Sona gives up the ghost
Steve Lalla
slalla@hour.ca
Jet Management and 514 Productions officially pulled the plug on Sona afterhours last Thursday, mere hours before the start of a weekend where the club was to unveil the new Sona bar and celebrate its eighth anniversary. While the announcement came as a total shock to many, industry insiders had observed the club struggling since leaving their historic Bleury Street location in March of last year."I am proud to have been part of the Sona legend and I'm sad to see it go, but," explains Karoline Labelle, 514's head of public relations, "the show must go on."
The last couple of months had seen Sona closing on Fridays, cancelling headliners such as Onionz and Scott Bond, and offering entrance fees as low as five dollars.
"I was sad when Sona moved from Bleury," reminisces Philgood, long-time resident at Sona's Silver Fridays. "This place meant a lot to me. I was working at the Tabou record store right on top of Sona in the same building, and I remember every Saturday and Sunday morning, watching the people leaving, and the bass was still shaking the building. When I was a resident there, it was a dream come true for me." Philgood is currently Friday night resident at Circus afterhours.
Sona will be cherished by thousands, myself included, as a club that broke new ground when it opened in 1996, setting the current standard by combining hip-hop and rave cultures under one roof. "Sona was always a trendsetter," affirms Karoline, "the first to bring many international talents, and the first to
strongly promote local DJs and build theme nights with them." "Obviously, Sona played a huge part in my life," reflects Tiga, partner and Friday night resident in 1996. "When we opened I was only 21, and it was a huge step to open a place like that. I learned a lot about business, politics, teamwork etc. Ultimately it was a master lesson in what I did NOT want to do. I couldn't care less about the closing of the club. To me it closed four years too late."
Tiga, like everyone, recalls good times also. "My best memories of the club are the second and third years, the first 18 months that 514 Productions became the promoters. Probably the best single memory was Adam Beyer in 1997." Tiga has gone on to international recognition as founder of Turbo Recordings and still DJs regularly at local Neon events.
Personally, Sona gave me the chance to witness some of my favourite DJs and producers: Cari Lekebusch, Joel Mull, Hardcell, Johan Bacto, Afrika Bambaataa, Frankie Bones, Adam X, Marco Carola, Gaetano Parisio and DJ Rush, to name a few. Plastikman's set for his Consumed tour six years ago represented a turning point in my appreciation for minimal techno in large rooms. Other dark, fuzzy memories involve Cajmere (now better known as Green Velvet) performing an enlivened set in the bar using his headphones as a mic, and early appearances by Derrick Carter, Mark Farina and Josh Wink.
"Some of the highlights of the club must have been the Free Bamboo Butterfly nights," gushes Nivoc, resident in both the bar and main room, "with guest DJs Brian and John Kelley, and Live P.A.s by Nuclear Ramjet and Delage. Some people I fondly recall are lightmen Stephane and Joel; Mathieu and Caroline behind the bar; Mark E, Geneviève and Ludo at security; Fouf, Michel and Christian Farley in management; Patrick at the water bar; Orion and Eddy Lewis in the Hip-Hop Room; Valérie and Rosalie in coat check; Mike, JC, Patrick Felton and Mick at 514; and last but not least Monsieur François Bazinet, who was very kind to ask me to be a resident in his club." Nivoc is currently a monthly resident at Circus afterhours' Friday nights.
Karoline sums it up best: "It's really one of those 'you had to be there' moments, to really understand how special Sona was. Sona was.... Sona!"
It should be noted that the closing of the club has no effect on events that 514 Productions promote outside of Sona, such as Celebration, Cream or Swirl (info: www.514productions.com).
| SONA, I am not Sad, I'm GLAD |
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If that super Clud decided to move on Bleury street, it is because they prepare the future,
that square will become in a few years, the new shows center of greater Montreal'night live
like 50 years ago at the East on St.Catherine was the Red Light "Les Nuits de Montréal".
Someday you will admit my reaction, because it is over there that will be the action in the
City Center, trust me even if I am a french man with bad handwriting...
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Robert Boulay
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{6 votes}
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| I do not understand why the SONA moved next to Atwater |
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What a BAD idea...........to move the Sona next to the Plaza Alexis Nihon. Now the Sona is located in a very rich district.......and a huge residential district too. Even if there is a McDonald approximately to the sona, there is not so many attractions. One other thing........ pratically all the persons who go to the Sona take hard drugs (pot, wit,....) and it is very easy to buy some next to Place-des-Arts (many dealers on St-Laurent street). That's why there were so many people inside! Now, at Westmount, no dealers at all, therefore less people come inside!!
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Mathieu Romero
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{4 votes}
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Oh no! Another club closed.
Oh no! Whatever will we do on weekends instead of dancing, getting stoned, and picking people up?
I say boo hoo
Yet, two other little things come to mind:
1) Get a life people! It is merely a club. There are many many of them in this city!
2) Good riddance!
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Allan Morris
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{2 votes}
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| A sad moment for the club scene |
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I was sad to hear of Sona's demise - I have many fond memories of the eartly days of Sona...it just seems to me that there are few clubs worth going to in this city any more. Sona was one of the last champions n the Mtl club scene.
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Ben Kalman
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{5 votes}
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