Nacho Vegas predecessor

Fate wished Nacho Vegas had closed the tour Violet Shortly before the coronavirus emptied all the scenarios of the planet. Two years later he was back on the road Still the worlds are falling apart And indeed, the world has changed so much in this short time that it seems that the Asturian world has not changed at all. And it is not so. The singer-songwriter has rejuvenated the band (not Leon Benavente on stage or on the soundtrack) and staged (with an elegant and simple lighting set that enhances the sextet image). One of the biggest successes of this new tour is the incorporation of guitarist Julian Heinemann, who enjoys valuable vocal chromaticism in his Vegas recording, which is also remarkably continued to grow as a performer.

Asturian started raising his voice in 2005, the year he released his third album. Will disappear here. It was then that he decided to separate his chin from his neck during the song. It was a necessary maneuver if he was to defend similar titles The man who almost met Michi Panero, That a compositional change has already been noted; More outside and less inside. Meeting with Banber on disk Cherry Time (2006) accelerated the process of cervical relaxation and cervical relaxation, previously shown only by the singer-songwriter, with a vocal register bordered on the rigid. The journey to present-day Nacho Vegas was slow and costly given his embarrassment, but also without going back. And, as heard on Saturday at L’Hospitalet (Barcelona) Teatre Joventut, this year the Spaniard sings better than ever.

Two steps back

Tickets 24 euros. Pure sponsorship scenario. A few empty seats. The group has just returned Tour in Mexico. On this new tour, Vegas spends much of the concert without playing the guitar, allowing him to concentrate on vocal performance. Hands free, he often grabs the wireless microphone and can move the microphone away from the stand. But while the vast majority of singers take advantage of this opportunity to reach the edge of the stage and the public, Vegas does the opposite. It is hard to believe that this is purposeful. Hypothesis One: Maybe it’s a shame that holds him back. The truth is that after being released from the presenter, it is the microphone stand that crosses him in front of the public, Nacho takes two steps back and into the space that remains between the drawers and the support table where he drinks. Wine, glasses, plectrums, and a sheet of repertoire, along with reluctance to sing.

And it is in that backstage that something even more inexplicable happens. Vegas turns his head slightly to the right, focusing on the dead ground, the audience, and Jose in the middle of Irazok. Neither looks at the public nor his guitarist. His sight is lost at the inaccurate point of the foot that supports the table and behind which is the sound monitor. Slightly lift the left heel and bend the leg. Move a hand that does not hold the microphone, highlight some at the end of the verse. He poses with automatic uncertainty, like Elvis Presley trying out ideas for his first tour; Like Usulo Bunber, probably. And work on the appropriate intonation to continually improve as a singer. But, to whom does he devote so much effort? Where the hell is Nacho Vegas looking for? Hypothesis Two: You may be looking for a field of vision without stimuli to better concentrate on your voice. Hypothesis Three: Maybe he is looking for the band sound that the monitor emits so as not to lose the melodic thread. Hypothesis 4: Can you imagine reading poems on a screen that can not be seen from the stands? Will know, but there will remain quite a lot of songs; In that strange visual inhuman land that also becomes the land of the expressive no one, the land of the sociable no one.

Vegas was raised to be a spectator shoegaze British band from the late 80s, those bands that played shoelaces to overcome shyness. It’s been years since Vegas stopped watching the floor, but it’s still hard to say where it looks on stage. In the middle of the concert, the spectators on the left side of the stalls still hope that the singer looks up in confusion and his gaze fits on their chairs. But the community on the right wing has already lost hope. He assumed that today they had a Nacho Vegas predecessor. Hypothesis Five: He may not want to look at the audience at crucial moments of the concert because he does not want to reflect himself on the faces of the students and the audience.

Neither Neil Young nor Chris Martin

It is not obligatory for the public to contact him as much as possible. Neil Young offered memorable live shows in front of Crazy Horse, mostly looking for visual contact with his musicians. This is not the case. Five Asturian musicians remain in their positions. And Vegas is only approaching Heinemann at this time The last big joke Looks like a planned scene. The big experts in the stadium lighting business (from Dave Gahan to Bono) spend half the night in the sky because that’s where they want to take their fans. And, as soon as you do not intend to go into the eyes of guys like Chris Martin, you too look up to the sky if you find any cosmic connection there; Or if at any given moment they were depicting the image of the four Coldplay in the clouds as the cherubim of celestial pop. But, of course, chasing Nacho’s gaze and searching for deeper answers in the dead zone of the scene he has chosen and in which he endlessly fixes his gaze and progress can be most frustrating and frustrating. what the hell?

In fact, few people go to a concert in the expectation that the artist will look them in the eye. But when that gaze is fixed on the spectator or group of spectators, the rest of the spectator perceives the scene and is also fed by the instant light that Electroshock lucky fans. So stupid and so right. Understanding that they are singing to you today is one of the most rewarding sensations of live music. Not “just for you”, but “for you”. Virtually everything in show business is a lie. But there is nothing wrong with that. There is nothing wrong with cheating for a few minutes. Theater is not a one-sided art. It requires both the ability to charm and the ability to charm.

From the viewer we see Nacho Vegas, but we are not sure he saw us. Sometimes it feels like we sneaked into a dress rehearsal without noticing it. It is obvious that the Asturian is acting. It is not so obvious that it works for us. And this constantly reduces the impact of his vocal performances and even group work. There is something in his body language that subconsciously grabs the reins of the concert and slows him down. Something that completely disappears when Vegas decides to take this interpretive step forward, take the lead of the band, copy the song from the CD and deliver it to the public. Anyone who has been to the Gioventu Theater the other night knows that this would be a song Fine or nothing.

Face to face

When Vegas picks up the guitar and returns to his most static position, in front of the microphone stand, paradoxically the concert gains in terms of expressiveness. Whether you like it or not, the audience suddenly enters your vision. You can occasionally hide your gaze on the wings of the guitar, but when you lift your neck to bring your lips closer to the microphone, they will all be there. And falls Be a tree And John Price’s version falls. And Town Van Zand Waterfall. And the fall of Daniel Johnston. And you can not justify your idols with the song of prophecy. Nacho Vegas, face to face. And there is no longer any doubt: we all want to kill vampires.

In Ramon In He leaves the guitar again but, for some reason, stays in front of the microphone stand and we won a previous performance that was not intended. But Vegas did not take long for the microphone to pass the stage and inject another dose of body antinodynamics into its performance. The scene repeats itself. Two steps back, neck tilted 45 degrees to the right, chin slightly sunken but not touching the chest, eyes half closed and … goodbye, Nacho Vegas. Hello, I’m short. ᲠThere are people too. These are his traditions and should be respected. But when this way of doing things is solidified, left-wing seats will soon be sold out and promoters will have to invent strategies to sell on the right-hand side. Reduced tickets: 20% discount!

To stop time

Months before casting The worlds are still falling apart, The Spaniard went through a creative block that made him doubt himself as a composer. This is a declaration of intent (and joy) that this is the second title in this tour’s repertoire To stop time. Record in this song An obvious disaster (2008), Vegas reviews the events that sparked his passion for music, moments when he discovered that singing could literally stop time, and that if he learned the profession, he too could master this gift and master his fears. “As the present fear has become the truth / and now that I have them before me, I know they will always be there / and even if the crowds continue to persecute me / now I know that time may stand still,” he concludes.

Drives can, in fact, stop time. As well as live performances. Appearance, even without music, can cool the blood. Nacho Vegas’s artistic growth since his debut as a singer-songwriter Unexplained actions (2001) was the best gift anyone could expect from a Spanish Indian. However, the poetic boldness he has possessed over the years contradicts his scenic ambiguity. In Asturias, a narrator and an orator on an open grave still coexist. And understandably: they are different trades.

On the last breath of the concert, when the spectator is already on his feet and the lights of the theater are to be turned on, his voice and gaze are thrown in one direction: yes, the spectator. It was a short moment. Nacho Vegas uttered two farewell words. It was “thank you”, “see you soon” or something like that. .Nothing special. But he said this with a wide smile on his face and, above all, looking directly at the audience. Spark. Shine.