NME-Europe Live: SOS 4.8 2010 - Primer día

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Jueves, 4 de la tarde y un sol de justicia cae sobre Murcia. Empieza el SOS4.8 con el acto inaugural de ponernos la pulsera, una pulsera que será nuestro distintivo durante los próximos dos días y la que, al mirarla, establecerá ese aire de complicidad entre los "sosers" que llenamos Murcia por unas horas. Un vez iniciados en el rito, con la caña gratis incluída, ya empezamos a entablar esas conversaciones que enriquecen un festival y que, como dice la parte inglesa de este blog, hay que estar en la arena para poder disfrutar de los conciertos y de todo lo que hay alrededor, aunque algunos pierdan la perspectiva desde la zona VIP.

The Sunday Drivers. Image courtesy of SOS Festival/Equipo Helmet

El viernes llegamos temprano, demasiado si quieres aguantar hasta el final, pero disfrutamos de uno de los mejores conciertos, en cuanto a la calidad del sonido, del festival: The Sunday Drivers. Los manchegos, una de esas bandas que nunca falla, sonaron excepcionalmente bien, muy limpios, como dirían los entendidos. Canciones como 'Do it', 'On my mind' o 'My plan' hacen vibrar y saltar al público y a mí, aunque a veces su música es demasiado happy-happy. Esto empieza bien.

The Horrors. Image courtesy of SOS Festival/Equipo Helmet

A continuación, espera, hemos quedado y los móviles no funcionan, o es el mío. No, todo el mundo está igual, nos perdemos el comienzo de The Horrors, desde la distancia no aprecio bien su sonido, pero son contundentes y oscuros, muy oscuros. Me acerco y llenan el escenario, tienen presencia y mucha calidad. Las últimas canciones son una pasada, qué lástima no haber estado más tiempo.

Los Planetas. Image courtesy of SOS Festival/Equipo Helmet

Aunque en otros escenarios hay más conciertos decidimos quedarnos a ver a Los Planetas, su Ópera Egipcia es uno de los mejores discos del año (y mira que han salido buenos discos en el 2010), pero no suenan bien. A Jota se le entiende, pero hay acoples y el sonido no es el mejor. En la prensa, división de opiniones. Comienzan con la instrumental, y preciosa, Llave De Oro' y van alternando clásicos como 'Rey sombra', 'Santos Que Yo Te Pinté' o 'Pesadilla En El Parque De Atracciones' con algunos de sus mejores temas del último disco: 'Una Corona De Espinas', 'Señora De Las Alturas', 'Soy Un Pobre Granaíno' y 'Romance De Juan De Osuna'. Incluso sale La Bien Querida para compartir 'No Sé Como Te Atreves', bonita, aunque no es de lo que más me gusta. Me recuerdan a Pimpinela pero en plan indie. No serán los mejores del festival, pero se nos hace corto, nos faltan muchos temas de la banda sonora de nuesta vida.

Franz Ferdinand. Image courtesy of SOS Festival/Equipo Helmet

Y llegan los esperados Franz Ferdinand, suenan los primeros acordes de 'Aut Achse', y nos ponemos nerviosos, aparecen en el escenario, lo llenan, presencia y sonido, son la estrella del festival y se nota. A partir de aquí, bailamos, casi todo el público del SOS4.8 estaba allí y mereció la pena. Casi una hora y cuarenta minutos de pura explosión musical, con un sonido impecable y una fuerza descomunal. Me cuentan que su caché se llevó la mitad del presupuesto, pero se lo curraron. En este enlace tenéis el setlist del concierto, en el que fueron mezclando temas de sus tres discos casi sin descanso y en los que Alex Kapranos demostró que es un buen vocalista pero además un excepcional músico. Como premio, una batucada con los cuatro músicos escoceses percusionando sus baterías enérgicamente, energía que transmitieron a un público entregado.

Y después, con ganas de ver a Hot Chip, el cuerpo dijo basta, muchas horas de baile sin descanso, hacen mella en nuestras ganas de seguir y decidimos irnos a descansar que todavía queda... ¡el sábado!

JFH

Por cierto, Radio 3 grabó varios conciertos. Los puedes escuchar aquí.

Puedes ver más imágenes oficiales en la página Facebook de NME-Europe y para más artículos sobre el SOS4.8, pincha aquí.

NME-Europe Live: Review of SOS 4.8 Festival 2010 (II)

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Part two in NME-Europe's review of the SOS4.8 Festival, takes  a look at Saturday's gigs...

Saturday

A mid-afternoon deluge almost managed to washout the second day (the organisers were seriously considering cancelling all the gigs due to the risk of an electrical storm). The sun appeared just in the nick of time, but unfortunately local boys Varry Brava were unable to take the stage. Having earned the right to be there after winning the TalentoSOS Battle of the Bands, this must have been hugely disappointing for them and, despite having been promised a spot at next year's festival, you can't help but feel that things could have been re-shuffled a little to give them time to play.

In any case, all the sets on the main stage suffered delays, as final sound checks had to be carried out during each break, which meant I was just in time to see the first act of the evening.

Nada Surf (Estrella Levante Stage)
Image courtesy of SOS Festival/Equipo Helmet

What a wonderful start to the evening. Nada Surf are another band who know how to play to a festival crowd and soon got everyone moving with their own brand of power pop, combining tracks from their five releases and a few cover versions taken from recent release If I Had A Hi-Fi, most notably 'Enjoy The Silence' (Depeche Mode) and 'Evolución' (originally by Spanish band Mecromina).


Mystery Jets (Estrella Levante Stage)
Image courtesy of SOS Festival/Equipo Helmet

Mystery Jets were another band I was looking forward to and I was not disappointed. They are most definitely 'quirky', but it's precisely that characteristic that makes them so enjoyable. They played a fine set, relying mainly on tracks from Twenty One, where none of crowd favourites - 'Two Doors Down', 'Half In Love With Elizabeth' and 'Young Love', my particular favourite  - were missing. The Londoners also previewed a few tracks from their soon-to-be-released album Serotonin, which sounded very promising indeed, in particular 'Flash A Hungry Smile', which is currently available as a free download on their website.

I think, in general, most of the crowd liked what they saw, I certainly did!

 Dorian (Jagermeister Stage)

Image courtesy of SOS Festival/Equipo Helmet

With my Spanish associate hanging round for The Magic Numbers (more from him later), I went across to the 'second' stage to check out Catalans Dorian. Heaving was an understatement and with bands of the calibre of Dorian, Love of Lesbian or Crystal Castles making appearances there and assuming the level of quality would go down in the future, it's clear this stage needs to be bigger.

Dorian are pure energy. Their particular brand of indietronica with expert lyrics have brought them to the fore on the national scene. The partisan crowd looking for a chance to 'strut their stuff' were certainly not disappointed as the quartet powered through the tracks from the latest album La Ciudad Subterránea, where tracks like 'Verter Amanecer' or the thundering 'La Tormenta De Arena' stood out. This was the first time I'd seen them on stage and I certainly hope it won't be the last. In fact, I'd put them in the top 3 of this year's festival.


Love Of Lesbian (Jagermeister Stage)
Another band I'd really been looking forward to seeing was Barcelona's Love Of Lesbian. Their 2009 release 1999 was remarkably successful in Spain, but they didn't really get off to the best of starts on Saturday night. Some horrible feedback on the bass and a weak microphone for lead singer Santi Balmes meant LOL endured a sluggish start and, despite a strong finish with classics like 'Club De Fans De John Boy' or 'Algunas Plantas', I'm sure they'd be the first to agree this wasn't their best peformance ever. Nevermind, they'll be back in the region in September for the B-Side festival, so we'll give them another bite at the cherry then. (sorry about the lack of a photo. None were provided, seemed like the Gods were against them for everything!).

There was still more to come, the electronica was about to kick in, with Orbital and Fatboy Slim in turn due on stage.  I, though, decided that enough was enough, but before leaving still managed to catch the end of the Madness set, 'Baggy Trousers' and all. A fitting end to a wonderful weekend. Here's to SOS 2011!

NC

You can listen to some of the concerts from Saturday here. And if you haven't read the NME-Europe review from Friday, you can do so here.

To view more images from the event, check out the photo album on our facebook page.

You can read more NME-Europe articles about the SOS 4.8 Festival here.

NME-Europe Live: Review of SOS 4.8 Festival 2010 (I)

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Image courtesy of SOS Festival/Equipo Helmet

And so it came to pass, the 2010 SOS4.8 Festival took control of Murcia this weekend and some 48 hours it turned out to be!

Before we talk about the musical side of things, I think it only fair to comment on the general impression the event has caused and I think it's also fair to say the the third edition of the festival has been the best yet in terms of general organisation - in just three years, SOS4.8 has firmly established itself as one of the major players in the Spanish festival season.

The organising committee clearly learnt their lessons from the previous edition, where a huge increase in spectators was not well-catered for, resulting in an insufficient infrastructure in general; difficult accessibility and transitions between stages, long queues for basic needs (i.e. toilets and bars) and overcrowding for the main bands, Prodigy in particular. Many feared the worst when it was announced that there would be yet another significant increase in capacity for the 2010 event (from 25,000 to 35,000 per day), but any of those doubting Thomas's (myself included) who attended were made to eat humble pie.

A change in the stage layout made movement around the festival much easier, getting in was painless and perhaps most importantly getting served or "paying a visit" were stress-free activities, particularly on the main stage.

Before the powers that be get too carried away, we should point out a couple of areas were improvements are required. First of all, one which we at NME-Europe are sure they are well aware of already - the 'campsite'. Living in the city meant this was not an issue, but the general consensus seemed to be that it was nothing short of disastrous (there's even a Facebook group "I survived the SOS4.8 campsite"!). In their defence, they will probably say that it was set up at the last minute to satisfy the demand, but still there's plenty of work to be done there to justify the 30€ price tag and avoid another avalanche of complaints next year.

Secondly, the second stage. With the quality of act on show, at times it was a little over-populated and anyone who tried moving back a little to have a bit of breathing space found themselves enduring a conflict of sounds flying at them from both stages. Given that next year will almost certainly be as popular, if not more than this year, it will be interesting to see how this matter is dealt with. Dare I say it, a new location might be in order.

All in all, though hats off to SOS4.8, the 2010 festival has been staggeringly fantastic.

Now, on with the "important" bit; the music....

This was a big event for NME-Europe too. A little more than a year into our career, and despite having repeatedly punched above our weight to secure some interviews - special thanks at this point in time to Inkeys, Varry Brava, The Leadings, The Sunday Drivers, We Are Standard and Tindersticks for succumbing to our 'guerrilla tactics' -, we were nothing less than shocked to be awarded an official media accreditation for the event.

Those organising the media at SOS, and Barcelona's En Silencio, deserve real praise for allowing the minnows the chance to develop their projects (thanks to Marc and Pedro, who have been extremely helpful throughout).

This meant we had to take our first 'executive' decision - did we risk looking like 'hangers-on' in the press area, possibly bumping into our arch-enemies (the corporate NME) or did we maintain our usual posture, hit the tarmac  - literally - and tell music it like it is. After deep thought, we went for the latter. Decision number two was even more difficult - with some many acts to see and such a small staff, who did we choose to cover? In many cases it was not an easy choice. Sometimes, we were able to take a decision based on the fact that we were more likely to see some bands again soon (that's why Mystery Jets got the nod ahead of We Are Standard, the latter will be back in the region in September), but choosing between Crystal Castles and Franz Ferdinand was an almost unfair task, whilst the unfortunate thunderstorm on Saturday afternoon which, by the way, almost forced a complete wipeout on Day 2 (the organisers had serious doubts as to whether it was safe to go ahead with all the lightning flying around) meant some 'must dos' coincided directly.

Here's the result....

Friday

Image courtesy of SOS Festival/Equipo Helmet

The Sunday Drivers (Estrella Levante Stage)
Other commitments meant the earliest the English half of NME-Europe could get there was three quarters of the way through their set. Nevertheless, that was enough to appreciate the warmth of the crowd and the excellent quality of their sound. The classic 'Do It' seemed to be a fitting start to the evening ahead.

Image courtesy of SOS Festival/Equipo Helmet

The Horrors (Estrella Levante Stage)
The question beforehand was "would The Horrors fit in at SOS4.8?" Fantastic stage presence and an obliterating, often hypnotic wall of noise were the positives, but Faris and crew never managed to connect with the public and you get the feeling that Primary Colours is an album to be digested in the comfort of your own home. Indeed, they seemed to be a little out of sync with the rest of the bill (even admitting themselves that there was no other group they liked playing alongside them on Friday in an interview with the local paper La Opinion).



Los Planetas (Estrella Levante Stage)

Image courtesy of SOS Festival/Equipo Helmet

Regular readers know my stance on Los Planetas (read the recent review here) and in my opinion this set typified their greatness. Sticking largely to tracks from their last two releases, Jota and Co. put in a musically astounding performance, albeit slightly short at just under an hour in total. Immaculate lighting and sound (something not always so common during their festival appearances) accompanied the highlights of La Leyenda Del Espacio and, in particular, recent release Una Opera Egipicia. Still 'shellshocked' by the grandure of the new album, it was nice to see it performed so well live, with tracks such as 'Romance de Juan Osona', 'No Sé Como Te Atreves' (accompanied, predictably, by La Bien Querida, who had herself performed earlier on in the evening on the MondoSonoro Stage) and 'Soy Un Pobre Granaino' being particularly well-received by the discerning public. Without conceding too many "blasts from the past" - although the reappearance of 'Rey Sombra' was an unexpected surprise  - the Granada boys did enough to keep their loyal supporters satisfied - the ranting 'Pesadilla En El Parque De Atracciones' signalling the end to their short but sweet (in their own twisted way) set.

 Image courtesy of SOS Festival/Equipo Helmet

Franz Ferdinand (Estrella Levante Stage)
Since their participation had been confirmed, it was clear that Alex Kapranos et al were going to be one of the main attractions of the festival. They did not disappoint, in fact they surpassed all expectations. Franz Ferdinand know how to play a festival and they produced an absolute blinder of a performance that will have those who were fortunate enough to witness it talking about it for many a year to come. One hour forty minutes (how often does that happen nowadays?) of relentless quality taking spectators on a Franz Ferdinand hit parade which spans their three albums. All the classics were there, 'Take Me Out', 'Do You Want To', 'Micheal', 'This Fire', 'No You Girls', 'What She Came For' and there was even time for a breathtaking team drum 'solo' on 'Outsiders' (I think - I was too delirious to take note!). In a nutshell, they were up for it, the crowd were up for it and the result was the best gig of the weekend (for me, at least).

That was enough for one night. Hot Chip were up next, but the prospect of an early rise on Saturday, meant I felt the need to pace myself ahead of Saturday's events.

Spain's Radio 3 were covering the event. You can listen to some of the concerts here.

See the full photo album on the NME-Europe Facebook page. You can read more NME-Europe articles about the SOS 4.8 Festival here.

Saturday's review to follow...

NC

NME-Europe Live: SOS 4.8 Festival - Tindersticks

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Photo courtesy of starpulse.com

It's been a pretty good week for NME-Europe as it continues with the build-up for the SOS4.8 Festival. Having received confirmation that the site will be getting a press pass for the event, we have also been fortunate enough to get the opinion of one of the main attractions at the event, Tindersticks. In the last of our pre-festival interviews, percussionist and keyboard player David Boulter talks to us about their imminent visit to Murcia.

NME-Europe: So, David, will this be your first time in Murcia? If so, have you got much of a clue as to whereabouts you're headed?
DB: I remember playing in Murcia at least once. Maybe 8-9 years ago. I'm afraid I don't remember much. Memories usually get triggered by being somewhere again, or an incident. I'm sure I'll remember when we get there. I do know we enjoyed it. I always remember the bad times.

Actually, they'll be playing in exactly the same place. It'll be interesting to see how the organisation goes for this part of the event. Tindersticks will play their set in an indoor arena which has a capacity of around 2,000. With an estimated 33,000 visitors expected each day, the simple maths suggest there are going to be some disappointed people who don't get to see them. Time will tell there.

NME-Europe: Have you played any of the other 'big' Spanish festivals?
DB: We've done Primavera Sound a few times, and FIB. Sonar rings a bell, but I could be wrong.

NME-Europe: Was there any reason in particular that made you accept the chance to play at the SOS 4.8 Festival? Did you know it even existed?
DB: Spanish festivals are some of the most enjoyable we do. I had heard of SOS 4.8. It's the first date of our next tour. We've just finished touring northern Europe, during a very harsh winter. So the idea of Spain and warmer climates is very appealing right now.

Well, the forecast is good, so I don't think you're going to be disappointed with that!

NME-Europe: What do you make of the organisation so far?
DB: I haven't heard any complaints.

Funnily enough, it's gone up in our estimations this week too!

NME-Europe: What are the main differences between playing at a festival in Spain and the UK?
DB: The right UK festival is still very good. It depends what you want. I'm not a big fan of the larger festivals, and we often feel out of place. The Green Man, End Of The Road, ATP things are great. For some reason most European festivals seem more open to us. We have a good feeling from Spanish festivals so far.

NME-Europe: Of the other bands involved, who will you be taking time out to see?
DB: I'd like to see The Horrors. I'll have to see what else is on.

They might just be able to take in about half of their set before they go on stage themselves. It's a shame Tindersticks clash with Los Planetas, as I think they'd probably enjoy them as well.

NME-Europe: Well, thanks a lot David. Hope you enjoy the festival.
DB: Cheers. Maybe see you for a beer or a few glasses of Spanish Red when we get there.

Well, NME-Europe would certainly be honoured to continue this chat over a drink. Before we crack out the "Juan Gil" have a look at what we can expect when TIndersticks take the stage on Friday.

NC




You can read more NME-Europe articles on the SOS 4.8 Festival here.

NME-Europe Live: TalentoSOS Final - Reaction From The Winners

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A little more than a week ago, NME-Europe offered extensive (and billingual) coverage of the final of the TalentoSOS contest which saw local Murcian bands Inkeys and Varry Brava win a slot at this year's festival, scheduled for the May Bank Holiday weekend.

As the article appeared to create a good deal of interest, we thought readers might also be interested in hearing what the winners had to say for themselves. Here's what Vicente (Varry) and Emilio (Inkeys) made of the event. Hats off to both for doing this in English, by the way.

Winners Varry Brava receive their €1,500 cheque

NME-Europe: So Vicente, Varry Brava were winners. I don't think many were surprised with that decision! Did you see yourselves as favourites before the final?
VB: Hi Nick! Thanks a lot for coming to the final last Thursday night. We didn't see ourselves as favourites at any moment. Even though people told us we were, we thought that the jury had a very difficult decision to make. The quality of the final was excellent, so when Johan Wald (MC) said our name, it was one of the best moments of our lives.

NME-Europe: Despite a growing reputation in the region, I think it's fair to say that you are going to be one of the 'lesser' known bands at the festival. Tell us what the crowd can expect. 
VB: To be in the SOS Festival is a prize for us. People who know us will see more of the same: a lot of dancing and a party atmosphere! Let's hope those who still do not know us are pleasantly surprised and join the concert.

Well I, for one, knew little of Varry Brava before last Thursday and I must admit I was really impressed by what I saw. In my opinion, they were the best of the bands on show. I'm sure everyone will enjoy their set, even if their time slot isn't exactly ideal (18.30 on May 1st).

NME-Europe: Which bands will you be watching yourselves?
VB: We don't know! We hope, at least, the manager of one of them will be watching us though! :D

NME-Europe: FInally, Vicente, What are the immediate plans for Varry Brava? What are your plans for 2010.
VB: At the moment, we have one self-published album called 'Ídolo' with 10 songs. We need to play around the country so we are confirming dates very soon! There's more about out forthcoming concerts on www.varrybrava.com. The big one, the SOS Festival, on 1st of May in Murcia!

Thanks a lot Vicente. Might we recommend a visit to that website to check them out. Apart from the concert dates, you can also listen to four tracks from that aforementioned album, plus a rip-snorting remix of 'No Gires' by fellow Murcianos, The Leadings.

Whilst Varry Brava were one of the pre-match favourites (despite claiming they weren't), Totana's Inkeys certainly emerged as the event's dark horses and picked up the other winning prize after a practically faultless display during the final. Here's what Emilio had to say about their gate-crashing antics.

Inkeys walk away from the TalentoSOS final with a 1,500€ cheque and a slot at the SOS Festival

NME-Europe: Emilio. Inkeys joint-winners. I think a lot of people were a little surprised with that decision! Did you honestly think you had a chance of winning?
Ink: Hi Nick. Firstly, we want to thank you for covering the event. It was an excellent night and it is surprising all the expectation the competition has generated.

Obviously we expected to win, if not we would not have done so!! :) No, I'm joking... The level was very high and of course it was difficult to win. Everyone in the room had favourites even before the bands started to play, so maybe the decision was not the correct one for many of them. However, we think the the jury made the right decision. We did a good show and after that show which was the result of many hours of rehearsal.

NME-Europe certainly think Inkeys fully-deserved to take on of the first prizes. Whether you like their style or not, they (along with Varry Brava) were better than the rest on the night, so warranted a winning ticket.

NME-Europe: Obviously, you are going to be one of the 'lesser' known bands at the festival. Tell us what the crowd can expect from Inkeys.
Ink: Well, if we look at this issue in a positive light, people will attend our concert with curiosity and we hope it will be to their liking. Nevertheless, we only think about having a good time at the festival, just the same as when we play at an ordinary concert at another venue.

As with Varry before, I'm sure festival-goers will like what they see (hear!).

NME-Europe: Which bands will you be watching yourselves?
Ink: Nada Surf is a must for everyone in Inkeys but there are other big names in the spotlight. Chris Cunningham, The Magic Numbers... I'm especially looking forward to seeing Lidia Damunt.

NME-Europe: Finally Emilio, what other plans do Inkeys have this year?
Ink: '11 razones para perder el sueño' (their debut album) is still being promoted. April is a busy month for us, not only for the SOS 4.8 (they appear on Friday 30th) but we're also recording some songs for an EP we'd like to release very very soon added to a video recording and a Fiestas de Primavera slot together with Rumor!, Varry Brava and The Leadings. A VERY BUSY MONTH!! After this, we'll split up and form a group of polkas. :)

We hope that the Murcia Scene goes like this for a long time and thanks for making it possible on your part.

Emilio is a likeable character. Inkeys are a likeable band. If you can't make their slot at the SOS4.8 Festival, you could at least check out their Myspace page.

NME-Europe would like to thank Vicente and Emilio for taking the time to talk to them and wish both bands every success at the SOS Festival.

NC

NME-Europe Live: Final TalentoSOS, Sala 12ymedio, Murcia

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For the first time the complete 'new and improved' NME-Europe team were together at a gig. Here's what each of us had to make of events...

Date: 18 March 2010

Groups: Inkeys, Newpakets, Los Últimos Bañistas, Varry Brava, Yer Soul

Venue: Sala 12yMedio (Murcia)

Ambientazo en la Sala 12ymedio para la final TalentoSOS 2010.
Un local lleno disfrutó de lo lindo con cinco grupos murcianos de indudable nivel musical, lo que demuestra que el creciente número de salas para tocar en directo ha favorecido el nacimiento de bandas jóvenes en toda la región no-typical, aunque algunos se empeñen en atribuirse el mérito. Además podemos considerar que alguna más podría haber estado la noche del jueves compitiendo por tocar en el SOS 4.8, Neuman por ejemplo.

En lo estrictamente musical Inkeys y Varry Brava se llevaron el premio gordo, 1.500 € y compartir escenario con grandes bandas nacionales e internacionales, eso sí a las 6 y media de la tarde, una hora más taurina que musical, aunque mejor no hablar de toros...

Fueron los mejores sobre el escenario y el jurado creo que acertó. Los totaneros Inkeys abrieron la noche con su canción más rockera y probablemente su mejor tema, "Es mejor", con lo que se ganaron a su público más fiel, aquel que siempre le acompaña en sus conciertos, pero también al resto de la sala. Las demás canciones a mi no me llegan tanto, pero he de reconocer que su sonido es muy sólido y tienen tablas sobre el escenario, a pesar de que les sobra alguna de sus tres guitarras.

El grupo de moda actualmente es Varry Brava y los demostraron, su italopop es bailable, divertido y con calidad, tienen presencia en el escenario y sus hits 'No Gires' y 'Radioactivo', con los que terminaron su tiempo, son temas que darán que hablar y bailar.

En el resto un poco de todo. A priori, Los Últimos Bañistas eran favoritos para los que los habíamos escuchado, pero su directo no fue el mejor, comenzaron muy fríos y con problemas de sonido, y eso se notó en el público. Su concierto fue in crescendo acabando con mucha fuerza pero no fue suficiente. El último tema, '¿Cuál Es? Lo Ves', muy al estilo Planetas, nos dejó con ganas de más. Hoy vuelven a tocar en el ciclo Microsonidos y esperemos que se desquiten.

Los dos grupos restantes me dejaron sensaciones agridulces, los electrónicos NewpaketS ofrecieron algo diferente y original en la escena murciana, pero el público allí presente no tuvo feeling con ellos (como diría un amigo, mucho gafipasti indie). Se fueron desencantados y mi sensación fue de pena, ya que su trip-hop, en otro escenario y con otro público, y estoy pensando en el Parque Torres una noche de verano, puede llevarnos definitivamente a levitar.

Por cierto empiezo a estar harto de los que no paran de hablar en los conciertos, o me hago mayor o la gente no sabe comportarse.

Cerrando el concurso Yer Soul, una banda con un sonido excesivamente Beatles, con sección de metales, pero que sólo me gustaron en un tema que recordaba a Radiohead. Los demás demasiado monocordes y previsibles, de todas formas su sonido fue excelente.

En fin, desde NME-Europe damos la enhorabuena a todos por el nivel musical demostrado y en especial a las dos bandas ganadoras.

JFH.

The Kids Are Alright
Murcia's Sala 12yMedio took a break from its Microsonidos programme to play host to the final of the TalentoSOS contest with the five survivors from an initial 100 acts fighting for the right to play at this year's SOS 4.8 festival (and a cheque for 1,500€).

A heaving venue - a wonderful, albeit unusual sight lately for all music fans in Murcia -, a host of 'prestigious' onlookers there in support (Paco 'Leadings', Javi Vox from Second, Ángel Sopena and even His Majesty THE Nephew) added to MTV's Johan Wald presentational prowess were the perfect backdrop for what turned out to be an event filled with surprises. Each band had 20 minutes to show their worth, with a place for two of the five to be decided by the jury comprising Joan Luna, chief editor of Mondosonoro, Virginia Díaz from Radio 3 and Albert Salmeron, Musical Director of the Festival.

First up were Totana's Inkeys, a power pop six piece - perhaps boasting one guitar too many - who had certainly prepared themselves for the event. If crowd reaction was going to have an effect on the end result, then Inkeys' herd of groupies in the corner made sure the jury at least sat up and took notice. Oasis-like Opening track 'Es Mejor' soon gave way to their more characteristic sound, á la Teenage Fanclub or Cooper, but throughout they were slick on stage and bossed proceedings with a well-oiled, albeit conventional sound.

Inkeys were a good start to the evening, especially for those of us (myself included) who initially thought they were making up the numbers.

Next up were NewpaketS, a group who were destined never to connect with the crowd, but who offered the event's most alternative sound. When faced with a crowd of 'pop-junkies', a trip-hop group isn't going to get very far, but there's no debating the quality of this group. It was almost comical when most people didn't realise their set had ended, perhaps they'd be better off hitting Bristol for a while.

It was a case of it wasn't meant to be for Cartagena's Los Últimos Bañistas. Pre-match favourites in the eyes of many, a slight technical hitch to begin with and a cold nervy start meant this indie pop quartet spent the rest of their set racing against time to prove to the crowd and jury alike that they really are the biggest potential in the Region. A late spurt with tracks like 'Viajes Y Demonios' o 'Cual Es, ¿Lo Ves?' gave us a glimpse of what can be expected from a band we'll surely be hearing a lot more of in the future. However, on Thursday it wasn't alright on the night.

Varry Brava, the other band tipped for success before the event, certainly didn't waste their opportunity and it was no surprise to see them crowned joint winners. Hailing from Orihuela, but 'nocturnally based in Murcia', this five piece are 100% entertainment. They have the look, the presence and, above all, the tracks to get a crowd moving. 80s pop with 20th century energy reminding you a little of The Bravery or even Franz Ferdinand.


Their scintilllating 20 minute set, which contained easy-to-love tracks like 'No Gires', 'No Puedes' or the exhilarating 'Radioactivo' left the crowd on a high and it was clear in most people's eyes that Varry Brava were going to be busy during the Mayday bank holiday weekend.

You almost had to feel sorry for the fifth and final group, Yer Soul, the veterans of the event. These 'four huertanos aiming to shake the world' were the most conventional of the bands on show during the final (despite boasting a mini-orchestra for this set) and, while their sound is undoubtedly well-honed, you get the feeling they belong in Liverpool in the 60s rather than the 21st century. They did, however, manage prove the doubters at NME-Europe wrong with one track - 'No Light From The Fire'- which made Johan's introductory claim that they sounded lke Radiohead sound not quite so ridiculous.

The jury, then, had a relatively easy decision to make. Varry Brava and Inkeys taking the spoils.

The highlights? A full house, and five bands of undoubted talent. Oh yeah and two free tickets for the festival for NME-Europe, who also ended up with a prize on this enthralling evening. Congratulations to Inkeys and Varry Brava. If we can drag ourselves out of siesta mode for one weekend at the end of April, we might even see you at the SOS!

NC.

Un buen pulso a la escena murciana
Los 1.500€ para los ganadores y la posibilidad de tocar en el Festival SOS 4.8 junto a bandas como Franz Ferdinand o Los Planetas supusieron un aliciente suficiente para que más de 100 bandas se presentaran a este concurso regional de bandas emergentes. Los cinco finalistas representaban una muestra muy interesante de las últimas esperanzas de la música murciana y el público llenó la sala 12yMedio.

El primero de los finalistas en actuar fueron los totaneros Inkeys, que comenzaron con uno de los mejores temas: 'Es Mejor'. Se mostraron como una banda muy sólida, pero con demasiados cambios en su estilo, de un vocalista a otro, de inglés a español, del pop al rock, para los poco más de 20 minutos que tenían.

En una noche dominada por las guitarras, la actuación de Newpakets fue el gran contrapunto. Su electrónica 'lounge' fue el perro verde del concierto y nunca terminó de encajar en los gustos del público. Este estilo, tan diferente al del resto de competidores, les hizo caerse de las quinielas de los allí presentes, pero supusieron una buena muestra de que en Murcia no sólo se hace buen pop.

Precisamente en los cánones de este estilo se movió el concierto de Los Últimos Bañistas. Esta banda cartagenera, cuyo sonido recuerda a Lori Meyers, realizó un concierto de menos a más, acabando con su mejor versión con un gran tema de pop guitarrero.

Tras ellos saltaron al escenario de la 12yMedio los grandes favoritos de la velada: Varry Brava. La banda de Orihuela, con menos de un año de vida, se ha convertido en uno de los grupos de moda de la escena murciana. Cumplieron las expectativas de hacer bailar a un público entregado a su pop bailable con temas de su gran disco de debut: Ídolo. Música sencilla y divertida: la fórmula perfecta del éxito.

Cerró el concierto Yer Soul, el finalista del TalentoSOS con una trayectoria más consolidada. Su mezcla de rock y pop clásico cantando en inglés y en español no consiguió enganchar a un público cuyos pies aún se movían al compás del huracán Varry Brava. Yer Soul es un grupo de un gran virtuosismo, con un sonido excelso, el teclado recién incorporado a la banda ayuda a ello, pero que no destaca por su carisma, algo que acabaron pagando en las votaciones del jurado

En el resutado, poco que objetar, ganaron los dos grupos que más entonados estuvieron y que mejor respuesta tuvieron por parte del público: Inkeys y Varry Brava.

En definitiva: una buena oportunidad de escuchar los mejores grupos emergentes de Murcia y de ganar un par de entradas para el SOS, como hicieron 2/3 del staff de NME-Europe.

BP.

Last 5 live reviews on NME-Europe:
Clint (Murcia, Marzo 2010)
Neuman y Capsula (Murcia, Febrero 2010)
B-Side Festival (Molina de Segura, September 2009)
Lemon Pop Festival (Murcia, September 2009)
MTV Murcia Night (Cartagena, July 2009)

Read all Live articles

NME-Europe Live: SOS 4.8 Festival 2010 - The Leadings

leer en español

With the SOS 4.8 Festival fast approaching, NME-Europe has decided to run a series of interviews with some of the participating bands who'll be giving us an insight into the festival from their perspective. Fittingly, the first band to feature is local act The Leadings who have been making a name for themselves on the national scene over the last 12 months. They've just returned from London, where they have recorded a video for one of the tracks from the forthcoming full-length debut album Don't Stop Till You Get Enough and, despite the heavy schedule of concerts in Spain (last weekend they played the Razzmatazz Club in Barcelona), singer/guitarist Juan Torrano took the time to speak to us about playing on home soil.

NME-Europe: So Juan unlike many of the bands who'll be at SOS, playing in Murcia is nothing new to The Leadings. What are your suggestions for new-comers in Murcia?
JT: Obviously Murcia isn't new for us, we're from Murcia, ha ha. Well, you shouldn't miss the opportunity to try a marinera in La Plaza de las Flores (Flowers' Square), with a beer of course!


NME-Europe: Have you played any of the other major festivals in Spain?
JT: Well, we played at the B-Side Festival in Molina last September (alongside The Rakes and Rinôçérôse, amongst others) and we will play other Spanish festivals this summer, although we are still waiting for the official confirmation.

NME-Europe: Does the fact the festival is in Murcia have any significance?
JT: There's nothing more important than playing in one of the biggest festivals in Spain..... in your own town, with your fans, your people, your friends...it's a great opportunity for us and a dream come true. Last year we played in this festival but only in the pre-party festival at 12ymedio club, it was so amazing...sold out. Imagine this year!

NME-Europe: The SOS Festival is relatively new, this is only the third edition. Have you been impressed by the organisation so far?
JT: we prefer to talk about the organisation when the festival ends...jajajajaja (ed. that's Spanish for hahahaha!)

NME-Europe: Which of the other bands are you looking forward to seeing?
JT: We want to see The Horrors and Hot Chip (again) ....pleaseeee.

Well, it may be true to say that not many people attending SOS this year will have heard much about The Leadings, but NME-Europe thinks a lot will want to find out more once they've seen their exhilarating electro-indie set. In the meantime, why not have a listen to two of the tracks from their imminent debut album which they have just posted on their MySpace page? The video below should whet the appetite ahead of their full-blown SOS 4.8 Festival bow, scheduled for Saturday 1 May.




NME-Europe: Thanks a lot for your time. Anything else to add, Juan?
JT: Nothing more to say, thanks very much for your support and we will see you in Murcia....SO TROPICALLLLLL. 

NC

Not a bad way to start the build up this year's festival. You can read more NME-Europe articles on the SOS 4.8 Festival here.

NME-Europe Live: SOS 4.8 Festival 2010

Having recently confirmed the line-up for this year's festival, the organisers of the 2010 SOS 4.8 event in Murcia have added a further act to the bill, none other than Canadians Crystal Castles, whose self-titled debut album caused quite a stir back in 2008.

As a lot of people are wondering who's playing when, NME-Europe has been fishing around cyberspace and has put together a provisional calendar of events based on what the bands' official sites are announcing. If their data is correct, the following would be confirmed:

Friday 30th April
Franz Ferdinand
Crystal Castles
The Horrors
Tindersticks (Auditorium)
Dorian

Saturday 1st May
Madness
Orbital
Nada Surf
We Are Standard
Anni B Sweet / La Bien Querida (if Tindersticks play the auditorium on the Friday, they must be on the Saturday)

The likes of Fatboy Slim, The Magic Numbers or Spaniards Love Of Lesbian or Los Planetas still haven't official confirmed which day they'll be playing (and the last.fm page claims everyone is scheduled for the 30th which isn't much use - either that or Saturday is going to be pretty dull!).

Hopefully this information is correct, if so, you know where you read it first! Meanwhile, if anyone has any inside information on possible further confirmations, please feel free to share your news here! And if you want to see what's on the bill check out the playlist on the NME-Europe official YouTube channel (which, unlike the official SOS 4.8 page knows its UK from its US Horrors).

NME-Europe Live: SOS 4.8 Festival 2010

The organisers of the SOS4.8 Festival, the third edition of which will be held in Murcia over the May day bank holiday weekend, have confirmed a further batch of acts for the two day event. Having previously announced the likes of Franz Ferdinand, The Horrors or Madness, we know know that they will be joined by the likes of Tindersticks, Orbital, The Magic Numbers and Los Planetas.

This second announcement certainly sparked a fierce debate amongst 'the punters' and the festival's official Facebook profile was rife with comments yesterday. There was pretty much a  50:50 split between the "what a load of crap" and the "wow, what a line-up and all that for just €35".

Will Franz Ferdinand guarantee a sell out?                                                

NME-Europe can understand point sides of the argument; if you look at the line-up on paper, indeed there is a wealth of top acts on show for a very economical price (you'd probably pay the same just to see Franz Ferdinand on their own if they toured).  

However, if you compare it to last year's list (which boasted The Prodigy, Underworld, Maxïmo Park, Keane, The Wombats, Babyshambles, PJ Harvey, Ladyhawke, Those Dancing Days, TwoManyDjs et al), then you get the feeling that overall things have gone backward a little.

This would be a shame, as in just two years SOS4.8 was started to be talked about in the same vain as other top festivals in Spain, namely Primavera Sound and FIB. This year was the opportunity to get even closer to the big boys, but it would appear that the gap will not be bridged.... for now.

Last year both days sold out, so it'll be interesting to see how advance ticket sales progress after this announcement. Perhaps one or two 'rabbits' need to be pulled from hats for the 2010 edition to be as successful. If you're planning on going, you can get a specially priced two day pass for 34,99€ until 31 January at the usual sites. Click here to see more.

If you're still undecided here's the complete list to help you make your mind up:

Internationals                                             Nationals

Franz Ferdinand                                          Los Planetas

The Horrors                                                 Love Of Lesbian

Fatboy Slim                                                 We Are Standard

Madness                                                      Dorian

Nada Surf                                                    Delorean

Orbital                                                          Anni B Sweet (auditorium)

The Magic Numbers                                    La Bien Querida (auditorium)

TIndersticks (auditorium)                             Alondra Bentley

Uffie                                                             Lidia Damunt

                                                                    Taboo

                                                                    Joe Crepúsculo

                                                                    Amable

The price will go up to 39,99€ from February onwards and it's highly likely that there will be no tickets available on the day (30 Abril and 1 May).

NME-Europe will keep you posted on stage times nearer the event.

NME-Europe Live: SOS 4.8 Festival - The Countdown Begins....

Having announced the release of a specially priced two-day pass a little over a month ago (you can read about that in a previous NME-Europe post), the organisers of the SOS 4.8 Festival in Murcia, now in its third year, have finally let the punters know what they'll be getting for their money.

The 'big one' is Franz Ferdinand and they will be accompanied by The Horrors, Madness, Fatboy Slim and a host of top Spanish national bands including Love Of Lesbian and We Are Standard.

The organisers have stressed thay this is only the beginning, which is just as well because, with the utmost respect for the 2010 recruits,  most would agree that the current line-up doesn't compare too favourably to last year's edition, which included the likes of The Prodigy, Keane, PJ Harvey, Babyshambles, Too Many DJs, The Wombats, Maxïmo Park or Underworld, amongst others).

It's a question of watch this space for now. Meanwhile, the full initial listing for you to cast your eyes on:

Franz Ferdinand
The Horrors
Madness
Fatboy Slim
Nada Surf
Joe Crepusculo
Love Of Lesbian
We Are Standard
Delorean
Anni B Sweet
Lidia Damunt
Alondra Bentley
Taboo

NME-Europe will keep you posted. Meanwhile, let us know who you'd like to see at this year's festival.

NME-Europe Live: B Side Festival

Having had a full week to recover from the Lemon Pop outing, NME-E was firing on all cylinders and raring to go for the 5th B-Side Festival in Molina de Segura (Murcia).

Despite being a relatively new event, the organisers have been able to boast some top acts in previous years - Echo & The Bunnymen, The Charlatans, The Happy Mondays or Nada Surf, amongst others. The current climate meant that this year's line up might have appeared slightly more low key at first glance, however any discerning music lover would find it hard to argue that the bill was intriguing, proven by the fact that anticipated sales doubled last year's figures. In fact, the final attendance, which I'd estimate at around 7-8,000 is a marked improvement on previous years.

So, was it worth my while? Musically, yes, but some of the organisation was shocking (more of that later).

Arriving about mid-way through Elvis Perkins' set, the American's eccentric country twang was an ideal invitation to visit the hotdog stand. No disrespect, Elvis, but your sound wasn't gonna fire me up.

Ketchup stains removed, we graced the crowd with our presence as the first of the night's big acts took stage; The Rakes. Now, regulars to NME-E know that I was not exactly impressed by the Londoners' third album released earlier this year (if you haven't already, check out the review here) so I was unsure of what to expect. I'm pleased to say that The Rakes are a top live act and made me remember why I took a fancy to them a few years back.

A real presence on stage, an OUTSTANDING range of vocals from Alan Donohoe - why doesn't he do that on the album? - and an upbeat tempo from the guitars to keep the foot tapping throughout, made the hour-long set, which included a mix of tracks from 'Klang' and the classics which first put The Rakes on the map - '22 Grand Job' or 'We Are Animals' -, a thoroughly enjoyable affair. The final track '1989' was a fitting finale and the B Side festival was officially up and running.

Next up were new national indie heroes, Vetusta Morla, who are coming to the end of what's been a mammoth 18 months for them. Having floundered around for 10 years without making much of a noise, 'Un Dia En El Mundo' has transformed them into THE Spanish band of the moment and they are thriving on it! It was obvious that a vast majority of the crowd had come just to see them and the atmosphere as they broke into opening track 'Autocrítica' was already electric. From then on things only got better.

This lot have got it all; a brilliant vocalist, a wide variety of sounds, melodies which pick you up, toss you around and then give you a hug - you could already appreciate that on the album. Judging by this performance they also possess the ability to adapt and improve tracks for a live show - in particular with 'La Marea' and 'Valiente' (see video), whilst personal favourite 'La Cuadritura Del Circulo' (one of my favourite tracks of 2008 - read more about that here), the final track of the set quite simply blew me away. The new tracks they previewed also sounded promising so the future is looking good for Vetusta Morla.



Having reached a high point in the evening so early on you almost had to feel a bit sorry for Cycle, the fourth act to take the stage. Most of us needed a breather (for that read beer) after Vetusta Morla's invigorating performance and the horrendously understaffed bar (6 on one bar and 3 on another, which closed at 1am!) meant that most of us were stuck at there for pretty much the whole of Cycle's set. As it turns out, the last 15 minutes, which included crowd favourite 'Confusion' and new hit 'You Talk Too Much' were the highlight, the general feeling being that their sound was too brash and samey - appreciated by the hardcore fans, but less so by the public at large.

Coming to terms with the fact that the liquid refreshment had come to an end for the night, I was now fully focused on the headline band, French electro-rockers , here to promote their recent release 'Futurino'.


Rinôçérôse have got everything you need to put on a good electronica show; 3 electric guitars and a drummer! (oh yeah and little synth). Add a mind-boggling light show and a well-worked wardrobe and the end result is a host of really rocking tracks aided by vocal collaborations from Mark Gardener and the outrageously eccentric Jessie Chaton (think Freddie Mercury on speed). The masses were soon woken from their Cycle hangovers with the ramblasting new hits 'Head Like A Volcano', 'Where You From?', and 'Touch Me' (with the aforementioned Chaton bouncing around the stage like a headless chicken). With the classics 'Music Kills Me' or the ever popular 'La Guitaristic House Organisation' and you found it difficult to not adore these guys' funky beats.

And now a bit of an NME-E exclusive. I managed to persuade France's 'plus chic' rocknrolla, 'Patou' Carrié (va va voom) to talk to us a little about their second B-Side experience. Here's what she had to say:

NME-E: So, you're back in Molina. What made you return?
PC: We came back because we love the boss of the festival. He saw us in Benicassim this summer and likes the Futurino show so he invited us to play on his festival. That’s why we came back. We definitely think that it was better than the first time.

NME-E: No 'Time Machine' (my favourite from the new release). What were you trying to achieve out there?
PC: On stage we try to play all the classics that people love to hear, like 'La Guitaristic House Organisation', 'Music Kills Me', 'Le Rock Summer' or 'Bitch'. But, we also want play our favourite new songs from Futurino.

Of course, we can’t play all of them because of the guests singers. For example, we can’t play 'Time Machine' because Ninja (the Go Team singer) is not available at the moment. Even though we would love to play that song live, We can’t!

NME-E: What did you think of the crowd's reaction. things seemed a litle flat during the Cycle set, how did you feel on stage?
PC: The crowd reaction was not exactly the same as when we usually play in spain. And honestly, it was not our best show in spain because we had some technical problem which disrupted us on stage. You know, a gig is a kind of magic, you can quickly lose control. However, when we looked back on YouTube at some of songs we had played, the public was definitely ok and the show was powerful.

When we saw Cycle on stage, the reaction of the public was also a bit flat (anyway it was a really good show, they're our favourite Spanish band).

Indeed the show was powerful. Check out the video of 'Music Kills Me' below to see what I mean. And it was nice to see these guys giving Cycle some support.



A parting word from Patou, "In French there is a famous proverb which says “jamais 2 sans 3”, so i’m sure we'll come back to the B-Side festival and next time it will be the best ever!"

A MASSIVE thank you for Patou for taking the time to speak to us. NME-E is honoured.

Anyway, back to the gig. After bidding a fond au revoir to our French friends at just on 3.30am NME-E decided it was time to call it a day, meaning local boys The Leadings will have to be featured another day (sorry boys). All in all a good night out and great value for money; 15€ to see 3 or 4 (depending on your review of Cycle) top bands is my idea of a good deal. Top performances from The Rakes, Vetusta Morla and easily outweighed the negatives the organisation needs to sort out before next year.

NME-Europe requests improvement in the following:
1) Access by car. It's terrible! There is practically no signposting at all - it was easy to find the Christening celebration nearby - and when there was some, it was misleading - did anyone else go crazy looking for a mysterious roundabout and end up doing a u-turn at the petrol station?

2) The bar. Come on, a barstaff to cater for a 10th of the people who were there is taking the piss. Charge us 2€ more each and employ more people - christ, there's enough on the dole at the moment) and make sure there's a supply of drinks to go beyond midnight - on top of it all you weren't allowed out of the stadium before 1am, an attempt to keep all consumption on site, yet there was nothing left to consume!).

Still, it was a good night out. Time for me to catch up on some sleep!