HAR BELEX + DARKWOOD, 28 February 2015, Gruta 77 concert hall, Madrid
I had the chance to enjoy a concert by Har Belex before and (I didn’t know them) I was impressed. Time passed, I got to know their repertoire and songs that, little by little started to take up some important places of my life and routine. In addition, we had the chance to interview them for the podcast and they showed that, apart from excellent musicians, they were great people. That said, you can get to know how much I wanted this 28 February to arrive and enjoy this duo (quartet live) face to face. Well, the day had come.
The concert hall was Gruta 77 again, a guarantee of quality, comfort (normally) and good sound. The company was the best one. I am getting used to go to concerts with people whose only presence is worth the ticket. I hope it lasts. Besides, Har Belex came with Darkwood, another guarantee for a magical night. Punctuality in the opening of the doors, the recital began a little late but in a very prudential hour for what it is normal in this hall. We knew that the repertoire was going to be short: a very recent CD, a shared EP that could provide a song and another one from the Places compilation; if they play everything. Maybe some version that could stretch on the show. It didn’t matter. The weight of the songs was more important than the number.
A Ray Of Moon and its ‘bequerian’ lyrics to get started. The sound, perfect. The vocal-instrumental conjunction, flawless. The addition of David Sagastume’s cello or Aritz Uriarte’s guitar (or whatever this guy brought to his hands) for the concert, excellent. Salva’s deep voice (I don’t know where he leaves the accent when he sings) sings every word right into the listener’s ear, you can almost feel how he grazes you with every lyric. Springtime is a perfect song, no matter how you listen to it. Velvety, intense, tremendous. People enjoy the show, scarce in a scenography way but full of emotion. The gestures, the faces, the arms, reach us as much as the more emotional dance, and the ones from Piedra Negra make a music that has more virtues in the containment and the transmission soul to soul than in the debauchery and the dancing. Springtime could be a good example of this.
Freedom appeared in the Split with Fragile even though the version that was performed was Chandelle (logical). The picking of the guitar, the sound of the… sea? in the background. The intense cello, the deep voice. Details that can’t explain what you have to live. Al least once in a lifetime. Madmen in Wasteland, more lively, made the public much more cheerful, I think they were shocked until that moment because of what was happening, even blocked, but enjoying. That is what it seemed to me. The concentrated gesture of Manix, almost engrossed, is an exact representation of this. The temperature rises in the hall, with a good beginning but worse than expected. Why talk about this. Let’s focus in the important things, in this song from Places… No, that one afterwards. Before, Edificios Anónimos. Amazing song, one of my favorites from the album and one of the songs that recalls more images. More lively, full of tension, full of feelings and sensations. Incredible.
Finally, Ruins Of Gebara. It’s complicated for me to say anything about this song, only that few times a song has made me want to listen to it in the ruins of the aforementioned castle. I will, I know one day I will do it. From here on I have no words, the perfect songs carousel leaves little room to try and condense all I have felt in black and white. Annual, Basoan, Pathways, 6 AM, speak for themselves. Or not, but I feel that everything I say will be below the level of this songs. So, for what? Needless to say, Der Akerbeltz doesn’t change anything in that way. Another song that I don’t feel capable of commenting, hair stood on end over hair stood on end, goose bumps over goose bumps. The security of being watching an unique show. There will be more concerts, for sure. There will be more chances see more songs, but I won’t feel what I felt listening to Gernika once again in the future. It was the last one, I knew it, they knew it too. It was the last one and it was like an electric shock. So much that half an hour after the end, I still had it between my ear and my brains. The retina was tattooed with the image of Manix bawling to the mic, Salva measuring the amount of vocal craziness and every word and every note echoing a thousand times. The percussion, a lesson; the cello and the guitar, David and Aritz, were great. It was wonderful.
Talking with other ‘enjoyers’: everyone agrees. Each one of them sets their adjectives but the background is the same one. Great show. In addition, the germans Darkwood were left, but at this point we thought the show was almost unbeatable. Quartet, bass, keyboard, percussion and classic guitar and Henryk Vogel’s throat. A traditional repertoire, without throwing out the ‘hits’ and focusing in them, going through all of their albums without stressing one of them. The feelings are good, the sound too. The defined voice stands out, the percussion, awesome. The songs, in general, sound more percussive than in their studio recordings which gives the concert a lot more rhythm. I’m not a connoisseur of Mr. Vogel’s work so my ears were virgins in the recital. I kept the feel that if it weren’t for the percussion, maybe it would be a little monotonous. This is a feature of classic darkfolk of voice and acoustic guitar. It’s pretty, sounds great but live it can tire out.
For me, Caucasian Tales were remarkable, Winterrune or Lied Am Feuer too. Full of emotions (it’s not that the other ones lacked emotion, but this ones moved me deeply), and were sung by the public. Well, a guy on my left was dancing and singing as if there were no tomorrow, curiously, with vastly more energy than the song, however, he enjoyed, that’s ok. I want to make a special mention to the two cuts that closed up the concert. Stiller Bund and Night. The first one involved Manix on guitar. We only had to look him in the eye to see the light of a dream come true. If in addition we talk about a song that was as incredible as the one mentioned, there is little to add. And Night. For my liking, the most incredible moment of all the show by the germans. The percussion, the vocal interpretation and the lead bass were astonishing. The icing on the cake for an unforgettable night.
After the concert, came the verification that we were surrounded by wonderful people. The organization, perfect. Manix and Salva, charming. Be able, finally, two thousand years after, to salute people who are in this mess for their entire life and even spinning around similar orbits to us, never happen to meet, not consciously at least. It felt good to approach La Defunción… Varied chats with other friends that were there, missing some others that stuff their mouths supporting the local scene from their sofa… Usual in this type of concerts. It’s better not to worry about this, the bitter taste is not worth. It’s better to go back to the best company, even if it’s not the most talkative one; better to go back and wonder when would be the next time. I hope it will be soon, very soon.
