Mondo Bizarre Magazine Concert Reviews, Concerts

Whispering Sons, Hard Club,Porto, 08.11.2024.

© Telma Mota/Mondo Bizarre Magazine

words: Paulo Carmona (edited by Raquel Pinheiro); photos: Telma Mota

The preamble serves to highlight the aesthetic evolution of the band at all levels. Whispering Sons developed well and got a place in their type of European rock.

© Telma Mota/Mondo Bizarre Magazine

The band is instrumentally cohesive with a very remarkable and secure well-structured rhythm section. The symbiosis between bass and drums works perfectly. In the melodic section, the guitar delivers sharp, strident and melodic riffs and knows how to respect the silences and dynamics that characterize the songs of Whispering Sons. The keyboards work as a safe network in a nostalgic tone that gives all that fog, at times thick, at times soft, sailing between chilling breezes. Up there, on the trapeze, Fenne Kuppens’ voice, dense, semi-hoarse, deep and disturbing makes the difference and imprints the stamp that characterizes the Belgian quintet.

© Telma Mota/Mondo Bizarre Magazine

Whispering Sons’ performance at Hard club presented a growing and coherent setlist starting with Balm, Something Good and Surface, moving on to Walking, Flying and Try Me Again. It was a concert in crescendo that left everyone, myself included, satisfied. The Great Calm, the band’s largest record is to be heard from beginning to end. And it was with a feeling similar to the album title that I set out on my way home.

© Telma Mota/Mondo Bizarre Magazine
Mondo Bizarre Magazine Concerts, Reviews

Rafael Toral, Understage-Rivoli, Porto, 04.10.2024.

© João Octávio Peixoto/TMP

words: Raquel Pinheiro; photos: João Octávio Peixoto/TMP

We’re literally seated, in the dark, in the Rivoli’s underbelly. My old friend Rafael Toral is presenting his new album Spectral Evolution. Spectral Evolution is a single continuous instrumental track. The concert follows the same format.

“There are already too many ruptures in the world, I’m more commited in peace, integration, healing, reconciliation, and this record assumes it.” said Rafael, on an interview, about Spectral Evolution. I wholeheartedly concur with him.

Spectral Evolution, one of my three favourite records of 2024 so far, does have an healing, a come together effect. It’s brings forward emotions, release, serenity.

Here, live, at least where I was seated, for me that was a little disturbed by the sound in itself. It’s part of the nature and the beauty of live music.

I’m not going into technical details or guitar approaches, many of which I’m not even sure or fully aware of. I’ll go with sensations, emotions, a report of how the sound and music reached me, what I made of it.

© João Octávio Peixoto/TMP

A piercing, erthquakerish, lound sound, under, or along which, church like and birdsong like music appears. Scratches, signals, noises. It moves towards gentleness, a slight return to higher intensity. There’s a coming and going, a departure, an arrival, a departure, an arrival, a departure. It goes up, higher, louder. It recesses. It floats. It pierces the heart, the muscles, the soul, the senses.

Hadn’t seen Rafael in person in a while it wasn’t no much a case of reconciliation, or even reconnection – we connect through his music, and in the usual current ways – more the joy, the affection, the hugs, the kind and godspeed farewell words in the now emptiness of a minutes before filled room. It was a good-bye matching the essence of Spectral Evolution.

© João Octávio Peixoto/TMP
Mondo Bizarre Magazine Concert Reviews, Concerts, Festivals, Uncategorized

Winten & Maple Glider, Socorro, Porto, 20.09.2024. | Piquenique Dançante Sobre a Relva, Parque de São Roque, Porto, 22.09.2024.

Winten © Raquel Pinheiro

words, photos & videos: Raquel Pinheiro

Walking blind into concerts is something I enjoy a lot. I was neither familiar with Winten or Maple Glider songs. My reason to go to their respective concerts at Socorro was to meet a old friend I hadn’t seen in over a decade.

Winted © Raquel Pinheiro
Maple Glider © Raquel Pinheiro

I was pleasantly surprised with Winten and Maple Glider gentle songs and music. Winten more inclined towards heartbreak and love sceneries and scenario in a frail, tone; Maple Glider, although not dissimilar, has a more sober and mature tone.

Maple Glider © Raquel Pinheiro
Piquenique Dançante Sobre a Relva © Raquel Pinheiro

Piquenique Dançante Sobre a Relva (Dancing Picnic on the Lawn) is an event held yearly at a park or garden in Porto. This year it was near by me at the wonderful Parque de São Roque on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 September.

I only attended on Sunday. It was the first time I went to Parque de São Roque dressed up. And it was joyous and fun. Lots of people on the lawn and labyrinth area, seated on blankets, kids running and playing around – the monitors turned to the audience provided a great racing and dancing track for children that were freely allowed to run upon them. Since I also stood on them during Wolf Manhattan, I can attest it’s great fun.

Piquenique Dançante Sobre a Relva © Raquel Pinheiro

It was great to see friends, acquaintances, so many new faces and watch friends playing.

West 11 © Raquel Pinheiro
Population 5 © Raquel Pinheiro

West 11 share Phil King (guitar) and Mark Kingston (bass with) Population 5 and have Beth Hirsch on vocals. They are, or were in this instance, a serene band. Heavily contrasting with the raucous, electric in every sense, groovy surfy Population 5. Children played a part again when a very young guitarist with his toy guitar took to the stage having Phil and Fernando Barbedo (Population 5’s other guitarist) as his wing men.

Population 5 © Raquel Pinheiro
Wolf Manhattan © Raquel Pinheiro

Wolf Manhattan are João Viera’s latest incantation. The sad, happy story of a singer-songwriter, lonely in his bedroom that takes his show on the road, accompanied with several eye catching guitars, hair colour and clothes. Cool songs, entertaining atmosphere.

Wolf Manhattan © Raquel Pinheiro

Between bands André Rio played cover on a small stage on the middle of the lawn’s fountain, leading to a sing-a-long.

Piquenique Dançante Sobre a Relva © Raquel Pinheiro
André Rio © Raquel Pinheiro

I didn’t stay to see Irmãos Catita. Home and my guitar were calling.

Piquenique Dançante Sobre a Relva © Raquel Pinheiro
Mondo Bizarre Magazine Concerts, Entries, Essays

Grupo Operário do Ruído, Open Rehearsal, Associação de Moradores da Bouça, Porto, 13.09.2024.

© Renato Cruz Santos

A View From Within

words: Raquel Pinheiro; photos: Renato Cruz Santos/Cultura em Expansão

A week ago me and my colleagues from Grupo Operário do Ruído, a parte experimental-exploratory-avant ensemble connect to Sonoscopia were in the depths of our Open Rehearsal, after months of hours long reharsals.

© Renato Cruz Santos

Being part of the group has been a very interesting experience. I elected the electric guitar as my main instrument, in itself a challenge. I’m far more familiar with an electric bass than with an electric guitar. Most of my other instruments are as peculiar and unique as Grupo Operário do Ruído: a couple of plastic beads necklaces, a children’s melodica, mismatched drum sticks, empty spices bottles, and more, and our claribones, what I call our odd purpose build mix of trombone and clarinet.

© Renato Cruz Santos

Many instruments we use were build on previous years of the existence of Grupo Operário do Ruído, some like my guitar, the traditional drums, the tambourine are convencional. My use of the electric guitar is anything but convencional. We’re often asked what we do, what we play. We’re still working on the musical piece directed by António Serginho and Carlos Guerreiro, to which we all contribute.

I would say we’re much close to an orchestra than a rock band. The musical, sound, and other approaches are wide. As you can see on the photos we do not use staves. There are structured rhythm parts, solo and free style parts, corporal movement, a bit of singing. Each of us, one more than others depending of what we play, swap our instruments, according to the section we’re playing.

None of the above explains much other than a little of the mechanics of this year in Grupo Operário do Ruído. It’s not easy to explain as it is a sound experience composed of a million details.

© Renato Cruz Santos

I’ve been asked if I felt nervous playing in front of an audience. I didn’t. I didn’t even notice the audience that surrounded us. We’re concentrated on what we’re playing as well as in the hand instructions of António Serginho tailor made for us, and therefore different than standard conductor instructions.

© Renato Cruz Santos

No, I’m not letting our music out. 😉 Not right now. 🙂 We sound brilliant!

We have our Final Presentation at Conservatório de Música do Porto, December 8, 7pm. Come see us!

© Renato Cruz Santos
Mondo Bizarre Magazine Concert Reviews, Concerts

Bill MacKay, Understage – Rivoli, Porto, 13.09.2024.

Bill MacKay @ Rivoli © Raquel Pinheiro
© João Octávio Peixoto/TMP

Guitar Poetry

words & video by Raquel Pinheiro; photos: João Octávio Peixoto/TMP

To say Bill MacKay’s concert was extraordinary, would be underwhelming. Sublime is a better word. Transcendental, another good one. Those words still don’t do justice to the music, guitar, playing, singing. In fact, being there is the only thing that would do it justice.

Beauty, poetry spoken with an electric guitar as I’ve seldom heard it. Bill sings too, and tells little stories about the songs, however, his visual, sound, poetic mastery of the guitar is the domain of few.

The songs from MacKay’s latest album Locus Land (by the way it’s Terra do Gafanhoto, Bill 🙂 ) gain a different, spiritual, otherworldly dimension live. They become a time within time. A time of gentleness, until the final piece served: Arcadia. Bill stood up to play Arcadia in full, distortion mode adding a sharp dramatic contrast to the tone of the concert.

Bill MacKay @ Rivoli © Raquel Pinheiro
© João Octávio Peixoto/TMP
Mondo Bizarre Magazine Concert Reviews, Concerts

Anoushka Shankar, Casa da Música, Porto, 03.07.24.

Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Marcos Leal

words: Marcos Leal (freely translated by Raquel Pinheiro); photos: Marcos Leal

Casa da Música filled on a Wednesday night to listen to British sitar player Anoushka Shankar (Ravi Shankar’s daughter).Anoushka steps on stage alone, under a single light, and plays Offering, like a gift to those in attendance. Meanwhile the backs comes in Sarathy Korwar (drums), Pirashanna Thevarajah (percussion), Tom Farmer (double bass), Arun Ghosh (clarinet).

The performance was centered around music Anoushka has been working on that will be released in instalments – intended to capture moments and emotions – and previously released tracks.

© Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Marcos Leal

A rhythm crescendo was noticed during the performance with a solo by Arun Ghosh (clarinet) getting an ovation from the audience. A Ravi Shankar theme that Anoushka has been working on throughout the years was played, and the concert ended with Reunion. Anoushka will return alone to play a final track, Sleeping Flowers.

© Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Marcos Leal

Mondo Bizarre Magazine Concert Reviews, Concerts

Jesus the Snake | All Them Witches, Hard Club, Porto, 24.06.2024.

© Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Telma Mota

words: Marcos Leal (freely translated by Raquel Pinheiro); photos: Telma Mota

Jesus the Snake, a band from Vizela, ofereced a serene and contemplative cradle with their spacial pinkfloydesque melodies. Only the dense riffs of the last track broke the immersive state and awoke the audience for what was to follow.

When All Them Witches turn arrived the change of atmosphere in the room was palpable. The audience in constant uproar and ecstasy, at times contrasting with the here and there immersive melodies of the band. However, they also own beating riffs. All Them Witches manage to transport the listener to a road movie in which we travel through prairies, and the typical dinners and motels of American landscapes.

© Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Telma Mota

The band played a setlist that reviewed several of their tracks such as the opener See You Next Fall, When God Comes Back, Alabaster, The Marriage of Coyote Woman and after effusive aplaus, on the encore, Bulls.In short, it was a happy return over here and a great welcome for All Them Witches.

Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Telma Mota
Mondo Bizarre Magazine Concert Reviews, Concerts

Sprints, Mouco, Porto, 15.06.2024.

© Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Telma Mota

words: Paulo Carmona (freely translated by Raquel Pinheiro); photos: Telma Mota

I confess I’ve spend most of my life seeings attempts at burying rock-‘n’-roll for the most varied reasons and dantesc like premonitions. As if a chronicle of an announced demise.

It is bands like Sprints that show up giving the finger to those morbid mistrustfuls, holding a fluffy white bunny passport.What happened Saturday at Mouco was epic.

They arrived, they saw, they conquered. With a very energetic and lascivious garage/stoner punk rock this young band from Dublin grabbed the audience from the beginning to the end of the concert. No truces given drawing the audience to get involved with the band at song, at every charge.

Energetic and irreverent, well instrumentally sustained with drums supported (Jack Callan), bass and vocals (Sam McCann) guitar (Colm O’Reilly) and Karla Chubb (main vocals, guitar) doing everything else. Karla has an overwhelming power that leaves no one indifferent.

© Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Telma Mota

The setlist played was everything the Sprints have to give and believe it is a lot. Heavy, Adore, Cathedral, Delia, Shadow and Letter and others, were part of the party that ended with Karla in a happy mosh among the audience.

I left belly filled and only felt like singing to myself: I know, it’s only rock’n’roll, but I like it, I like it… yes I do! How not to?

© Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Telma

Mondo Bizarre Magazine Concert Reviews, Concerts

SDH, Mouco, Porto, 04.05.2024.

© Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Telma Mota

words: Paulo Carmona (freely translated by Raquel Pinheiro); photos: Telma Mota

It seemed everyone was already waiting to shake their hips to SDH frantic rhythm, since that happened from the start. The powerful loops and samples continuously blasting throughout the room that had enough space for improvised dancing. The Barcelona duo’s (Andrea Latorre e Sergi Algiz) synth pop a la discoteque, even if mixed with some industrial experimentism and a sparkle of dark wave is an invitation to dancing.

Andrea dances throughout with goth-dancer mannerisms and sensuality in her gestures. The very creative and pertiment always changing set design, mixed with the overhaul dark ambient and the frantic colourful lights did the rest. Very funny.

© Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Telma Mota

They showered the submissive audience with an energetic and progressive set going around tracks like No Miracles, Tell Them, Balance e obviamente, and the always expected Hectic. I’m not going home. The warm up worked very well and I will go around city alleys looking for sige sound franticness. I think I know where to go.

© Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Telma Mota

Mondo Bizarre Magazine Concert Reviews, Concerts

Lloyd Cole, Casa da Música, Porto, 28.04.2024.

© Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Paulo Carmona

words: Paulo Carmona freely translated by Raquel Pinheiro); photos: Paulo Carmona

Lloyd Cole is one of those unique cases in which a man, a guitar and his voice manage to give an whole concert in which the audience does not fall into a dragged sleepleness apathy like. There are several factors for that: The first one is the voice to be in shape in the highs and lows and the knowledge of using breathing to achieve what is intended.

Another factor to have in consideration is the compentency is the playing of the electro-acoustic guitar. The rhythms, the freestyle, the intensity, the silences and the arpeggios. All very well played and pertinent to the flow of the songs. And the songs, of course.

© Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Paulo Carmona

When a song is well written, well harmonized and has a poem that tailor suits it because it is felt, loved and conceived since it naturally; with guitar and voice, or orchestra it will always be a great song. That was what, once more, Lloyd Cole offered us. Always nice and afectous, supported by is British humour, including about mid concert pause, explaining it is mandatory for guys his age, he was an excellent entertainer from beginning to end.

The menu included more introspective songs such as Like Lovers Do, My Other Life, 2 CV, Today I’m Not So Sure, The Afterlife, The Idiot, Butterfly and more iconic and uplifted songs like Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken, Jennifer She Said, Brand New Friend, Perfect Skin and Undressed. On the much demanded and thanked encore Lost Weekend and Forest Fire were played.

On my way home, on the aftermath, I was thinking a cup of hot tea and sweet, sweet biscuits would be right the thing.

© Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Paulo Carmona