La columna de Gonzalo Pedraja, donde expone todo su saber acerca del rock británico y otras vertientes, además de entrevistas exclusivas. Un espacio para los amantes del buen rock.
A few weeks ago, when Ariel Scarpa (the editor of Sólo Rock) suggested we each choose our five favorite albums, I knew that in my case I could only start from number two —because the number one spot has been taken for decades. There are albums that, once you hear them, open a door that never fully closes again… and with Phantasmagoria, that’s exactly what happened to me.
Semanas atrás, cuando Ariel (Scarpa, el Director de Sólo Rock), nos planteó el ejercicio de elegir nuestros cinco discos preferidos, en mi caso sabía que sólo podía elegir del puesto 2 en adelante, porque el número uno ya tenía dueño desde hace décadas. Hay discos que una vez los escuchás, abren una puerta que queda entreabierta para siempre… y con Phantasmagoria me ocurrió eso.
In the history of punk, there are names that sound like anthems: Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Damned… but behind the bands, there was a group of young people who, without playing a single chord (or just a few), became protagonists of the scene. That group went down in history as The Bromley Contingent.
En la historia del punk, hay nombres que suenan como himnos: Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Damned… pero detrás de las bandas, hubo un grupo de jóvenes que, sin tocar un solo acorde (o tocando muy pocos), se convirtieron en protagonistas de la escena. Ese grupo pasó a la historia como The Bromley Contingent.
The United Kingdom in 1977 was far from a haven of stability. The economy was shaky, unemployment was rising, blackouts were frequent, and the unions were up in arms. Meanwhile, the Royal Family was preparing to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee: 25 years on the throne, with pomp, protocol, and truckloads of little flags.
El Reino Unido en 1977 no era precisamente el paraíso de la estabilidad. La economía tambaleaba, el desempleo crecía, los apagones eran frecuentes y los sindicatos estaban en pie de guerra. Mientras tanto, la Casa Real se preparaba para celebrar el Jubileo de Plata de la Reina Isabel II: 25 años en el trono, con pompa, protocolo y toneladas de banderitas.
It’s a wonderful thing to have the opportunity to write about what we love. It’s a difficult thing to try to express these feelings in words, at least for me… I have no doubt that the beloved Gustavo Aguilera would do it much better. Ever since the news broke that The Damned were coming to Uruguay, the idea of writing about it became my guiding light. And The Damned came, swept through, and left… but before, during and after, things happened.
Cosa linda tener la posibilidad de escribir sobre lo que nos gusta. Cosa difícil intentar expresar en palabras las sensaciones, al menos para mí… no tengo dudas que el querido Gustavo Aguilera lo haría mucho mejor. Desde que surgió la noticia que The Damned vendría a Uruguay, la idea de escribir sobre ello pasó a ser mi faro guía. Y los Damned vinieron, arrasaron y se fueron… pero antes, durante y después, pasaron cosas.
On Thursday, March 6, we learned of Brian James’ death, and social media was immediately flooded with messages of sadness and fond memories from those who knew him, all with one thing in common: a musician who left his mark everywhere he went and, above all, a great person. Saying I was shocked might lead many to say “wait, Gonzalo… you’re exaggerating a bit…”, and I hope that after reading the next few paragraphs, you’ll understand why I’m not exaggerating.
SÓLO ROCK Uruguay 