Category: live

Concert and festival previews and reviews.

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Review: INDOURO FEST, 2-3 May 2015

How to arrange a proper music festival 101 in 5 easy steps:

1.       Bring quality bands to your event

2.       Delineate a theme, music style or common ground to these bands

3.       In case of different attractions like the surrounding environment, other art events and fun stuff, reassure if worthwhile or unnecessary.

4.       Respect your brand, but also believe in it and don’t be afraid being a bit flamboyant promoting it

5.       Pray for good weather!

This should be enough to a great music festival, and INDOURO FEST seemed to follow these steps, although I’d like to see a bit more branding on Serra do Pilar, hence the 4thpoint; and if you’re about to call me a “capitalist marketer”, I’m just saying: an Indouro porch would be nicer than a Super Bock one.

Also, the fifth obviously failed, welcome to the North, folks. However, the worst was yet to come, as two of the most expected bands didn’t. Thanks to the TAP pilots’ strike, Clinic and Toy couldn’t make it on time to their shows, leaving Indouro to reorganize its schedule, as there were no actual replacements for those. This, and also seriously, would an awning for the audience to be rain-free be too much to ask, since the fact that a bit more than a hundred people showed up in the 2nd and 3rd of May, resulted in Indouro missing the 6th step of arranging a music festival: be prepared for anything.

DAY ONE – 2ND MAY

But enough criticism, because for what really matters, Indouro gave it to us: great concerts. And if The Lost Rivers (starting a bit late due to filling up Clinic’s spot) were somewhat, well, lost in their power trio wall of sound, Electric Litany gave us the great start for the festival. Nevertheless, kudos to TLR and their 10 minute-mark jam of a final.

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Electric Litany. Credits: Francisco Vaz (Omessa Magazine)

At the first look, Electric Litany shares the same feature sound of modern indie rockers acts like Wild Beasts or Editors, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Also, nothing interesting, so why they differ? Maybe because of their sudden silences in mid-song followed by crescendo, perpetuating an improved and more instrumental version of the song, or also the fine guitar reverb built in cahoots with the unfading synths, as the rhythm section dictates if it’s time to wither or explode. Great band chemistry and great performance, showing why “immigrant” acts (frontman Alexandros Miaris is Greek) may be an improvement to older hometown selves.

Next were The Limiñanas, also showing how multiculturalism can improve things. Native French, English, Italian, be it: they sing it. Obviously inspired in Serge Gainsbourg’s secular pop, don’t expect much more than on-beat drums, a repetitive organ riff and incessant guitars while the feminine try not-much-to-sing-as-to-speak-but-end-up-in-singing-anyway. Let’s face it, it’s an easy way to make a melody, but you can’t go wrong. And although it felt like it missed some aggression and change, Limiñanas sure were competent. Can’t lie, would be much more enjoyable if it hadn’t start to rain.

Yes, of course the rain contributes to the outcome of one’s “enjoyability” of a concert. Even if you’re impermeable up to your sleeves with your best raincoat and wellington boots, it still can annoy you and your constant trickling wet face. But who said it can’t have positive influence as well? Tristesse Contemporaine (translating to Contemporary Sadness in English) turned something bad as an eleven hour wait to a flight (courtesy of TAP pilots’ strike) only to play during rain in something no other than galvanizing, thought-provoking dancing minimal electro pop. Truth be told, frontman rapper Michael Giffs knew how to turn around the audience, giving them some words and appreciating the acclaim back, other than saying “thank you” and moving on. Trust me, I for one do not give an ass if an artist is communicative or not, in most cases I appreciate the ones who aren’t, given their related music performance vibe. But then there are occasions like this when people are watching you while raining, here you can really thank their support/endurance, because that’s dedication, and also because it fuels them up to continue. Not only was that the case, but also Tristesse’s fitting urban depressive sound came together to make this concert one of Indouro’s memorable moments.

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Tristesse Contemporaine. Credits: Francisco Vaz (Omessa Magazine)

Speaking of personal disposal, The Lucid Dream sure are great shoegazers, and again, quite incredible amount of noise for a trio, but I wasn’t in the mood for no introduction nor conclusion, just middle fuzzy rock tunes. Still, in overall, much more structured and better quality output than the previous rock trio The Lost Rivers. I’m sure given a second chance I’d enjoy better The Lucid Dream, although not so sure if I’d understand the spokesman guitarist’s strong British accent.

The day had been long, Clinic was missing and White Haus being the most setup complex band of the day, their soundcheck took a bit while. Reasons why João Vieira urged to start his concert as soon as possible and why even fewer people were enjoying another stiff and jig electronic performance of his and theirs partners in dance. At least it stopped raining, giving us some rest from the first day of the festival.

DAY TWO – 3RD MAY

If in the day before there was some doubt on whether it would be raining or not, there wasn’t on the second and last day of Indouro. It rained all day!

Possibly the only positive aspect of Toy’s cancellation, at least you’d spend fewer hours at the festival, with fewer bands and an earlier headline. And given this strategy of spending the fewer hours possible at rain, here’s how I arrived promptly in time to one of my Indouro’s favorites, Yuck.

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Yuck. Credits: Francisco Vaz (Omessa Magazine)

With a new frontman for their second album, following the depart of original member Daniel Blumberg, the green raincoat superhero sure knew how to tease the public (“Fuck Lisbon”, “Just kidding”). As for the Yuck trademark sound, it teases itself, being the most youthful, revival 90s cool rock of the bunch. Playing their older songs switching the vocalist here and there but keeping the core of the song, gliding in their current ones (even originating a mosh during “Middle Sea”, who would’ve thought), the best was saved for last, playing two new songs from the upcoming third LP ­– at first listening, I’d say they’re trying to be less one-tone for song, but it’s a Yuck still – and, as it’s being usual, “Operation” rocking the fuck out of Serra do Pilar. Rock‘n’Roll is alive and well, it’s only a question of where can you find it.

Lola Colt is a sextet band composed by equal parts of male and female performers and this simple explanation/fact might help you find out why their sound is so rich, complete and loud. Music directly taken from any OST you can think of, their abrasive reverbed guitars, the tambourines louder than drums, psychedelic keys, the impeccable roaring voice of the female singer… all of this to a fantastic combo with the power to make the venue rumble. Seriously, I remember a section of a song with all their parts reaching a climax louder than any other act passing by during all Indouro Fest. Formidable.

Without Toy to continue this quality run of concerts, Malcontent gave their best to support this wave of satisfied ears, but any wave they’d create it would bump against the Northern Sea strength of British Sea Power.

Talking about ending in style! British Sea Power presented us with this strong five of a female violinist accompanying frontman Yan and the guys on guitars, bass and drums, enchanting us through the everlasting rain drawn in the blasting lights from the stage, turning away our attention from the tiny slideshow at the center of the stage. The longing strings charged with the upbeats of the drums surrounded in melancholy uplifted us to stratospheric levels of coziness in heart, from the great start with “Machineries of Joy” to slow-paced “A Light Above Descending“, right before the fully charged anthem “Waving Flags”, driving us to the great fest of infuriating rock of a final, while the band cheered us with a beer up high in between song. What cool guys. What a finish. And what concert to premier BSP in Portuguese territory. Lucky who got to witness this, and lucky Indouro to be associated with such moment. Let’s hope for future editions, better weather and fewer cancellations. Here’s the setlist as well for the concert, although at the end they went in a hurry and missed a few tracks. Come again!

– BSC

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live

Indouro Festival 2015

Oh joy! Here’s to the Portuguese festival season, cause and consequence to our Summer vacations, fulfilled with concerts, camping/airbnb, after-hours and hangovers.

Usually, during its four years of existence, Optimus/NOS Primavera Sound would debut the yearly round of music festivals, not even waiting for the Summer season (as Primavera translates to Spring, dear non-Portuguese speaking readers). But guess what? A brand new urban festival, INDOURO FEST

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obviously a pun between Indie and Douro, the river separating the cities of Porto and Gaia

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is taking place next weekend (May 2nd-3rd) right across the river, at the Serra do Pilar, this steep hill overlooking Porto by the riverside. The place is also known for its ancient monastery, right next to the main stage.

Does it work? For a fact, Indouro won’t be the first festival at Serra do Pilar, the place used to host many concerts years earlier and that might help explain why it is such a brilliant scenery. While simple and plain, the monastery and the surroundings really work together at any time of the day, and it’s expected for many people to gaze around, although probably you should pay attention to what’s going on on the stage. Or stages.

Yes, there will be another stage at Jardim do Morro, a nice garden by the end of the hill, where a metro station can be found — in fact, the festival’s organization guarantees Indouro is the only festival with a metro station inside its area. But Guinness World Records aside, this stage, named FNAC Stage, will feature lots of up and coming or already established Portuguese acts, like local singer-songwriter The Weatherman, who closes the stage on Sunday. And all of this for free.

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Clinic

Back to the Main Stage, where you can make your euros worth (€32 for one day, €55 full pass), Indouro Fest presents us with a very modern, contemporary UK indie rock-based line-up, while at the same time featuring two strong headliners who have been around for some time – but not in Portuguese stages. The first being Clinic, revival rockers from Liverpool, provided with synths and dysphonic harmony, unscrewing the place by Saturday night. Also for the first day, we count on The Lucid Dream to keep with the British psychedelia, or João Vieira’s White Haus to bring the dancing electronica, while DJ Kitten (a.k.a. João Vieira once again) extends the night away, now on the turntables.

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British Sea Power

Did I already mention the huge British influence in the line-up? Because Sunday, to the exception of Portuguese openers Malcontent, all the names come from the cultural relevant and influent London and its surrondings (well, Brighton isn’t far). Starting with Yuck, authors of the great shoegazing influenced self-titled Yuck LP from 2011, and although with new frontman and record from 2013, the quality isn’t shaken. Lola Colt, as the film which gives name to the band, really captures the spaghetti western feel, both starring leading females. And then Toy will be playing (worst pun ever), continuing this English conquest, now directly from Brighton. Their rock miscellany (post punk, Manchester’s music scene, shoegazing, all there) would be enough to satisfy us from the indubitably stronger day of the Fest, but Brighton isn’t done as British Sea Power ends headlining the final day in their melancholic but incessant indie rock, as well as presenting their last art-rock effort, Sea of Brass. How about that for a Sunday?

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And how about that for a festival as well? If you’re a rock’n’roll vertebrate, you can’t miss this Indouro Fest. Let’s rock!

BSC

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Jennifer Castle + Éme, 23/04/2015, Mercado Negro, Aveiro

Jennifer Castle + Éme, 23rd April 2015

Mercado Negro, Aveiro

Photos by Miguel Estima

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Amplifest 2014: the review

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Do you organize a festival? Are you tired of having attendees only coming to the venue to see the main acts? Have you tried putting one of them playing first at 4pm? That’s how you get the wheels rolling. To kick off Amplifest’s fourth edition, doom metal trio YOB brought along some bulldozer called Clearing the Path to Ascend, the sonic equivalent of a descent to some slowly burning inner Earth dimension that you can’t escape from. It sounds like there’s no way up and your day can’t get any worse after being subject to such an heavy atmosphere, but then you enter the next room and find Peter Brötzmann and Steve Noble unleashing copious amounts of insanity with their sax and drums. There’s no real melody allowing you to dance, there’s no rhythm to headbang to, still you need to find some way of letting go all the energy you’re hoarding.

Then you get to see Marissa Nadler.

Now this is my only complaint about this years’ Amplifest. I’m all for variety – this is, by far, my favorite lineup from the 4 editions – but after those two concerts, all we needed was to break some stuff. And we got a lacklustre show from an artist that can absolutely do better. Maybe her kind of performance didn’t fit the general environment of the festival at all, maybe it was just anticlimactic at the time, but Nadler’s show lacked a sparkle, despite some truly beautiful moments (1923, Firecrackers, Drive, Fifty Five Falls). Pallbearer’s gig sounded like some sort of reprise of the concert YOB presented us a couple of hours ago, packing the now scorching hot, smaller room of the Hard Club complex.
Swans. I’m sorry, I loved the 2011 concert at Casa da Música, I enjoyed parts of the concert in Guimarães the following year, but I simply can’t stand your present incarnation. This could be a case of “it’s not you, it’s me”, but I think I’m not the only one who finds your louder-crisper-without-any-sense-of-melody-and-more-repetitive-than-thou current bullshit just plain boring. We all love you, Michael Gira, but Swans are pretty much dead. Moving on.

Hexis and Pharmakon didn’t sound nearly as interesting as the Amplitalk “Some Girls are Bigger than Others”, about the role of women in the music industry, which we all know is a world dominated mainly by bearded guys working shitty jobs to make ends meet while promoting shows, running labels or putting festivals together, which was just one of the things discussed while attending the brilliant talk “Dark City, Dead Promoter” the next day. Please keep up with those talks next year, they’re just as interesting and important as the concerts.
Ben Frost was the highlight of the first day of festival and by high lights I’m not talking about those strobe lights. Presenting his new album, A U R O R A, Frost constructed and de-constructed techno in real time as he made his compositions barely danceable just to break them up and start all over again. Just as the flame was starting to die out, Swans’ Thor Harris joined Frost on drums and took the show to an upper stage. Brilliant.

So you thought headbanging was a tough thing to do at 4pm. What about 3:30? Black Shape of Nexus opened the second day with a shitting of doom that was so much better (and way less generic!) when the vocals kicked in. Black metal wasn’t exactly what I desired to listen to at 4:30pm, so that early afternoon was dedicated to Mono’s new album listening session. Aaaaaand it sounds exactly the same as their latest records, so yes, it’s still good. Too bad Urfaust had to cancel due to family issues though: their drummer + members of Sektor 304 – who ended up being the mystery band on Saturday – jammed on their time slot but it wasn’t the same thing. Fortunately we had Wovenhand next.

David Eugene Edwards only brought a guitar player, a bass player and a drummer for this tour – a smaller entourage than the last time we saw him, back when Wovenhand released The Threshingfloor. That was enough to emulate the denser, more “metallic” sound of their latest record, Refractory Obdurate. Like a fast and heavy train rolling through a plain. The heaviest band in the festival, and they’re not even a metal band. Edwards’ preaches, moaned into his distortion-heavy (yes, I’m using a lot of words that invoke some kind of “heaviness”) mic sounded
as apocalyptic as ever, suiting the festival’s overall ambiance. On the encore, after a main gig almost completely comprised of songs from the last two albums (and a cover of 16 Horsepower’s “Horse Head Fiddle”), came a magnific solo rendition of Mosaic’s stellar “Whistling Girl” and one of the highlights of their entire discography, the tribal-sounding “Kicking Bird” (off Ten Stones). By far, the best concert the Hard Club had witnessed on this weekend. (By the way, what was that song that was playing before the encore? I wanted to stomp the ground so hard.)

The weird Wolvserpent (bands with Wolf in their names!) were up next on the smaller room, but the talk we mentioned earlier was much more interesting and provided some rest before the big meal of the night that was Cult of Luna. Aaaaaand prepare for disappointment. Unlike a lot of fans, I didn’t find the gig unpleasant nor boring, but we all know they can do better. Despite playing two massive tracks from Somewhere Along the Highway (“Finland” and “Dark City, Dead Man”), CoL’s first and only show of the year since August seriously lacked spirit and vitality – they sounded exactly like that almost famous, lacking recent glory football player that returns to his country of origin in his 30s just to spend a well deserved vacation. We could discuss the necessity for a second drummer and the third guitar, but I felt that wasn’t the issue here – something else was missing. And what’s the deal with Vertikal’s “Passing Through”? I hereby present that song as “that six minute timeframe when you can leave where you are and go pick up a beer” – or a cider, if you’re as dull as that song or just slightly hangover. The keyboard doesn’t add a lot too – please keep it simple and stop messing around, guys. I liked you better when we were all seven years younger.

All in all, even if you’re not that much into extreme music – and this years’ edition appealed way more to people who aren’t, which is great since we’re all getting older – Amplifest is the definitive music experience in the Iberian peninsula. A top notch venue, stellar sound quality in all concerts, amazing hand-picked lineup, a bunch of extra-concert activities, a respectful, informed audience and a fantastic city to explore. Now do your homework and imagine where we’ll be again next October.

DSS

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Amplifest 2014: the preview

The happening of the Autumn, the weekend of the year. Amplifest is back for its fourth edition with the most ambitious and varied lineup ever. Where else can you find Swans, Marissa Nadler, Ben Frost, Peter Brötzmann, Woven Hand, Pharmakon, Allhousseini Anivolla or Cult of Luna fit in the lineup of a small, indoor 2-day festival?

Amplifest.

In downtown Porto, European Best Destination 2014, lies the recently renewed and majestic venue Hard Club, in a centenary building where once operated one of the busiest markets of the city. Now it houses two concert rooms where most of the magic happens, plus a restaurant and the most pleasant mainfloor I’ve chilled in a music venue that will also hold a concert, talks, exhibitions, listening parties and a record fair. And don’t forget the film programme, which includes a really interesting screening of Raffaele Mosca’s March of the Gods: Botswana Metalheads, a film about, well, you know, Botswana’s exquisite metal scene.

But let’s not forget about what drives people to music festivals in the first place: s̶o̶c̶i̶a̶l̶ ̶n̶e̶t̶w̶o̶r̶k̶i̶n̶g̶* the concerts, of course. Here are our picks for this years’ edition of Amplifest. Be sure to check all the info, the complete lineup, buy your tickets in advance, etc at the festival’s website. Oh, we forgot. Not a festival, an experience.

SATURDAY

PETER BRÖTZMANN & STEVE NOBLE (Sala 2, 5:25 – 6:10)

“Free jazz from free jazz!” Steve Noble’s drumming skills will be pushed to the limit by German veteran saxophonist and free jazz luminary Peter Brötzmann. I chose to not listen by anything they’ve recorded together (spoilers!), but I sure expect a lot from this duo. While Brötzmann needs no introduction at all for the average music lover who dares to challenge himself every now and then, Noble is an experienced drummer who also plays in Æthenor and collaborated with the likes of Ikue Mori, Derek Bailey or Stephen O’Malley. This should be interesting. And produce a whole lot of noise.

MARISSA NADLER (Sala 1, 6:20 – 7:20)

The calm after the storm, except for the broken hearted. After releasing a myriad of lesser known albums, which includes the excellent Songs III: Bird on the Water (a true gem and one of the most breathtaking albums taken from the American psychedelic folk revival at the end of the 00s), singer-songwriter Marissa Nadler finally broke through this year with her not-major-but-certainly-not-minor-label debut, July (Sacred Bones/Bella Union). Playing in Portugal for the first time – despite having some of her official videos filmed by Portuguese video artist Joana Linda – this will most likely be the most intimate moment of the festival. If I could take my eyes off the stage, I’d sure see people crying.

BEN FROST (Sala 1, 00:15 – 01:15)

Yes, I skipped Swans. Everyone and their mother/father has heard about them, at least if they own a Facebook account. Enough is enough and the music speaks for itself. Ben Frost is the real highlight on day 1. When I first listened to his masterpiece, 2009’s By the Throat, I certainly did not expect and was appalled by the massive layers of industrial noise (Jesus Christ, I was hoping for something more soft and mellow when I decided to download yet another Bedroom Community record) that were presented to me before its true beauty revealed itself: an album that even without using visual elements sets an entire scenery for us to glare. It could be a movie. It could be a nightmare. I know he’s presenting his – actually as wonderful – new album A U R O R A, but during an entire hour I’ll pretend I’ll be living that nightmare again.

SUNDAY

WOVENHAND (Sala 1, 7:30 – 9:00)

One of the best possible reasons for not watching the final minutes of a FC Porto home game is being blessed with the possibility of seeing Denver’s finest outfit Wovenhand. David Eugene Edwards’ brainchild is one of the best live bands I’ve ever seen. I’ll never forget that rainy night at Casa da Música where I was repeatedly trampled by a Southern Gothic-inspired monster of a band, with Edwards preaching above all – and I liked it. This is the main reason everyone should be there and they’re worth every cent of your ticket. Shut up and praise the Lord.

CULT OF LUNA (Sala 1, 10:40 – 00:10)

Coimbra, 21st April 2007. Seven and a half years ago. That was one of the last times I listened to Cult of Luna. I was beginning to fall out of love with extreme music. I remember I didn’t even bother to pay attention to their next output, Eternal Kingdom, one year after, expect for that behemoth of a track that is “Ghost Trail”. Still, that night in a ruined monastery in Coimbra is forever carved in my mind – that was the most powerful concert I have ever seen in my life. That bunch of Swedes hit me like a sledgehammer even with all odds against them – only a couple hundred people showed up to a concert in a massive open room with the worst imaginable sound quality ever (poor Men Eater, who opened for them). Sometimes I felt my head was hitting hard against the inside of a bucket but ultimately I noticed it was free of pain and floating near some dense, dark clouds. 10/10, would experience that again.

ALHOUSSEINI ANIVOLLA (Mainfloor, 00:10 – 00:50)

Now this is risky. Listening to anything after a Cult of Luna show seems like a really bad idea, making it tempting to head home after a tough weekend. Not if you place the most exquisite proposal of the whole festival right after their concert in the mainfloor where everyone will be hanging out. Alhousseini Anivolla is a Nigerien guitarist who’s also the frontman of local band Etran Finatawa. If you follow the desert blues scene or spend your summer vacations in Sines, you probably already know about him. I don’t. And I won’t talk too much about something I know next to nothing about, but all it took for his concert to be featured here was this youtube link.

*The crossed out text is actually an ode to Amplifest’s mature and polite audience: I’ve never seen such a small amount of people talking or fucking around with their smartphones in a festival than in this one