Yo, what's up?
It's been a long time since my last post, and not that I didn't have reasons to write: been to a great metal night in Barcelona (Ravenfest) in which saw the improved Kabal, the also improved Setge (I didn't remember such vicious guitar soloing 2 or 3 years ago) the returned crynight (great they're back, I can't understand they're not able to find a bass player, but having it taped is efective as hell), and a good band (indecadence) too doomish for my taste (my musical tastes are my musical tastes, that's all :-).

Also an aunt died, I visited Caceres (a nice city), recorded some test stuff for the band (march of the sod) among the drummer.
But I've been too lazy, I wasn't in a mood even to log in to myspace. It doesn't look very good on my netbook with its 9'' screen and linux-flash don't get well at all.
So, last sunday that little bastard died, so now I'm on my old 15'' laptop... 20some friend requests... not bad. I can't understand how people have such resource intensive layouts... so many flash in here, there, videos, crappy stuff.
You need a really fast connection (which I have now due to a "generous neighbor" who doesn't protect its wifi), a fast computer (mine is not bad, it was one of the first amd64 to go out, 512 mb ram, winxp (I'd use linux, but this crap has a very weird wifi card which I've never gotten to work in linux) and guess what... on most "nice" myspace accounts it almost gets on 100% CPU. Isn't there a better way to do things? that videos, animations and SHIT is really useful/needed?
The answer is NO.

Well, then, with the band, just when it was looking that we where about to record stuff to go out play some gigs, the lead guitar player has has to go through surgery for his back and the drummer's elbow hurts (we had to rehearse yesterday, and we will do it on thursday... hopefuly).

So, nah, lazy again. In no mood to practice some bass (and I should). The main reason is...
...work. It's so frustrating see that you can do things which could help, but you're not allowed, why? this world's disease: money.
Also, overwhelmed with shitty job, nah...

keep on shredin', if I'm really lucky today madrid will lose by 3+ goals and get kicked off champions leage... I won't be that lucky.

Yo, what's up?

So yesterday I saw there was something over there and decided to go to the Silikona place. It appears that that's the place where most unsigned metal bands play... or at least bands who put their concerts on the internet so I can know that they play.

Anyway, price 12€, one of that producciones obsesivas thing. Good to have promotors, not that good that they double the price of the show.

First to play, Atäraxia from Huelva. They did a decent performance, regarding sound, the bass was too loud and ate almost completely the guitars. I don't enjoy their style, so I won't say much more as I'm not into that genre. Only they didn't transmit any energy while playing the heavier parts (which they had here and there). Anyway, they're quite young, so they have a lot of room for improvement.

Then, Hidra. A linkin park-alike band. Two rapping singers, the same kind of samplers... I have never seen a band like this (most alike, band del palo, also rap metal, but their style is quite different). The bass was also too loud (I suppose it was due to the equipment, a really big cabinet (almost as tall as me)). As for I've seen for linkin park in their earlier times, these two singers are better (that guy choked while singing!). They did a good performance, the only downside for me was that it was short (as the other band, but for me it was a good thing... sorry! :-) and the sampler girl seemed to have problems and you heard as if cables where unplugged.. yack.

And then that's it, at 12:30 I was at home. These Madrid laws for live music have this good thing for me, but not for other people, as here locals are often more crowded over 2 AM, so locals like that can do a concert and then open as they usually do.

So, that's it, it was about time for a little metal! :-) Keep on shreddin'

Yo, what's up?
Well, it seems that I'm on the punk mood lately... not really, what happens is that there appear to be punk gigs here and there which are quite interesting.

So, yesterday it was time to go to Villaverde Alto, south Madrid, to a half-squat CNT (spain's most famous anarchist syndicate) for a 4 band show. I arrived there a bit late from what they said it was going to start... it looked really early, but if they say so... well, it was that early. There where only the bands checking sound. Ah, but this time they made me pay, not as other times... heheh.

The main reason why I was there was the first band to play: Sindrome de Diogenes. Their name reminds me my old boss.. all the day collecting digital crap (e-mails, etc) for that just-in-case. Good band, 40 years old over members (a female bass player who looked as the typical housewive! :-) a good lead guitar and their style, mix between rock and some punk. Overall good performance. Before they finished I had to leave to the train station to go to show a friend where the place was.

And we arrived just in time for the second show, Bajo licencia, playing some Madrid typical "rock urbano" a little punk-flavoured (of course! we're among anarchists! :-). They have a trumpet player and a guy came to sing with them in flamenco style, that was fun!! Overall, good as the previous band, their members are a bit youger, my age I suppose. Ah, a funny thing is that some kids wanted to enter, but they couldn't as for the laws in madrid: no live music after midnight and no minors in. Quite absurd.

Next (and time for a vegan sandwitch, not bad but not really good as that other time "the-thing-that-tastes-like-chicken"). The band playing was Black habbas, they played cover songs, a really wide range of covers, from rock (started with a barón rojo classic), disco, punk... a lame bass (he was lame because he had a leg broken, not because of his performance!), a guy singing among 2 women... one of whose made an amazing show. Even painting her face kiss-alike in last song, a black sabbath cover "children of the grave". A really fun band to see live, good performance, my favourites of the night. All looked too 40 or older (the lame bass actually looked younger)

And finally, faber pugna. Punk rock. Also 40 or older, and good quality as musics (which sometimes is not really a good thing for punk, but for them it is). A good band, but maybe a bit too repetitive in their style for their taste: all the other bands of the night had a wider range in their songs. And well, It was the latest show and I was tired. And so, time to go home and sleep.
At 1 AM at home, then I woke up at the same hour as everyday... damn my biological clock!

Keep on shreddin'

Yo, what's up?

Yesterday I hadn't plans for the afternoon, so I decided to go walking to a squater house quite far, as they did some hacking/linux talk and then later on a concert which I couldn'n afford to miss: Manolo Kabezabolo, quite a punk legend in spain who used to be in a mental asylum and they let him go out for the gigs.. that was way back in 97.

Anyway, arrived there and they had already started. They showed how to install linux to some people and learned a few things, not much, really. Anyway I gave some points and some advices on how to start: a good tutorial for command line and so.
Ate a pizza there, had to wait quite a bit for the microwave didn't work... joking about if they had the latest firmware version working in there...
...and when all ended, I went out to the local festivities in the zone to eat a good'ol steaky bacon sandwitch.

And finally, the concert. There was another in the festivities, but it was not interesting at all, pop stuff...
Not like in the squatter house. Curiously enough, you had to pay for the concert in the squat and the other was free :-)

First to play: rebeca puesta, from Cadiz. A trio in which the drummer also is the singer, as in Fura, but this time you don't notice any loss. Anyway, punk drumming is less technically demanding as in metal. I liked their style, just raw punk and with 3 really cool typical spanish cover songs: "quiero ser libre" from los chichos (rhumba), "volando voy" and one that said "ay que doló... ay que doló..:" really fun.

Second to play, Sick boys, from the el Pilar zone in madrid, near where I live. Their equipment was far better, and so their sound, but I really didn't enjoy their style as much. some weird stuff from here to there and well, I couldn't compare to which bands they are alike as punk has never been my relligion (altough I enjoy a punk concert from time to time).  Had some good moments, but overall I got a bit bored.

And finally, Manolo Kabezabolo, what I had been waiting for, and lots of people, for that place was quite full. The guy is taller than I expected. He started with his band with an instant classic: "va kalao" and some other great songs. The crowd sang really loudly the old songs. And as I was very tired, there was moshpitting near me, from time to time someone threw a beer or kalimotxo over the other people... I decided to go, As I already saw what I had to see and enjoyed it.

Luckily for me, that night they where doing a "noche blanca" don't-know-what-the-fuck-is-that in Madrid, and the underground was opened until later... just in time to arrive home with the last train... (after 3 shifts).

And that's it, keep on shreddin'
Today time to go for a car ride to the mountains and then clean the house.

Yo, what's up?
Well, last week end was Punk al Bosc, a benefic fest in honor of Josep Maria Isanta which I've been attending for years. So, friday was: working, getting the car and drive 660 km to the place. Getting out of Madrid was quite hellish, so the travel took an hour more than usual, but anyway I arrived before everything had started, and to see the first band play live.

Fura. Interesting stuff, good lead guitar player, the drummer was the singer, which caused that sometimes the drum beats where a bit poor. Not to take any merits to the guy, it has a lot, but it's normal when you do two things at a time that both are penalized. Not too impressive overall but good enough to start.
Then there where some bands more, and Skandol Públic, which I really don't enjoy (I've told it several times before). I had awoken before 7 AM, I had worked 7 hours, and driven 8 that day and I was really tired.
So, I left home to get some proper sleep and gather forces for what looked that it was going to be an intense saturday.

On saturday morning I met my brother-in-law brother's girlfriend, she is really nice and makes homemade booze (ratafia, typical from my country). I had to try that!. And that had good taste, maybe a bit to strong alcohol taste. Just sipping it to degustate it and I got a slight headache... my body no longer seems to be friends with alcohol! not that I'm planning to get used to it again, anyway.

Then I thought, why not try to fix my ol' spanish guitar bridge? so, I took my cousin's son (he wanted to come with me, as he loves music, they say he has potential to be a good drummer) and went to the shop. Talked a bit, had to wait a lot, but as my guitar is not very good and there are some types of bridges, I decided to buy a new better one. Tried 2, one more expensive than the other and I took the cheaper. Why? I preferred its sound, more deep, the other was more trebly. I had to put out of my head that of "if it's more expensive, it's better".
And what a surprise. I've been thinking to buy a bass guitar for months, but I was planning to do so in two months. The reason is to have one in the rehersal place and the other at home, and to not have to go up and down carrying weight. Yeah, what a surprise that they had the bass that I wanted to buy... only cheaper and better than the one I was planning to buy. Good deal! it sounds great, I can play now stuff such as machine head or scar symmetry while still being able to play standard tuned songs. The downside: the neck is wider and not as comfortable as the other I have. Anyway it's not really very different than a spanish guitar neck. I need time to get used to it, and I think it will make me better with the other too.
Ah, and when I arrived home I noticed that my old, cheap, almost destroyed carmen sounded better to my taste than my new alhambra. It may be the gato negro strings. Anyway, I think I'll fix the bridge and the nut.

Then after a familiar lunch, a familiar dinner (with other part of the family), time to the punk al bosc thing. First to play: karbunko; punk rock, nothing really remarkable, they put a good enough show to start the night. The sound was a bit too trebly and it hurt my years-ago wounded ear, so I went to the car for earplugs and the emergency jersey, as it was getting cold.
Well they started late, as it had been raining for the afternoon and they didn't have a lot of time for the soundcheck.
And still during karbunko's show, problems with the light, lost some time lights out trying to fix that.

Second: the ajos porros band. They didn't have the second guitar player, had also problems with the electric source (two blackouts or almost blackout during the show) and so. One of the worst shows I've seen to them, not that it was bad for me actually, as I'm quite a fan of them I enjoy their songs. And that I got :-)

Habeas Corpus. The best band I've ever seen in the punk al bosc fest. Great sound, great attitude, good songs. They had their own sound technician, so that may be the reason why they sounded so right and the other bands so wrong.

Hormigon Armado: they made a big mistake in a song, and some other minors over here and there but overall I'm happy to say that THEY'RE BACK!. It was about time, man.  Very good show.

And it was 5 AM, I was chilling and some hours later I had to drive back to Madrid, so I left just after two Hanka Gorri songs. They sounded good enough, nothing really impressive. A good band to finish the party after two intense days (well, in my case it was only one intense day! :-).

Didn't sleep very good, and then had to drove back o Madrid, I was quite tired and a bit sleepy, but the sleepyness seemed to go away as the day was going (yeah, and after an energy drink! XD).

Then working.. and at the rehearsal place, came a singer to test. What a surprise, as he is the Sabbath Rules singer! :-) (I made a review of one of their shows some time ago). His voice is really high pitched, not very adecuate for some of the songs in our repertoire, but for others it is. And with all the songs he tried, the thing was better with him han without him.
Unluckily I don't think he's going to stay...  we may try to play songs such as painkiller otherwise!! :-D

Keep on shreddin'

Yo, what's up?

Yesterday there was a big concert in Alcorcón, the city where I rehearse with my band. May I say that I live in northern Madrid and this city is past south Madrid... got to cross it all to reach it. More than an hour in the underground, and a bit more than half an hour by car from the work.

And then, there I was, arrived when the first band to play had already started. And they surprised me for the good sound they had. They played rock/heavy covers along some songs that I suppose where theirs. They translated the english songs to spanish, something I personally think that shouldn't be done, but anyway... Curiously they had 3 guitar players and one of them had tuning problems with a guitar and had to change it because he couldn't get it in tune.
Wasn't bad.

Then I ate some dinner, a chorizo sandwitch and found a guitar player of my band, talked a bit with him about his son, may be 5 or 6 years old and he brought him last rehearse. And then for Muro; a metal classic in spain which I had never seen live. Their sound and guitar performance was worse than of the first band (too loud, the sound was starting to get distored in a wrong way) but overall the show was far better. Better songs and far better stage presence. Interesting stuff, maybe I'll try to find something more about them.

Next: Saratoga. A band I had listened to an album years ago and that only played one song of that. They made a lot of things moving the stage, the sound was quite alike muro and overall they where on the same league, but maybe I enjoyed a bit more Muro. The new singer is quite good, but doesn't reach where Leo Jimenez used.

Then, finally, Medina Azahara, another spanish classic, with a frontman that everyone thinks that he wears a wig. Their style is quite unique: classic heavy metal melted with some flamenco/arabian music with a keyboard, a guitar, and a bass (and a drummer, of course). Curiously, they had a guy to sing some choirs. Their style is quite effective, simplistic and so, not bad. They played almost the only song I know and then, after some others I decided to leave as it was a bit late and as their sound is quite effective it's quite flat too. And they're not my preferred style.
Overall, a good show, but not to headline. Seeing the implicacion of the crowd and so, the headliners should had to be Saratoga, the ones which had more fans there by far (or maybe not that far! :-).

And then that's it, keep on shreddin' today time to clean the house and adlust my bass, as I changed the strings yesterday and the gauge is different.

Yo, what's up?
Well, my freedom is coming quickly to an end, on tuesday I'm back to work, I'm not eager at all...

But that's another thing.
Are you superstitious?
I used to have a theory.

In 2003 I started working in Portugal, just when I arrived, Porto FC won the Uefa cup, league, cup, and next year (while I was still/half on Portugal as I came back to Barcelona on May) won the champions League. Portugal also almost won the eurocup.
And way back then, FC Barcelona was winning almost nothing, and when I returned they started to play well, and next year they won the league.

So, that was my theory, that good results in football came wherever I was going, and I was concerned (well, I wasn't actually! you know it's nonsense :-) if I was coming to live to Madrid, then Real Madrid would start to have success...
...well, that didn't happen.

Since I'm in Madrid Barça has won ALL the trophies he's tried to (well, I don't know if The catalunha cup has been won, but it's a really minor title anyway).

So, you know, it's all about chances, they happen from time to time.
And if you walk under a stairs it's likely that something will fall uppon you from the guy who's working on them, no more, nor less!

Keep on shreddin'
(By the way, I'm now recalling some megadeth song from the "peace sells" album, would you guess which?).

Heh, heh... this was on tuesday and I've been quite lazy-with slow internet to write the report earlier.

But anyway, who cares? :-) that's just my oppinion, I don't pretend to help anyone or destroy any career with this. And who does pay me attention anyway?? :-)
(actually, to my surprise, it seems that more people than the 1 or 2 that I expected).

So, here it is.
Last tuesday I saw that there was a show of the Manolito's band on Gironella's swimming pool. A swimming pool I know really well, as when I was a kid I went there roughly all the summer (my mother and my grandfathers are from there, I used to stay half the summer on my grandparent's home and go to the swimming pool with my sister and cousins every afternoon).

It was scheduled to start at 23h. And they told that they where going to start it at the hour!! (hey, but isn't it spain?) as at 1 AM they where going to start to irrigate the grass and we all could get really soaked.
Well, I had a small "incident". last week my clock ran out of battery, I had one that I inherited from an aunt when he died and so, I decided to use it. Well, this clock is analog, and you may know I'm quite a digital guy.
The result: I arrived to the place "on time"... just one hour earlier!
And there they where, playing (I thought, that's weird, they've started actually earlier than it was scheduled) in front of... noone!
I was surprised, no one was going to come?? well...
...well, then I saw I was really wrong! :-)

It came a lot of people for being a tuesday, They played their usual songs and some new covers as well. Good to see people who I hadn't talked with in a while (some in the band, even).
Twho people where not there, Cullel (the other spanish guitar player) and Pili (his girlfriend, does some choirs); they dedicated to them a song, as they could not be there that night... well, it sounded quite serious, as if they where ill or so, but they wheren't, they where actually on holidays. But anyway, the band with only Manolito would just go on. The other people make it sound better, but if the core is there it will sound good anyway.
As I told, there was quite a lot of people out there, it seems more than the guys in the bar expected, as they ran out of beer.
And what does happen when they run out of beer? people leaves. So, a few people leaved before the show ended.
Hey, that's a swimming pool, you can't run out of beer like this!! it's something vital! (not for me right now, as I don't drink). Just tell me how a dad is going to endure a whole afternoon with his kids on the swimming pool...
...yeah! you have guessed just right! drinking fresh beer in the bar.

And that's it, leaved home and had a restful sleep. The more I see them live the more I enjoy them.

Yo, what's up?

Well, yesterday there was a concert in Saldes, a neighbor village. Now that I think, it's been years since last time I went there for anything related to party. They never did anything interesting anyway.
Well, maybe until yesterday.

I arrived there, went to the place where the bands used to play and well, the bar dismounted and the stage only half mounted; no equipment as well. So, I thought, that's a really strange way Saldes people have to do a concert.
So I went back home, and then, my mom told me that there's actually a place where they do such things now. So, why not, I came back to Saldes to find the place. No wonder I didn't know that, for last time I had gone to that village, the whole building wasn't even there.
You know, it appears that on the last 5 years people have kept building like crazy.
Also, I didn't find open any of the bars where I had gone years ago, only one opened, and one of those "made for tourists". It seems that the roots are fading away there (anyway, what could you expect from Saldes??)

It was almost an hour after the hour they where supposed to start, and they hadn't even started. It's spain, you know, more again... we're in Saldes, actually.
I heard someone out there telling that they made you pay 3€ for the show, so, I opened the door (it was closed), told the guy of the tickets "hi!", he told me "hi!" and I was in.
Well, anyone told me to pay, so I didn't (and later on I saw some people doing so).
I think they may have thought I was with one of the bands, as I actually shaved my beard last week and now I don't look that homeless-I'm gonna-break-your-face guy.

Tabaloko. 7 people from Barcelona, supposedly playing rhumba. Well, that wasn't rhumba except for a guitar player who from time to time played the spanish guitar into that fast-paced style called over here "el ventilador" (the fan).The most notorious thing about them was a little legion of 17-18 year old fan-grouppie who where extasiated with their performance. Ah, and when they finished playing, they dissappeared, don't forget this is spain and I won't let any chance to the other bands playing in the night to even see if they are good.
They enjoyed a lot the show, well, I didn't. Not that their performance was poor, they showed themselves to be good musicians, actually. Only that their music is a mix (what 5 years ago used to be named "música mestiza", and everyone did exactly the same mix.. boring) of too many things I dislike:
-Techno-alike bass drum kick. (a guy doing so, he was good with the snare and the hats (no tom but a goliath), but... agh, I just don't like that bum-bum-bum-bum... all the time the same).
-Ska, I don't like ska, when I saw a saxofone I was fearing they where going to do that and yes, from time to time (more often than I would have liked) they did.
-I don't like manu chao, and they sound very the same. Maybe not exactly, but like dusminguet or some other stuff like that.
And so, that's more or less how the show did go, a lot of success for them with their grouppies.

Then galigan, some guys from Baga and Gisclareny (villages near). It's good to know that there are new bands over here.
They where announced as "the best rock-metal in the shire". Well, sorry guys but you're not. Luckily the level here is higher than this.
Not that it was a bad show, the two guitar players showed some skill with the leads, the singer good enough, the rhythm section has to improve still a bit... heavy rock with some covers: guns'n'roses knockin' on heaven's door, one classic 80's song (or so they told) that I don't recall and ac/dc's tnt which was a bit too fast paced to sound really good and the vocals where not really in the tone.
Overall they gave me a good impression, it seems to me that they've not been playing together for a really long time, they show good moves, and I think in a year or two they'll improve a lot.

And then back home to sleep, today there's more stuff in Gironella, 4 bands playing which I think I'll actually only enjoy one of them: Spoyler. The guys who according to Behi (one of the guys in the metal association) are the real best ones on the rock-metal cathegory over there. Let's see how are they right now.

That's it and keep on shreddin'

Yo, what's up?

Well, they've told me not to do it, but here I am!!
And anyway, I never let anyone wrong but Skàndol Públic!! XD

Well, Last friday I was told I could do holidays, but there where still were 2 quite big issues, so it had to wait until tuesday.
And just in time for the local parties at my village, not that this year look really very interesting, but having a chance to rest is nothing to reject, more when my village is THE place to rest.

So then, yesterday it was the time for the concerts in the village. One thing I didn't like much is that all 3 bands are cover-based bands... well, sold out used to be 2 years ago, today the most songs they play are theirs actually.

Grand Vermú. The singer is a guy who I used to sit with at class in the high school, great singer as I may say, not only that I know him. They played their usual acoustic soul/funk/whatever covers as usual, this time with the newer addition of wah and overdrive to one of the two acoustic guitars. I was amazed, not very easy to get that sound from an acoustic guitar, even when it has a pickup inside. Good first one. Also, the guy broke 2 strings, curious enough! They actually played, no sweat while he was changing them and no problem, good sound meanwhile anyway.

Then sold out. I know pretty well the drummer, edgar, as he's also Hormigón Armado drummer (used to be rhytm guitar player as well). After the show they asked me to not write this review, huh, huh... sorry guys, I will be writing it once more.
They felt like they did a poor performance, it didn't look as it to me this way. Well, I must admit that it seemed to me that they did 2 mistakes or so, maybe the drumms were  a bit not loud enough, the double rectifier of one of the guitar players did not had enough sustain on leads for my taste (and maybe why the drums didn't sound as clear as in the other bands: that thing has huge low end), but overall, for me it was the best time I've seen them live. 2 years after tey sure have improved, they sound more cohesionated day by day. So, for them it was like a poor performance, and for me it was the best time I've seen them.
Great then, I can't wait just to see them in a "good day"!

Finally, autoput. Really good musicians, above them, the singer and the guitar player. They played a good born to be wild cover (sounded only slightly better than sold-out's, with a better lead.. only that in the time tapping wasn't invented for rock!! XD). And then the show was going on, their songs shifted into more poppie stuff, well, I already saw 2 good concerts, I was tired and not willing to listen 3 or 4 songs which I didn't enjoy just for one I did... and then back again, you know.
So, time to go to sleep. A bit of shreddin before and that was it.

Then this morning I climbed Gallina Pelada, quite fast, I think in 2:30 hours. It appears that I'm not as off-shape as I thought. Now I feel a bit tired; already tried to nap a bit, but couldn't. I will try it a bit later and then have a shower and then go to el celler to talk a bit with the metal association guys.

That's it, keep on shreddin'