Month: February 2018

words: Guilherme Lucas; photos: Raquel Pinheiro

French singer-songwriter Raoul Vignal, ended his small tour of two weeks – with a couple of concerts in neighbouring Galiza – Sunday night at Salão do Círculo Católico de Operários do Porto, albeit have been playing across Europe since the beginning of the year that will still take him, in coming days, to the Czech Republic and, later, to a few more concerts in France.

Raoul Vignal is a new emerging talent in French music (and, therefore, global, since we live in an era of immediate contact through the Web). His musical style is, essentially, characterized by a solid and singular technique of classic guitar plucking, of a levity and frailty at times complex, but pleasantly impacting, always “drawing” fascinating sound landscapes of melancholy, loneliness and longing. Combined with an unusual, but captivating, voice timbre – that we can consider more as a lament or whisper – the final product is of undeniable quality and very interesting to be listened with deserving attention. In a wider and more encompassing sense the comparison in search of references that help us situate his musical style, Raoul Vignal is the artist closest to the mighty Nick Drake that I was able to hear of late. There are – obviously – differences between both, but it is also impossible not to ascertain the commonalities that are found in both artists’ music. When the comparison is to Nick Drake, we are always talking of exceptional quality. Always.

In a freezing hall, with an attentive audience, Raoul Vignal, managed to warm, as much as possible, our hearts and souls. Very nice and always in a constant interaction with the audience, speaking about his lasts days on tour or what the next song was about, the artist promised to return, but, the next time, with a band. It was an excellent concert, and, at the end, I took comfort in the idea (hopefully not daring), that I watched a concert of an artist that may still become important and a reference to many.

 

 

words: Guilherme Lucas; photos: Raquel Pinheiro

Wand’s concert, in essence, an American Psychedelic Rock band (their music also denotes other different and heavier genres within Rock) was, as far as I am concerned, a bit lukewarm, and underperformed my expectations. It was a concert with two distinct energies and at two different tempus, with their new material, titled “Plum” released late 2017,  much to “blame”, and that, in my opinion, is the least interesting of the whole of the band’s discography. It is a little monotonous, in same parts even boring, without much flame. However, understand that Wand have great songs in all their discography, looking like a band that seems to invest more in a melting pot of different music genres than choosing a single path. Therefore, they are a band of different registers, which does not mean they are bad. Even because the band is good and has some truly excellent songs, offering a repertoire with great quality to please everybody. But live, performing their most recent songs, those different energies show a lot. when playing their most recent songs. They both enter a far-fetched slightly boring area on a Psychedelic level as well as, right after, explode with amazing and more direct songs, some in a deliciously Surf register, remembering a little Pixies/Muse. Essentially, the band lives from its mentor, founder singer/guitarist Cory Hanson, a nice guy that truly loves Porto, going as far as saying it is the most beautiful city in the world (and he does not say it ironically). Master of a brilliant voice timbre and a great guitarist at every level, it on him that all attention falls upon. In that sense, it is difficult to imagine the rest of the band without him. I think that, on the whole, the majority of the audience, that had Hard Club Sala 2 at nearly capacity, liked the band’s performance. The hampered encore, when most people had already left the room, should had been better “timed”. In short: Wand are a good band with things worthy being heard. They have gems, and (to me) that is what matters.

 

words: Guilherme Lucas; photos: Raquel Pinheiro

I went to this concert with vested curiosity to assess the impact of a band with such disruptive sound as Sereias on an audience that was mostly there for Wand, and, therefore, possibly also with musical tastes far away from Porto’s group ones. In the first place, this looked like an improbable concert because both bands are significantly different in their sound and aesthetics. But, for that very reason, I liked this type of improbability; it shows courage and boldness, and an organization that promotes such events, with bands from different sound latitudes, rather than bet on those with similar ones, and, as such, predictable within a single musical taste.

In general, I found that the audience’s reaction to Sereias sound was very positive; I think better, in this context, would be difficult. We witnessed those moments in which we watch those around us, at first astounded with what was offered them to listen, but who, slowly, started to shake their head to the band’s machine and demential sound. And allow themselves go because Sereias have the gift of slowly making us enter their unique and chaotic sound and aesthetic world, in an almost hypnotic fashion. And,if you enter, you will never come out. You will remain there forever.

The band offered a very solid performance, always different from the previous ones I saw, with very intense moments. Once again with a different line-up. And, this time, for a nearly at capacity Hard Club Sala 2. This is a band that evolves in randomness; what we witnessed is more intuitive or accidental than rational, except, obviously, the natural benchmark points (for the band), of differentiating themes. It should be noted that, among sonic smithereens,there is an endearing and deep saxophone sound that arises and offers a unique jazzy Punk class and charisma; it is the most preponderant and melodic component in the band. Then, there is the poetry and António Pedro Ribeiro’s violent and insane recitation. In my opinion, there is more contestation and shock culture meaning in his poetry than in “hundreds” of politicized Punk Hardcore bands and alike. The difference is that with Sereias the word gets through (even during the more cacophonous moments) and if we listen to it (to the word) it will mark us forever, making us ponder because of its shocking surprise and cruel content.

After the concert I was left with the feeling that Sereias are the new Hype of a certain Porto’s underground, inside and out Rock and Arty typology. The band that, these days gets talked about or is being talked about.