On April 15, 2024, punk rock legend Marky Ramone brought his Blitzkrieg tour to Sala Moon in Valencia , delivering a night that transported fans straight back to the golden era of punk. The venue buzzed with anticipation as the former Ramones drummer took the stage, accompanied by his band, Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg, featuring Spanish vocalist Iñaki “Pela” Urbizu and Argentine musicians Marcelo Gallo on guitar and Martín Sauan on bass. The setlist was a relentless barrage of Ramones classics, with approximately 36 songs performed back-to-back, including fan favorites like “Blitzkrieg Bop,” “Sheena Is a Punk Rocker,” and “I Wanna Be Sedated.” The band’s tight performance and Marky’s thunderous drumming kept the energy high throughout the night. Opening the show was German punk rock band Double Crush Syndrome, who warmed up the crowd with their high-energy set, setting the stage for the main act. The concert was part of a 26-date tour across Spain, celebrating the enduring legacy of the Ramones. Marky Ramone’s performance at Sala Moon was a testament to the timeless appeal of punk rock and left the audience chanting for more. For more information: Marky Ramone Words and photos: Rhyan Paul

Iron Maiden will perform their only show in Spain on Saturday, July 5, 2025, at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid. This concert is part of their “ Run For Your Lives ” world tour, celebrating the band’s 50th anniversary since their formation in 1975.  The British heavy metal legends—Bruce Dickinson, Steve Harris, Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, Janick Gers, and Nicko McBrain—will deliver a special setlist featuring songs from their first nine studio albums, from Iron Maiden (1980) to Fear of the Dark (1992). The tour promises to be their most spectacular and elaborate to date.  Swedish metal band Avatar will serve as the opening act for the Madrid show. More information is available here: Run For Your Lives 2025 UP THE IRONS!!!!!! IRON MAIDEN will begin its RUN FOR YOUR LIVES world tour on May 27 in Budapest, which will be followed by 27 concerts in stadiums, festivals and pavilions throughout Europe. This tour commemorates 50 years since Steve Harris founded the band at the end of 1975 and to celebrate it, Maiden fans will be able to enjoy a very special setlist, covering the nine studio albums from Iron Maiden to Fear Of The Dark . They promise that it will be their most spectacular and elaborate show to date! In the words of Bruce Dickinson : "Next year is very special for I RON MAIDEN and we are going to offer our fans an unrepeatable live experience" This tour will make you smile and sing at the top of your lungs. If you've seen us before, get ready to take that experience to a whole new level. If you've never seen us, what are you waiting for? Now is your chance to discover what you've been missing. I RON MAIDEN is going to catch you and won't let you go!" Manager Rod Smallwood adds: "50 years of Maiden and I have lived 46 of them! With more than 100 million albums sold and almost 2500 shows in 64 countries (and add and go on), for countless millions of fans, we continue to enjoy every second and each tour represents a new challenge to offer something different and exciting to our fans. On this special occasion, we are going to give everything! We will play the classics and favorite songs of the fans of the first nine albums, from I RON MAIDEN to FEAR OF THE DARK, many of which we haven't played in years and we probably won't play again in the future. We have been working hard for months on the preparation of a new show that is even more spectacular and elaborate, giving life to those songs like never before. It will be two very important years for IRON MAIDEN (and for Eddie, of course!), and we are very excited about what we have prepared for our fans on this 50th anniversary. I assure you that you will be delighted!"

Marky Ramone , the legendary drummer of the Ramones , is set to bring his high-octane punk rock show to Valencia on Monday, June 9, 2025, at Sala Moon . Originally scheduled for 2024, the concert was postponed, but tickets from the previous date remain valid. Performing with his band, Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg, the lineup includes Spanish vocalist Iñaki “Pela” Urbizu and Argentine musicians Marcelo Gallo on guitar and Martín Sauan on bass.  The group delivers a relentless setlist of approximately 36 Ramones classics, such as “Blitzkrieg Bop,” “Sheena Is a Punk Rocker,” and “I Wanna Be Sedated,” capturing the raw energy and spirit of the original band.  This concert offers a rare opportunity to experience the essence of punk rock live from one of its pioneers. Many of the tour dates are completely sold out, so grab your tickets now! For more information and tickets: MP Tour Management / Marky Ramone / Fantaxtik Events

The inaugural edition of FAR València is set to light up the city’s summer nights from 9 to 31 July 2025 at the Marina Norte venue. This new music festival aims to bring world-class performances, offering an eclectic mix of genres and artists.  The lineup boasts an impressive array of talent, including legendary guitarist Santana , who will close the festival on 31 July , Argentine rapper Trueno kicking off the event on 9 July , and other notable acts such as Fito Páez, Molotov , and Los Manolos . The venue, with a capacity of 5,000, promises an intimate yet electrifying atmosphere for attendees. For more information and ticket sales: FARVALENCIA 9th July Trueno 10th July Fito Paez 11th July Molotov & Califato 3/4 25th July Los Manolos & G5: Kiko Veneno, El Canijo De Jerez Diego Ratón, Muchachito y Tomastio. 26th July Premier Remember 28th July Zaz 31st July Santana

Lendakaris Muertos   Lendakaris Muertos are a band that is well known and loved in the Spanish punk scene. Founded in Navarra in 2004 they are renowned for their high speed, short punk songs which combine criticism, satire and humour to highlight social and political issues of the Basque Country and the rest of Spain.   After releasing a free download EP in 2004 (which achieved more than 20,000 downloads) they were soon signed to the record label - GOR Discos. An album release followed soon after in 2005.   Since then they have released 10 albums, the most recent being “Mucho Asco (Casi) Todo” in 2024.   Touring since day one, they have been a regular on the Spanish music festival and club circuit and in 2017 they undertook an exhaustive tour of the American Continent – performing in Los Angeles, San Diego, Tijuana, Cuernavaca, Mexico City, Bogota, Valparaiso, Santiago de Chile and Buenos Aires.   Now in their 21st year as a band they are touring and performing as much as they did in the early days – three dates already done and another thirteen events scheduled across Spain before the end of the 2025.   Lendakaris Muertos recently performed at Gazpatxo Rock Festival in Ayora and I caught up with frontman, founding member and vocalist – Aitor – for a chat about the band and his views on the current music scene after the show.   Here is what he had to say:   For people who are not familiar with Lendakaris Muertos – how would you describe the band and the music style?   Our sound and style is classic punk rock. Punk Rock was born in the UK and USA, but mainly the UK. When this music style came to the Basque Country it evolved into another style, it was punk but more political, a special style, it became unique to the Basque Country. when punk first arrived I was too young, but later when we started Lendakaris Muertos we took the Basque Country punk style and the political lyrics and we added humour. Basque Country punk was very political and angry, it was very serious - we took the form of punk and made it humourous.   Specifially, punk always goes against the police, politicians – but as Lendakaris Muertos we also went against our equals. We criticise them, but we also criticise ourselves.   Which bands inspired you as you grew up and influenced you when you started Lendakaris Muertos.   It was local, Basque bands like Vom ito, Eskorbuto, La Polla Records, b ut also The Ramones and The Sex Pistols. The bands that had the most influenceon us were Basque Radical Rock bands.     A lot of people say that Spanish punk was born in the Basque Country - would you agree?   Yes! But, in my opinion in Basque Country there is (and always was) a very big political movement and I think the reason that Punk in Spain was born here is that there was a punk movement in the whole of Spain, but in Basque Country there was a musical industry, a scene, a lot of squatters and places to play music and from this came a political movement that supported Punk music. I think that that movement was not interested in the rest of Spain, just the Basque Country and that the reason I think best bands were born here.   Its 21 years of Lendakaris Muertos – you are touring a lot, there has been a new album, what’s in store for this year?   It’s actually 21 years – 2 days ago!  No, we don’t really have any big plans for this year. We are going to take a little rest next year and then I don’t know! We will obviously go on touring, making and playing music – but who knows!   Your shows are so full of energy, full of humour, you get involved with the crowd and the shows are theatrically immersive. How do you organise and choreograph your show and how has it evolved since the early days?   It is something that has evolved over the years in a very natural way. The shows we did 20 years ago and the show that we do now is almost the same. But now it’s a little bit more professional, we do it better – because now we have other people working with us, lighting, sound, stage and management.   When we started, we decided to produce a show that we would want to watch ourselves, because 20 years I ago I remember when I went to Rock and Roll shows I felt that they were boring to watch. We wanted to create and perform music but also add theatrics and of course interaction with the people to make them more entertaining.   I must confess, my favourite song that you perform is Oso Panda – what is your favourite to perform and why?   My favourite song is “Urrusolo Sistiaga” because it’s a little longer, people love it and I remember when I composed it, the moment was special! After I composed the song, we didn’t record it for five years before releasing it on the album “Cicatrize n la Matrix.”   Your songs all carry a political message, in a humorous way. Why is it important for you to get those messages across?   That’s a good question and I don’t really know! I think the humour in our songs is more important than the politics. I think people need to have some fun. Maybe now is different, but when I was younger everything was very political and we were very radical, but also in that moment I knew we had to use humour because you cannot just feel anger all the time, you can defend your ideas and humour is a good way of dealing with the anger.   Over the last 20 years the music industry has changed a lot – 20 years ago you would sell vinyl and CD’s, now its Spotify and downloads and it’s harder to make money from sales. How do you feel about the current state of the music industry?   I think it’s great right now – because you have big opportunities for new bands, maybe older bands like us don’t feel comfortable with the current situation. It is a lot easier than 20 years ago to become well known and to get your music out and to be heard. Anyone can create a band, without needing big record companies. You do not a lot of money to produce and release your music. 20 years it was all about listening to the radio and watching TV, now its Spotify and YouTube, social media – I think it’s fantastic! There are some issues that I find frustrating, but overall I like it!   You, Asier have been in the band since you started in 2004 and Potxeta since 2008. Many punk bands split up, change members, what has kept you all together as Lendarkis Muertos?   There are two things: We all still feel the same passion for music and to play live like we did 21 years ago, and the second thing is money! Money is the glue – because if there was no money, I don’t think the band would still be together. Maybe if I was 20 years old I would not say that, but we are in our 50’s and 60’s and its important!   If you could perform with any band (dead or alive) who would you perform with?   Easy – Sex Pistols! I think Never Mind the Bollocks is an amazing album. The songs, the energy and the moment in time when it was done was a cannon for what we have now.   What advice would you give to a new band, just starting out?   If you are going to sign a contract – make sure you read it! Understand what you are signing, enjoy yourselves and have fun.   Thanks Aitor, it’s always a pleasure to hang out with you and the band and I look forward to seeing you soon!   Words & photos: Rhyan Paul

On July 11, Def Con Dos performed at the Pirata Festival in Gandía. For me, it was an opportunity I couldn't pass up, as it would allow me to go on stage to take pictures, hang out with the band, and chat with César Strawberry and the rest of the band.   It was a late or early performance, depending on how you think 3 in the morning is. However, Def Con Dos was wide awake, and fans filled the festival grounds.   As always, they played an incredible list of old and new tracks. Starting with "Sintonia" and ending with "Mi Reino".   César Strawberry and his unmistakable voice dominated the center stage with Alberto Marín playing guitar on the right, Jesús Al Andalus doing what he does best on bass on the left, Kiki Tornado on drums and completing the set, Samuel Barranco and Sagan Ummo contributing additional vocals.   90 minutes passed in what seemed like minutes and Def Con Dos walked off the stage, leaving fans begging for more.   Backstage I met Cesar -     The last time we saw each other was at FCKCNSRSHP, Villena in January - since then it seems that you haven't stopped traveling - Seville, Granada, Castellón, the list of places goes on! What has been the highlight of the year so far?   In 2024 we are taking the last concerts of the XXX Anniversary tour of the edition of our first successful album, entitled "Armas pal pueblo" (1993), while preparing the release of a new album next October, with the start of its presentation tour as well.     Tonight we're here at the Pirata Beach Festival and you'll be playing to a sold-out crowd, it looks amazing out there. After all these years of touring and performing, do you still get nervous before concerts?   Despite the seniority of having been on stage for 30 years, the unresolved insecurities that one brings from home continue to generate concern when facing each concert, which does not mean that he does not already know how to enjoy being able to carry out any concert despite the incidents that may arise in the event.     You launched a new release two weeks ago: Palmaréis Igual. It's been described as a return to the initial sound of Def Con Dos and I personally love it! Can you tell me about the song, why you wrote it, and what it's about?   "Palmaréis igual" is the third advance single of the album that we will release in October and repeats our usual effort to make the institutions that represent the most rancid of Power in Spain uncomfortable; In this case, the injustice that, in our opinion, is to condition a person to reign in a country by family allowance without having first asked them if they really (ironically worth it) want to dedicate their life to carrying out that work instead of developing any other work activity following their personal concerns.     Def Com Dos celebrated 30 years last year, which is an incredible achievement! You still sound as raw and fresh as you did in your early years and it feels like you still have the energy of youth on your side when you perform! What's next? Are there any new albums on the way? Excursions? Autobiographies?   As I mentioned before, our most immediate projects are to finish the XXX Aniversario tour and prepare the presentation of the new album, with all the promotional work of content development and dissemination of proposals that they entail, in addition to coordinating new concerts in Latin America for 2025.     The music industry has changed tremendously in the last 30 years and it seems harder than ever for new bands to break through. What advice would you give to bands trying to break into today's scene?   Anyone who is considering dedicating themselves to music in today's Spain I will always advise them to do so out of the conviction of giving an outlet to their artistic concerns above any other consideration, aspiring more to the satisfaction of trying to fulfill your dreams than to the specific goal of achieving them. I believe that the greatest success in life is being able to dedicate yourself totally or partially to what you like without aspiring to any public recognition.     As always, I'd like to give a huge thank you to Def Con Dos for their hospitality, Cesar Strawberry for the interview, Alberto Marín for the video message he sent to my daughter, and Javier Giraldez, who always takes the time to secure me a pass backstage and makes sure I have access to the stage photography.     Words and photos: Rhyan Paul Article originally published in the Spanish publication, Rock Bottom Magazine. https://www.rockbottom.es

What do Rocky Newton, Def Leppard, Lionheart, MSG and Grand Slam have in common? Read on to find out!     A couple of weeks ago I heard that a musician from my hometown was recording a video with his band “Grand Slam” close to where I live in Valencia. I’ve heard of the band “Grand Slam” but I felt a little ashamed at not really knowing Rocky Newton. We both come from Grantham and we both went to the Kings Grammar School, he is friends with my cousin, but our paths had never crossed.   I drove down to Biker Bar in Moraira where the band was shooting the video and hung out with Rocky Newton and the rest of the Grand Slam members – Benjy Reid, Laurence Archer and Mike Dyer.   I had just two questions to ask Rocky – three things our hometown is famous for and for him to tell me about his musical career:     Hi, I’m Rocky Newton and three things Grantham (G Town!) are famous for are - Margaret Thatcher, Gingerbread and Isaac Newton – of whom my family are the closest line of descendants. He also went to the Kings school, which both you and I went to!     Well, the first band of note was “Lionheart” – of who I am still a member and we have a new album out now called “The Grace Of A Dragonfly” We formed “Lionheart” in London in 1980 and then we went over to LA to record an album, we toured until around 1985 when the band reached a natural conclusion.   I was then asked to go over to Germany to play with Michael Schenker on some studio albums, for his brother Rudolf from the Scorpions. Michael went on to create the band MSG (McAuley Schenker Group) and asked me to be part of it – which was incredible! We singed to EMI in the UK and Capital in the USA and ended up touring the world and I was involved in the next 3 albums, even getting to write some of the songs myself.   Before all of this I had a band called The Next Band with two other mates from the Kings school – Frank Noon and John Lockton. We ended up moving to Sheffield and befriended a very young Def Leppard. We were there when they auditioned for drummers and on their first record, they borrowed our drummer (Frank Noon) because they were between drummers at the time. This was 1979.  Their career took off at a lot greater pace than ours, but we kept in touch and I got a call from the lead singer (Joe Elliot) and he asked me to go down to London to record some backing vocals for “Rock Of Ages”   Fast forward a few years and we were all at Frank Noon’s wedding and Joe asked me again to do backing vocals – in fact I ended up doing the backing vocals on the entire “Hysteria” album and spent 3 months flying backwards and forwards to the studio in Dublin. Singing all the high harmonies on those huge Def Leppard tracks became a bit of trademark for me!   I moved to LA in 1988 and lived there until 1993, when I moved back to the family farm in Grantham.   I played with “Sweet” in the 90’s, which was a fantastic band to play with – then I didn’t play for about ten years. I got married, I was bringing up my son and out of the blue I got a call asking if I wanted to reform “Lionheart” and also be part of another band called “Air Race” - who were another band from the early 80’s   Then I got the call from Laurence Archer from “Grand Slam” asking if I would be interested in being bass player for them. Grand Slam was originally formed in 1984 after the breakup of “Thin Lizzy” and originally members were Phil Lynott, Brian Downey and John Sykes - all ex- “Thin Lizzy” members. John Sykes left in to join “Whitesnake” and was replaced by Laurence Archer from “UFO”.   I’ve known Laurence for years and used to play with him in a band called “X-UFO” - which was for a bit of fun more than anything!   So here we are now in 2024 Lionheart is still going strong, Gland Slam are celebrating 40 years and have a new album out on June 7th, festivals lined up and a healthy tour diary booked in!   I’ve played with a lot of people over the years and never thought I would be still doing it as this age, I can honestly say it’s been a lot of fun and I am looking forward to he future!     Thank you to Grand Slam for taking time out of shooting to hang out with me for interviews, the staff at American Bike Rental & Bar, Moraira and members of the Saturdarah MC Costa Blanca for letting me use their bikes in the photoshoot.     Words and photos: Rhyan Paul

What inspired you to open 16 Toneladas? I really wanted to own a concert hall since I was 16 when I went to a small venue hin Valencia called a gas station.  What happened there drove me crazy, it was a very very dodgy place!  I decided then I wanted to have a concert venue that was safe and enjoyable with great bands.   That was the 80s and now things are not the same, but I think 16 Toneladas has a little bit of that spirit still with the bands, the people and the atmosphere.   Who was the first band to play at the club? The inauguration was performed by a band who were my friends who I met through my job at the time. Before opening the club, I worked as a sound technician for a theatre company, and they had an instrument surf group called the Surfonics – this was the first band who played here. I remember they were really good!   What is the best band that has played here? There are too many, I couldn’t choose one! We have had so many incredible bands play here – big and small. Nick Long from Dark waves, Marky Ramone, Los Rebeldes, The Chamelons – the list is endless.   If you could book any band – who would it be? Thats a hard question! Billy Brands I have always loved – he is a harmonist from Chicago. Lux Interior would be incredible, but now not possible because ErickLee is dead. Los Lobos I love - I guess any of the bands I grew up with because of how they made me feel when I listened to them as a teenager.   When you are not working, how do you kick back I never relax and I find it impossible to relax! Today is a Tuesday and have just had 23 consecutive nights of concerts. had 23 consecutive days of concerts. So, from the moment I open my eyes until I close them, I am working! I don’t get time to sleep or relax! I might have 2 spare hours and I have to decide - do I sleep or eat? Sometimes I sleep and dot have time to eat! I hope to slow down a little soon and let someone do part of my work because I cannot always work like this.   Why is the club called “16 Toneladas?” It comes from a song composed by Merle Travis in America in the 1940’s. It was re-recorded in the 1950’s by Ernie Ford and became famous and spent 8 weeks at number 1. It was a song about a miner who has bad luck in life and always tries to please his boss and tries to earn more money. He dies a poor man after making his boss richer. It could be a class song and it's a very unionist song which I found funny.   During the time of Franco's dictatorship in Spain, it was sung by a man named José Guardiola in Spanish.. It was very literal and there was a censorship that controlled a lot of the politics and political songs at the time, but they didn't even realize that this was a union song, and I really liked it.   So the 10th Anniversary party – some pretty exciting bands playing… We have three incredible bands playing – the one excites me the most is The Undertones. They are a band I never imagined could play here and the fact they are is an accumulation of coincidences. They were going to play at the Benidorm Festival that a friend of mine was doing and the festival was cancelled.   He had signed the contract with the Undertone, so I told him why don’t you tell the Spanish promoter that they can do it here and I will pay them the same amount that you were going to pay at the festival. Initially they didn’t want to as we are a small venue, but I told them that they do not need to play a big stage to have an amazing night and they agreed to come!  it's going to be the best night. Yes, yes, I'm sure, it's going to be a very nice moment for us all!   The second group is one that I admire a lot from Castellón called “The Heatwaves” - they are like a cool band from the 60’s with a really rock sound.   The final band are part of the 16 Toneladas family and my friends – The Deaf Devils. They guys have so much energy and are just punk!   And finally, Pineapple on pizza – Yes or no? Well, it looks good on pizza – but I only eat one kind! I eat kids’ pizza, ham and mushroom.  So, I cannot say! But yes, it does look good, maybe one day I will try and decide! Words and photos: Rhyan Paul

On November 5th, the British band - Depeche Mode - came back to Toronto with their Memento Mori World Tour and filled the Scotiabank Arena with a mix of nostalgia, emotion, and energy. Most of the crowd were Gen Xers and Boomers, fans who had grown up with the band, and you could tell how much this night meant to them. From the very beginning, the atmosphere felt special, like a reunion between old friends and the music that has been with them for years. Dave Gahan, the lead singer, had a unique presence on stage. He moved in funny and eccentric ways- spinning around, doing dramatic poses, even pointing at the crowd playfully - but somehow it all worked perfectly. His stage presence was strong and captivating. He didn’t say much between songs, but the way he moved and performed said everything. The setlist was a perfect mix of their new songs and classic hits. They started with tracks form their newest album, like “My Cosmos Is Mine” and “Ghosts Again”, but it was during the classics when the whole arena really came alive. When “Enjoying the Silence” and “Precious” started playing, thousands of people sang along at the same time. It was beautiful - like the entire room became one single voice. There was also a quiet, emotional moment when Martin Gore sang “Home” and “Strangelove” in an acoustic set. His voice was soft but powerful, and I gave the concert a very intimate feeling. Later, during “World in My Eyes”, the screen showed photos of Andy Fletcher, the band’s late member, and the audience responded with applause and silence. It was a touching tribute. The visuals on stage were simple but effective. A big glowing “M” stood in the background, and the lighting changed with every song to match the mood. There weren’t any crazy effects or fireworks -just good music, meaningful visuals, and a band that knows exactly who they are. One thing that made this concert really special was the connection between the band and fans. People didn’t just come to hear music - they came to feel something together. And even if this tour came after some difficult years for the band, they still gave everything. Toronto didn’t just get a concert. We've got a night to remember. Check out Depeche Mode Here Words and photos: Laura Agudelo Montoya

"Is Austin still a great music town?" Captain Sensible shouted between songs, drawing the predictable hometown roar from the sweaty mass at Radio/East. The Damned came on at around 9:15 PM, but in the middle of May in Texas, it was still miserably hot. That, however, didn't stop the Damned faithful from wearing their signature black punk attire. Fans were sporting their Damned gear while others wore t-shirts that fit the time period: The Descendents, The Cramps, Black Flag, The Clash. Austin showed up en masse towatch the legendary punk pioneers. For me, this was different. I fell down The Damned rabbit hole during peak pandemic thanks to the No Dogs in Space podcast, so seeing them wasn't nostalgia—it was like watching history unfold onstage. The holy grail tonight was witnessing Rat Scabies back behind the kit, the band's original drummer who officially rejoined in late 2023 after departing back in 1996. They hit the ground running with "Love Song" and the title track from 1979's "Machine Gun Etiquette," and holy shit—they were tight. Not "pretty good for their age" tight, but genuinelylocked-in tight. Their precision made it clear they've probably played these songs more timesthan they can remember, but somehow they still attack them like each performance is a freshidea they're excited about. Dave Vanian was a revelation in his vintage undertaker chic, prowling every inch of that stage with manic energy. Left to right, front to back, the guy never stopped moving—engaging with his bandmates, connecting with the audience, and generally making everyone half his age look lazy by comparison. For a guy who's been fronting this band since 1976, he performed with the kind of intensity that makes you question your own life choices. How am I out of breath just photographing the band while Vanian is able to deliver a 22-song set with such relentless energy? As a mid-aughts indie-obsessed fan, I've seen a fair amount of 20/25 year reunion shows in the last few years. Many of these shows have been great, and it's fascinating watching new and old generations come together: parents with their kids, grandparents with their grandchildren. But this wasn't a reunion show. This wasn't a celebratory show. This was The Damned putting on another show and giving it 100 percent. A 20-year anniversary show? Nah, they were bringing the energy almost 50 years after they first formed as a band. The Damned are many things. They were the first UK punk band to release a single ("New Rose" in 1976), the first to release an album (Damned Damned Damned in 1977), and the first to tour the US. They've been instrumental in helping create a specific gothic aesthetic in rock music. But something they're not? They're not done. They're not going away quietly, and if you have the chance, check them out to understand why they sit so high in the punk pantheon. Find The Damned 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

Guns N' Roses will perform their only Spanish venue in 2025 on June 9, 2025 at the Estadio Olímpic in Barcelona . They are returning to the stage with an impressive European and Middle East tour, topping stadiums and festivals throughout the summer with special guests like Public Enemy, Rival Sons and Sex Pistols with Frank Carter on selected dates. The 24-date tour begins on May 23, bringing the legends of Los Angeles to perform for the first time in Saudi Arabia, Georgia, Lithuania and Luxembourg. In addition, the 2025 calendar includes its return to known scenarios in Bulgaria, Serbia, Turkey, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Czech Republic, Germany, United Kingdom, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Poland, Hungary and Austria. Check out the full tour schedule below. Tickets for Barcelona are available from: Livenation.es , Ticketmaster   y El Corte Inglés THE TOUR 2025 Friday, May 23, 2025: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Kingdom Arena Tuesday, May 27, 2025: Abu Dhabi, UAE – Etihad Arena Friday, May 30, 2025: Shekvetili, Georgia – Shekvetili Parka Monday, June 2, 2025: Istanbul, Turkey – Tüpraş Stadyumu Friday, June 6, 2025: Coimbra, Portugal – Estádio Cidade de Coimbra Monday, June 9, 2025: Barcelona, Spain – Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys Thursday, June 12, 2025: Florence, Italy – Firenze Rocks Sunday, June 15, 2025: Hradec Králové, Czech Republic – Rock For People Wednesday, June 18, 2025: Düsseldorf, Germany – Merkur Spiel-Arena Friday, June 20, 2025: Munich, Germany – Allianz Arena Monday, June 23, 2025: Birmingham, United Kingdom – Villa Park Thursday, June 26, 2025: London, United Kingdom – Wembley Stadium Sunday, June 29, 2025: Aarhus, Denmark – Eskelunden Wednesday, July 2, 2025: Trondheim, Norway – Granåsen Ski Centre Friday, July 4, 2025: Stockholm, Sweden – Strawberry Arena Monday, July 7, 2025: Tampere, Finland – Ratina Stadium Thursday, July 10, 2025: Kaunas, Lithuania – Darius Stadium and Girėnas Saturday, July 12, 2025: Warsaw, Poland – PGE Nardowy Tuesday, July 15, 2025: Budapest, Hungary – Puskás Aréna Friday, July 18, 2025: Belgrade, Serbia – Ušće Park Monday, July 21, 2025: Sofia, Bulgaria – Vasil Levski Stadium Thursday, July 24, 2025: Vienna, Austria – Ernst Happel Stadion Monday, July 28, 2025: Luxembourg City, Luxembourg – Luxembourg Open Air Thursday, July 31, 2025: Wacken, Germany – Wacken Open Air Guns N' Roses remains the most dynamic, dangerous American rock band in history to this day. Icons of popular culture, his emblematic 1987 album, Appetite For Destruction, certified as a diamond record, stands out as "the best-selling debut album in the history of the United States" and "the eleventh best-selling album in the United States. U.S. of all time.” His Not In This Lifetime tour... (2016-2019) is the "fourth highest-grossing concert tour of all time." In 1991, Guns N' Roses shook the world with the double impact of Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II, both certified 7x platinum, achieving the first two positions on the Billboard 200 at its release. With total sales of 100 million units so far, its catalogue also includes G N' R Lies (5x platinum), The Spaghetti Incident? (Platinum), Greatest Hits (5x platinum) and Chinese Democracy (platinum). In addition, they are one of the most played rock bands on digital platforms, with an average of 24 million monthly listeners on Spotify. After the reunion of the century, they topped Coachella and sold more than 5 million tickets on the Not In This Lifetime tour... Tour However, Guns N' Roses never stop, with more tours on the horizon in 2023 and other surprises: the "Nightrain" continues to roll at full speed. Guns N' Roses are Axl Rose (vocals, piano), Duff McKagan (bass) and Slash (solo guitar).

Original Fest took over Caliza Pool Bar in Puerto de Sagunto for three unforgettable days of live music, energy, and community — all with free entry, making it even better. The festival kicked off at 7PM on Friday May 9th, with Paola Vilatela, who gave a killer performance despite being sick — total pro. She was followed by Los Nodoyunas, Tu Ex, Decadencia Blues Band, Eterna, and The Wildthroats, covering everything from pop rock to garage punk and alt-metal. Sadly, Valandaluz couldn’t play due to technical issues. Things started early on Saturday May 10th at 12:30 with El Beso del Sapo, 15 Watts, and Tensión No Resuelta. The evening resumed at 6PM with The Fires and Otras Yerbas, getting the crowd fired up before Sentencia took the stage — just as rain hit. Their set had to pause, but the crowd stuck around, grabbing food, drinks, merch, and even supporting some local charities. Once the rain cleared, Sentencia came back to finish their set, and the night rolled on with Pateticus, Evanora, Bendita Locura, Faradai, and Vulturna. A wild mix of rock, punk, hard rock, and metal. Sunday May 1th and the final day was short and sweet under the sun. Ronda Norte brought solid rock vibes, and Terror Cuplé closed the fest with a cool, theatrical set influenced by Lou Reed, Bowie, and Parálisis Permanente. At the end, the organizers thanked everyone — the crowd, the bands, the crew — and confirmed there’ll be a third edition next year. Oh, and a few lucky folks walked away with some giveaways. A weekend full of music, passion, and connection—Original Fest proved once again it’s here to stay. Words and photos: Rakel Milla Martin