Concerts – Page 4 – Mondo Bizarre Magazine

April 26, 2024 Mondo Bizarre Magazine Concert Reviews, Concerts

Kristin Hersh, Auditório Francisco de Assis, Porto, 21.04.2024.

words: Neno Costa (freely translated by Raquel Pinheiro); photos: Telma Mota

The tracery of Sparky (Hips and Makers, 1994) filled the wideness of the stage until Kristin Hersh’s voice filled the room with Eyeshine (Clear Pound Road, 2023) casting out ghosts that seemed to threaten Throwing Muses’muse at every turn.

Lady of lyrics tinted by experience and personal conflicts, braided with a pop folk sound under a harsh vocal sky Kristin Hersh and her acoustic guitar run through thirty years of career, including her time with Throwing Muses, in an intimate, mature, flowing performance in choices such as Your Ghost (Hips and Makers, 1994), Kay Catherine (Throwing Muses, 2020), Your Dirty Answer (Sonny Border Blue, 2001) or Ms Haha from her latest album.

It would have been wonderful to prolong this golden moment of the musical calendary, electrically wrapped with The Cuckoo (Hips and Makers, 1994) and English folk song open to interpretations, cladled as a goodbye.

April 18, 2024April 18, 2024 Mondo Bizarre Magazine Concert Reviews, Concerts

Hohen Ford | Patrick Watson, Hard Club, Porto, 15.04.2024.

Hohnen Ford © Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Marcos Leal

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

On a Monday evening the line of people to Hard Club was visible before opening time. It took some time for British singer-songwriter Hohnen Ford, the opening act to be on stage. Quickly, with a smiley face, starting to play the piano and singing beautifully. Of note a cover of Radiohead’s No Surprises and the live debut of a new song, Honest Mistake. Going by the delight many were listening to her on the front rows, she gathered new fans.

Patrick Watson turn, playing Lost With You under mild, intimate light, that progressed towards the other musicians, surprisingly encorporating the lyrics of Radiohead’s CreepIt was a concert of great complicity and intimacy that captivated the audience. As much on a scenic as well as musical level it was a concert of great beauty and sensibility with songs that tools to intimate, but also mundane places. Between sings there were stories about those songs in themselves, and some joyous moments. Such as in Lisboa Mermaid in Lisbon was sung by Gisela João (on record the voice belongs to Teresa Salgueiro), displaying good stage chemistry. In a kind of encore Hohnen Ford returned, and once more enchanted the audience singing an acoustic song along Patrick Watson.

Patrick Watson & Gisela João © Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Marcos Leal

The concert ending was surprising. Patrick Watson came down to the middle of the audience with a megaphone accompanied by his bassist/guitarist carrying on his shoulders some sort of lights structure, both slowly playing and singing towards the room exit.

Patrick Watson © Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Marcos Leal

April 16, 2024April 25, 2024 Mondo Bizarre Magazine Concert Reviews, Concerts

Sereias | Sleaford Mods, Casa da Música, 13.04.2024.

Sereias © Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Daniela Tedim

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

Sereias opened the evening with their frantic, vocally agressive rock. Abundantly shouted in despair, among foul language, demands and political and social criticism. They’re very solid and original instrumentalists in the way they mix styles and impose tempos. But always very together. An interesting band, no doubt.

Sleaford Mods © Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Daniela Tedim

I could say punk bastards are back or that the good old fashioned rebels would have returned in na electro punk rap and spoken word version, but I will not do it, even because I just did it. I’ll center myself in what is worthy about British duo Sleaford Mods. Obviously punk’s stigma is present on the fast intense vocalizations of the sarcastic speech, at times comical, and electronic samples minimalism everyone. But, in reality, do Jason Williamson and Andrew Fearn Bing us or intend to put across?

To me, it seems they have a lot to say and to uncover not only Great Britain concerning, but regarding the world at large in its hypocrisy and aggressive capitalist economy. Sleaford Mods music is to be danced to, felt, grooved. It is also to be reflected upon and internalised. Although the communication channel is minimalist electronic music, their message is anything but minimalistic. In line with social and political criticism “in your face” bands like The Clash, Public Enemy, Rage Against, this duo shots towards their chosen targets with genuine haughtiness.

The concert at Casa da Música justified all that. Jason’s voice on his East Midlands Accent among psychedelic strobe lights, vociferações that resembled seagulls overing above any coastal town, his balancing water bottles on his head artist posture like a cocky rooster trying to moonwalk and footloose, tracks like TCR, BHS, and the cover of Pet Shop Boys’ West End Girls keep coming out entertaining the hordes attendees and Sleaford Mods fans.Oh Captain! My Captain! They follow us everywhere and I go west.

April 9, 2024April 12, 2024 Mondo Bizarre Magazine Concerts

BDRMM, Mouco, Porto, 06.04.2024.

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

Hull band Bdrmm awaited first concert in Porto finally happened. Bdrmm came to download their electric showgaze mantle upon an audience split between a sound delight and happy talk.It was remarkable the way the band was applauded and cherished by the audience, leaving the quarter rather pleased, and, in a way, apparently surprised with such reaction, multiplying thanks you at each song. For about one and a half hour Bdrmm downloaded a stream of songs that satisfied the wishes of their fans, starting with Alps, carrying on with Be Careful.

Then, melodically loud with songs like Gush, Push/Pull, Happy, one of their greatest hits, here almost unrecognisable among a deluge of distortion, until, at, last, arriving at a good Port, um thrilling cheering by from the audience and thanks by Bdrmm.

April 2, 2024April 2, 2024 Mondo Bizarre Magazine Concerts

Pop Dell’Arte, Hard Club, Porto, 29.03.2024.

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

On stage, more than showbiz, more than show off, give rock’n’roll truth. As it is in its essence. Unpretentious and genuine. That is what Pop Dell’Arte is. That is it, and it is very good.

Sonorously speaking it is complex in construction, structure, form. Bass, drums and guitar played by Zé Pedro Moura, Ricardo Martins and Paulo Monteiro are extremely competent performing the songs as well as on their own, leaving an impression with the daring passion the music flows to our senses. João Peste’s voice is what we were used to over decades. Intense and very charismatic. At times powerful and resounding, at times sarcastic, dragged, and insolent filled of an apparent juvenile innocence. Take note, apparent! Maybe that is why he and his companions can make Pop Dell’Arte’s music seem so fresh. Each concert is a celebration. An hymn to the band’s aesthetic conscience and its survival along its life spam.

This concert didn’t deviate from it, and that is good. It started with Star Wars and Em Creta, through Avanti Marinaio, Planet Lakroon, Panoptical Architecture for Empty Streets in a Silent City, Wil’n’Chic, Be Bop and Sonhos Pop, and, towards the end Freaky Dance and My Funny Ana Lana. A great celebration, no doubt.Is it me or this more thrilling, frantic, alternative as well as pop side of rock as its strongest expression in a time references were few, but, indisputably, remarkable.

March 26, 2024March 28, 2024 Mondo Bizarre Magazine Concerts, Reviews

The Legendary Tigerman, Hard Club, Porto, 23.03.2024.

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

One thing is certain – Something new will happen. The Man is in constant innovation.
Is that cool? … It is. In this particular instance it is. There is a coherence in the manner and presentation in synchrony with the idyosincrasies of mi artist-performer. It is in aesthetics and the imaginary that Paulo Furtado’s art of music takes a different short cut, but the vanishing point between rock’n’roll evens goes away and returns to him. A dynamic present on Zeitgeist – the new album played at this concert.

The rebelious gentleman presented a well structured setlist, starting with Everyone, One More Time, Good girl and Naked Blues, wandering between the before and the now in a frenzy of contagious emotions that seethed throughout the room with shades of insolent eroticism that insists on watering our garden on a pouring rainy day. Motorcycle Boy was also played, and, towards, the end Fix of Rock’n’roll.

Very well accompanied on stage by Filipe Rocha (bass), Cabrita (sax), Mike Ghost (drums) and Sara Badalo (vocals) who, with her remarkable and sensual voice has a highlighted role on Zeitgeist.
The show never stops because there is no time to waste. We’re on the last round and hips haven’t stop moving at the rhythm of such incendiary rock’n’roll. Guests Ray and Best Youth join the party adding colour to the scenery.

Already among the audience Paulo Furtado punchily asks what is supreme glory. Until someone gets the right answer: Love! He ends up upon the back bar. No one wants a K.O. We all want a mutually agreed and quite sweaty satisfaction.
I maintain this Legendary Tigerman is our most genuine case of pure, raw, é o nosso caso mais genuíno de rock’n’roll, even on the latest record in which keyboards and samplers a la carte are enequivally present. With the bar raised quite high, in my view, he remains a rock’n’roll guru. Legendary, no doubt.
Vive le Rock!

March 19, 2024September 3, 2024 Mondo Bizarre Magazine Concert Reviews, Concerts

F.M. Einheit – Associação de Moradores da Bouça, Porto, 15.03.2024.

The Club Meets the Drill

words: Raquel Pinheiro; photos: Renato Cruz Santos/Cultura em Expansão We are at one of those places most would not associate with industrial music, Associação de Moradores da Bouça, a local residents society, founded in 1975. Through Porto’s City Hall programme Cultura em Expansão, Associação de Moradores da Bouça has been helding events, like diferent sorts of concerts, including more fringe ones.

There are too many of us gathered in the patio outside the concert room. Which goes to show that fringes can be relative. F.M. Einheit became known to if not all, most of us in attendance, when he was part of Einstürzende Neubauten, that he left in 1995.

The planned seated concert is turned into a stand up one in order for everyone to be able to attend. That changes things a little or the audience. In chairs, we would easily be able to see the images of the projections that accompanied F.M. Einheit’s demolitions, cracking, pouring of materials, playing a gigantic spring with a drill.

The video projections come with background sounds and beats. A mix of clubbing grooves, voices, mechanical, machinery noises. From where I stand for most of the concert, by the door and the mixing desk, it is not easy to see the images or, other than the playing of spring & drill, what is F.M.’s up to. I can hear sounds and see a glimpse of what looks like a workbench with a few things upon it. Wood plaques? Bricks? And what is FM pouring from a big bucket? Gravel? Whatever it is, it makes for an harrowing sound.

The evening will keep being filled with contrasts, dissonances, resonances, peculiar noises. And thee drill!

February 27, 2024March 28, 2024 Mondo Bizarre Magazine Concerts, Reviews

Wolf Manhattan, Mouco, Porto, 24.02.2024.

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

A contagious happiness, as if was thick fog, immediately came upon the audience. Wolf Manhattan’s cheerful music collides with the time period of its creation – during the pandemic – which leads to believe (I may be wrong) it was a very effective way that João Viera, such an alternative pop music chameleon, found to buffer that distressing period. Among the chaos, an artist soul emerges as one of the best medicines for humanity.

We were given an amusing, intelligent performance, created by sound and improvised theatre. There were rabbits, ghosts and aligattors with raving multiple signs in which shaking your butt dancing, grotesque and fantasy go hand in hand with the rocking of an hypnotic merry-go-round.

As for Wolf Manhattan’s songs, that join juicy electronic pop, alternative indie-pop-rock with a certain beat, Back to Her, Wanna go Back, Voices in My head and, of course, Sometimes attended the celebration. I would have far more to say,but prefer to tie with João Vieira’s own words to us “I want much more than a concert. A performance, a story, an imaginar, an universe, something different than just a music show.”,grounded, according João, in his be all – David Bowie. And he pulled it off. David Bowie??? – What else!

February 1, 2024March 28, 2024 Mondo Bizarre Magazine Concerts, Reviews

Lanterns On The Lake, Mouco, Porto, 27.01.2024.

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

Many went to Mouco to New Castle band Lanterns On The Lake first concert in Porto.

The band started with The Likes Of Us, Real Life and Every Atom. Right there it shows the band is instrumentaly very competent. Be it 9n the rhythm or the melodic section. The harmonic sequences are irreproachable.

Hazel Wilde’s lead vocals are impregnated with loud, vibrating sounds that perfectly dress the songs, fully tailored for her vocal range. As it is said, it fit like a glove. Indie rock set Mouco’s the room on fire with Blue Screen Beams, When It All Comes True and Rich Girls. Paul Gregory’s guitar is so intense that it is impossible for bodies not to vibrate with its riffs.

Before the encore, Hazel jokes a little with the cliché saying they will no behind that door and be right back with a few more song, which generates laughter. After the show, I wandered around and was left with the impression of a friend’s gathering in which between people who did not knew each other well. Music does such things.

January 25, 2024March 28, 2024 Mondo Bizarre Magazine Concerts, Reviews

Jozef van Wissem, Salão Novo Ático-Coliseu, Porto, 21.02.2024.

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

Jozef van Wissem presented The Night Dwells In The Day, his latest album, last Sunday at Salão Novo Ático-Coliseu, Porto.

With his usual gloomy image of long hair and painted eyes, Jozef played his lute compositions. Interestingly, the first tracks were instrumental, some pre-recorded sounds supporting the slow, minimal, lute music. A few of the more electronic sounds displayed a certain sound experimentation leading to a strange, somehow dissonant contrast between the classic sound of the string instrument e the modemsoubd coming out of the laptop by Jozef’s side.

Silently, the audience listened in an introspective mood induced by melancholic baroque lute melodies. In a flashlight leave, Josef returns for an encore. Two more songs in his deeply cavernous voice were sung wrapping those attending in a melodically deeper, obscure ambient.

50 minutes flu by leaving the feeling it wasn’t enough.

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