Fiesta Mayor, Música Sobresaliente

DJ Tigre, dueño de La Bodega Saltò, cantante de La Ruge Band
y la cara más tradiciónal de la Fiesta Mayor de Pueblo Seco.
DJ Tigre, owner of the Bodega Saltò, lead singer of La Ruge Band
and the more traditional face of the el Poble-sec Festa Major.

Como dije en el posting previo, esta fiesta major de Pueblo Seco fue la mejor hemos asistado. A pesar de menos escenarios este año había más talente, más variadad y más experimentción, sobre todo en la música. No es solamente la opinión mia. Ni de coña - la peluquera de Sra. H&D la dijo equal, por lo tanto debe se ser verdadero.

As I said in the previous posting, this Festa Major in el Poble-sec was the best we've ever experienced. Despite less stages there was more talent, variety and experimentation - above all in the music. And that not merely my opinion - not by a long way. Mrs. H&D's hairdresser made the same observation, so it must be true. 

La Associación de Swing de Barcelona hace fiesta fuera del Bar "36".

The Barcelona Swing Association parties outside Bar 36, c. Elkano.

Pasabamos la mayoría del fiesta en Espai 36, un tramo de c. Elcano enfrente de Bar 36. Allí veíamos La Associación de Swing de Barcelona bailar, como puedes ver en el video arriba. Mientras disfrutabamos el espectaculo, notamos que el dj ponía un monton de versions de éxitos estilo swing. Entre estas fue Pump Up The Jam tocado por The Lost Fingers. Disfutalo.

We spent most of the festa at Espai 36, a stretch of calle Elcano outside Bar 36. There we saw The Barcelona Swing Association perform, as you can see in the above video. While we were enjoying the show we also noticed that the DJ was playing a lot of swing versions of hit records, including Pump Up The Jam, played by The Lost Fingers. Enjoy.

En los días siguientes Dj The Swing of Ramírez pinchaba más discos lounge, y estabamos para disfrutarles. A la otra estrema de la gama músical, pero solamente unas calles de distancía pudiera encontrar el Luchankos Gang, una pandilla de DJs de rock, más Los Picamoto (izquierda) un grupo de power garage de Valencía. No pude encontrar aglo de Los Picamoto online. En lugar de ellos, Here Are The Sonics!!!

Dj The Swing of Ramírez played a lot more lounge records in the following days, and we were to enjoy them all. Meanwhile, at the other end of the musical spectrum but only a few streets distant you could have found the Luchankos Gang, comprising a group of rock DJs plus Los Picamoto (left), a power garage band from Valencia. I couldn't find anything by them online, so instead, Here Are The Sonics!!!

Masks, Disguises And Make-Believe At The Festa Major

The Festa Major is a time the barri becomes a world unto itself. Even more than usually, El Poble-sec seems completely remote from the rest of the city, the world - and even reality. Beginning on the Saturday 17th July and ending Sunday 25th it combines pleasures, terrors and large measures old and new.

The short video, above shows The Smoking Heads, a performance art piece that took place in c. Blesa, involving actors disguised as skeletal beings, dressed in a way reminescent of depictions of evil capitalists. As the troupe's name suggest, thick black smoke belched from their stovepipe hats while bangers went off and a sinister red light glowed. The symbolism of the iniquities of late industrial capitalism and the coming ecocide was sledgehammer subtle - yet highly effective in creating a  unnerving and disorientating atmosphere amongst the party-goers.

Gigants from l - r: Armand, Rosa and Quimet.

The following day held more traditional diversions - yet they could be just as surreal for those not familiar with Catalan customs. One of my first posts dealt with els gigantes. As a I mentioned then, the couple of Armand, the rich industrialist and cabaret afficionado, and Rosa the vedette represent Poble-sec's glamourous (or seedy, however you see it) past of showgirls and their rich patrons.

Armand always follows Rosa, and always bears two presents: a bunch of flowers and a string of pearls, (pictured, left) which remain hidden. Meanwhile, Quimet - who represents the legendary Quimet i Quimet bar - which according to rumour is Ferran Adrià's favourite - ensures neither of the illicit lovers suffers thirst. Rosa is unique in that she is the only one of her race to have visible legs. She had also changed costume since we'd last seen her, which was even more revealing than usual.

Hello gorgeous! A cap gros leers my way.

Although now most - if not all - barris, villages and towns in Catalonia have their own gigantes, their modern existence in Poble-sec only dates from 1987, when they were very different to now, and a lot heavier. Follow this link to a great interview with Xavier Velasco, originator of the colla, or association,  of gigantes in el Poble-sec in which he speaks enthusiastically (and in Spanish)  about his family's key involvement in this fascinating cultural movement.

The grotesques known as Els Caps Grossos (literally, Big Heads) play second fiddle to the gigants - mainly due to their relative lack of stature and smaller numbers. They are very popular, however, with some of the uglier and more sinister examples creating a frisson of fear in the younger children.

A rose between two thorns.

Joining a parade of such brilliantly realised humanoids does impart a real sense of other-worldliness as they walk among us. Just as alcohol, music, dancing, street decoration and other techniques transform the everyday into the mysterious and wondrous, the gigantes and caps grosses have a major part to play in leading us - pied-piper-like into another realm.

For children of all ages...

Other participants also change their identities with masks, and as in the picture here, face-painting. Others, such as these children are hell-bent on environmental transformations of a not altogether welcome kind. This sort of creative/destructive behaviour is very much part and parcel of the spirit of festa, in the same way that the correfoc is.

Everything's gone green.

In the next post I'll give you an idea of some of the great music we heard at this year's Festa - which has proved to be the best we have yet attended. Fins aviat!

Don Letts Takes On The Spanish World Cup Squad

Don Letts Se Enfrenta La Selección Española

Let's be avin' you - The Don Of Dub.

Don Letts - La Leyenda.

"So you're not watching the football, then?" asked film-maker, DJ, Clash collaborator and ex-member of Big Audio Dynamite Don Letts in response to our hearty greeting. We wouldn't usually be quite so gauche when going to to a gig, but as we were amongst the youngest members of a very sparse audience at the Caixa Forum, we thought he might need a bit of encouragement. 

"Pues - ¿no mirais el fútbol?" pidió director , DJ, collaborador del Clash , y antiguo musico con Big Audio Dynamite  Don Letts, en repuesta de nuestra saludo caluroso. Normalamente, no fueramos tan directos mientras en una concierto. Pero puesto que estuvimos entre los espectadores más jovenes en un auditorio muy pequeño a La Caixa Forum, pensamos Don pusiera haber querer ánimo. 

The football that the one-time dealer for Bob Marley was referring to was the World Cup quarter final match between Spain and Portugal, and the reason for the shockingly bad (and badly shocked) turn-out. After going on stage and putting a dub mix of popular and retro tunes, he confided that he was going to run out of slow numbers: "And I don't think this lot would like some of the bangers I've got!" he continued, gesturing to the blue-rinses populating the back rows. The front rows were empty, except for us dancing like it was 1979. Poor Don. 

El fútbol de que le referió el antiguo camello de Bob Marley, fue La Copa Mondial cuarto partido entre España y Portugal. También fue el motivo por la falta de espectadores. Depués de tomando el escenario y poniendo un dub mix de canciónes buen conocidas, nos confió que fue a agotió de canciónes despacios. "Y creo que esta gente no le gustaría los demás." 

After the excellent set, which took in a lot of classic dub and reggae such as Horace Andy and Dave & Ansell Collins, plus some sly dub versions of more mainstream numbers we took the opportunity to thanks him for his efforts, despite the appalling lack of a crowd that an artist of his stature deserved. As I mentioned earlier, we don't usually pester pop stars, and the following exchange, indicates why:

Boy: Don, do you mind me asking you about Joe Strummer?

Don: Err... no...

Boy: What was he like? Did he like Spain?

Don: Errrrrr....

Después de una actuación sobresaliente que consistió en mucho pistas clasicas de dub y reggae de artistas como Horace Andy i Dave & Ansell Collins, y unas versiones, estilo dub, tomamos la oportunidad por agradacerle por todo. Dio muchas esfuerzas a pesar de condiciones horrorosas - condiciones que no le merece un artista de estatura. Como mencioné antes, usualmente no les molestamos los pop stars, y el dialogo siguiente es un ejemplo del movito por no hacerlo. 

Chico: Don - ¿te molestaría si preguntarte sobre Joe Strummer?

Don: Pues... no...

Chico ¿Cómo estuvo Joe? ¿Le gustó España?

Don: Pues... yo...

In the end I guess you would have to say that Spanish football mania won the day - and even beat Portugal 1-0 - which was a shame - a shame for Spain. Hopefully Don will be back to mix another day - during the cricket.

Al fin y al cabo supongo ganó la mania futbolistas española. De hecho al seleción vencó a Portugal 1-0. Pero con suerte volerá Don para mix de nueveo - quizás durante el cricket.

I've scoured the InterWebs for a decent representation of the set he played, but without success. Instead I'll leave you with him discussing Punk attitude, Bob Marley and his own first involvement in the music scene as a DJ at the Roxy. Be warned: it does get a bit sweary in places.  

He buscado por todos partes con el motivo de mostrar algo de lo que Don Letts tocaba aquela noche, pero no he tenido éxito. En lugar de eso, os dejaré con un clip de él hablando acerca de la atidud Punk, Bob Marley y su propio primera parcipación en el musical ámbito. Cuidado - hay palabrotas. 

Fem Paral·lel!

Una fiesta para tod@s. A party for everyone.

En un verano más lluvioso que soleado, el sábado fecha de 13 de junio fue una oportunidad rarisíma por disfrutar el tiempo. Y en la calle Paralelo también hubo la posibilidad por disfrutar la musíca, actuaciónes de teatre, unas cervezas, castillos hinchables , y - globos. 

In a summer more marked by rain than sun, Saturday 13th of June proved to be a rare opportunity to enjoy the weather. And on Paral·lel there was also the possibility to enjoy music, theatre performances, a few beers, bouncy castles and balloons - lots of them. 

Fem Paral·lel! fue una iniciativa por reinvindicar un interzone entre Poble Sec, El Raval y Sant Antoni. Una escasez de inversión social ha resultado en El Jardín de Las Tres Chimeneas estado compartido por monopatinistas de abilidades dudosas y yonquís chutandose. Casi enfrente de esta paradiso urbano esta Nou de la Rambla, y su teatro porno show de mala fama, el Bagdad. 

Fem Paral·lel is an initiative aimed at reviving the interzone between Poble-sec, the Raval and Sant Antoni. a lack of social investment has resulted in the Jardí de Els Tres Xemenies being shared by skateboarders of dubious ability, and junkies shooting up. Almost opposite this urban oasis is Nou de la Rambla, which boasts the notorious Bagdad, a venue for live sex shows.

Pues, dejaría el lado sordido de mi barrio por otra posting. Esta día fue una por la diversión familiar y incluyó nueve escenarios de espectaculos. El ambiente fue feliz a pesar de un grupo de death metal tocando a uno extremo de la fiesta. 

Well, I'll leave the sleazier side of my barri for another posting (Poble Sex? It's gotta be done, right?). This day was full of family fun and included nine different stages of shows. The atmosphere was very jolly, despite the best efforts of a death metal group, playing at one end of the event. 

En total 800 metros de Paralelo se cortó, entre Magarit y Santa Madrona. La participación de los teatres que borden la calle fue muy adecuada, puesto que todo el acto fue la creación de Elvira Vázquez, la presidenta de Fundació El Molino (FEM) - El Molino era el Moulin Rouge Catalan, y esta en el proceso de reconstrución. Con suerte Fem Paral·lel! será el comienzo de algo semejante por toda la zona.

In total Paral·lel was cut for 800 metres, between Magarit and Santa Madrona. The participation of the theatres that line that stretch of the street is particularly fitting, given that the whole event was the brainchild of Elvira Vázques, president of the Fundació El Molino (FEM) - El Molino was the Catalan Moulin Rouge, and is now in the process of being rebuilt. Hopefully Fem Paral·lel! will be the beginning of something similar for the whole area.

Thee Oh Sees - Primavera In The Parc

John Dwyer, autor-cantante de Thee Oh Sees delante de Dona i Ocell esculptura de Joan Miró. 

John Dwyer, Thee Oh Sees' singer-songwriter poses in front of Joan Miró's Dona i Ocell sculpture.

Pues, dije que no fui a escribir un posting más de Primavera Sound puesto que lo demás de los grupos fueron actuar demasiado lejos del barrio, y el nombre de este blog es PobleSecBarcelona. Pues, mentí. No me di cuenta que estuvieron conciertos cerca de Plaza España - ¡casi en Pueblo Seco! Aunque en realidad fue una oportunidad escribir sobre mi nuevo grupo favorito - Thee Oh Sees.

Well I said I wasn't going to be doing another posting on Primavera Sound as all the other groups were going to be playing too far from the barri, and the name of this blog is PobleSecBarcelona. Well I lied. I hadn't realised that there were shows near Plaza España - practically in El Poble-sec! Although in reality it was simply an opportunity to write bout my new favourite band - Thee Oh Sees.

Había visto Thee Oh Sees por la primera vez la noche anterior. Fueron una acuoso mezcla de The Cramps, The Monks y The B52's con cantante y guitarista John Dwyer, el rey de la scene garage punk de San Franciso casi gragando el microfono, pidiendo los espectadores donde conseguir cocaina,  y tocando como demonio en el buen nombrado Vice (Vicio)  escenario. Está por demás decir estuvo enganchado. Cuando Sra. High And Dry me advisó que el grupo tocará en el Parco Joan Miró en diez minutos, me puse las chanclas y fui corriendo a la direción de Plaza España. Abajo esta lo que encontré allí.

I'd seen Thee Oh Sees for the first time the night before. They were a squelchy mixture of the The Cramps, The Monks and The B52's, with John Dwyer, king of the San Francisco garage punk scene half swallowing his mic, asking the audience where to score coke and playing like a demon on the well-named Vice stage. I was hooked, suffice to say. When Mrs. High And Dry reminded me that they would be playing at the Parc Joan Miró in ten minutes, I slipped on my flip-flops and high-tailed towards Plaza España. Here's what I found there, with thanks to dirtyzine, who filmed the following:

Sounds Like Primavera

Gareth Campesinos! se acerca sus fans. Gareth Campesinos! gets close to his fans.

Estoy escribiendo este con una rasaca depués de dos noches de la musica, la cerveza y corriendo entre escenarios. Y tenemos tres más antes del fin. Sí, la Primavera Sound ha llegado en BCN de nuevo. 

Obviamente, no puedo blog sobre la mayoría de los grupos ya que actuan fuera del barrio (en el Forum) - pero tres acutaron en el Apolo como un calamiento del festival real. Y por lo tanto no es romper las reglas escribir sobre ellos.

I'm writing this with a hangover after two nights of music, beer, and running frantically between stages. 

And we have three more to go. Yes, Primavera Sound has come around to Barcelona again.

Obviously I can't write about most of the bands as they're performing outside Poble-sec (at the Forum, in fact) - but three groups played at the Apolo as a warm-up to the festival proper, so it's not bending the rules to blog them.

Peggy Sue son un grupo indie-folk de Brighton, Rieno Unido. Como todos del los grupos estan con Wichita Recordings y el motivo  por el concierto es mostrae el talente de la compañía discografíca. 

Hace pocos años nunca aparaceron conjuntas las palabras "folk", "grupo", "concierto" y "fuí" en mi vocabulario. 

Como un "indie kid" de los años ochentas tenía muchos sospechos de frikis barbudos llevando sombreros y tancando guitarras SIN ELECTRICIDAD. Sin embargo hoy en dia es imposible ser un fan de la musíca contemparanía y evitar escuchar el llamada New Folk o Anti-Folk. Y cuando lo escuches... pués tienes que confesar  - esta mola. 

Peggy Sue is an indie-folk band from Brighton, UK. Like all the the groups that night, they were with the Wichita Recording label, and he whole concert was clearly a showcase for the prodigious talent with that record company.  

Only a few years ago you would never hear me utter the words "folk", "concert" and "I went to a" in the same sentence. As an 80s indie kid I was roundly suspicious of beardy-wierdies spòrting hats and playing non-electric guitars. However, these days it's impossible to be a music fan and not listen to so called New Folk or Anti-Folk. And when you give it a chance, you have to admit - it rocks.

El grupo proximo fue First Aid Kit. "Sueco First Aid Kit, porque ya hay un grupo barcelonés con nuestro nombre," gruñio Johanna (o Klara) Soderberg una de las dos hermanas. Su musica es aún más folk que Peggy Sue, con toques de ABBA y faldas más cortas. Muy agredable.


The next group were First Aid Kit. "Sueco (Swedish) First Aid Kit because there's already a band with out name in Barcelona," growled Johanna (or Klara) Soderberg, one of the two sisters who make up the group. There music was even more folky than Peggy Sue's - with a few touches of ABBA - and shorter skirts. Nice.

Pero lo mejor gusto - y menos folky - de la noche fue Los Campesinos! "Somos Los Campesinos!" dijo Gareth, el vocalista. "De Cardiff, Gales," añadio. Los ocho musicos en el escenario cantaban griban y tocaban con toda la energía que tuvieran. Empezaron con el leyandario "Death To Los Campensinos!" - un favorito mio. Aqui es el video en directo, gracia a Andy Prayer:

But the biggest treat - and not-very-folky-at-all was Los Campesinos! "We're Los Campesinos!" yelled lead singer Gareth, sporting a Malta football shirt. "From Wales, he added." The eight musicians onstage sang, played, screamed and played their hearts out. They kicked off with the legendary "Death To Los Campesinos!"  - a favourite of mine. Here's the live video, with many thanks to Andy Prayer:



Pero lo más descatado de la noche fue Gareth y su guitarista saltando del escenario con el motivo a cantar y bailar con sus fans. Saqué unas fotos de esto.

But the highlight of the evening was when Gareth and his guitarist leapt from the stage in order to sing and dance with their fans. I took a few snaps.

All The News That's Unfit To Print

On a day that sees the possible meltdown of the Eurozone, the crushing of the Red Shirt protesters in Thailand, increased threats to bomb the bejesus out of Iran and  - worst of all -  the invasion of Atletico Madrid  fans here in the sacred earth of el Poble-sec, the time seems ripe to update y'all on what has been going down in the barri. After all, it may be my last chance before the lights go out all over Europe.

First up, work of some description has re-started on the Plaça Navas, after a three-year hiatus first due to the discovery of a Civil War era air raid shelter, then the bankruptcy of the constructor. The opening of the remodeled square and its underground carpark is slated for December 2011. We bring you the following (belated) report from our good friends at BTV, Barcelona's premier news source:

www.btvnoticies.cat

In more important news, it appears that some information on this site is out of date and needs correcting. One reader helpfully pointed out that Tapíoles 53 has ceased opening for lunchtime menu de días. If you wish to sample the fare of this garden of earthly delights you will now have to dig deep and dine after dusk.

In better news for gourmands in the area, Luki has now started opening on a Sunday night until 12, and I strongly suggest you check out this great new-ish addition to the Poble-sec scene - after reading my  blog posting first, of course. 

In sports news, U E Poble-sec (latest chant - "Poble-sec - es un tsunami!) won an exciting match against Gimnastica Iberiana and as of the time of writing are fairly clear of the relegation zone with only a few more matches to play. Check out their current status yourself - if you can be bothered by following this link and choosing Primera Catalana from the drop-down menu. 

In related news, bitter recriminations are mounting against the local sports facility authority due to vast hikes in the fees being charged to local sports associations. So now we know how they could afford the half a million Euro astroturfing of La Satàlia - U E Poble-sec's home ground.

And in a late breaking story, we hear that the Red Shirt leaders in Thailand have given themselves up to the authorities. Let the show trials and executions begin...