockey league. “Everything is organized,” he said. And the players are invested. »

Women too!

Usually, Scott Cook just supervises the sessions, but sometimes he grabs his guitar like he did this session for the band covering Pat Benatar.

Singer Nora Pogosyan and keyboardist Julia Jones are friends (since they met in a book club) and neighbors in the same building.

Before joining Montreal Jams five sessions ago, Julia played classical piano alone at home. She was terrified at the idea of ​​being in a group, but she was quickly delighted by her musical experience, but also by the diversity of encounters that it caused.

“I love singing,” Nora continues simply, impressively on the microphone on We Belong or even Hit Me With Your Best Shot. But to do it in a rehearsal room or in front of an audience in a bar, as she has to do in four days, “it’s completely different, it’s a lot of energy to have attention on yourself during 30 minutes.”

The big day

On Friday, December 6, at the bar with its punk atmosphere Piranha, located in the city center, rue Sainte-Catherine, many of Mathieu Laurendeau’s colleagues are in the crowd to see him at work. Alexandre Guertin-Aird’s companion whispers to us how she likes to see him in his element on stage.

Our quartet covering Smashing Pumpkins songs will close the show. Beforehand, the crowd will be treated to great classics from The Eagles (renamed The Pigeons) and Fleetwood Mac (now Mac and Cheese).

Alexandre Guertin-Aird highlights how challenging himself with Montreal Jams helps him at work and as a person. It’s “overcoming stage fright, performing in front of an audience, attracting people’s attention and keeping them interested,” he says.

And the amateur bassist makes no secret of it, “it flatters the ego a little”. “The feeling of a good show is really fun. »

One thing is certain, it was impressive to see how Mathieu, Alexandre, Lino and Roberto progressed from the fourth session to the show. Billy Corgan would be proud of them!

Registrations are underway for the next session of Montreal Jams which begins in January. The cost is $500 for 10 repetitions with one coach and a show.

Visit the Montreal Jams website