American Football Proves They're More Than Nostalgia at Mohawk! On May 28th, American Football kicked off a two-night stint at the Mohawk, celebrating the 25th anniversary of their seminal debut LP1. It's wild to think about—a 25-year anniversary tour for a record that only took four days to make. Since reuniting in 2014, they've consistently toured, put out two albums, bought the LP1 house, converted it into an Airbnb, and now are celebrating a quarter century of having one of the worst SEO band names. Yeah, this was going to be a good one. For about 15 minutes, it wasn't even clear if the show would happen. A pre-show downpour soaked the outdoor venue's speakers, leaving the band to troubleshoot and vamp while the crowd waited patiently. Once they finally got the all-clear, you could sense a collective settling as the music started up (Mike even joked they were going to perform "Jump" by Van Halen during the delay—definitely would have been a tone shift). While the main draw was hearing LP1 front to back, the band really shone during their second set, pulling from LP2 (2016) and LP3 (2019)—albums that push well beyond their midwest emo origins. The contrast was surprising. During the LP1 portion, the crowd stayed reverently quiet, swaying to long instrumental passages broken up by Mike Kinsella's sparse lyrics. Steve Lamos's trumpet work during "For Sure" was an early standout, with the audience holding onto each familiar note. The second half brought different energy entirely. Mike became more talkative, the band felt looser, and the mood shifted upbeat. Having paid their respects to the cult classic, they were ready to showcase their evolution. "Uncomfortably Numb" from LP3 stood out before the inevitable finale. When those opening notes of "Never Meant" rang out, phones shot up across the venue. Everyone knew this was it—the song that turned a brief college band into midwest emo royalty. More than just delivering the expected moment, though, the band had spent the evening proving they're still moving forward, not just living in the past. Find American Football at the following: Instagram, Facebook, and their own website of course. Their latest album is streaming everywhere you scroll for music. Words and photos: Victor Gonzalez

David Bisbal | May 28, 2025 | Emo's, Austin, TX David Bisbal's anticipated Austin debut almost didn't happen. I arrived 20 minutes before showtime to find Emo's pitch black - a first for me. The art installation that usually lights up the room was dark, victim of a random hailstorm that caused mass power outages across the east side of town. But David Bisbal was not going to let his first show in Austin get derailed. The lights flickered back on at 8:00 PM - right when Bisbal was scheduled to go on stage. The second power returned, the crew was testing mics with the urgency of people who've dealt with worse. A fifteen-minute delay was amateur hour - they've clearly handled more in 20 years of touring. Meanwhile, the crowd wasn't phased. They were actually inside Emo's already filling out the pit during the blackout, and the AC wasn't working - so if they were willing to wait in a hot, dark venue, Bisbal's team knew they had to bring it. There's something about shows with Hispanic or Latino artists where the crowd becomes an equal participant. On this night there was international flavor: Spanish flags, Cuban flags, American flags waving throughout the venue while fans chanted "David! David!" before he even appeared. At these shows it's just as important to watch the crowd as the star because they engage in a give and take all night. When Bisbal finally hit the stage, everyone forgot about the delay. Two decades into his career, he moved with the restless energy of someone half his age - all sharp choreography and genuine charisma. What got me was his genuine surprise at the audience response - you could tell he and his band didn't know what kind of reaction the crowd was going to give but were pleasantly surprised. "Now that the light is on, we're going to give you everything I've got," he said mid-show. And he delivered. The energy never dropped, turning what could have been a disaster into Austin's most unlikely dance party of the night. Bisbal came out in a full suit and danced with the crowd all night. His first time in Austin didn't disappoint, and it was a great mid-tour bump for him to finish out his return to the US tour. Find David Bisbal at Instagram, Facebook, and his official website.

Legendary Swedish rock band Europe is bringing their electrifying live show to Conciertos de Viveros in Valencia, promising an unforgettable night of classic hits and powerful stage presence. As part of their 2025 tour, the band will take the stage in the beautiful Jardins de Viveros, a venue known for its vibrant summer concert series. Best known for their global anthem “The Final Countdown”, Europe has carved out a lasting legacy with a blend of melodic rock, soaring vocals, and memorable guitar riffs. Fans can expect a high-energy set featuring hits from their iconic 1986 album, as well as deeper cuts and newer material from their later records like “War of Kings” and “Walk the Earth.” With over four decades of experience, frontman Joey Tempest, guitarist John Norum, and the rest of the band continue to deliver powerful performances that connect with fans old and new. Whether you’re a longtime follower or discovering them for the first time, this show promises a night of nostalgia, musicianship, and pure rock passion. Don’t miss the chance to see Europe live under the stars in one of Valencia’s most iconic summer music events. For tickets and more information on the 2025 series of events: Conciertos de Viveros

Valencia’s underground electronic scene is set to ignite on Saturday, June 7, 2025 , as Quadrivium Resonances takes over the avant-garde Zulu Klub in Aldaia . This event promises a night of immersive soundscapes and cutting-edge beats, curated for those seeking a transcendent musical experience. Kicking things off will be Dreem Ripper , bringing the energy with their groove/hardcore metal — get ready to jump and go wild! Then it’s time for The Third Grade, a progressive rock/metal band who’ll be presenting their brand new EP “ Quadrivium: Resonances .” It’s gonna be an epic evening with some amazing music — you definitely don’t wanna miss it! Valencia’s underground electronic scene is set to ignite on Saturday, June 7, 2025, as Quadrivium Resonances takes over the avant-garde Zulu Klub in Aldaia. This event promises a night of immersive soundscapes and cutting-edge beats, curated for those seeking a transcendent musical experience. Our local correspondant Rakel Milla Martin will there and will be bring us an exclusive report and photos! Grab your tickets now: Entradium.com

This July 4th, one of Spain’s most beloved bands, Los Secretos , will take the stage at Conciertos de Viveros in Valencia , delivering an evening of timeless music in the enchanting setting of Jardines de Viveros . With a career spanning over four decades, Los Secretos have become a cornerstone of Spanish pop-rock, known for their heartfelt lyrics, melodic sound, and emotional performances. Their enduring hits like “Déjame”, “Pero a tu lado”, and “Ojos de gata” have defined generations and continue to resonate with audiences of all ages. Led by Álvaro Urquijo, the band promises a concert filled with nostalgia, energy, and musical craftsmanship. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or new to their music, this is a perfect opportunity to experience one of Spain’s most iconic groups in a unique open-air setting. Don’t miss Los Secretos live on Thursday, July 4th—a night to celebrate Spanish music history under the summer skies of Valencia. for tickets and more information on all of the summer series of concerts: Conciertos De Viveros

The Mission’s performance at Visor Fest 2024 in Murcia was a masterclass in gothic rock, reaffirming their status as icons of the genre. Taking the stage at the Espacio Nueva Condomina on the night of September 27, the band delivered a set that was both nostalgic and electrifying, captivating a devoted audience. Opening with the haunting “ Wasteland ,” The Mission immediately set a powerful tone. The setlist was a journey through their illustrious career, featuring classics like “ Beyond the Pale ,” “ Severina ,” “ Butterfly on a Wheel ,” and the anthemic “ Tower of Strength .” Each song resonated deeply with fans, many of whom sang along passionately, creating a communal atmosphere that transcended the typical festival experience. Frontman Wayne Hussey’s performance was both commanding and emotive. His distinctive voice, though tinged with a raw edge, added authenticity to the performance, enhancing the gothic ambiance. The band’s cohesion and energy were palpable, demonstrating their enduring chemistry and passion for the music.  Adding a unique twist to their set, The Mission included covers of Neil Young’s “Like a Hurricane” and Depeche Mode’s “Never Let Me Down Again,” infusing them with their signature gothic flair. The night culminated with “ Deliverance ,” leaving the audience in a state of euphoria and solidifying the performance as a highlight of the festival. In summary, The Mission’s set at Visor Fest 2024 was a triumphant celebration of their gothic rock heritage, delivering a performance that was both powerful and deeply moving. Photos by: Rhyan Paul

The Charlatans delivered a standout performance at Visor Fest 2024 in Murcia, captivating attendees with a dynamic set that celebrated their rich musical legacy. Headlining the first night at the Espacio Nueva Condomina, the band, led by the ever-charismatic Tim Burgess , transformed the venue into a vibrant homage to the Madchester era. From the opening chords of “ Then ,” the band set an electrifying tone, with the Hammond organ’s fiery riffs igniting the crowd’s enthusiasm. Their setlist was a well-curated journey through their discography, featuring classics like “ Weirdo ,” “ North Country Boy ,” and the anthemic “ One to Another .” Burgess’s engaging stage presence and the band’s tight musicianship kept the energy levels high throughout the performance.  The concert culminated with “ Sproston Green ,” a fan favorite that showcased the band’s ability to blend psychedelic undertones with infectious rhythms. The audience’s response was overwhelmingly positive, with many dancing fervently, embodying the festival’s spirit of musical celebration.  Visor Fest 2024 maintained its reputation for offering full-length performances without overlapping sets, allowing attendees to fully immerse themselves in each act. The Charlatans’ performance stood out as a highlight, demonstrating their enduring appeal and the timelessness of their music.  Photos by: Rhyan Paul

Visor Fes t returned to the Ferria in Murcia for another fantastic two day festival. Visor Fest 2023, held on 22–23 September at La Fica in Murcia, delivered a nostalgic yet vibrant celebration of alternative and indie music from the ’80s and ’90s. With a lineup featuring iconic acts like Suede , Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) , Echo & The Bunnymen , Inspiral Carpets, The Primitives, House Of Love and Nada Surf, the festival attracted around 10,000 attendees, offering a boutique experience with no overlapping sets and an intimate atmosphere reminiscent of classic indoor gigs. Suede emerged as the festival’s crowning glory. Frontman Brett Anderson captivated the audience with his dynamic stage presence and emotive vocals. Their setlist masterfully blended recent tracks from Autofiction with timeless hits like “ Animal Nitrate ,” “ Trash ,” and “ Beautiful Ones ,” culminating in a euphoric encore of “ Saturday Night .” Visor Fest 2023 successfully bridged the past and present, offering a curated experience for fans of alternative and indie music. While there were some hiccups, the festival’s highlights, particularly the performances by Suede and OMD, underscored its potential as a staple in the European festival circuit. If you missed this edition, make sure to check out: https://visorfest.com for more information. Words & photos: Rhyan Paul

Los Campesinos! kicked off their Holy Smoke North American tour at Empire Garage, six years after their last show in town. It had been that long since the Welsh indie rockers last played Austin in 2019 down the street at the Mohawk.. But armed with critical acclaim for their 2024 album "All Hell" and the fact that they were on a short US tour, expectations were sky-high for this sold-out show. Over the course of roughly two hours, Los Campesinos! delivered a comprehensive journey through their catalog, including about half of their highly acclaimed seventh album. Frontman Gareth was an engaging host for the evening—introducing songs, bandmates and acknowledging the absurdity of Austin's late-May heat. (Side note: I'm convinced it's basically mandatory for touring bands to comment on our weather. But honestly, can you blame them?) When he asked how many were seeing them for the first time, a substantial portion of the crowd erupted in cheers. "It was the 'Best New Music,' wasn't it?" he playfully asked the crowd with a nod to their recent Pitchfork recognition—the kind of self-aware humor that immediately endears a band to their audience. Not that they need any endearing, the fans showed up early, many of them clearly seeing LC! for the first time. Looking around at all those X-marked hands dotted along the front barrier, it became clear I wasn't alone in this first-timer experience. Us first timers were in for some rare treats, including "Hung Empty," performed live in the US for the first time, and the encore's "In medias res"—its first American performance since 2014. The band's trademark blend of upbeat melodies and weighty subject matter was on full display. Before launching into "Long Throes," Gareth offered a typically blunt introduction: "This is a song about the capitalist hellscape we're living in." Behind the band, banners supporting Palestinian liberation and trans rights made their political stance unmistakable. Yet rather than feeling heavy-handed, these elements created the kind of welcoming, values-aligned space that turns a concert into community—something that felt especially meaningful in the intimate (and very sweaty) confines of Empire Garage. For a band returning after such a long absence, Los Campesinos! reminded Austin why they'd been missed. They're not just going through the motions or cashing in on nostalgia. This was a band reinvigorated by critical acclaim and genuinely excited to be back on stage. Check them out next time they're in town—which hopefully won't be another six years. Find Los Campesinos! at the following: Instagram, Facebook, and their own website of course. Their latest album is streaming everywhere you scroll for music. Words and photos: Victor Gonzalez

This year's Goldest series of parties kicks off in style on June 4th with Bryan Adams performing at Area 12 in Alicante, as part of his 2025 " Roll With The Punches " tour. Canadian rock legend Bryan Adams is set to electrify the stage at Área 12 in Alicante on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, as part of his highly anticipated ‘Roll With The Punches’ tour. This performance is a highlight of the Alicante Goldest concert series, promising an unforgettable night for fans of all ages. With a career spanning over four decades, Bryan Adams has solidified his status as one of rock’s most enduring figures. Fans can expect a dynamic setlist featuring timeless classics like “Summer of ’69,” “Heaven,” and “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You,” alongside fresh tracks from his latest projects, including the Grammy-nominated album So Happy It Hurts. Bryan Adams’ performance in Alicante is part of a six-city tour across Spain, including stops in Sevilla, Valencia, Pamplona, Málaga, and Santiago de Compostela . This rare opportunity to see the rock icon live in such an intimate setting is not to be missed. Secure your tickets now and prepare for an evening of unforgettable music and energy. For more information: Goldest

When it comes to music styles – Gutalax are quite unique. The noted creators of the genre “Gore & Roll”, their music is fast, hard, and humorous with lyrics sang in a guttural vocalisation of pig noises.   First formed in the Czech Republic in 2009, they have released 6 studio albums, the first being “Shit Beast” in 2011 which received critical acclaim led to them being a regular at festivals across Europe and since the release of their most recent album in 2021 “The Shitpendables” they have toured pretty much nonstop!   So, I was pretty excited to to be asked to photograph the band on the first night of their Spanish tour here in my hometown of Valencia, at the amazing Peter Rock Club.   About an hour before the venue opened the street outside started filling up with people dressed in sewerage cleaning outfits, armed with toilet brushes and toilet rolls. Yep, these are Gutlalax fans!   The gig was nothing short of insane – a hard, non-stop assault of music from the band and the fans whipped into a frenzy of toilet roll throwing, brush waving and multiple walls of death. Like all amazing gigs it seemed to go on forever and yet was over too soon.   After the gig I caught up with Maty (lead singer) for a beer and a chat:   Maty – after all of our emails it’s great to finally meet you! First night of the tour here at Peter Rock Club in Valencia, did you enjoy it?   Love it – I fucking love it! Last time we played Valencia was 2014, ten years ago it was good. Now we are back I could not image a better gig, just amazing!   I’m a little embarrassed to admit that until recently I had not heard of “Gutalax” – my 15-year-old daughter told me “That I was old and needed to check you out!   You know whats good about this - the new fans are grooving with us. We have the older fans and new kids, and they all love it. They are actually dancing, no mobiles phones - just going for it.   For people like me who haven’t yet discovered Gutlalax – how would you describe yourselves?   We are a mobile party – we love to party; we love people who love to party, and we all love to party together. We are disco music (LOL), we are music for people who love to switch off their brains and just have a good time. Just like we do.   This year you are celebrating 15 years of Gutlalax, that’s a pretty impressive milestone!   It goes so fucking fast! We have had so many great shows and great times, but it has gone so fast we are looking for the minimum of another 15 years. We are enjoying the birthday year and have a lot of plans, but mainly we are just happy to be here and enjoying the gigs!   Most of your songs focus on “Shit” – why is that?   Yeah – because everyone knows shit! We all have to take a shit, why not you know. Its nature, its pure – everyone has to shit, beautiful people, ugly people, animals, everything all over the world and that why we sing about it!  We are like the National Geographic of the music industry.  We play Gore & Roll, we are disco music about shit.   Any plans to make more Diarrhero videos and give him his own series?   Maybe. We have plenty of big plans for the future to make things maybe even a movie. Our friend who is very talented made this, so there no problem making more. We are already working ideas for our next video – which isn’t a cartoon but lets see what happens with Diarrhero in the future.   The quality of your music musics are really excellent, funny, well animated and very professionally produced. Who is behind the production?   Thank you – we are lucky we have really good people around us and all of our videos are made with friends and buy our friends. We have an incredible team of people who are fucking cool at what they do!   I can image touring and gigging can be pretty intense, how do you like to relax when you are at home?   Like most people I spend time with family and just kick back, Im also a big movie fan so I like to watch movies.  My favourite movie is “The Thing” John Carpenter. It’s the fucking best!   It’s been 3 years since you released your last album “Shitpendables”  - any new releases coming in 2024?   Yeah, all being planned I can promise this. We are playing almost every weekend, but we will try and do our best and release something special. Its our anniversary year so something will happen.   What are your favourite venues to play?   We love to play fucking everywhere because we love to play!  All of our shows are special and unique - today was something different, I loved it! I finished 3 beers and almost a bottle of whiskey on stage! We love to play, we love to spend time together,   And finally, a message to your fans.   Thank you for 15 years and supporting Gutalax.  We love you and lets party for the next 15 fucking years!     Words and photos by: Rhyan Paul

This August, Spain will resonate with the thunderous sounds of British heavy rock as British Lion , the side project of Iron Maiden’s legendary bassist Steve Harris , embarks on a three-city tour. Joining them as a special guest is Tony Moore , former Iron Maiden keyboardist, presenting his evocative solo show, AWAKE . August 8, 2025 – Salamandra, Barcelona August 9, 2025 – Mamba!, Murcia August 10, 2025 – Custom, Seville Since its inception, British Lion has offered fans a more personal glimpse into Steve Harris’s musical prowess. Departing from Iron Maiden’s grandiose style, British Lion delivers a grittier, more direct sound that resonates deeply in live performances. With two albums under their belt—British Lion (2012) and The Burning (2020)—the band has honed a setlist that blends classic hard rock with fresh compositions. Their live shows are known for their energy and intimacy, providing audiences with a unique opportunity to connect with Harris and his bandmates in a more personal setting. Opening each night is Tony Moore’s AWAKE, a one-man show that combines music, storytelling, and visual art. Moore, who briefly played keyboards for Iron Maiden in the late 1970s, has crafted AWAKE as a deeply personal exploration of consciousness and creativity. The performance features a blend of live instrumentation and multimedia elements, drawing comparisons to the works of Pink Floyd and Supertramp. Having performed over 60 shows, including a notable appearance at London’s Royal Albert Hall, Moore brings AWAKE to Spanish audiences for the first time, promising an immersive experience that complements British Lion’s robust set. This tour marks a rare opportunity to witness two seasoned musicians sharing the stage, each bringing their unique artistry to the forefront. Whether you’re a long-time Iron Maiden fan or new to the scene, the combination of British Lion’s powerful performance and Tony Moore’s innovative presentation of AWAKE promises an unforgettable night of music and storytelling. Secure your tickets early and prepare for an evening where the legacy of British rock meets contemporary creativity. For tickets and more information: Madness Live