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On Monday, May 16th, I discovered I was wrong in thinking leather pants couldn’t be cool. All the tight, glistening pairs of pants I once associated with thrift stores, venereal disease and general scumminess should be sent to Japan without hesitation. Why? Because apparently Japanese rock and roll bands like Guitar Wolf have figured out some mystical way to rock that shit.

When I arrived at Le Cabaret du Mile End on that rainy evening, the venue was a little over half empty. This made me realize I had very little grasp on the scope of Guitar Wolf’s popularity at this point in time, particularly after the death of Hideaki Sekiguchi (a name I obviously had to Google), aka the original Bass Wolf, in 2005. Little did I know that by the time the headlining act set foot on stage, the venue would packed with rowdy rock and roll enthusiasts, presumably with minimum wage or non existent jobs, looking to party hardy on a Monday night. I mean no offense in saying this, as I am one of these people.

I was actually scheduled to work that night at said minimum wage job. Once I had figured out a way to pawn off my shift effectively, I was already late for the show and, as a result, missed local openers the Disablers. After asking around, I discovered that this was no great loss. I did catch the second opening band, Cheap Time, who sounded like general overview of 1977-1979 in rock and roll, which was both decent and off putting. I mean, I really like The Clash, Sex Pistols, Ramones etc., as well as a good chunk of the bands they’ve influenced, but if there’s no hint of originality or intent to shake up the ‘classic punk’ formula in the least you’re basically just a cover band. Sorry. My advice to the members of this band (who probably make money and don’t give a shit about my opinion) would be to, uh, put on a show! If you can’t be particularly interesting musically, it might be a good idea to engage your audience on a base visual level. Maybe take some cues from the band you’re touring with and watching nearly every night.

Guitar Wolf are, essentially, the epitome of cool and have constructed the perfect live performance for their music. Their set was loud, aggressive and jam-packed with furious stage presence and energy without noticeably compromising the quality of the music itself. At one point in the set, I decided that the majority of songs played were undeniably good; they blended elements of punk and metal while maintaining a sort of pop sensibility. I also likened Guitar Wolf’s music to how the Ramones would have sounded had they adapted incredibly well to the more hardcore punk scenes of the 1980s. The crowd responded to the set with overwhelming enthusiasm by dancing, jumping around and eventually participating in the construction of a human pyramid.

In summary, if you pass up an opportunity to see Guitar Wolf live, you’re an idiot. If this review hasn’t convinced you (which is a possibility), check them out in the film Wild Zero, where they exude badass in every frame. If that doesn’t convince you, you’re probably in a vegetative state and don’t really feel anything.

-Kelly K hosts Cut Your Hair and Get a Job every Tuesday from 1-2pm

Tune into Acetate Gratified on Monday, May 23rd to hear the first act (and possibly more) of Philips Glass's opera Einstein on the Beach. This marks the last last episode of Acetate Gratified for some time, as the show goes on hiatus for the summer. Join your host of questionable social graces Lachlan Fletcher and a veritable cavalcade of guests as they repeatedly count to eight in operatic voices. Spend your Victoria day in a gratifying way (see what I did there?) with Acetate Gratified, from 4-6.

If Projet Montreal leader Richard Bergeron has his way Montreal will be the proud owner of a new tramway by 2017. Bergeron wants a 37.5 kilometer tramway system, which would run down St. Laurent and Rene Levesque, to help stop the surge of young families moving out of Montreal and in to suburbs. A problem he says Montreal can’t ignore. Bergeron says that cheap reliable public transportation would help young families a lot.

While some might balk at the $1.5 billion price tag attached, Bergeron reminds Montrealers that when you talk about public transit, you’re talking big bucks. It cost $743 million to extend the metro to Laval and $3 billion is being invested in the Turcot exchange.

The decision would not be entirely Montreal’s, city councilor Marvin Rotrand remarked that it is the provincial government that funds public transit infrastructure, not city administration. 

If the project were to be completed by the desired 2017 construction would have to start next year. This year’s budget contained funding for research but no construction.

Dominique Strauss-Kahan has been granted bail. The former head of the International Money Fund was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of criminal sexual act, attempted rape, sexual abuse, unlawful imprisonment and forcible touching.

The judged announced on Thursday that Strauss-Kahn can be released on one million dollar bail. He also has to be placed under 24 hour home detention with electronic monitoring.

He released a letter on Wednesday denying all the charges. He also announced his resignation at the head of IMF. 

Strauss-Kahn allegedly attempted to rape a maid at the Sofitel hotel in Manhattan. The maid also claims she was sexually abused. He was denied bail on Monday, and spent three nights at the notorious Rikers Island jail in New York. If convinted, Strauss-Kahn could face up to 25 years in jail.