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The bilingual music fan who started Rockfest in his hometown when he was 17 said he has funding from private investors, the backing of his longtime staff and the support of the municipality to go ahead with the new event. Fans are clamouring for it, too, he said.

“I get bombarded every single day by festival goers asking, almost begging, me to do something because they want to keep their tradition of coming for the weekend every year and taking over the town and having fun and listening to good music,” Martel said. “That’s basically what fuelled my desire to do something again.”

Martel launched the former Rockfest as a one-day party in 2005 to bring his favourite metal, hardcore and punk bands to his hometown. By 2016, it was regularly sold out, with 200,000 fans invading the village, and more than 120 bands performing on five stages. Twisted Sister, Jane’s Addiction and Blink-182 were among the highlights.

That year, Martel also struck a deal with two corporate partners, but the arrangement soured last year when the festival’s accumulated debt hit a reported $5 million. As a minority partner, Martel disagreed with the move to declare bankruptcy but said the decision was out of his hands.

His first step was to contact suppliers, including bands and agents, and explain the situation. “I wanted to make sure they knew what happened and would keep supporting me for the future,” he said. “The message I mainly got was …. ‘We know what happened was out of your control and we want to keep supporting you.’ This is basically allowing me to get back on my feet and get back on track.”