Monkey Week 2018 - 10th Anniversary. The Summary

Just some info in brief.

My average “go/not go” decision-making term for travels is 6 months.

The decision-making term for this particular trip was less than 5 days. Even while sitting in Cologne airport stopover I was under threath of coming back.

The whole 4 days of the travel. 

The whole 2 days of the Monkey Week 2018 festival.

This was an adventure ad-lib, the most unprepared trip in my life.

My first visit to Seville, my first visit to Andalusia.

70 km passed on feet.

40 bands seen onstage. 

The new encounters. The re-encounters with the old pals. 

The new bands to follow.

Estrella Galicia under the rain. Lots of Estrella Galicia under the rain.

These were the happiest of days.

I felt like every person I run into was a musician.

I was happy to see Saim, Da Souza, Travesti Afgano, Bifannah and Exnovios live. I expected them to be great onstage – and they were truly amazing.

I was happy to get soaked into the magic sounds of Dreyma, Terry vs Tori, Kindata and Saletile.

I was happy to discover and immediately fall for Yawners and Puma Pumku (regarding the latter – I liked their “Is It In You?” LP alot but they spent plenty of time quite quiet since, and I had no idea on what they were up to now).

San Jeronimo, my greatest live discovery of the fest both musically and personally.

And, last but not least. Pumuky and GAF Y La Estrella De La Muerte. "One of my favourite bands and one the best live acts of the scene" - I can apply this phrase to both of them. The only reason for you to avoid visiting their shows in your town is death. No kidding, I saw the persons amongst the audience who cried after their sets. 

And I was crying after their sets too.

During these two over-saturated days I’ve seen live the following.

Full Concerts:

Mini Showcases (Friday 23, DITTO)

Saim (Friday 23, Mangaroca)

Pumuky (Friday 23, DITTO)

GAF (Friday 23, DITTO)

San Jeronimo (Friday 23, Mangaroca)

Cor Blanc (Friday 23, Studio 74)

Exnovios (Friday 23, Sala X)

Yawners (Saturday 24, Jagermeister)

San Jeronimo (Saturday 24, Hops & Dreams – OffMonkey)

Kindata (Saturday 24, Hops & Dreams – OffMonkey)

Melenas (Saturday 24, Vinilo Rock Club)

Travesti Afgano (Saturday 24, Itaca)

Saletile (Saturday 24, Sala La Calle – Fiesta Keroxen)

Pumuky (Saturday 24, Sala La Calle – Fiesta Keroxen)

GAF Y La Estrella De La Muerte (Saturday 24, Sala La Calle – Fiesta Keroxen)

Partially Seen:

Baiuca (Friday 23, Jagermeister)

Dreyma (Friday 23, DITTO)

Biznaga (Friday 23, Teatro Alameda)

Terry vs Tori (Friday 23, Sala Even)

Bifannah (Friday 23, Sala Even)

Da Souza (Saturday 24, DITTO)

Puma Pumku (Saturday 24, Jagermeister)

Uniforms (Saturday 24, Fun Club)

Los Jaguares De La Bahia (Saturday 24, Ron Contrabando)

Seen Only Episodically:

El Imperio Del Perro (Friday 23, Ron Contrabando)

Las Yumbenas (Saturday 23, Mangaroca)

Baywaves (Friday 23, Sala X)

RADIO3 La Guerra De Las Bandas (Saturday 24, Ron Contrabando)

Los Estanques (Saturday 24, Ron Contrabando)

Dani Llamas (Saturday 24, Ron Contrabando)

Pet Fennec (Saturday 24, Fun Club)

Planned But Not Seen:

Alien Tango, Futuro Terror, Vulk, Joan Colomo, Aliment

The Best Of 2014. Albums 11 - 20

20. Yani Como "Tu Ninca Te Aburres"
(p)Art Of Troya

With every next album (this one is sixth) my Persons Of The Year (I suppose they know why I call them so) become better and better - just like good DO Ribera del Duero wine.

19. Tania De Sousa "Tania Tank"
(p)Talka Records

With the ideological help of Fermin Muguruza and the full throttle guitar support of Correos' frontman Fermin Bouza this Pais Vasco native punk girl creates the melodic monument to the feminine power.

P.S. "She's the model and she's looking good..."

18. Proyecto Solaz "Homeoextasis"
(p)Digimusic

Named after the Lagartija Nick song "Solaz", the six-piece from Almeria released their first album in the very end of 2013. 9 noisy nervous restless tracks of experimental alternative rock with the perfect 'from intimate to earcrushing' vocals of Maria Martinez and Standstill-like rhythmical structures.

17. El Columpio Asesino "Ballenas Muertas En San Sebastian"
(p)Mushroom Pillow

Misanthropic electro-punk from the Pamplona-born post punk quintet - as cold and icy as Baffin's Island and as friendly and cheerful as an iceberg that crashed Titanic. 

You have longed for the next "Toro"? - Haha.

16. Puma Pumku "Is It In You?"
(p)Matapadre

The impressive first long play (produced by the members of Triangulo de Amor Bizarro) from the Galician psychedelic quintet is the reign of echoes, reverb, detached vocals and old-school dreampop-drenched instrumentation.

15. Sin Rumbo "LUZ"
(p)self-released

The band on the verge of 'making it', Madrid-based Sin Rumbo have changed the direction before releasing their most ambitious project yet. But despite the genre-bending metamorphoses "LUZ" could star as a perfect example of how to change the ways and methods without losing your face.

14. Carmen Boza "La Mansion De Los Espejos"
(p)self-released

"Gran artista y mejor persona. No, en serio; hago canciones" says the bandcamp page of Carmen Boza. Her album is a true gem of the semi-acoustic folk songs and 'a girl and a guitar and a tiny backing band' template. All the 11 songs here are absolutely fantastic.

13. Velcro "Hojalata"
(p)El Hombre Bala

The great collection of re-recorded and re-produced early tracks of the Canarian leftfield electrorock outfit. As I said earlier in the beginning of this year, "Hojalata" is full of great tunes and catchy choruses and happiness for everyone who's into the post-shoegaze alternative dance rock. Since then my opinion has not changed.

12. Blusa "¡Toca Breakbeat, Perro!"
(p)Sello Salvaje

The best feature that "Toca Breakbeat, Perro!" wears on its sleeves - and that makes this wordless album so exciting - is the four musicians' outstanding three-dimensional thinking and the ability to construct the compositions with almost architecturally detailed use of the sound space.

11. Las Ruinas "Toni Bravo"
(p)El Genio Equivocado

These tracks may seem simple enough but the truth is they are so perfectly constructed that could work even without vocals ("Ultimo Tren" as a proof) said I a month ago. Like Blusa, this post punk trio also has an exceptional three-dimensional creative vision - but they use it in another way: instead of creating the slowly evolving soundscapes they make 2 minutes long songs with equally fine results.