Canadian comedians Scott Thompson and Paul Bellini resurrect a gay punk band you’ve never heard of The comedy legends explain how starting the band Mouth Congress in the 80s was born of survival instinct by Norman Wilner on March 2nd, 2021 at 4:30 PM 1 of 1 2 of 1
This Friday (March 5), comedians Paul Bellini and Scott Thompson will premiere their documentary
Mouth Congress at the Kingston Canadian Film Festival. (Virtually, of course, and viewable from British Columbia.) It’s the culmination of a DIY project the two friends and frequent creative collaborators started in the mid 80s: a gay punk band determined to be as loud and weird as possible.
This Friday (March 5), Paul Bellini and Scott Thompson will premiere their documentary
Mouth Congress at the Kingston Canadian Film Festival. (Virtually, of course.) It’s the culmination of a DIY project the two friends and frequent creative collaborators started in the mid 80s: a gay punk band determined to be as loud and weird as possible.
Mouth Congress (the band, not the documentary) was an energetic, bizarre affair, as any five minutes of archival camcorder footage will demonstrate. Thompson thrashes around the stage, screaming and sweating, with Bellini supplying a more reserved strangeness and musicians Gord Disley, Tom King and Rob Rowatt keeping the songs flowing. It’s a thrilling expression of personality and energy – and with the context of the AIDS epidemic that was sweeping through the gay community at the time, every performance feels like an act of rebellion.