Under Pressure Festival – As has happened around this time for the last twenty-three years, Sainte Catherine street and her neighbouring branches were set into the haze and smell of spray paint as Under Pressure set about slapping up a fresh coat of paint around the downtown core once more. Not to be confused with Mural fest, but a similar vibe was found as rooftop and street DJ’s span old school hip hop for the break dancers risking their necks on the pavement and the incredible artists that painted tags and murals on the dedicated walls. Skateboarders made use of a small ramp situated next to the Skateboards For Hope tent – a charitable organization everybody needs to know about – and the pop-up shops selling all manner of urban culture apparel and art.
Some came for the dancing, others for the music. Some came to support hip hop culture and others watched in amazement as artists scaled scaffoldings and swung from ladders with spray cans in hand, demonstrating the art of graffiti. Young children and senior citizens alike gathered on the streets as the already vibrant Montreal area grew in colour and culture once more.
If you missed this festival, fear not for the art will be on display around the area surrounding the legendary Foufounes Electriques bar for the next year, until it’s all primed over and the painting begins all over again.
