On the night the real party atmosphere was reinforced with plenty of stage-crowd interaction. From free giveaways to stage dives, the barrier between band and viewer was constantly being breached which always makes for an entertaining evening. Almost a constant flow of girls willing to cavort on stage, whilst not being completely politically correct, somehow added to the frenzy that this particular style of music creates.
It has to be said that “surf rock”
is the type of music that you either love or loath. The whole atmosphere in
the Alicia on Saturday night was built around certain bastions of the
genre. The wrestling mask culture, the aggressive dancing and the wolf pack
whistling at any woman willing to expose herself cannot be everyone cup of
tea. However surf rock as a genre is probably at its strongest in
The main stream acceptance of the style is probably at most evident with the success experienced by Lost Acapulco over a number of years both in terms of album sales and appearance at almost every large music festival. The inclusion of a track by the band on the latest EMI/Reactor “Qual es tu rock?” complication is almost like an official stamp of approval.
Of the bands on show for Los Elasticos celebrations it is probably Fenomeno Fuzz with their suggestion of “lounge” that comes closest to breaking out of the genre that so many groups seem to be almost locked within. Certainly Sr. Bikini and Los Elasticos are comfortable with the pillars of the musical construction that characterizes this particular brand of music. But when people enjoy themselves this much, and get exactly what they expect on a night out, it is difficult to argue for more innovation.
Foro Alicia, in its eleventh year of existence, continues to make a significant contribution to the independent scene in general by providing a space to play for many different types of music. Even with the recent explosion in the number of venues available there seems to be more space for the less extreme genres, as one would expect.
Nacho Pineda (Alicia’s
owner manager) is still as outspoken as ever in defending choice in terms of
new independent music. He talks about
The future of Multiforo Alicia is still in the balance. At the end of 2005, with the tenth anniversary celebrations, Nacho was announcing the closure as a definite thing. Now with only a few months to go till December Nacho is leaving some room for manoeuvre. The combination of long hours and the battle against red tape and bureaucracy is taking its toll. The possible change in local administration due to the recent elections could be the final nail in the coffin for Nacho’s patience and thus the venue’s future.
Whatever becomes of Multiforo Alicia, the spirit will live on in the form of their independent label Grabaxiones Alicia. From its first release in 1998 “Puebra Esto Vol.1” a punk rock compliation, through further compilations of surf rock, blues, ska, reggae to its recent concentration on indie and emo from individual bands such as Austin TV and the Twin Tones; the label is a natural extension of the open-mindedness of the venue itself.
Nacho still faces some problems relating to the distribution of material, relying mainly on sales at the venue shop and in El Chopo on Saturdays but he seems almost excited by the prospect of new signings. August 2006 will see release number thirty from the label with Silencios Incomodos’s instrumental rock album “hasta ahora todo va bien” and a concert planned for the 25th of August as a perfect compliment to mark the launch. Still more recordings are planned, including music from Spanish artists. Thus Alicia’s independent crusade under the banner “musica contra el poder” marches on. One can only hope that the campaign continues into 2007 on two fronts, with both label and venue involved in the fight for true musical independence.
