Ladytron Madrid Heineken Arena 9th May 2007

Last 9th of May I was invited to see Ladytron live in Madrid. My friend from Manchester The Mighty Big Clive was touring with the band and after visiting other odd cities before like Lleida and A Coruña they were playing in Madrid and then in Barcelona.

I never heard of this band before but its nice to get visits from friends from England so I decided to go.

The venue was located in Plaza España right in Madrid city center, in fact you can not get more city center than that. After some SMS texting, I was supposed to meet Big Clive in a german sort of brewery bar right behind the venue, where the load/unload area is. It helped the fact that I live 10" from there.
Its been almost a year since I saw him last time with the New Order gang for the Summercase festival. He travels all over with bands and he told me he was recently in Brazil and Argentina too, the lucky ba***rd!

While the front street bars were packed of people, this one was empty. Much better.

We stay there couple of hours before the show because the band seemed were still on their way, lost in a more than probably mad Madrid traffic jam.
While I had 3 or 4 bottled beers, Big Clive drank 5 or 6 sort of german huge jars.

At the time of the show [There was no supporting act] we had some troubles in the door because the bouncers couldnt understand a bloody English word while Big Clive was trying to let them know he was touring with the band and he was also in the guest list [Big Clive+1]. We didnt managed to communicate at all [And I didnt want to help either..he he ..] so at the end they let us get in with some sort of 'who cares' attitude.
Idiots.
We then realized we could have said 'Big Clive+10' instead and It would work too!!

The Heineken Arena is a brand new venue, it has a top floor with a bar where you could get a fairly good view of the stage.


Didnt think so many people was gonna turn up, close to sold out, seems the band were more popular than I thought at first. This city never stops to surprise me.

My friend was recording the audio [Thing that I kept forgetting everytime I talked/screamed at him durig the show by the way] , so we decided to stay on the front.

And ...what about the music?, well... they sounded to me like a sort of 80's 'light-industrial-retro techno' backed with the ladies vocals and synthetizers-guitar with real drums.
I have to say on their behalf that all music was live, nothing is pre recorded.
Not too bad.



Good points: The lightning and sound was OK, nice to see some many people attending to a live show on wednsday. Considering the lack of live shows in Madrid it proves this city is still alive and young people wants more !

Low points: 10 euros for a pint of beer in a plastic cup..... 10 fuckin euros!

Funny point: Getting paid a bunch of euros on the backstage after the show because they thought I came with the local stagehand crew! .....ace.......thats what I call a cool nite...... [I refused the money by the way...what did you think?! ;-)

more photos





After the show we decided to go for a smoke and also the classic 'One for the road' back to the german bar on the backstreet. On friday Ladytron were doing Barcelona in Razzmatazz club so we agreed to meet there.

Couple of days later I did meet Big Clive again in a bar in Barcelona. We had 'a few' with me mates and other regulars in our local. Ladytron was due at 2:30 am!

Here is a couple of pics in 'The Mitre Bar!'

Jordi, Big Clive and Guillermo!

After a copious intake of beer and other refreshments I thought it was better to not to go see the show, it was on the other side of the city, my friends were pissed and I didnt want Big Clive to get in trouble. I saw the band anyway so wisely we decided to stay at me mates who lives right in the corner.
So we said goodbye to me mancunian friend and got him a Taxi.



See you on the next tour Alex!

Ladytron myspace:


http://www.myspace.com/ladytron

Video del viaje de vuelta con Tony desde el mar Caribe en Livingstone hacia el Lago Izabal en Guatemala con un pepino-moto de agua Sea Doo de 1200 cc.

Agosto 2006

Musica deAntonio Vega&The Doors

By popular demand here is the video again [with sound]

Tony&Me Izabal Lake [Rio Dulce] Guatemala riding a 1200 cc 'Sea Doo'rocket watercraft back from the caribbean sea. in Liivingstone to Lago Izabal. August 2006

Music by Antonio Vega&The Doors

Sea Doo link:

http://www.brp.com/en-GB/Products/SeaDoo/Watercraft/Showroom/

Yamaha RD 350

The mighty two stroker. 63 HP of pure power and only 350!
The black widow. The legend says RD means Road death, a revenge of The Japanese to the yanks after the WW2.
They dont make bikes like this anymore, mostly due to environmental issues.

Last units were sold in 1994 although the models after 1988 were made in Brazil and some didnt match the quality and power of the first japanese ones [Some were reduced to 55 HP], so thats why the japanese models are highly wanted by collectors But despite there are lots of models they are still RD.

Check out this tunned cuties:

That one would be like a taxi in Barcelona

The mighty Yamaha RD 500! 88 Hp v4

This one is exactly like the one I had on the 80s but with different pipes

RD 500

Thats my favourite one

links:

http://www.yamaha-rd.com/

http://www.angelfire.com/pro/2stroke4me/photo.html

http://www.rd350lc.net/

Bikes

Since I was 16 years old I always loved bikes. Its the perfect transport in Barcelona with its narrow streets and the intense traffic jams. Barcelona its one of the cities in Europe that has more bikes along with Milan I think. The perfect mediterranean climate makes things even easier. Back then you couldnt think of been on your teens and not have one, even if it was a mopet.

Vespa primavera 75-125cc 1970-80

My first ones were Vespa 'Primavera'. They were very popular on the 80s. You could see them everywhere, everybody had one. We used to paint and customize them in all colours and possible shapes. We also upgraded the engines from 75cc to 125cc and even change the exhausts to get more speed. There was Vespa races and gatherings near the university in Ciudad Diagonal. It was the perfect transport to go to college. What a fantastic feeling of freedom. I wont forget those days.

Honda MBX 75cc 1986

Then on the mid 80s the 2 stroke japanese models arrived. A brand new world. Honda Hurricane and MBX 75 cc and Yamaha RD 75 were the most popular ones amongst the young. They were small but very fast!

Barcelona Pza Lesseps 1986

This days bikes are a totally different concept. 90% of the models have a 4 stroke engine, which its a another driving style than the old 2 strokes ones. I would say less agressive.

Bultaco 'Metralla' 250cc

The classic 70s spanish factory. 'Metralla' was the 'big brother' but there was also a 75cc and a 125 versions. The mighty 'Bultaco Streaker'.
You needed strong arms to ride that. I used to drive one in the summer of 87 when I lived in Llavaneres.

But the Queen of 2 strokes japanese bikes was :

Yamaha RD 350 LC 1985

Andorra 1989

Liquid cooled, two stroke, parallel twin cylinder.

St Cugat 1990

I owned the first version came to market here in Spain , from 1984. Some other Brazilian manufactured models came later but they were not the same, not as powerful as the japanese ones .

This Yamaha could beat on short distances any 500 cc was on the market back then [And probably some still today]. It was a racing replica ready for the road. No bike beat RD 350 on acceleration. I will never forget those sundays mornings in the Montseny, Garraf coast or Andorra high mountains curvy roads.

Pas de la Casa -Andorra 1989

Check this out



The big brother of Yamaha RD 350 was the RD 500 cc one.

The mighty Yamaha RD 500

Liquid cooled,two stroke, 50°-V4 cylinder, reed valve.kick ignition.

It was not allowed to drive it here in Spain but my friend Tony had one with a german plate. Tricky but It did work to him for a while. We were noticed everywhere we went to with that bike. A racing replica on the streets of Barcelona.
4 exhausts, 88HP. and capable to reach 150 mph [240 Km/h] The paradise on earth. They dont make bikes like this anymore.

Check this out:


An acceleration test of a classical Yamaha RD 500 vs a newer R1

2 stroke 88hp vs 4 stroke 175HP!

Suzuki 750 R 1994

On the way to Seville 1994

115 HP of full pleasure. I went with Tony to Seville with the Suzuki once. We departed Barcelona at 8 pm one summer evening and 1 hour later we were having a drink in Peñiscola near Alicante 160 miles away [250 km], it was a very fast bike.

Tony ready for a wheelie

On the way back from Seville few days later we broke the engine on the motorway, there was smoke and oil smell everywhere, the engine was literally wide open and smashed. An oil pump failure apparently. We are very lucky to be alive.

Seville 1994

Yamaha XV 535 Virago

Ganduixer Park Barcelona 1990

Air cooled, four stroke, 70°V-Twin cylinder, SOHC, 2 valves per cylinder.
A completly different perspective.

Moto Morini 350 K2

Air cooled, four stroke, 72° V Twin, belt driven single cam operating pushrod 2 valve per cylinder. 35 HP
That was my last bike in 1995. It was a present from Tony right before he started his trips around the world he hasnt stopped since. I sold it two years after when I left Spain too.

Despite it was an old bike it was very noticeable too specially with the Italians. Apparently the V twin engine made this Morini one of its kind. And it was fast too 125 mph [200 km/h]. I made long distance trips with it and it was a highly reliable motorcycle.

Supermotard

Aprillia 550 SVX

This days I love Supermoto bikes also called Supermotard. They are a crossover of motocross and road racing.The motorcycles used are frequently custom-created combinations of off road motorcycles and road-racing rims/tires. The motorcycles currently used for Supermotard racing are predominantly single-cylinder 4 stroke powered dirtbikes with 17" or 16.5" wheels.

KTM, Husqvarna and Husaberg are the most popular models, althought Suzuki, Honda and Yamaha have some new models too.

Check out this cuties.

Honda FMX

160kg 37cv 650cc . It has the old Dominator engine but a bit limited in HP. Great bike perfect for SM starters.

Aprilia 550 SVX

125kg only 549cc two cylinders and almost 70 HP! Beautiful.

Honda XR 600 Supermoto

128 Kg 46 HP Pure power.

BMW G 650 X moto.

This is my favourite one. Its coming in Spain on Spring. Less than 150 kg and 52 HP.
Fun!

My sister's boyfriend Albert rides a Buell. I took this photos last weekend.

Buell

Great engine sound, same like a Harley Davidson.

Its 10 years now without a Bike. But I havent close that door yet.

Shoegazing in the 90s

Slowdive were formed in south England in 1989 and developed a very short but intense career until the mid 90s, a decade which aside of few exceptions, was pretty poor when it comes to interesting releases for my music tastes. They were and still are one of the best shoegazer bands.

Slowdive songs takes me back to the early 90s when I used to go on holidays to the balearic island of Formentera. The paradise for scuba diving.

An unknown little place where is reported people like The Beatles, King Crimson, Jimmy Hendrix and even Sid Barrett visited in the late 60s.

Syd Barrett Formentera 1967

.

Blue skies, white sand wild beaches and clear pristine waters. The perfect ingredients for an unforgettable summertime.

Days of freedom.

.

Me Formentera 1992-93

I had one of those recorded cassette tapes I was given by an old friend and I used to play Slowdive music over and over again.

But we will speak about Formentera another day.

Rachel Goswell

Slowdive released only 4 albums: Just for a day, Blue Day, Souvlaki and Pygmalion, being Souvlaki [1993] my favourite one. They toured in the US with Ride and Catherine Wheel. In 1995 they split and some of their members formed Mojave 3 with 4AD, changing the sound to a new musical direction.

Here is a couple of live videos I found in youtube. The sound and quality are not very good but I love the songs. Top swirling guitars. Time travel.

Melon Yellow

Sitting by and watch you fall away

Sudden fall, watched you for a day

You know I don't believe in death

Follow the sun, watch you flow [...]

Sitting here and watch the death

Looking for the sun and watch the death

So long, so long It's just a way to [...love...] you

So long, so long It's just a way to [...love...] you

I saw you looking at the sun

I saw you looking at the sun

So long, so long It's just a way to [...] you

Mellon Yellow

The Kings of the 90s Shoegaze Scene?

Links:

Syd in Formentera photos:

http://www.neptunepinkfloyd.co.uk/gallery/v/SydBarrettPhotos/SydBarrettHolodaySnaps/