entertainment

Big Gigs The best live gigs this month
Nightlife We show you where to party
Festival Guide Get the latest on the summer's biggest music fests

Movie Previews
Our New York correspondent Jessica Cogan brings us the latest flicks before they hit the Madrid theatres. Check them out here.

Big Gigs

Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy (GIG OF THE MONTH)
Venue: Joy Eslava, c/Arenal, 11, tel: 91 366 54 39 (Metro: Sol)
Date: 10 July
Price: €20 in advance; €24 on the door
www.ticktackticket.com
Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy is a musician’s musician — never compromising his artists’ vision and not allowing his style to be categorised, though some have tried: Americana, folk, country, punk etc. Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, aka Will Oldham, has been an inspiration for many unique and original contemporary artists, and there is even a 3-track double CD tribute album featuring the likes of Iron & Wine, Calexico and Scout Niblett. With 15 albums to his name, he owns a body of work that is continually progressing and evolving, so much so that often his name has changed with consecutive albums. Hailing from Louisville in Kentucky, there is something undeniably rootsy about his work. Johnny Cash chose to cover Oldham’s “I See A Darkness” for his America III record, made shortly before his death, on which Oldham provides backing vocals.

Duffy
Venue: Joy Eslava, c/Arenal, 11, tel: 91 366 54 39 (Metro: Sol)
Date: 12 July
Price: €25 in advance; €30 on the door
www.ticktackticket.com
Welsh pit-canary Duffy emerged into the light at the end of 2007 as the head of “the new Amys” -- a reference to the avalanche of soulful female vocalists that arrived in the wake of the Winehouse explosion. Not content to be categorised as such, Duffy promptly beat the UK and US charts into submission with a style that borrows heavily from 60’s soul singers such as Dusty Springfield, Aretha Franklin and Dionne Warwick. To push this point even further, the video for the huge international hit single “Mercy” is set at a northern soul night, features flared dancers and sounds exactly like “Chain of Fools”.

Beck
Venue: La Riviera, Paseo Virgen del Puerto, s/n, tel: 91 365 24 15 (Metro: Puerta del Ángel/Príncipe Pío)
Date: 9 July
Price: €33
www.ticktackticket.com
Ever since his first underground tune “MTV Makes Me Want to Smoke Crack”, Beck has proven to be a sparkly diamond on the dark coalface of conformity. Early albums Mellow Gold and Odelay showcased Beck’s eclectic tendencies and sharp and ironic lyrics. His work has progressed through the sexy electro-groove of Midnight Vultures to the thoughtful maturity and heartbreak of Sea Change. 8 July will see the European release date of Beck’s eighth studio album Modern Guilt from which the single “Chemtrails” is taken. The Chemtrail Theory proposes that the trails you can see behind some aeroplanes are the actually the result of high altitude dumping of unknown chemicals by unknown persons for unknown reasons. Somewhat fittingly the single sounds a lot like you would imagine a Syd Barret daydream to sound.

James Blunt
Venue: La Riviera, Paseo Virgen del Puerto, s/n, tel : 91 365 24 15 (Metro: Puerta del Ángel/Príncipe Pío)
Date: 7 July
Price: €38
www.ticktackticket.com
The invasion of Iraq, the abortion debate and James Blunt; some things will continue to divide popular opinion. 2005’s “You’re Beautiful” first piqued the UK’s airwaves and propelled Blunt’s debut album Back to Bedlam to the number one spot, knocking off Coldplay’s record-breaking X&Y. The single went on to make Blunt the first UK artist to top the US singles chart in almost a decade, a feat last achieved by Elton John. A Kosovan war hero from a privileged background who has been linked to a string of beautiful women, the green-eyed monster might be partly to blame for the bucket load of scorn heaped on Blunt in the past. Or it could just be that his music is a bit dull.

Gnarls Barkley
Venue: Sala Heineken, c/Princesa, 1, tel: 91 547 57 11 (Metro: Plaza de España)
Date: 20 July
Price: €28
www.ticktackticket.com
Vocalist Cee-Lo Green and maverick producer Dangermouse formed Atlanta’s Gnarls Barkley in 2003. Their first single “Crazy” taken from debut album St Elsewhere was a massive global success and went straight to number one in many countries, lodging itself in the brains of the masses in the process. Cee-Lo was originally part of the Dirty South movement in the 90s, where he was a member of hip-hop group The Goodie Mob. Producer Dangermouse, aka Brian Burton, has worked with Gorillaz on the album Demon Days and also created The Grey Album -- a mash-up of Jay-Z’s The Black Album with the Beatles’ White Album. The CGI-enhanced video features Ringo on the decks and a body-popping John Lennon. Gnarls Barkley’s second album, released earlier in the year was The Odd Couple.

The B-52’s
Venue: La Riviera, Paseo Virgen del Puerto, s/n, tel : 91 365 24 15 (Metro : Puerta del Ángel/ Príncipe Pío)
Date: 10 July
Price: €45
www.ticktackticket.com
When I was 12, my parents let me out of the house with a gaggle of girlfriends to see a -- gasp -- concert by myself. It was The B-52s, who I knew solely based on “Love Shack” due to its excessive play at various roller-skating parties. With their new release Funplex, The B-52s are sure to bring the camp factor to their show. Other bands such as the Scissor Sisters have copied their style of the sassy girl-boy combo with lyrics that are always accompanied with a wink, but few have done it for so long and so well. Maybe one of these days they’ll explain just what a rusted tin roof entails . . .

Erykah Badu
Venue: Patio Central del Conde Duque, 11 c/Conde Duque, tel: 902 101 212 (Metro: Noviciado/Plaza de España/San Bernardo)
Date: 11 July
Price: €40
www.telentrada.com
Badu has always been driven to showcase her talent as was proven when, at the tender age of 14, she began her career in music, free-styling for a local Texan radio station. Since then she has collected four Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards and has starred in several films. Inspired by 70’s soul and 80’s hip-hop, Badu is, oddly, more often compared with jazz greats like Billie Holiday. Her style is bass-heavy R&B coupled with intense and introspective lyrics, which set her aside from more lightweight female R&B vocalists. This show is part of Badu’s fourth world tour.

Nightlife (where to party)
SPOTLIGHT: Twist Club

By Madrid’s party standards, if a party night has been up and running for three years, it’s here to stay. Every Thursday night Sala Wind gets packed to the brim with party people. Everything from drum&bass to soulful to hardstep is spun in the main room, while the backroom gets pumping with hip hop, dubstep and breakbeat. With a line-up featuring a range of local and international djs, an overall eclectic group of punters and a totally unique atmosphere, don’t walk, run to the next session of Twist Club, because it’s what’s on everyone’s lips come Friday. €€

BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW THAT: a weekly attendance of between 600 and 800 people make it one of the hottest parties on Thursdays.
And it’s the only regular breaks night in all of Madrid.

Sala Wind, Plaza del Carmen
(Sol, Gran Vía) Thursdays from midnight-5.30am
www.myspace.com/twistmadrid

commercial and indie

Early
SUPERSONIC, c/Melendez Valdés, 25 (Argüelles). Thurs-Sat. 9.30am-3am. The best indie in town. Worth seeing what the fuss is about. €
TUPPERWARE, c/Corredera Alto de San Pablo, 26 (Tribunal). Wed-Sun, 9.30pm-3am. Super-kitsch design and a pop and indie vibe gets everyone dancing. €
COSMIC CLUB (ESPIRAL POP) , c/San Andrés, 23 (Tribunal, Bilbao) Thurs, 10pm-3am. Resident DJ Maicol Da Lowa and Dirty Fernandoplaying the best 60s psychadelia, 70s glam rock, groove, west coast and soul… and it’s free to get in! €

Late
PRIVÉ, Calle Aduana, 21 (Gran Vía, Sol). Saturdays, 12am-close. New gay club with very funky decor and fun, danceable commercial house music. €€
KAPITAL, c/Atocha, 125 (Atocha). Fri-Sat, midnight-6am. This seven-floor macro-club is over the top, and plays everything from house to hip hop to Spanish pop. €€€

dance

Early
CAFÉ LA PALMA, c/La Palma, 62 (Noviciado). Thurs-Sat, midnight-4am. Funky bar with all sorts of tricks up its sleeve: breaks, electro, funk and house at the hands of Fernando Gullón, Herman and Matt Correa. Great place to get the night started. €€
DANZOO WARM UP, La Terraza de Chamartín, Estación de Chamartín (Chamartín). Fridays, 11.30pm-3am. Start your night right will a little minimal, a little techno, some drum ‘n’ bass and a bit of house. Danzoo Warm Up is back and getting busy every Friday, the idea being to throw back a few before heading into Macumba. With a line up of top-notch djs this month, this is fast shaping up as the place to be. €€
AREIA, c/Hortaleza, 92 (Chueca/Alonso Martínez). Every day, 1pm-3am. Great pre-party with house, Brazilian beats and minimal, depending on the night. Funky décor and always crowded. €€

Late
SUPERKLUB, Sala But. c/Barceló, 11, (Tribunal). Sundays, midnight-6am. Sunday evenings just got better than ever, with Suberklub spilling non-stop house music into your Monday morning as if the weekend was never going to end. €€€
DISCO SUNDANCE, c/Aduana, 21, (Gran Via, Sol). Wednesdays, midnight-close. Shake up your week with a little (or big) par-tay with DJ Vitti (of Fun Factory fame!), Huguito, Natxo Zamora and Toni Morales, and roll into Thursday with a big fat smile on your face. €€€
ELÁSTICO FLEXICLUB, Sala Wind, c/Montera, 25 (entrance in Plaza del Carmen) (Gran Vía). Sat, midnight-6am. Resident djs Scream, Smart and Luiliminili spin every Saturday night, plus there’ll be plenty of international guest djs. €
SPACE OF SOUND, Plaza Estación de Chamartín (Chamartín). Sun, 4pm-midnight. All-day parties on the roof of the station with laser shows, go-gos and more . . . the ultimate party? ee
DU:OM, Sala Heineken, c/Princesa, 1 (Plaza de España) Fri and Sat, midnight-close. Dress to impress and dance the night away to house and progressive house by some truly talented djs: Hugo Serra, Iván Pica and Pombo.€€€
MONDO, Sala Stella, c/Arlabán, 7 (Sevilla). Thurs-Sat, midnight-6am.
www.web-mondo.com This is a special treat for all you electro, new wave and funk lovers out there. €€
OHM, Plaza Callao, 4 (Callao). Fri and Sat, midnight-6am. Great house djs, great people and a great vibe. Don't miss their parties on Sundays called Weekend which features funky house. €€
GOLD, Ventura Rodríguez, 7 (Ventura Rodríguez). Fri and Sat, 1-7am. Non-stop house music at the hands of DJ Panic and Sandro Bianchi. €€
L’INFIERNO, La Riviera, Pº Virgen del Puerto, s/n (La Latina/Puerta del Ángel), Sat, midnight-6am. From the creators of Fun Factory, this unique venue fills up with a friendly crowd and excellent house music. €€
FANTASY Sala Chango, c/Covarrubias, 42, (Bilbao). Fridays, midnight-close. DJs Luque and Nacho Peña will be getting the party started every Friday night, so come out and make your fantasies come true. €€€
ANANDA, Avenida de la Ciudad de Barcelona (Atocha). Daily, 10pm-close. It’s that time of the year again: the sun is shining, the pools are open, and so is Ananda! Come down seven days a week to party in Madrid’s funkiest terrace. Indoors, outdoors, whatever your pleasure, and fun until the wee hours guaranteed. €€€
SUGAR, La Terraza de Chamartin, Estación de Chamartín s/n (Chamartín). Saturdays, 11pm-close. Good-looking people, great music, and Madrid’s endless skyline in full view. What more could you ask for on a hot summer night? ee
FLOVE CLUB, Sala But, c/Barceló, 11 (Tribunal, Alonso Martínez). Fridays, midnight-close. Javier González and David Berna rock the discoteca every Friday night, so come get a little lovin’ at the Love Club. €€

funky stuff, rap, reggae,
hip hop, r&b, drum’n’bass

Early
4 BAJO CERO, Calle Alcala, 90 (Príncipe de Vergara). Tuesday-Sunday, 7pm-3.30am. Spice up your week and get your almost daily dose of house, funk, rare groove, raggae and soil at this hopping venue. €
COSTELLO, c/Caballero de Gracia, 10 (Gran Vía). Daily, 6pm-3am. Everything from funk and electronic jazz to pop, rare groove and rock music. €€
LA BOCA DEL LOBO, c/Echegaray, 11 (Sevilla). Weds-Sat, 10.30pm-3.30am. www.labocadellobo.com Rock, funk, electronic jazz and rare groove served up four nights in addition to live music. €€
COPOLACLUB, c/San Hermenegildo, 7, (San Bernardo, Noviciado). Wednesday-Sunday, 11pm-3.30am. www.copolaclub.com Funky disco-bar with jazz, soul, pop and chill house upstairs and electronica and techno downstairs. Test out your dj skills on weeknights. €
EL JUGLAR, c/Lavapiés, 37 (Lavapiés). Daily, midnight-3am. Get your daily dose of funk, house, reggae and breaks at this neighbourhood hotspot. €

Late
MARULA CAFÉ, c/Caños Viejos 3 (La Latina). Tues-Sun, 10.30pm-close. Come and get your funk on at the palace of funk, also known as Marula Café.
INDEPENDENCE CLUB, Sala Bogui, c/Barquillo, 29 (Chueca/Alonso Martínez). Fri-Sat, 1.30-6am. New and very cool spot where you can hear Franz Ferdinand, Flaming Lips, Arctic Monkeys, Oasis, and everyone in between. €
EL JUNCO, Plaza Santa Bárbara, 10 (Alonso Martínez). Daily, 10pm-6am. Late-night funk and electronic jazz.€ €
OCHO Y MEDIO, c/Mesonero Romanos, 13, Esq. Gran Vía, 34 (Callao). Fri, 1-6am. Popular night featuring electro-disco, bastard-pop, punk-rock, new wave and post-punk. €
NEU!CLUB, Sala Galileo Galilei, c/Galileo, 100 (Islas Filipinas). Sat, 9.30pm-5.30am. Electronica, bluegrass, motown, 60s, rock, pop etc. during the musical, cultural and audiovisual nights and live music and dj sessions. € €
SOULFOOD, Marula Café, c/Caños Viejos, 3 (La Latina). Fri, midnight-6am. Jazz, hip-hop and soul until dawn in this modern yet retro venue. € €
STYLE UP CLUB, Plaza Callao, 4 (Callao). Thursdays, midnight-5.30am. A new night on with the very best fund and disco music in town. Thursdays just got better! Ring in Fridays with a bang.€

SPECIAL NIGHTS
BEN SIMS, Reset Music, c/Galileo, 26 (Arguelles, San Bernardo). Friday, July 4, midnight-6am.. IResident djs César Almena and Nuke will be making room on the decks this month for the one and only London-based dj and producer Ben Sims. Famous (or rather, infamous) for his “floor-friendly funk-based rhythms”, Sims’ mixes of techno with a bit of house and hip hop for good measure have had people dancing up a storm all over the world. A vinyl addict since the age of 10, Sims has clocked in many an hour behind the decks, so come and check out his incredible skills and see for yourself.ee

INFINITAMENTE GAY, Palacio de Deportes, Avenida Felipe II, s/n (Goya), Saturday, July 5, TBA.. Ah yes, the official annual Gay Pride party. There’s really nothing like it: tons of people really letting their hair down, fantastic music at the hands of Ismael Rivas, Javier González, David Berna and Javi Reina, and an all-out crazy ride. After a week of partying in Chueca and all around town, and the parade during the day on Saturday, this party unofficially caps off a wild weekend, and I assure you, you don’t want to miss it.eee

THE CINEMATIC ORCHESTRA, Sala Heineken, c/Princesa, 1 (Plaza de España). Monday, July 7, 9pm. Take a guitar, a piano, drums, a double bass, turntables, a saxophone and a trumpet, and what do you get? An extremely unique sound, that’s for sure. Meet The Cinematic Orchestra, a jazz and electronica group from the UK, created in the late 90s. The band improvises with a turntablist and electronic elements, which is set to make for some mighty music. Expect some downtempo, a bit of acid jazz, trip-hop, and a whole lotta goodness. ee

GUY GERBERY Cocoon, Sala Macumba, Estación de Chamartín s/n (Chamartín). Friday, July 18, midnight-6am. Israel’s hottest musical export (aka Guy Gerbery), started off playing football for various local leagues. Everything changed though, when he received a guitar as a gift, and moved into the musical sector. Creating his own, distinct style, mixing primal beats with deep grooves and harmonies, has propelled him to the top, and the likes of Digweed, Carl Cox and John Wink are all spinning his tunes today. Come and see a real master-in-the-making! eee

SAMMY JO (Scissor Sisters Tour Dj), Sala Low, Plaza de los Mostenses (Plaza de España, Noviciado). Friday, July 18, midnight-6am. A dj: Sammy Jo, spins at a cyberfetish party: Click and Drag, where he meets important people: the Scissor Sisters, and is offered a gig: to be their official tour dj. While collaborating with them, Sammy has branched out on his own, fantastically fusing electro, house and dark disco in a way that no one else can. With sets at venues from Barcelona to London to NY under his belt, he’s ready to take on Madrid, and we’re more than ready to welcome him to the decksee

festivalguide
Apparently, Spain is the place to be this summer for musicians. Sara Stoltz gives you all you need to know about who’s playing, where to go and even how to camp at the ever-growing list of summer music festivals

Rock in Rio
When and where: 27-28 June, 4-6 July. Ciudad del
Rock at the end of Arganda del Rey. Buses every 15 minutes, or follow the A-3 towards Valencia. Parking is €18 a day.
What: The seventh edition of the huge festival started in Brazil in 1985 takes place in both Madrid and Lisbon this year. They aren’t messing around, either; organisers build an entire “City of Rock” on the outskirts of both cities (including an ice rink and snowboard section) and invite the biggest names they can. If you haven’t gotten the chance to misunderstand all of Bob Dylan’s lyrics live, well, don’t miss his show on the final day.
Who: 27 June: Neil Young, Jack Johnson, Alanis Morrissette; 28 June: El Canto del Loco, Tokio Hotel; 4 July: Shakira, Jamiroquai, Amy Winehouse, Stereophonics; 5 July: The Police, Alejandro Sanz, Suzanne Vega; 6 July: Lenny Kravitz, Franz Ferdinand, Bob Dylan.
Cost: 27 June, €65; 28 June, €49; 4 July, €69, 5 July, €69, 6 July, €65; VIP passes, €275 per day.
Camping: You’d think in the city they’re building they would find some space for some tents, but no.
www.rockinriomadrid.terra.es

Bilbao BBK
When and where: 4-6 July in Kobetamendi, Bilbao.
What: This concert keeps getting better. This year, come and see The Police (if you couldn’t shell out the cash last time they came ‘round to Spain) R.E.M., The Charlatans . . . need we go on?
Who: The Police, The Charlatans, The Dandy Warhols, The Wombats, R.E.M., Lenny Kravitz, The Prodigy, ZZ Top, Madness.
Cost: Three-day pass, €165.
Fri, €72; Sat, €72; Sun, €50.
Camping: Camping area will be opened on 3 July at 12 noon until 7 July at 2pm.
www.bilbaobbklive.com

Doctor Loft
When and Where: 6 July
in Girona.
What: A three-part festival, with a Sunday terrace dj session, club night starting on Saturday night at 5am, and open air concert with an amazing lineup.
Who: R.E.M., The Editors, Pigeon Detectives, The Gossip, Jeff Mills, Akon.
Cost: €60 (Subject to change in June. Check website for details.)
www.doctorloft0500.com

Monsters of Rock - Metalway
When and where: 11 July, Zaragoza.
What: Get out your best heavy attire and make your way to Zaragoza for the Spanish edition of the British rock festival started in 1980.
Who: Deep Purple, Iron Maiden, Twisted Sister, Ted Nugent, Rage, Thin Lizzy.
Cost: One day, €65, both days, €95.
Camping: Near fairgrounds, costs €2.
www.monstersofrock.es

Summercase
When and where: 18-19 July in Madrid, Boadilla del Monte,
and Barcelona, Parc del Fórum.
What: The two-day festival switches lineups between Barcelona and Madrid, and while the lineups are great, as per usual, the second day usually means audiences are treated to some hangover performances. But with some refreshing tented areas and dj booths, Summercase is well organised and definitely worth the price.
Who: Blondie, Interpol, The Breeders, Kaiser Chiefs, Maxïmo Park, Sex Pistols, 2manydjs, Pete and the Pirates, Los Planetas
Cost: €110 until 15 June. €195 after.
Camping: No camping provided, but a link of nearby campsites is on the website.
www.summercase.com

Saturday Night FIB
When and where: 19 July, Juan carlos I Auditorium
(Metro: Canillejas/Campo de las Naciones).
What: Organisers of the Benicàssim Festival in Valencia are being extra-sweet to us madrileños who can’t make the drive. They’re putting on a one-night show with some of the festivals bigger acts right here in Madrid.
Who: My Bloody Valentine, Mika, Siouxsie, Hot Chip, Babyshambles, The Rumble Strips and Morrissey.
Cost: €60 plus commission.
www.madrid.fiberfib.com

Benicàssim
When and where: 17-20 July, Benicàssim, Valencia.
What: Started in 1995, this festival is one of the best around. Along with great music, they’ve got exhibitions on fashion, contemporary art, theatre and short films.
Who: My Bloody Valentine, Mika, Babyshambles, Leonard Cohen, The Raconteurs, My Morning Jacket, Death Cab For Cutie, The Kills, Nada Surf.
Cost: €170, includes access to camping for nine days.
Camping: Free camping spaces for holders of multi-day passes to the festival, open from the Monday before the festival starts until the Tuesday after it ends. There are three areas: CamFIB, next to the concert venue, Bonet, in town and with free bus service between the camping area and the concert venue and Mercat, in the area normally reserved for the Benicàssim outdoor market.
www.fiberfib.com

Creamfields Andalucia
When and where: 9 August, Playa de Guardias Viejas,
Almeria.
What: Spend the day and night dancing on the beach at one of the biggest electronic festivals in Europe. The list of artists goes on and on, so check the website for updates.
Who: The Chemical Brothers, Groove Armada, Thievery Corporation, Midnight, Juggernauts, Sven Vath, Isis
Cost: €60 until 15 July.
Camping: The city council is talking about making a camping zone, but hasn’t decided yet because they don’t want everyone spending the week there between Creamfields and Ola. Check the website for updates.
www.creamfields-andalucia.com

Ola
When and where: 15 August, Playa de Guardias
Viejas, Almeria.
What: Check out the newest indie-rock festival to hit the south of Spain. It’s six days after Creamfields in the same location, so it might be worth your while to make a week trip out of it.
Who: Björk, Massive Attack, Editors, Goldfrapp, St Etienne, Mgmt.
Cost: €65 until 15 July.
Camping: See Creamfields.
www.olafestival.es

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