Ocean Colour Scene play Apolo Barcelona

One of the great things about living in a big city like Barcelona (for someone who comes from a small town in England) is the live music that visits the city. I've blogged before about the various live music venues in Barcelona and I've been lucky enough to see some amazing bands in very intimate venues that would be total sell outs back in the UK.

One of my favourite places is Apolo along Parallel. It's got that old school vibe fitting for watching live music (it's also a great place for dancing) but still feels like an old-style concert hall for example. I watched Elbow there a couple of years ago and they were amazing - the venue suits people like that. Paul Weller is another one who played there last time he was here.

So, if you're at a bit of a loose end this week, you could do no worse than nip down there, as Ocean Colour Scene are playing the Apolo on Tuesday. The britpop band are promoting their new album Painting which is out now, but you can bet they'll be re-visiting a few of their classic tunes like The Riverboat Song and The Day we caught the train from the classic Moseley Shoals album (how many memories does that conjure up?). They're a really good band live and also played the Hard Rock cafe here a couple of years ago, too. Fancy going or already got your ticket? Let me know in the comments!

Looking for a good deal for accommodation in Barcelona ? Check out BCN Rentals for some great deals on last minute apartments!

Sonar Swaps Locations

Well, it's been confirmed. Sonar is changing locations for the Day events. For 19 years the Sonar by Day has entertained the crowds in the Raval at the CCCB and its surrounding area, but now, as we approach the 20th edition of the mega music show, things are hopping across town to the Fira de Barcelona and the extensive outdoor space. It's not a massive distance but it seems like the pressure from the authorities and the neighbours has finally got its way and this way, there's no worry about breaking the permitted sound levels and the like.

The site has dressed up the move as "helping the flow of people" and bringing the Night venue closer (true) but I personally think it's a shame that it's moved. Yes, the new space is bigger (I've been there for the Harley Davidson shows, for example) but there was something special about Sonar by day being in the heart of the Raval for me, and the expanse of the new location will take something intimate away (for me). I don't mean to sound negative and obviously, I'd love to be proven wrong  - What do you guys and gals  think ? Let me know in the comments!

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October Music in Barcelona - Some Classics!

I don't know if maybe it's just my age, but it seems to me that there are some really cool bands playing or getting back together, or celebrating a milestone of being together quite a lot recently! And the back end of October is no exception to the rule. I've been lucky enough to see some amazing bands in the time I've been living here, and in smaller, more intimate locations than those bands would play on their home turf.

So the following are a few of my reccomendations for some bloody good bands in some great spaces with an amazing atmosphere.

Keane - Razzmatazz Wednesday 24th October. I saw Keane here about 8 years ago and they were great, really played to the crowd and it was almost karaoke-y at some parts, but they have another 3 albums under their belt now, so will surely mix it up a bit. Either way, highly reccomended.


Richard Hawley  - Apolo Friday 26th October. Richard is up for a Mercury Award this year, and actually played here already this year at Arc de Triomf during Primavera Sound for free, so great to see him back. Part of the Longpigs and collaborator with the likes of the very cool Elbow, Richard's got his own style and in such an intimate venue as Apolo, it'll be a great night.


Scissor sisters - Razzmatazz Monday 29th October. I'm never a fan of a Monday night concert, cos it's like the first day back at work syndrome, and it just doesn't feel right. However, if anyoine can get your toes tapping and your hips swaying it's the Scissor Sisters. They're certainly fans of Barccelona and even turned up to do an impromptu gig at Sonar one year, so you can bet they'll be up for entertaining this time too.

Blind Melon - Apolo 7th November - taking us straight into the November winter is the 20-year anniversary tour of Blind Melon at Apolo. I couldn't actually believe that it was 20 years since the release of their cool californian sounds and I reckon this will be a really cool concert to go and see, they'll be playing all their most successful crowd pleasers and are not promoting a new record or anything so it's going to be heaps of fun.



Anyone planning on going to any of these concerts? Or got any more to reccommend ? Let me know in the comments! And if you're coming to Barcelona this winter, check out BCN Rentals for some great deals on apartments. For a quick look at what's not to miss, then read this guide to Barcelona.

3...2...1...SONAR !!!

I can hardly believe this as I'm writing it, but this year's Sonar is the 19th edition (can't wait for next year already!). Already such an institution in Barcelona, it has also spread its wings in a similar way that Primavera Sound has done with editions in Sao Paolo, Tokyo and Cape Town but it's the original and best which keeps defying the neighbours' complaints in downtown Raval for Sonar by Day and Gran Via 2 for Sonar by Night.   Think dodgems, carpets and a haunted conference hall style atmosphere. With flashing lights.

As usual, organisers have had no trouble attracting big names, and expect to see the über cool New Order (how col is that?), a plethora of different DJs and acts like Friendly fires, James Blake, Die Antwoord, Jack Beats, Annie Mac, and a whole shed load of people who are probably just as good if not better but I've never heard of them. I'll cross my fingers for a tribute to Adam Yauch somewhere. 

Sonar embraces the city and you'd have to say that the city embraces Sonar, too, with events actually going on all this week and off-Sonar parties galore, so don't let it stop you from going to that UB40 concert tonight if that's your thing guys and gals. Plenty of time to watch the footy after a Sonar by Day session or a beach trip along with dinner and cocktails before catching the buses at Plaça Carbon (to the right of Columbus monument, people) to the night stuff. If you need a handy day-to-day guide, then download that here. 

Anyone heading down ? Or down there now?! Leave a message in the comments! Looking for last minute Barcelona deals? Then Check out www.bcn-rentals.com for some great prices on apartment rentals. 

Sonar 2011

What can you say about Sonar that hasn't already been said before ? quite simply it's one of the best festivals in Europe, and something that despite being slap bang in the middle of a city rather than a huge field, gathers momentum every single year. It's something people look forward to each year more or less as soon as the official posters come out early in the year.

Sonar is as local as it is International. Many people repeat year on year, loads are first timers, and a high percentage of the assistants are locals, too (I have friends who take a week off every year and go to the whole thing, day night, non-stop).



As usual, the line up doesn't look to disappoint (although I must admit I was secretly hoping for the Beasties to come back after their very cool new release, but never mind - just have to do with the very cool Fight for your right revisited at Sonar Cinema), with heavyweights Underworld sure to remind everyone just how good Trainspotting was. Aphex Twin are another from years gone by (with some of the coolest videos ever made!), as well as Human League, Dizzie Rascal, and many more to mention. Full line up here. As usual, the BBC has their live lounge over the full 3 days and there's also Sonar Radio for those of you who can't make the whole lot. The whole city kind of embraces Sonar and there's pretty much stuff going on which can be related to sonar all week, although the "actual" stuff is only 16th, 17th and 18th June.

And lets not forget the kids!! Sonar by Kids comes into its third year ready to entertain and form those little creative brains of our offspring. Again, far too much going on for me to detail here without repeating a list, but such variety from paper puppets to beatboxing, dj classes and workshops and breakdancing - on all day Sunday 19th.

Are you nipping to Sonar this year ? Anyone in particular you're looking forward to seeing? Let me know in the comments...

and if you're looking for accommodation in Barcelona close to Sonar there's a good link. If you need to familiarise yourself with the local area, too, then see this guide to Barcelona's old town.

May the Festivals Commence!

Now before you all start correcting me about festival time, and reminding me that we've already had Primavera Sound to kick off the season, it's only my way of saying that once we hit the second weekend of June, things just seem to come thick and fast and there's something about the sun that (usually) accompanies these kind of shindigs that doesn't mean rain, wellies and tents, rather sunshine, flip flops and Barcelona apartments.

So, with baited breath, it comes that time of the year again for those craaaazzy guys at Matinee group to commence the proceedings with their Summer Party. The site appears to have crashed today, so I'll point you in the direction of their Facebook page instead.



For those of you not in the know, the unique thing about the Matinee Summer festival is that it takes place in a huge water park just outside the city of Barcelona called Illa Fantasia. That's right, it's like one almighty pool party but it starts at 10am!! there is after parties of course from 22 onwards if you've managed to get your skin to resemble anything other than a shrivelled prune after all that dancing in the water...

The whole thing is very well organised with free buses to take you there every 15 minutes, and they have a decent line up to keep you amused all day - let's hope the weather obliges, too?!

Are you off to the party this year? Let me know in the comments...

BAM, Thank You Ma'am

If there wasn't already a lot to look forward to this month, there is another parallel event going on at the same time as La Merçe celebrations - BAM. BAM is the Barcelona Acciò Musical and is a short festival in it's 18th year happening from the 23rd to 25th September. And best of all, it's all free!

Taking place in various locations across the city, including the Old Damm Brewery on Calle Rossello, the Forum and a few other places (line up is not completely confirmed as to where people will be playing). And they have a pretty damn cool promotion video as well!

While the concerts mainly showcase local talent (and some decent stuff at that), there are also some international stars nipping in to do their stint. New York hip-hoppers Anti-Pop Consortium, Glaswegian due Belle & Sebastian and UK dance outfit Goldfrapp will all be pulling in the crowds. There's also Welsh rockers Ash (remember them?! Class!) and über-cool Hip-Hop DJ Alexander Nut. So if you're looking for that last-gasp festival to keep the summer you alive for a little bit longer, then get your dancing shoes on (not sandals, in case it rains) and check out the line ups!

Coming to Barcelona soon? Apartments in Barcelona are a great money-saver for many groups and families. And for a quick look at the must-see sights, check out this Barcelona Guide.

Hipnotik Hip Hop

There's no denying Hip Hop has an influence on the urban landscape of Barcelona. Some of the best graffiti can be seen in the city at every turn, and although I don't mean to associate every graffiti artist with a Hip Hop culture, it's always there or there abouts. Then there's the skater's paradise that is Barcelona. Lax laws (or enforcement), kilometres of land on a slight gradient and plenty of wide open downtown plaças and spaces with benches and rails right out of a Jason Hernandez video. There are plenty of Hip Hop shops, and admittedly although many have closed down due to the "crisis" you can still find what you're looking for. So it's only natural that the people of the city would want their platform to express and enjoy themselves. Hell, why not make a festival out of it?!



Well, rolling into its 7th year this Saturday is the Barcelona Hipnotik Festival down at the CCCB in Barcelona's old town. Already home for those "rap-offs" of the youthful poets of today's society, this promises a great line up of local and international talent for the day's events billed as "Hip Hop without boundries". Four different sections of the area are dedicated to Mixing on the decks, graffiti art, DJ sessions and microphone controller battles (that's MC's to you and me). It all kicks off on Saturday at 12 noon, and goes on till the wee hours. Fancy going? Tickets still available. Let me know in the comments!

Coming to Barcelona this Autum. Check out these apartments for rent in Barcelona for a great alternative to hotel rooms.

Barcelona Music Conference 2010

As if there wasn't enough going on in the city this coming weekend, with Barcelona Summer Week festival just around the corner, there's another big music event this weekend, with an enviable line-up as well. Barcelona Music Conference sounds extremely formal, and given the location at Fira de Barcelona you'd be forgiven for imagining something a little more organised and classical, perhaps, but it's along the same lines as Summer Week, with a stellar line up of top DJ's and the potential for another looooongggg weekend if you can manage it!



Friday and Saturday, 6th and 7th August if you're looking for a party under a roof, then head to Plaça Espanya. As usual, there's a discounted price if you go for both nights. It's 35 Euros for each night, or 50 Euros for the two nights. The party starts at 5pm and goes on for the full 12 hours (likely more!) - just in time for the metro ride back home! Or if you're feeling particularly flush, you can get a table under the stage with a bottle for a cool 1000 Euros, and a snip at 500 Euros for the second bottle! Surely you could just nip across to Ibiza for the weekend for that price?!

So, are you heading to Barcelona Summer Week or the Music Conference? Looking forward to seeing anyone in particular? let me know and leave a comment below (no spam, please, I get bored of deleting spam emails!).

Coming to Barcelona this month? Check out these apartments for rent in Barcelona as a great way to save money between friends. And for a quick look at the city sights, see this Barcelona Guide.

Blast to the Past with Cypress Hill

OK, possibly another slightly indulgent post for me here. I just think it's cool that some groups I used to listen to as a young lad get back together and do some touring. Especially as these kind of groups never set foot in the north east of England when I was young (the closest I got was a ticket for Nirvana at Leeds and then Kurt shot himself a few months before).



In the late 90s there were no cooler cats than Cypress Hill. Along with Jump Around by House of Pain, they were the American Dope-Smoking dudes rapping about...well, smoking dope. Infectious beats and lyrics combined with wacky voices made for a perfect recipe and they were considered as rock and roll rappers and it was perfectly normal for you to be listening to a compilation of grunge rock and mix it with the likes of the Hill. Well, the movie Judgment Night had some great collaborations on the soundtrack which included Pearl Jam and Cypress Hill and Dinosaur Jr with Del the funky homesapien (now with Gorillaz).

Anyway, if you fancy pulling out your black t-shirts and baggy jeans, and reliving those days you can't quite remember too well, then head on down to Razzmatazz on the 20th. I'm not exactly sure how the organisers are going to stop all the smoking going on in there, either, but we'll see?! Are you going to the concert? Looking forward to it? Let me know in the comments. And if you're looking for accommodation in Barcelona then consider renting an apartment for more freedom and space to relax. Also, if you're looking to explore outside the city, here's a link to the best Barcelona day trips.

Primavera Sound Kicks off Festival Season

Yes, it's that time again. The warm weather daring you to hide your jackets and coats (after the snow shock last in March!), and the trees blossoming, the terraces filling with happy smiles and the beginning of the festival season in Barcelona.



Kicking off tomorrow is Primavera Sound, which has transformed from a little spring festival in Poble Español to a monster event down at the Parc del Forum. These kind of events, a little like the upcoming Sonar, tend to have far too many great people you want to try and squeeze in seeing, and it's impossible to please evryone/satisfy that hunger to check out the live performances. So, just sit back, relax, put on your dnacing shoes and have a beer (it's sponsored by San Miguel, of course).

Some of this year's highlights include Pavement, Pet Shop Boys, The Charlatans, Pixies (!), Florence & the Machine, Marc Almond, Orbital, Lee Perry, and many many more. Particularly cool this year looks to be the Ray Ban unplugged stage.

Many of the clubs in the city have been joining in the fun already this week, and tickets are still available at 75 Euros for one day or 180 Euros for the full pass. Don't forget to change your ticket for a bracelet at Apolo to save the huge queues.

So, are you coming to the festival this year? Anyone in particular you're looking forward to seeing? Let me know in the comments.

Apartments for rent, Barcelona are a great way to chill before and after the festival. And to check out the area around the festival, see this short page about the Olympic Village and beaches of Barcelona.

Cranberries Land on Barcelona

Ok, so I've been here for ten years, and while I'm firmly of the position that Spain is trapped in the eighties (sorry for you regular Spanish readers), I'm also surprised at the popularity of other bands, and tomorrow night showcases one of them.

Irish band The Cranberries are back in town, with the original line-up after 7 years, and no-one could be happier than the Spanish. Despite attempts by the band members to go it solo without much success, the band hots into town tomorrow night in a pretty good venue at the Olympic Pavello in Badalona, considering the band isn't promoting a new album and re-playing some classic sounds from way back when. To put this in perspective, the guys will be playing on the same stage as the Backstreet Boys, Oasis and Take That in recent years.



When I was an English teacher when I first arrived in Barcelona, I was surprised at how popular The Cranberries were in Barcelona, for one. Many a homework was turned in on pieces by the band, or listening exercises with music always seemed to gear around to them, and they (along with Phil Collins and Rick Astley) must earn a fair wesge from radio airplay over here, too. However that makes it sound like I'm complaining. Not at all.

In 1992, whilst still learning to play the guitar and rehearsing with my college band, The Cranberries hit the main stage and despite Justine Frischmann from Elastica publicly damning Dolores for rhyming "finger" with "linger", the band went on to enjoy great success across the world. Although I haven't read much into it, lead singer Dolores has had her fair share of problems, but you can bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow night will be a great night of nostalgia, and funny Spanish karaoke singing (I've also been victim, that's not a dig!).

Coming to Barcelona this month? Check out these Barcelona apartments and for a quick look at the city sights, check out this Guide to Barcelona

Cool Music This Month in BCN

Perhaps a little bit of an indlugent post here, but this month sees some great music come to Barcelona. Tomorrow night UK rockers Arctic Monkeys return to the Catalan Capital to play a sell-out Sant Jordi Club with Mystery Jets supporting. Italian crooner Eros Ramazzotti plays on the 15th, and Kevin Costner plays an incredible two nights in Barcelona on the 18th and 19th. I'm never quite sure about actors who form bands, like Keanu Reeves, Woody Allen, etc. but I suppose he must have his own following. These are not the reason for my title of today's post.

It's the night of the 11th that has me excited, and I'm not talking about Joss Stone at Palau de la Musica. One of my favourite bands, Dinosaur Jr, are playing the Sala Apolo. Responsible for perhaps one of the best guitar riffs of all time (What Else is New from 1993's Where you been) voted by magazines such as NME, Q, etc. you won't be surprised to hear that they feature heavily on my spotify playlists. I've never embedded video into any of my blog posts before, but if anyone deserves it, it's J and the guys. Enjoy.


Dinosaur Jr - I Don't Think So


Coming to Barcelona this month? Check out these self catering apartments for rent in Barcelona instead of opting for a hotel. There are some great savings to be made!

Barcelona Live Music Venues

I was considering making this post a series with a bit more detail about each venue, but reckon it's probably more useful all mixed into one. Feel free to chip in with the comments if you feel I've missed anything worth a mention.

Barcelona is a great place for live music. As well as smaller venues across the city playing live music every weekend, and endless musical festivals from Jazz to electronic, if you want to get your rocks off in Barcelona, there are plenty of places.



Let's start with the big guns - Palau Sant Jordi. Part of the 1992 Olympic Games, Palau is a very versatile arena, and is the place most of the big artists choose when touring here, as it has a capacity of 20,000. Elton John recently finished his Red Piano tour here and artists as diverse as Green Day, Red Hot Chili pappers, Beyonce, Madonna, Phil Collins and and George Michael (who started his 25 Live Tour here) have had no problem filling the seats. Palau Sant Jordi is located up on Montjüic, meaning there's plenty of space for revellers to queue up before hand and public transport links are excellent.

Another popular place for the alternative crowd is Razzmatazz. This is actually a huge club with various different areas catering for all people's tastes and is located over in Poble Nou. This is a great venue to see bands who have not quite stamped their mark on the Spanish pop map just yet, and often bands play here before returning to the larger venues once their fame has took off. I've seen some great bands here; Coldplay in 2003 who later returned the same year to fill Palau Sant Jordi, Travis, Keane, NOFX, to name but a few. An excellent and intimate venue which is here to stay.




One of those intermediate venues is the Pavello Olympic in Badalona. This is an ideal venue for those bands who have a fairly large following, but can't quite fill Palau Sant Jordi (sting played a couple of years ago and should have gone here!). with a capacity of 12,500, the likes of Take That and the Backstreet Boys are happy to get bums on seats here and it's a decent size sports arena with great acoustics.

FC Barcelona's Camp Nou is reserved for only special guests, and obviously plays off season. The most notable acts over previous years have been Irish rockers U2, who played here in 2006 and started their recent 360º World Tour here with a double bill on 30th June and 2nd July this year. Camp Nou is an amazing concert venue, saved for über-stars, and was packed to the rafters on both occasions (I was lucky enough to go on both tours). The recent Go Crazy video was shot in Camp Nou (although they played the more upbeat version!).



Sala Bikini is a really small venue up near Diagonal, and again, is a great place to see some famous bands who have not necessarily made the grade over here yet. One of the best concerts I saw here was years ago when Supergrass played here - such a small venue and there was no barriers between the band and the crowd, it was amazing. Another place which I haven't seen many return, but is still a decent sized venue is Pavello de la Valle d'Hebron, in the north east of the city. Oasis famously cancelled a gig here in 2000 which was the slippery slope to where they are now, as they then returned without Noel and played the fastest concert I've seen (all the songs played at twice the speed up to finish earlier). When they finished, there was no encore, and Liam Gallagher said "Right we've been here now, f#*k off" - as if it was a simple contractual agreement! Never mind!

There are then some equally cool but more sporadic venues around town, where live music can almost always be found. This is where I'll need your help in the comments guys! I'm talking about the classic places like London Bar, Harlem Jazz Club, Jamboree, Pipas Bar, etc. These are institutions in Barcelona, and many a night we've stumbled across a live band jamming away and spent a great, un-planned night in one of these places.

Coming to see a band in Barcelona soon? Check out these apartments for rent in Barcelona and for a heads up on the rest of the city, see this great Barcelona Guide.

Sonar Comes to Town.

Crisis? What Crisis? Barcelona is buzzing today, with loads of tourists in and around the old town and many of them have come not just for the sunshine, but for the biggest Electronic Music Festival of the early summer - Sonar.



An expected 80,000 revellers are due to hit the Catalan Capital to banish those end-of-term blues, and bring in the summer (if a little early) with a bang. This year's event has some of the usual big names, with Grace Jones, Orbital and Richie Hawtin amongst the relative unknowns that everyone will be talking about when they leave.

As well as sonar Radio via the Sonar website, awdio is broadcasting Sonar Live all weekend, too. This year's SonarMatica seesions include the great Sonar for Kids session, and the amazing-looking reactable - watch the video for an idea which is impossible to explain without having a few beers first! All in all, it looks to be another great year for Sonar - it's 16th edition - which keeps on surprising.

Check out these Old Town apartments, close to the Sonar by Day events and ideal for groups of friends or families. And for a heads up on the rest of the city, see this great Barcelona Guide.