Gig O’The Month
Artist: Paco de Lucía
Venue: Plaza de Toros de las Ventas
Date: 22 September
Style: Probably Spain’s best export
Tickets: €10-55
Whether you are familiar with flamenco’s musical tradition or not, you will have heard of Paco de Lucía. Perhaps the most important Spanish musical export of the last 25 years, he is without a doubt the most influential and significant flamenco artist in the world. Born in Algeciras in 1947, his tirelessly innovative and dynamic approach has seen him mix the basic flamenco style with many others, enriching it and at the same time creating something altogether new. He has always remained faithful to his roots, and despite detractors from within the orthodox school of flamenco, has succeeded in creating a world stage for the expression and enjoyment of flamenco guitar. After a recording hiatus of six years, he returns with a new album, Cositas Buenas, which won a Grammy Award for Best Flamenco Album. Not to be missed.

Artist: The Bluetones
Venue: Moby Dick
Date: 9 September
Style: Sparkling melodic pop
Tickets: TBC
On the go since the mid 90s, The Bluetones are one of the few bands left from the golden age of Britpop that can still command an audience of a thousand or so wherever they go (as opposed to the majority, who collapsed under the weight of their own egos and dwindling sales). Currently on tour in support of their recently released album, Luxembourg, the band are, understandably enough, keen to push their new material. So if you’re looking for a bit of the old and more of the new, don’t miss this gig. The band are playing better than ever these days; their sound and attitude has matured, and they are now the kind of group that shouldn’t be overlooked in favour of less-interesting, less-talented newbies (although unfortunately, they invariably are). Lead singer Mark Morris’s stage presence is as assured as ever, and his vocals have improved in leaps and bounds

Artist: Juanes
Venue: Palacio de los Deportes
Date: 15 September
Style: Latino rock at its finest
Tickets: €29-43.50
This guy has the Latin-rock world in the palm of his hand. An absolute sensation in his home country of Colombia, he has done what so many artists of his genre have tried to do: become a true crossover phenomenon, appealing to a mutli-cultural and non-Latin market. A native of Medellín, he has managed to incorporate the sounds and instruments of traditional Colombian music alongside the grittier electric-guitar sound he’s recognised for. With a stack of Latin Grammys under his belt and a multi-platinum new album, Mi Sangre, the road to super-stardom just keeps getting shorter and shorter. His recent duet with Nelly Furtado was a complete smash, and it won’t be long before he’s commanding the kind of stadium audiences that fellow Colombian Shakira enjoys.

Artist: Hellacopters
Venue: Divino Aqualung
Date: 26 September
Style: Spinal Tap make a comeback
Tickets: €21
If you think that rock’n’roll is dead, then I strongly recommend a trip down to Divino this month to catch Sweden’s finest. The ’Copters are still flying the flag so nimbly and ably hoisted in the past by acts such as The Stooges, Kiss, and just about every other band who spent time considering whether or not to have a miniature Stonehenge lowered onto the stage, or the pros and cons of dressing up as animals. Rock posturing and ludicrous stage props aside, these guys sure know how to rock. Imagine blistering solos and duelling guitars blasting out through wafting clouds of dry ice, and you get an idea of what to expect... and be prepared for. If you like your rock overdone, with a side order of head-banging, or with its tongue firmly planted in its cheek, this is the gig for you. Just be sure to dust off and change the strings on that air guitar before you leave the house.

Artist: The Magic Numbers
Venue: Moby Dick
Date: 29 September
Style: Hard to say . . . but they have it
Tickets: €14
If dreamy harmonies and folk-tinged retro-pop is your thing, then I know where you’ll be on the 29th. If to you The Magic Numbers sounds like a new-age book exploring the further sub-levels of The Da Vinci Code, then it’s time to acquaint yourself with this New York-London-Trinidad outfit, made up of two pairs of siblings (although quite how two pairs of siblings can hail from three different places is still a mystery to me). With comparisons ranging from Kings of Leon to The Mamas and Papas, it’s obvious that this group don’t aim to please the pigeon-holers among us, and as such, their hippy-ish intricate ballads and country soul-rock are causing quite a stir among music circles. With their light-hearted brand of honest, down-to-earth rock, their new album, simply called The Magic Numbers, makes a perfect companion to the summer. Sounds like a great way to round off our own. Another trip to the Moby Dick it is, then!

GARRET WALL
garretw@in-madrid.com