Rock’n’Roll – Mondo Bizarre Magazine

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.

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?

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!