Oscar Briz Trio

There is something wonderfully right about an Òscar Briz gig at El Café in Carcaixent. Put one of the most respected and enduring musicians in the Valencian scene into one of the town’s most characterful musical meeting places, add a lunchtime audience, a few cold drinks, some good conversation and a paella waiting in the wings, and you have the kind of Sunday that makes considerably more sense than spending it staring at a television.

On Sunday 6th September Briz will be bringing his trio to El Café for a special lunchtime performance, offering an intimate opportunity to hear one of the Valencian music scene’s great survivors in a setting that feels made for this kind of show. This is an artist with decades of history behind him, from his early work with C.O.D.A. and Banderas de Mayo through The Beat Dealers and his time in Australia with The Whitlams, before returning to Valencia and embarking on his solo career at the end of the 1990s. Since then, he has built an impressive catalogue of albums and become one of the most important voices in contemporary music made in Valencian.

What makes Briz particularly interesting is the breadth of that journey. His music has never been easily confined to one particular corner of the record shop, drawing on rock, pop, folk and the rich musical traditions of the País Valencià while retaining a distinctly personal songwriting voice. More than two decades into his solo career, he remains an artist who continues to write, record and perform rather than simply looking backwards. His official website currently lists a busy schedule of performances and projects, underlining just how active he remains.

And then there is El Café. For anyone who knows Carcaixent, El Café needs little introduction. The venue has been part of the town's cultural fabric since Enric Casassús opened it in 1982, developing a reputation as a place where music, conversation, food and community have always sat comfortably around the same table. After various chapters in its history, Enric is once again at the helm, continuing the tradition of making the venue a home for live music.

Enric himself is far more than simply the man behind the bar. A musician with a long and fascinating connection to the local scene, he has spent decades surrounded by performers, songwriters and artists, and that musical background is a big part of why El Café feels different from the average café that happens to put on a gig. His understanding of music, musicians and audiences has helped turn the place into a genuine community hub, with jazz, blues, flamenco, folk, rock and singer-songwriters regularly finding a home there.

The lunchtime format is part of the magic. Rather than waiting until darkness falls and heading into a conventional concert venue, the El Café experience starts while the day is still young. Music happens at close quarters, people settle around tables, conversations continue between songs and, when the final notes have disappeared into the afternoon, there is no need to rush home — because there is paella afterwards.

Music followed by paella? In Valencia, frankly, the argument is already won.

There is also an important reason to come along and put something into the collection taking place during the event. Briz was recently the victim of a devastating theft in which two of his guitars were stolen: a Godin LGX SA and a Rickenbacker 330 FG, two distinctive and relatively uncommon instruments. The theft represents far more than the loss of a couple of valuable possessions; for a working musician, instruments are tools, companions and often part of a lifetime of creative work.

A collection will therefore be held at the El Café performance to help Òscar replace what was taken. It is a small but very tangible way for the local music community to stand behind one of its own — and there could hardly be a more appropriate place to do it than a venue built around the idea that musicians and audiences should look after each other.

Sunday 6th September - come for the music, come for Òscar Briz and his trio, come because El Café is one of those increasingly rare places where a live performance still feels like a gathering rather than a production. Come for Enric, the stories, the conversation and the atmosphere. Stay for the paella. And, if you can, bring a little extra with you for the collection. Because sometimes the best thing about a music scene isn't what happens on stage. It's what happens when everybody in the room decides that the person on stage matters.