Category: Concert Reviews

words: Guilherme Lucas; photos: Raquel Pinheiro

Cavalheiro

 

Tulsa, a new band from Porto (at least for me) were Cavalheiro’s opening act, in a short and brief concert, however leaving very positive and pleasant impressions about their sound and project for the near future. Haunted by a North American imaginary from Charles Bukowski’s poetry to sounds that could belong to Velvet Underground and, therefore, Cowboy Junkies or Mazzy Star, the band offered us a discrete sound of a fragile lightness that, at times, ravishingly impresses, always accompanied by an excellent vocalist/voice. It is a music of silences, of word, and that needs to be listened with the necessary attention to this typology. Passos Manuel stage, with a seated audience couldn’t be a better place for it.Tulsa gave a good concert and are recomendable.Lets, therefore , wait for new episodes from this very promising band.

While I write, I remarkably notice that Cavalheiro is the Portuguese musical project that I have been following for a longer time with the special attention of an assumed fan of a well-kept (desired by me) secret, without breaks or disappointments, since (practically) the dawn of this original project by Tiago Ferreira. Had originally known him as a Veados com Fome musician, a very interesting band I liked (I saw a good concert of them at Porto-Rio some ten years ago), it was with pleasant surprise that I reacted to Cavalheiro’s appearance. Surprise, because, since the first contact with the project, I considered it completely audacious and of an uncommon beauty, with truly fabulous songs, the best that have been made in this small corner since nearly a decade. Since 2011 that I see myself, like a pilgrim, attending its albums presentation concerts, always split between Passos Manuel or Maus Hábitos, in what already looks like a tradition.

Once more, there I was, this time on the release of its latest album called Falsa Fé. Cavalheiro (Tiago Ferreira) offered the audience and excellent concert, in its informal and intelligently ironic, but very professional way. Always supported by excellent musicians, the songs were played with spot on depth and intensity. Even with several backline problems along the show, the band never let on the nervousness that could come from it. Quite the opposite, it attacked each song with enlightenment and mastery. In Cavalheiro’s discography there are always gems; sometimes more, sometimes fewer and I think the new album is at the same level of the previous ones, which is always great to note, and, in that sense it also has three or four gems for my personal taste. This to say that differente tastes are not discussed, but that everything that now happens in Cavalheiro is the logic consequence and result of an excellent Primeiro (the project’s 1st album) where the future of the present time was already there.

We love bands because, somehow, they always offer us and in time, songs that are part of the soundtrack of our life. Each one, in different styles and genres, fill moments we will never forget; they are like a perfume: enliven our memory; reminding us of past people and contexts. In the repertoire of Cavalheiro there are some songs that are definetely part of the soundtrack of my life.

 

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.

 

Last Saturday, Scott Kelly, guitarist, singer and founder of the famous American Experimental Metal band Neurosis presented himself in an acoustic version assisted by multi-instrumentalist John Judkins, at Understage, Rivoli, Porto.

Playing for a large audience, that nearly filled the room, the duo offered a concert of remarkable grim beauty, made of rare songs that play as few can with silence and the power of words. There is an obvious feeling of life and art interest in Scott Kelly’s dedication in handling down the legacy of the great American folk, country and blues singer-songwriters (as signaled in truly breathtaking covers of Neil Young’s Cortez The Killer and Townes Van Zandt’s Tecumseh Valley). Actually, and essentially, Kelly’s repertoire is no more than country/folk songs adapted to a darker and heavier aestetics, connected with the greatest influences from artists of his generation (Swans, Black Flag, Black Sabbath, Amebix, Pink Floyd, etc.), the way of reaching it has a lot to do with the slow, dragged and deliciously repetitive way of his acoustic chords along with a disciplined vocals where words space is always respected, where the message always get through , because it gets heard, because it shows itself, because it is fundamental to the whole. One can ask, is it an easy thing?  Not at all. The way Scott Kelly reinterprets all that musical legacy is extremely original, and, as I’ve said before, of touching beauty. For me, it was like watching a concert from an original Johnny Cash of my generation.

Extremely pleased with the audience that listened silently and enthusiastically applauded them at the end of each song, Scott Kelly confided publicly this was the biggest crowd of all the tour and thanked the very respectful and generous behaviour of the audience towards the duo’s performance. For this reason, because it matters to him, he promised to return again in the future. He will be very welcomed.

(words: Guilherme Lucas; photos: Raquel Pinheiro)

 

Victor Torpedo‘s Karaoke is a show of chaotical emotional discharge, anarchic, raw, fun, at times demential and almost over the edge and very rock & roll as it was the case Saturday (27) @ Festa da Música, Centro Comercial de Cedofeita, Porto.

(words & photos Raquel Pinheiro)

ocp – operador de cabine polivalente – One man (João Ricardo), a table and some small machines, drove us on a continuous sound trip of diverse landscapes atCafé Candelabro, Porto.

Ambient, beats, a dash on noise and industrial, repetitive sound loops. Desert, bottom of the sea, the fast speed of a train in a tunnel, radio noises, pleasant grooves and outer space were some of the stations of this singular soundscape.

(photo: Hugo Brito; words: Raquel Pinheiro)

 

Pedro Neves Trio – Pedro Neves (piano), Miguel Ângelo (doublebass) and Miguel Sampaio (drums) -, took us on an ups and downs journey, following the story of the imaginary character created for 05:21, its most recent album. 05.21 is Summer’s dawn time. The character has reached it, still awake, after a day of bubbling thoughts and feelings. The music matches the character’s journey. Bumpy and frantic at times, Busy Mind or 05:21, quiet and serene here and there, as in the beautiful Yesterday. It all ends when the character finally falls asleep, after a tumultuous turning around before the eye lids close, the record’s final act, Time to Go. Live, as heard at Associação Porta Jazz, Porto, 05:21 gains other tones and different speeds, becoming much more raw and intense.

 

(photo & words: Raquel Pinheiro)