среда, 2 сентября 2015 г.

Sonorama Ribera 2015. The Report. #4 Sonorama Is Life

The last day of Sonorama is usually the one you start to feel yourself exhausted. The hotel lobby was all quiet at 10.45 am even though it was full of young people - just because the young people was totally worn out. For me and Tanya, we were quite brave, but somehow we made our biggest mistake making the decision to come to Plaza just in time to see Rufus T. Firefly at 2 pm. This decision ruined our morning session almost completely cos when we came to plaza we were forced to face one simple fact: even the tiny streets that adjoined the Plaza del Trigo were already overcrowded. We did our best trying to find the appropriate place to see Rufus but occasionally we appeared at epicenter of water pistols war. The people closest to us was more interested in shooting themselves by water than in listening to the band, so we spent more time avoiding from the water drippings than looking at the stage. The footage was troublesome as well. Victor Cabezuelo and his pals were great anyway. Live they sounded even better than on "Nueve", the album that made it to the very top of my year 2015 's top list. One of the most heartfelt moment of the festival was when Victor changed the lyrics of the song "(escribe aqui el nombre de la persona a la que mas quieras)" and sang "Si al final moriremos igual, yo prefiero morir en la Plaza del Trigo" (if we're going to die anyway, I prefer to die on the Plaza del Trigo) instead of "Si al final moriremos igual, yo prefiero morir ahora mismo contigo". 
Rufus T. Firefly

When the Rufus show was over we felt like there was enough time to find ourselves the better place for today's concierto secreto, so we decided to step back to escape the water wars. It was another totally wrong decision as what we managed to get finally was the place from where we could see nothing that was happening onstage. Was it Xoel? Was it Zahara? For God's sake, what is going on there? Was it... who was it, really? It was bad, it was really really fucking bad to stay pretty close to something important having absolutely no idea what is it. So we turned our backs and paved the roundabout way to Red Bull stage where Willy Naves were performing. They sounded interesting so we stayed there until the performance was finished. We noticed JuanMa behind the bus and talked a bit to him ("Supersubmarina? Oh no, I walked away to sleep").
Willy Naves

Our next stop should be the Carson camping stage  where the post rock band Blusa was schediled to perform. I contacted their drummer Antonio and, unfortunately, he revealed to me that the performance of Blusa was cancelled due to the injury of the band's bass player. The second disappointment of this morning.

For the last night of Sonorama we came to recinto ferial right at the start of Zahara's performance. Zahara Gordillo Campos tours with her latest album "Santa". Also she presented some songs from the previous albums like "Lenador Y La Mujer America" from "La Pareja Toxica" but 90% of the set was dedicated to "Santa". Onstage we could see some familiar faces - Victor Cabezuelo (Rufus T. Firefly) on synths and Ramiro Nieto from The Right Ons on drums (two days ago he played drums for Tulsa). The performance was concentrated mostly on the personality of Zahara much like the shows of Garbage are concentrated mostly on the personality of Shirley Manson or the shows of Blondie are concentrated mostly on the personality of Debbie Harry. So the impact of other musicians was some kind of shadowed by the anthropomorphous fountain of feminine power. When she was dancing, when she was playing acoustic guitar, when she was playing drums, when she crossed the security border and entered the crowd - all eyes were on her. Even Tanya who initially was kinda sceptic on Zahara summarized the show with the words "very bright, very smart, very talented girl!"
Zahara

One of the first bands to appear on Sonorama 2015 lineup were Mercromina (the legendary shoegazers from Albacete returned to activity the last year). In contarst with Zahara their show was built around the sound rather than on the visual side. The musicians were static, and the rich and deep guitar reverb along with the trademark baritone of Joaquin Pascual were the only dominants of the show. For the song "En Un Mundo Tan Pequeno" Joaquin's daughter Angela came onstage to sing the lyrics with her dad. As Mercromima is one of my Top10 bands it was the pure pleasure for my ears to be there.
Joaquin Pascual (Mercromina)

Then we rushed to VIP zone to find some palce to behold the performance of Xoel Lopez. Xoel was alone onstage. Two years ago he was supported by the full band, but now there was just Xoel and nobody else. Though I don't quite like the "Paramales", his latest effort, he is - and always will be - on the very top of my favorite musicians ever, so it was no way for me to miss his show. 
Xoel Lopez from afar

Nevertheless in the middle of his set we went off to see Havoc on Burgos stage. And this came out as one of the best decisions ever made by us because we appeared to attend one of the best performances of this year's Sonorama. Initially we planned to catch a song or two and then come back to Ribera stage for the final part of Xoel's performance, but these plans had never come true.
Havoc (initially PLV Havoc) was not lucky enough to have the timeslot which wouldn't coincide with the Xoel's (less lucky were only Berri Txarrak who were set to perform in the same time with Vetusta Morla) so the crowd before the Burgos stage wasn't any substantial. That was better for me as in seconds I went crazy and needed some space around to jerk and jump quite freely. When Havoc finished the set with the trippy version of "Cazador De Ballenas" it was almost physically painful to stop cos I wanted more of this energy, more of these catchiest of songs. Surely the best gig of the fest along with Dorian and La Habitacion Roja's concierto secreto.
Havoc

Returning to VIP zone to take some wine and to meet JuanMa for the last time here we were attracted by the sounds from Castilla Y Leon stage where Bigott was performing. As for Arizona Baby I've never liked his albums at all. But live he caught my attention pretty easily cos he sounded more cohesive, more guitar-driven and less quirky and psych. Instead of sounding synth-laden psycho pop he sounded rock. And it was cool. then we met with JuanMa and he encouraged us to see his friends Eladio Y Los Seres Queridos so in 5 minutes we returned to Burgos stage. And Eladio Y Los Seres Queridos were fantastic too. The name of the band was familiar to me as I had been noticing it here and there for years, but I never heard their songs before. So the band became one more discovery for us.
Eladio Y Los Seres Queridos

The next stop was the show of Correos on Castilla y Leon. The Basque band recorded the new album "Seres" here in Aranda. The show was a mix of the new songs and the old ones. As I purchased "Seres" on iTunes right at the moment it was issued we already knew all the songs. Energetic as ever, Correos confirmed their status as uprising and unmistakably catchy band.
Correos

The next show should be some kind of apex of the festival. Vetusta Morla gathered the largest crowd before the Ribera stage. Spending time with Correos we had no chance to get closer to the stage so for Vetusta we returned to VIP zone. In VIP zone I noticed Mikel Izal and asked him for the photo. He didn't decline. It was nice because Izal is one of our favorite bands.

What should I say about Vetusta Morla... Vetusta is Vetusta. I suppose, to stay on the first line before the stage on their concert could be the fantastic experience - but to get there we should skip Correos and probably most part of Eladio, that was no way. So we watched Pucho from afar. On the tiny dancing zone within VIP zone I went mad dancing and shouting out the lyrics of "Valiente", "Cuarteles de Invierno", "La Deriva", "El Hombre del Saco"... And maybe it was even better because how could I dance before the stage being pressured by all these bodies around... Anyway. I shouldn't be asking for more as all that I already got was great.
Vetusta Morla

Devastated, we came down to the ground and stumbled at Castilla Y Leon to look at Neuman. So we looked at Neuman whom I like alot but my feelings were cut short at that moment. Then we looked at Sidonie from afar as the sea of people before them was as huge as before Vetusta Morla. And then abruptly Sonorama 2015 ended up for us. For the final time we came to VIP zone just to take our final cups of wine cashing out the funds drawn to our NFCs. We were as happy as killed by the necessity to live again our everyday lives starting from the next fucking gloomy morning. Right at the ladder we run into Correos. I quickly captured the attention of Fermin Bouza with my classic "Fermin! Por favor una foto con dos fanaticos rusos!" and we took a photo together with all of them. The guys were smiley and nice.

What should I say to wrap up my report... "La vida es lo que pasa entre Sonorama y Sonorama", says the slogan of the festival. In fact no. No, life is not what passes from one Sonorama to another Sonorama. Sonorama is mere life. And what passes between Sonorama and Sonorama is just something that passes from life to the next life.

Sincerely yours,
Mikhail, el ambassador del rock espanol en Rusia

вторник, 1 сентября 2015 г.

Sonorama Ribera 2015. The Report. #3 The Happiness And Things Like That

Date: August, Friday 14th
Place: Spain, Burgos Province, Aranda de Duero, Plaza del Trigo & Recinto Ferial

The second day of Sonorama promised us even more than we had yesterday, so we slept a bit more to 'recharge the batteries' and did not managed to arrive at Plaza del Trigo in time. As a result, we skipped almost entire performance of Jacobo Serra, the young singer-songwriter who presented his melodic Beatles-tinged songs to the crowd with passion and honesty. This day we made the decision to stay on the Plaza constantly due to the necessity to save good places for 'concierto secreto'. So when the people started to flow off the square to get themselves some beer or calimocho in between of performances we stayed without any move.
Jacobo Serra

Belize, the next band to perform, appeared to be a bunch of boys and girls who looked like the high school students. Really, they looked very young. Their music was a mix of warm and sunny lounge with the most poppy form of indie rock. Visually they were a bit nervous being granted with the possibility to perform on Plaza but the crowd was warm to them anyway.
Belize

Full were the most well-known band in the morning session. Based on the songs from their latest album "Mi Primer Atraco" their program have shown the band's best sides with the melodic alternative rock much in the vein of Supersubmarina. In the middle of their set all the guys from Izal appeared backstage. Are Izal today's secret band? - the unasked question was almost palpable in the air. The next surprise was when Sean Frutos came onstage to support Full's frontman Javi Valencia for the song "Adios". Are Second today's secret band again?
Full & Sean Frutos

Apparently the answer was "no" for both. Because, occasionally, we were granted with the opportunity to see La Habitacion Roja for the third time within 8 days. 
This secret concert have shown us the most energetic side of the band. And it was absolutely unforgettable. From the very beginning of the show Jorge looked a bit tipsy but if it was really so it did not spoil anything. LHR did the same thing as Ninos Mutantes an year ago - they have made a set of cover versions. "Heroes" of David Bowie, "Boys Don't Cry" by The Cure, "Man On the Moon" by REM, "Song 2" by Blur... Finalizing the set with their own "Ayer" Jorge crashed down on the ground with the t-shirt totally wet from sweat. We felt ourselves like the lemons squeezed dry but happiness was our second name because of this crazy smashing groundbreaking show.
La Habitacion Roja

After having a nap (and a cup of wine) in the hotel room we came to recinto ferial to start the evening with the Grupo de Expertos Solynieve. The supergroup with Jota and Manu Ferron as co-leaders and two primary songwriters played some sort of electrified alt-country rock where one song could lean to blues, and another could be arranged in pure indie rock key. We stayed with them until the performance was wrapped up and then went to VIP zone to look around.
Grupo de Expertos Solynieve

In VIP zone we run into Javier Ajenjo and we talked a bit. He asked us if we attended the Morente Vive! show yesterday (of course, yes!), and I praised him for being capable to get all the pieces together in his hands and for making Sonorama better and better with every new edition.
For Arizona Baby we decided not to dive deep into the crowd, so we took ourselves some perfect DO Ribera del Duero wine and moved our bodies to the place within VIP zone from where we could observe the main stage. It surprised me how cool this band sounded live. I've tried to listen to their albums but I definitely couldn't fall in love with cos I considered the sound too thin, and the vocals too. But live it gave me absolutely different impression. It didn't sound thin at all. It sounded vital.
Arizona Baby

Jero Romero is a special band. You might not be much into their music. You might not want to listen to them. You might come there for the couple of songs just to tick a box - but surely you will stay there for the whole set of songs. There is something magnetic in this bunch of musicians gathered in the center of the stage like if they are jamming in very small room. It is impossible to say 'OK, let's go to see something else' and walk away. It's always some kind of magic.
Jero Romero

Before starting the "Calexico - Mi Capitan - Murciano Total - Supersubmarina" long run we came to VIP zone again to visit less overcrowded WCs. Standing in the queue I noticed the Grupo de Expertos Solynieve musicians coming into VIP zone. I felt stupid to run away from the queue and ask them to take a photo together with the toilets as the background - though to take a photo together with Jota for me it was the same as taking a photo with God for any religious person. Just to react to the situation I started to applause. In two seconds all the queue started to applause. The musicians waved hands to us, everybody was smiling. It was pretty nice moment but I felt like I've lost the momentum, and I would never see them again from such the close distance. But when we went up for the next doses of wine they were just standing there and having the conversation together.
Jota!!! - I was almost crying. - Sorry for disturbance! We're your fans from Russia! One photo, please!
From Russia? - Jota cracked a smile. - You've come a long way!

When the photos were taken everything I could was just to shout "Aaaaaaaa!!!" in the air, and I did so. The happiness became my first name. Really, for some amount of time I was the most happy person in the whole world.
We skipped Calexico because, you know, I'm here to observe the local bands rather than the international stars. They sounded great, and they were great in fact - but I wasn't there for them. So we ran to Burgos stage to see Mi Capitan. Mi Capitan is somewhat new name for the scene with the debut album "Drenad El Sena" released this year - new name but with familiar faces. The members of Standstill, Egon Soda and Love Of Lesbian are here to accompany longtime friend Gonçal Planas, the tour manager and sound engineer of the aforementioned bands. Mi Capitan have presented most of the songs from "Drenad El Sena" including their emblematic "Es Suave La Voz"  - the song the band is going to be remembered for in years. With unexpected appearance of Sidonie members onstage for the final song their perfomance definitely was worth abandoning Calexico.
Mi Capitan

Then we stayed before Burgos stage awaiting Murciano Total. The residents of El Genio Equivocado label that initially had been hiding their names under Lena & Sema monikers (later revealed to be Jose Lozano (of Automatics and Universal Circus fame) and Elena Molino) reproduced the sound of their cool and fresh "Quereres Y Dejenes" album quite literally, and their set was the pure pleasure for me as I like that album very much.
Murciano Total

While the Castilla Y Leon stage was sieged by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah we were hidden somewhere in the middle of the crowd before the Ribera stage. Supersubmarina were the headliners of this night so half an hour before the concert the crowd was already enormous. Considered 'too commercial' by fellow musicians this band presented the loud and colourful show with heroic poses and all these attributes of successful rock band. Anyway, the sound was not ideal, and while the performance was very professional and energetic the impression was not quite what we expected overall.
Supersubmarina

To finalize our activities this night we came to the Castilla Y Leon stage to look at La Maravillosa Orquesta del Alcohol. In comparison with the last year the local Burgos province heroes were promoted from openers to headliners in terms of the timeslots. The crowd was also significant so we didn't manage to get closer to the stage. But all the songs were familiar to us as we listen to their albums frequently in our everyday life, and we got enough pleasure just standing there behind the crowd and singing these songs along with the band.
La Maravillosa Orquesta del Alcohol

Text: Mikhail
Photos: Tatiana & Mikhail