Villamanuela 2013, festival review

VillaManuela is the new festival that invites you to visit several venues in Madrid featuring the best live music from the international underground and the Spanish scene. The predominant color of its first edition was rock, presented in various shades fused with lights and psychedelia.

Japanther was the band in charge of opening the event—three days of concerts, art, and tapas aimed at promoting the shops and venues of Malasaña, a neighborhood in the city center. Dead Meadow, Male Bonding, Pretty & Nice, Sean Nicholas Savage, Tropic of Cancer, and The Atom Age were some of the groups that made up the line-up.

Male Bonding (UK) | Tropic of Cancer (USA) | Dead Meadow (USA) | Sean Nicholas Savage (Canada) | The Oscillation  (UK) | Jef Barbara (Canada) | Sonic Jesus (Italy) | Juanita y Los Feos (Madrid) | Indian Jewelry (USA) | Singapore Sling (Iceland) | Las Kellies  (Argentina) | Pretty & Nice (USA) | Joseba Irazoki (Euskadi) | Juventud Juché (Madrid) | DVA Damas (USA) | Siesta! (Valencia) | Terrier (Madrid) | Challenger (Madrid) | The Atom Age (USA) | Halfrican (Scotland) | Cuello (Valencia) | Jay (Galicia) …

Japanther played on Thursday, October 9, 2013, on the third floor of the ABC Museum, an unusual venue for a festival, though it’s a beautiful and modern building. My first impression upon arriving was that I was at the wrong zoo. Too many beautiful people for a punk concert and too many boutique hipsters—a word I don’t usually use, but perfect for this moment. Then the band took the stage, and for a moment, I thought they were going to start with their su first of all, fuck you all…

You can read the full chronicle of this and other Japanther concerts here.

   Thursday, October 10, 2013, Sala Taboo

The Italian band touring with Singapore Sling, Sonic Jesus, describes themselves as a group of Neopsychodelia and Post Krautgaze. In other words, quasi-instrumental music with kraut influences, psychedelic developments, and no interaction with the audience.

Sonic Jesus was formed in 2012, and although they debuted with the label Fuzz Club Records and embarked on an international tour with Pentagon, this group still has a long way to go to truly connect with the audience through their music and not just sound good or give a pleasant concert. They have talent, good ideas, and a very polished sound, but without offering anything truly glorious. By now.

The Icelandic band Singapore Sling did not have a good day. They were overcome by nerves and bad temper. A microphone error ruined their entrance. But you have to know how to handle it, and if things don’t sound right… you stop. There’s no need to make rude gestures at the sound technician or show disrespect to those of us who were there; if looks could kill, we would all have been struck down.

But after that rough start, the band from Reykjavik couldn’t recover. They gave a rather boring, flat concert with not much to say. It is true that their studio recordings and compositions are, in my opinion, much better than what we saw there. And they do have the image. Just look at Helgi Örn Pétursson on the guitar—impressive.

Aside from that, the band disappoints live. Maybe they need to be seen in a different context. We all know that bands have their moments, and seeing them just once doesn’t give a full picture.

The Oscillation were good. With a newly released album, From Tomorrow (Hands In The Dark / All Time Low, September 30, 2013), the Londoners made the Taboo venue vibrate with a hypnotic atmosphere and a powerful sound. Classic-style psychedelia, matching visuals, and electronic sounds were part of a performance seasoned with a sonic ebb and flow that, although somewhat monotonous (which is normal in this genre), kept the audience’s attention.

DC, the band’s leader Demian Castellanos, was excellent both in voice and on guitar. He took a while to loosen up, but Tom Relleen also delivered a brilliant performance on bass. Valentina Magaletti was great on drums, adding many nuances and a very peculiar style. The Oscillation is a band that remains at an average level despite having some very decent work under their belt.

From Montreal, under the wing of the Canadian label Club Roll Music and the French label Tricatel (Bertrand Burgalat, Ladytron), Jef Barbara broke the tone of the first day of VillaManuela at the Taboo venue with a brilliant performance and an unforgettable show.

Funky, dance, electronic, chanson française—the Canadian could do it all and delivered a comprehensive, non-obvious repertoire supported by an exceptional band.

His performance brought about a radical change in the audience. There’s nothing like adding variety to a night that was becoming somewhat monotonous. It’s true that, considering the audience, the tendency is to group the same musical style that might appeal to those attending a festival taking place in different venues.

But Jef Barbara‘s music goes beyond that and makes it clear that the audience gladly embraces what is well-done. I say this because, initially, the Canadian’s performance was not intended for this venue, and therefore, not for that audience.

However, with the change, this stage diva was handed the opportunity on a silver platter. He captivated the audience at Taboo one by one, song by song.

Jef Barbara sings, performs, overacts… exuding sensuality, sensitivity, and enviable poise. His influences would be impossible to name because, more than influences, what stands out in this artist is an innate musical culture.

The skill level of the accompanying musicians is remarkable: Asaël Robitaille (guitar), Jackson MacIntosh (bass), and Guillaume Ethier (drums). The Canadian has a well-organized mind and, probably due to his self-demand and hard work, has managed to gather a high-level band. But nothing is obvious with this showman. Among his collaborators is none other than R. Stevie Moore, the “great legend” of lo-fi and a trusted confidant of Elvis and Roy Orbison.

In short, a fantastic concert and a luxurious finale for the first night of VillaManuela at Taboo, where there was no shortage of dancing and fun courtesy of what could be a true legend of underground music. Bravo, Jef Barbara!

   Sturday, October 12, 2013, Sala Taboo

On Saturday, I thought I was running late. Surprisingly, without knowing it, I arrived earlier than I expected. And since I didn’t anticipate seeing the first band, I thought Dead Meadow had already started. It wasn’t until I noticed the mustache of guitarist Alfonso Alfonso, and the absence of the bassist, that I realized it wasn’t Dead Meadow, it was the duo Farniente.

On their Facebook, Farniente describe themselves as a “futuristic electronic rock” group. And they are probably more than that. The project by the Madrid-Murcia duo (Alfonso from the band Schwarz on guitar, and synthesizer, Raúl Gómez from the recently disbanded Lüger on drums) is not something you come across very often.

Singapore Sling could learn a lot from our Farniente, for their composure and their good vibes, which are greatly appreciated. Additionally, they make good music without great pretensions, but very well developed and well performed.

Farniente is not a duo for the masses. I’m sure they don’t even aim to be. But they do what they want to do. They have a lot of style and experience. They tend towards the experimental and they do it well. A very respectable, very welcome, and much appreciated performance.

And now, yes, Dead Meadow and the long solos of guitarist Jason Simon. They are quite rare nowadays, which delighted lovers of the purest rock and psychedelia. I hadn’t felt like I was in the 60s since I saw Robert Plant and Jimmy Page at the old Palacio de los Deportes. Dead Meadow and their psychedelic stoner rock reminded me of that experience last night at VillaManuela.

I enjoyed their performance a lot, as I believe everyone there did. I would be surprised if anyone didn’t like the concert by the Washington group, the band that made John Peel commission one of their sessions outside the BBC studios.

A great concert and a luxury to have them at VillaManuela. The festival has made good use of Pentagon’s roster during their stop in Spain, such as Dead Meadow, The Oscillation, Indian Jewelry, and Sonic Jesus + Singapore Sling. What a shame The Growlers didn’t make it!

And then the bad boys arrived…

Male Bonding, the Londoners who debuted on Sub Pop with Dum Dum Girls back in 2010, were, for me, the highlight of the festival, one of the bands we have followed consistently over the past few years. Looking back at our archives, we find them in September 2011, when they released Endless Now, the album that has generated much discussion, with reviews of all kinds.

Back then, they were criticized for softening their style and selling out to pop to increase sales. And if there’s one thing that is clear after seeing them live, it’s that they are far from pop. The songs on that album may be more relaxed compared to their beginnings in 2008 and 2009, but the soul of the band overflows the stage, leaving no room for doubt.

With John Webb on vocals and guitar, Kevin Hendrick on bass, and Robin Christian on drums, the trio played up to 14 songs at a breathtaking pace. They kept the audience thrilled, especially when Webb jumped off the stage to mingle with everyone present, which he did twice.

Webb, that angel-demon figure who sometimes plays contained, other times uncontrollably, is a totally unpredictable element. When he unleashes the fury of his guitar, it seems as if he writhes in circles, putting on quite a show. Additionally, he has a vocal tone somewhere between Kip Berman (The Pains of Being Pure at Heart) and Kurt Cobain (Nirvana), reflecting the contrasts of this peculiar character.

Ultimately, I really enjoyed the Male Bonding concert, much more powerful and solid than other similar style bands like Mikal Cronin, whom we also saw in Madrid over a year ago.

I’m leaving you with a video of the group live, although it’s from a performance at a different concert. The audio corresponds to the studio recording. There is a guest on stage. I wouldn’t be able to tell if it’s Rivers Cuomo from Weezer because you can’t see him well. We know they’ve recorded some things with him. But we can’t be sure it’s him in this video.