Soundhood Barcelona 2024 has arrived in Barcelona thanks to Son Estrella Galicia, with the aim of bringing back to the city concerts with the same line-up as a festival, but with the proximity and comfort of venues that allow you to enjoy the artists without having to suffer long distances or gigantic stages (what good times those were at the Primavera Club…).
shame, Soundhood Barcelona 2024 – Photo by Víctor Ramos Santafé for Indieofilo©
Friday 25 October 2024 – Sala Upload Barcelona
The first of the two days was opened by Rombo, a band from Sant Feliu de Llobregat that suffered from an excessively empty venue, which detracted from a show that sometimes lacked a little more power. The acid lyrics of their second album, Plaers i terrors del confort domèstic (2023), failed to win over an audience that didn’t show them the respect they deserved by not stopping to talk throughout the show. The best moments of the show came at the end, when, in addition to the song in which they collaborate with Mujeres, ‘Vibracions‘, and a sweetened version of ‘I Found the F‘ by the British band Broadcast, they left for posterity a slip of the tongue by their singer Clara, when she thanked a beer brand other than the one sponsoring the event for their presence at the festival.
rombo, Soundhood Barcelona 2024 – Photo by Víctor Ramos Santafé for Indieofilo©
After them came the festival’s big discovery for this writer, the London trio mary in the junkyard, led by the hypnotic voice of Clari Freeman-Taylor and a robust setlist that sounded as much like American alternative rock of the ’80s (touches of 10000 Maniacs or The Replacements) as it did darker sounds like those of the now distant Throwing Muses or the more recent Porridge Radio (with whom we even find similarities in Dana Margolin‘s voice). In any case, the magnetism of their singer should not make us forget the incredible talent of their drummer David Addison, but above all of the multifaceted Saya Barbaglia, the true rhythmic engine of the trio, be it from the power of the bass or, as we could see in the best moments of the concert, from the delicacy of a violin. The dark ‘Ghost‘ was the start of a vibrant 30 minutes in which ‘Goop‘ stood out and, above all, the melancholy ‘Tuesday‘, which ended their concert with the 3 members of the band lying on the floor.
mary in the junkyard, Soundhood Barcelona 2024 – Photo by Víctor Ramos Santafé for Indieofilo©
As if by magic, the room began to fill to welcome the big band of the night, fellow Brits Squid, whose more experimental post-punk on their latest album O Monolith (2023) was one of the best albums of last year, and their live show only confirmed all the good things we have come to expect from them. With a concert structure that at times recalls the madness of BadBadNotoGood or King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, the Brighton band played just over 6 songs in an hour-plus show that opened with the blessed sonic madness that is ‘Swing (in a Dream)‘. It is amazing how, in the chaos that seems to exist between layers and layers of sound, they are able to provide details that make each instrument distinguishable in its individuality. Of course, Ollie Judge‘s drums and vocals are the masters of ceremonies, but the jigsaw puzzle of sounds that fit perfectly together from guitars, synthesizers or Laurie Nankivell’s trumpet make you keep your eyes open for the little nuances that come from each instrument throughout the show. Like a masterclass in different musical styles, throughout the concert we were able to enjoy the funk with punk touches of ‘G.S.K‘ and ‘Undergrowth‘ or the jazz of ‘Pamphlets‘, but above all the endless bangers and dancing that turned the cold Montjuic night into a sauna.
squid, Soundhood Barcelona 2024 – Photo by Víctor Ramos Santafé for Indieofilo©
Saturday 26 October 2024 – Paral-lel 62 Barcelona
The second day began in the Sala Paral-lel 62 with the surprise appearance of Aiko, el grupo, who performed live songs from their recently released new EP, A tomar por culo (2024). They were followed by Madrid’s Amor Líquido, who gave a punk rock concert that was an instant success, both for the strength of their lyrics and the way the quartet ate up the stage. Between acid lyrics loaded with feminist messages such as ‘La Escena‘, ‘Metro Goya‘ or their excellent version of Jet‘s ‘Are You Gonna Be My Girl‘ (with a lyric change to adapt it to a much less sexist message), the drum and bass duo of Eva Martín and Gabriela Nieto creating a wall of sound for Álvaro Peral to shine with his virtuosity on guitar, and the magnetic leadership of Sara Puertas filling every inch of the stage with her vocals, we could see that the quartet had what it takes to be the next big musical hit from the capital. We didn’t hesitate to take their vinyl home with us!
Amor Líquido, Soundhood Barcelona 2024 – Photo by Víctor Ramos Santafé for Indieofilo©
The second band of the night was English Goat Girl, who performed a good chunk of their third album Below the Waste (2024) in Barcelona. Their mixture of garage-pop and noise-rock started off a little underpowered, with sighing vocals, but as soon as Rosy Bones started to feel comfortable on the drums, the show took a turn for the much more powerful. If anyone has any doubts about what it’s like to play the drums on ‘Like a Girl‘, they should attend a concert by these Londoners and see what it’s like to bang on snares and cymbals with enormous ferocity.. A remarkable concert, where stood out new songs like “Where’s Ur <3” or “Words Fell Out”, but where we could also enjoy songs from their previous albums in quieter versions like ‘The Crack‘, ‘Cracker Drool‘ or ‘Sad Cowboy‘.
Goat Girl, Soundhood Barcelona 2024 – Photo by Víctor Ramos Santafé for Indieofilo©
The highlight of the weekend were their countrymen shame, who during their last visits to our country last year had left memorable concerts such as the Canela party or a total madness in Sala Apolo of the Catalan capital. And this time the concert continued in the same vein, with a stunning Charlie Steen (with and without shirt), his bassist Josh Finerty running from side to side of the stage and a set list that didn’t allow for a second’s rest in the almost hour-long concert, with hits like ‘One Rizla‘, ‘Six-Pack‘, ‘Screwdriver‘, ‘Water in the Well‘ and ‘Concrete‘.. Stylistic comparisons with their compatriots Squid have been the talk of the town over the two days of the festival, with the defenders of Squid pointing to their much richer musical offering, but Shame’s bet seems to be winning out, with lyrics full of irony that perfectly capture the punk ferocity of their songs and the attitude of each of their members on stage..Charlie Steen’s own fall to the floor when he started crowdsurfing during ‘Alibis‘ will be remembered, although it didn’t seem to slow him down at all during the rest of the concert, and he even went back to throw himself into the crowd a few more times…
shame, Soundhood Barcelona 2024 – Photo by Víctor Ramos Santafé for Indieofilo©
In this way, the organisers of Soundhood Barcelona have given us an excellent proposal with a clear commitment to British punk, with two renowned bands such as Shame and Squid, as well as allowing us to discover great concerts such as those by Amor Liquido and Mary in the Junkyard. The fact that it coincided with another event, the In-Edit music documentary film festival, on top of the already full schedule of concerts that Barcelona has every weekend, meant that the first day was a little less crowded than expected, but we can only hope that this detail does not spoil a remarkable edition that we hope to see as long as possible in future editions.
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