Quest for concert
Being car-less blows! You’re bound to busconnections and time schedules, which can be very frustrating at times. Sanne was very excited about her Bilbao sleepover weekend last week so she convinced me to do the same.
After work we headed to the Duesto-district by subway. We met up with Mikel, a Basque Biology student, who opened up his apartment for couchsurfing. There were 5 of us (Sanne, Niké, Tiina, Sammi and myself), a bit much for a medium-sized apartment but he assured us that it was no biggie. He showed us around his place and introduced his fellow roommates.
Kafé Antzokia hosted Bilboloop that night, an electro/rock gathering of three bands + dj’s (Tom Boyle, The Teenagers and Crystal Fighters). Although I didn’t knew the bands, not even by name, I didn’t really care. I always fancy a gig. My summer holidays were filled with music concerts and festivals. I check the Internet every few days for concerts in the neighbourhood, and when the girls told me about Bilboloop my mind was made up pretty quick.
So Mikel lead us the way to the music hall. Once inside it looked more like a fake art-nouveau theater. Tacky and overdone, but really cool.
The festival kicked off with Tom Boyle, an indie band from Getxo, Vizcaya. Sadly enough my happy feelings were tempered instantly by this dreadful performance. The female lead singer looked like she felt more like reading a book with a cup of tea and a blanket than to play on stage. Boring, no chemistry with the audience, no mentionable musical skills, … A bunch of glitters under your eyes ain’t gonna cut it honey!
Next up: The Teenagers. I listened a bit to this French synthpop band in advance, and they charmed me with their nonsense lyrics and poppy tunes. They played a very decent gig that night. The charismatic lead singer, Quentin Delafon, was very energetic to say the least, constantly seeking interaction with the crowd. On their hit song ‘Homecoming’ the whole crowd joined them on stage. Real fun.
The lead singer of The Teenagers © Sanne Jehoul
Last band on the program: Crystal Fighters. Their genre? Very hard to describe. A kind of fast tempo nu-ravepop gettho house thing with digital latinbeats and Basque folknoise. Got it? Probably not, experiencing them live is the only way to get an impression I guess. Fired up on Redbull (not sure that was the only thing), they showed a great deal of energy, electrifying the crowd. The lead singer was constantly walking up and down the stage dragging his microphone stand along, while his colleagues drummed the txalaparta, a traditional Basque instrument. Original, refreshing and alive and kickin’! They recruited themselves another fan.
Crystal Fighters © Sanne Jehoul
Afterwards dj’s continued the fiesta with some popular tunes. Singing along we left the place a few hours later. Mikel’s roommates organized enough sleeping spots in the living room, making it a short yet comfortable night of sleep. Thanks guys!
Gero Arte!
I can write in the future! always knew I was special