Newspeak

Newspeak began operating in 2015 at 1403 Rue Sainte-Élisabeth, in Montreal’s Quartier des Spectacles. It took the place of Cabaret Underworld, a room previously used for punk, hip-hop and other live performances before its conversion to an electronic-music space. The Montreal events company Samouraïs des Jungles Urbaines (SJU) launched the venue. Its founders were Lucas Jacques, Nicolas Hamel, Calvin Suggitt and Tamir Schlanger; Jacques was also a co-owner. Before the club opened, Jacques and the SJU collective had organized events at other Montreal venues.

The space has a dance floor, bar, DJ booth and stage, with room for about 300 people. Its main PA is made up of Meyer Sound UPA-1P cabinets and 700-HP subwoofers, with JBL delay speakers. Pioneer CDJ-2000NXS2 players and a DJM-900NXS2 mixer equip the booth. During the pandemic, the venue upgraded its audio setup with four rebuilt Turbosound TFL 760H speakers and six subwoofers.

Newspeak presents electronic music through both club events and concerts, with programming planned to span artists from North America and Europe. Its opening weekend took place over three nights in March 2015, with Untold and Tessela among the performers and a Soulection showcase also on the programme. Earlier SJU bookings included Kaytranada and Bonobo. Later performers at Newspeak have included JAEL and SAMIA, while promoters (Avec) Courage! and I LOVE NEON have held events there.