Deep Purple September 15

Go to their websites and read their own words and they try and tell you they have moved on from the sound that made them great in the 70's. Well they lie. This is a band that don't know how not to rock! Yes there was material from the latest album but come on guys this crowd got jumpin' when some of the greats started to get bashed out. Black Night, Smoke on the Water and Highway Star all had the 3000 or so leaping about.
An incredibly polished performance from what they say is one of the hardest working bands on tour and when you look at their schedule you have to believe it. Good fun, good rock, good quality musicians, the only downside is remembering all those great songs the first time round, hey ho.
I've never seen so many black t-shirts in one place before and I've been up the front at a few rock concerts including a Hawkwind concert. (OK a long time ago.) And as for the aroma wafting through the Palmarena, I think most of us managed to get high even though it was impossible to get near a bar for the complete concert. But the upside to that was introducing the country folk to the 24/7 Cafe after, with a couple of beers and a burger.
Come on guys more rock less jazz, please!

Craig Adams 31 August 2008

This promised to be an entertaining evening and hallelujah!, was it ever. Craig Adams and The Voice of New Orleans had already sold out the previous evening here at The Pollensa Festival and was subsequently booked for a second night. Is this a first for The Festival?

Whilst you were wondering why oh, why go to a night of Gospel singing, even if you're not a regular churchgoer you just had to be there to understand. Having been to previous Gospel concerts and been very disappointed, this concert just got better as the night went on. Craig is a master of the happy clappy style along with enough of the blues to get your feet tapping all night. He has a voice that commands to be listened to and can play a piano up there with the best of the early rock and rollers - even the great Jerry Lee Lewis would probably go to church to see this guy.

It was very surprising to see the usually reserved Pollensa Festival regulars letting their hair down, with Craig getting everybody on their feet early on and making sure they kept getting on their feet throughout. At one stage (when the saints come marching in) there was even a dozen or so of the audience on the stage dancing and following in line behind the ample Craig, singing and clapping their hearts out.

The backing band The Voice of New Orleans consisting of 4 vocalists, a drummer and a bass guitarist spent the whole evening with big smiles on their faces, no not like a synchronised swimmer smile, real smiles that were so infectious you just couldn't help doing the same. Everyone on the stage just seemed to want to keep going as they were obviously thoroughly enjoying themsleves.

A fantastic and extremely energetic entertainer who made you fast realise why this type of music enticed you from the boredom of the cotton fields six days a week to the raucous and thoroughly uplifting scene at the local church on a Sunday. Almost enough to make you a believer all on his own!

This was a fantastic concert with sore hands at the end from all the happy clappying!

Diana Krall - Aug 5

She has been well written about over the last few months and it has to be admitted, it was well founded. There was not the clapping and shouting you find at a rock concert but this was a truly professional show. Her piano playing along with what must be a smokers voice, were superb.

She played some great standards, covering the likes of Frank Sinatra and many more to perfection. Sadly her husband was not around to join in, perhaps he was baby sitting the twins?

Before going you felt that this concert really needed a smaller venue, but this would have left the 4000 or so in a long line outside the Jazz Voyeur Club in La Llonja, Palma. But with what was obviously a lot of hard work and a very expensive (off island) production team Jazz Voyeur has yet again come up trumps. To be able to watch her piano playing close up was a real treat with the fantastic big screen set up that had been aranged. (Surely a first for Mallorca, especially at this quality level)

Well done guys, keep bringing them in.

Simply Red - Aug 3

A highly anticipated concert by many and avoided by the same amount. What is it about Mick Hucknall that make people either love him or loath him? There seemed to be a few people enjoying themselves despite this at Palma's Bullring this Sunday. On he bounced with his 70's suit and bashed out one of his big hits that wafted straight over you while you waited for another one.
A bit like Chinese food, once eaten, quickly forgotten and still hungry for more, but it never really seems to satisfy. Oh that's not the Ken Hom type of Chinese food, now that is good. He used to have a top notch restaurant in Victoria somewhere, one of my favorites. Oh and why can't we get proper crispy duck in Mallorca. Shredded properly with great plum sauce, pancakes, spring onions and cucumber. If anyone knows where I can get this can they let me know at info@digamemallorca.com.

Oh yeah Simply Red, well what can I say ........................? Not a lot.

Richard Hawley - 26 July

How to describe this guy? He's not really rock or roll, nor would I describe him as Indie, Country & Western or folk. He seems to fit somewhere in amongst all of the above. The Sheffield songster, who was rightly nominated for a Mercury award a couple of years ago, gave a stunning and beautiful performance in Bellver Castle, Palma.

Reminding you slightly of Roy Orbison or Johnny Cash, with that deep resonant voice. This guy, who has had his pop days with Pulp, kept a packed house silent throughout what was yet another magical night under the stars. Silent apart from the few Brits, who thought they were at a football match, with chants of "cum on Richard" hmmm?

As this was the last of The Waiting for Waits concerts, Richard dutifully performed a Tom Waits number at the end, which he performed well, if not with just a little too much of a Western accent, but yee hah, I suppose that's what it's all about!

One of the best of the Waiting for Waits concerts, c'mon Tomeu don't give up yet!

Simone Zanchini - July 25

This was the last of the Cala Rajada summer concerts. Every year they have a series of different concerts performed in the beautiful gardens of Torre Cega overlooking the bay and the pretty harbour of Cala Rajada.
Not knowing quite what to expect apart from quality performers it is very difficult to prepare yourself for a night of accordion listening. It was an unusual concert from this Italian trio but one that turned out to be very enjoyable, with them playing some great jazz classics under the stars - three excellent musicians. Simone on the accordion was just fantastic, getting an incredible array of music from what looks like a very cumbersome instrument. There was a moment somewhere in the middle where they did their jazz thing, but I think they can be forgiven for that as overall it was a well put together performance
On a personal note I do think is very difficult to do a solo on double bass, maybe it's just me?

Farruquito - July 24

After a 3 year absence the highly anticipated return of 26 year old Juan Manuel Fernandez Montoya - Farruquito - was as good as expected. This was the premiere of his new spectacular Puro, with a stage full of performers this promised to be a Flamenco show to top anything else seen on Mallorca. It did not disappoint!

7 singers, 3 guitars, a violin, a piano & percussion were all there to back up this amazing talent. The only way to describe him is as the Michael Jackson of the Flamenco world. His movement was precise, extremely energetic and totally exhilarating. He does not appear to have lost any of his style during his enforced absence, neither has he lost any of his looks judging by the ladies reactions in the audience.

All in all a fantastic show full of good music and dancing which would grace any theatre in the world as a showcase for the best of Spain and Flamenco.

Roger Hodgson (Supertramp) - Sun 13 July

The second of the Pollensa Festival concerts and a bit of a break from the normal classical performances. Roger Hodgson as most of you know was the writer and voice of Supertramp throughout their glory years. Since parting company with the other members he has pursued a very successful solo career, performing not only the Supertramp music that we all know and love but also a lot of new material.

He was joined on stage by just one person, Aaron MacDonald, but such is the nature of this music megastar it seemed that there was a complete band with them. Rogers talent on keyboards and guitar were astounding, making you fully appreciate what a talent this guy is. When performing all those great songs, Dreamer, The Logical Song, Give a little bit as well as more recent songs including the great Lovers in the wind you were listening to the same voice of 30 years ago.

But to really cap the whole show of, young Aaron also showed that he was no music stoolie, just there to make up the numbers. He too had an enormous amount of talent, playing sax, keyboard and various other instruments to add to the whole effect. This was an exceptional concert in the most beautiful surroundings of The Claustre de Sant Domingo in Pollensa and one that will not be forgotten in a hurry!

The Psychedlic Furs - 21 June 2008

A dramatic entry by lead Richard Butler, vocalist and main writer of this post punk band. A band who have had more of an influence on pop and rock over the years than you realise. Quoted by one of their biographers that they would "have more impact on future musicians than they ever did in the marketplace"

With brother Tim on bass, John Ashton on lead and the unbelievably good Mars Williams on sax this promised to be a performance to remember and it did not disappoint at any level. Not very long into the set the band struck up Heaven to rapturous applause from the excited crowd in this beautiful courtyard setting. From that point on it just got louder and better up until the last number of the main set Pretty in Pink of course, where a member of the audience jumped on to the stage and was handed the mike by Butler and told to finish of the song while he went backstage to wait for the obligatory applause and calls for more. 4 more great songs in the encore left the crowd breathless and happy. Another great rock band in Mallorca, keep 'em coming!

Probably the only show at the beautiful Misericordia courtyard in Palma this year which is a great shame as this surely is one of the best summer venues around. Intimate enough to get up close but large enough for a couple of thousand people and unlike the bullring you don't quite feel it is all going to collapse around you!

Pee Wee Ellis - 20 June 2008

As part of the Jazz Voyeur season Pee Wee Ellis played at Sala Assaig in Palma to a packed house. Pee Wee soon captured most peoples attention with his presence and also the quality of his playing. An accomplished musician who has been in the business for all of his life and still going strong at 67. Yes there were those jazz moments where the musicians went off on their own, but thankfully not too many. As the evening went on you started to understand why he is crowned with being the master of Jazz Funk. With his version of the classic Herbie Hancock Cantaloupe Island he had everybody, wiggling their hips, clicking their fingers and tapping their feet, (apart from the lady next to me that is, who talked through the complete performance to anyone who would listen and even got upset when I asked her to stop! Why do some people bother going to these things?). He was joined on stage for couple of tracks by a local singer who really added a touch of magic to the show.

A very entertaining evening by a jazz master -
"not bad for jazz"
As a side issue, considering the lack of good venues in Palma for live music this one is totally underutilised for concerts like this. It's obvious problem is its dark and unwelcoming location on the main industrial estate in Palma but once inside it is an excellent place to listen to live music. Good acoustics, good views from most parts, a self contained bar plus the Assaig cafe just next door as a meeting place.

The Enemy, Ibiza Rocks - 31 May 2008

Only a 52€ return ferry trip and a 35€ a person hotel room gave us the pleasure of being one of a few hundred people to see The Enemy up close and live on Saturday night.

Taking the early morning ferry on Saturday from Palma we found ourselves in the beautiful port of Ibiza Town 2 hours later, amongst the beautiful people that are found on The White Isle. Being a lot smaller than Mallorca the trip to the infamous town of San Antoni on the opposite side of the island is only a 1/2 hour drive away, incidentally passing the ever young Amnesia club as well as allegedly the biggest club in the world now named Privilege. The last time I was there it had a different name and an Olympic size swimming pool - inside!
Checking in to the Ibiza Rocks Hotel you know you are in for an experience, a reception area full of X-Box's to start with, plus what has to be mentioned, extremely friendly staff. The previous use of the hotel was obviously as a 3 star tourist type venue, so as far as the 300 or so rooms were concerned not many extras, although our room which was clean and equipped with a small kitchen area was perfectly adequate, especially as at the end of the end of the day all you are going to do is sleep in it, but not at the end of the day, more like halfway through the next one!

The evenings entertainment consisted of 3 live bands as well as the resident DJ, all performing outside in the main pool area, sadly in the rain at the start of the evening.

As the evening got going the rain eased and by the time The Enemy appeared it was all but a few drops. And then! Well what can you say, this is a platinum album selling band that play at sold out stadiums across the UK in front of 1000's and here we were amongst an excited crowd of hundreds. It did not take them long to get us all going, real rock stars can do this without thinking and these guys were awesome. take a listen to them here http://www.myspace.com/theenemycoventry and you might start to understand why. With them performing the best of their music and a new one or two you just could not help jumping around, songs like Had Enough and Away from here are brilliant but to be there listening to This song this close and in what was an electric atmosphere was just too much. If you get the chance you just have to see them! By the end of the concert we had managed to wish the rain away and get ourselves hyped up for more of the entertainment that San Antoni has to offer.

A trip back on the Sunday evening ferry meant that there was no rushing around, which was just what the doctor had ordered. A few hours of mooching, a pleasant late lunch on the beach and a couple of beers in the sun waiting for the ferry to arrive.

Over the weekend we also managed to drop in on an old friend and Island Celeb Tony Pike. He has been running his exclusive Pikes Hotel here now for 28 years and for those of you that might find 3 star tourist hotels not quite up to the required needs then this is the place to stay. Tony's famous guests include Julio Iglesia, Grace Jones, Freddie Mercury, Fat Boy Slim and the famous Club Tropicana video by the Wham boys being shot in the pool. A beautiful place just for beautiful people, no way, everybody always feels welcome here as Tony is one of the greatest natural hosts you will ever find and his hotel is just one of the coolest you will find anywhere in the world. http://www.pikesibiza.com/ check it out.

Bring on the Fratellis!!! go to http://www.digamemallorca.com/ for updates on acts.

NEW Bar area opens at Port ´Alt

Kim Brandis & her team were very excited to open the new bar area at Restaurant Port ´Alt, Portals Nous during May. It´s a great place to chill out with a glass of wine and delicious food cooked over an open flame on the BBQ. It is also cleverly separated from the rest of the restaurant, making it the perfect place for parties and group events.

Port ´Alt must have one of the best situations in Mallorca with it´s wonderful views of the sea, and with Kim´s ethos of making all her customers feel totally relaxed, it is a delightful place for a summertime lunch or evening meal under the stars. (Photograph by Samantha Hemsley).

May 28 Mary Weiss - Shangri-Las

An excited and expectant crowd made the trip to Lloseta to watch yet another legend of pop in concert. One of many that have appeared in Mallorca over the last few years and surely not the last.

Mary followed her band out and got straight into good old fashioned rock / pop. Her set included both songs from the 60's and more recent material from her last two albums. The style of the latest material being very much like the original Shangri-Las sound. You also had the impression that she was enjoying herself.

For those of you that don't know, Mary's first time round was as a 15 year old back in 1964 where herself, her sister and the Ganser twin sisters shot to fame with songs like Remember (Walking in the sand) and the infamous Leader of the pack. They were to have a string of hits and sold out tours across the States but unfortunately because of a much resented record contracy made by her mother they were locked into a ten year deal. Rather than carry on they decided to wait out the ten years but by the time they were ready to come back the music scene had changed dramatically leaving no place for their style of music. Thankfully things have changed and we are all much more able to appreciate and enjoy the style of music put together by The Shangri-Las.

This was a show that was full of emotion with Mary getting very upset over one song which mirrored her life with her mother but then came back to get the audience jiving (well almost) with the classics of the 60's. the backing band were also exceptional, which is not surprising considering the bass player is from Roxy Music and the drummer from the Smithereens. Another classic night in Lloseta for us all.

March 18 James Harman

The first of two special nights for the Bluesville team with performances from the legendary James Harman. This was blues how you expect to hear it, accompanied by 4 extremely talented musicians the venue was bouncing. The drummer and lead guitar were both outstanding but the performances by Lluis on piano was just amazing with great honky tonk keyboards being smashed. This is not to say that everyone else was not as good but he did shine, almost as much as the man himself, who was brilliant on the harmonica and sang the blues like he meant it. Just the way John Belushi would have liked to hear it. it's good to see performers like this coming to the island and makes awelcome change from jazz.

Also worth noting that this is another great music venue.

March 7 & 9 Patti Smith

Teatre Principal in Palma hosted the two Patti Smith & Band concerts in Palma on the 7th and 8th March. Having been lucky enough to go to the first night of these two concerts I was a bit unsure about what to expect. After all Patti Smith has been performing since the early 1970's, which was before most of the audience on this night were born.

But WOW! Yes she still has the effect that early punk had on you, raw, full of energy, lyrics that ask why - loudly, but now showing years of experience in performing and putting together great music. The band, which included her incredibly talented son Jackson and long time collaborator Lenny Kaye, were just perfect. A band that honoured this Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee with its flawless performance. Yes she performed the great classics, Gloria and Because the Night, which were worth paying an entrance fee for alone, but the rest of the concert was packed with great ballads and great rock, leaving an audience standing and breathless.

On the Sunday after these 2 concerts, there was a planned poetry recital by Patti in the Chopin museum in Valldemossa, again which we were lucky to be invited to. This was to be special night for an audience of around only 100 in the moody and beautiful setting of the Real Cartuja monastery. There had been a rumour that she was bringing a guitar and maybe she would play a couple of numbers here, as well as reading some of her poetry. We were not disappointed, far from it. She read some great works of her own and by others and did it it exceptionally well along with a mix of great songs alone with her guitar. Even though she appeared nervous working in what was a very intimate venue in front of an even more nervous audience the evening turned into something very special. I am not sure if it was a coincidence but March 9 is a special day for Patti, it was the day she first met her husband Fred, who sadly died in 1994. It was also the day her great friend, the photographer, Robert Mapplethorpe died (1989). This seemed to add an edge to the experience, an edge that gave us all an insight into the women rather than the rock star. It showed her to be fallible, as we all are, but do not expect, when we get this close to a person exalted as much as she is.

The mood really showed when Patti came back for an encore and wanted to finish with a song dedicated to Mapplethorpe, as she got lost amongst her emotions after the first few lines. For us, the audience, it created a moment that few people can ever have witnessed. Calling on her friend Lenny Kaye to take the guitar from her she decided to do something never done before, and went on to perform along with Kaye a totally unplugged and very emotional version of Because the Night. With an audience joining in on the choruses and lightning flashing across the mountains in the background this was a night of pure rock history in front of a few very lucky people. THANK YOU PATTI SMITH.

Oh and small note if ever you come across wine from the Binigrau cellar, I recommend that you buy it quickly, a big thank you to them for the exceptional wine on this memorable night in Valldemossa.

March 2 2008 Marah & The Deadstring Brothers

The concert season at Teatre LLoseta kicked of with two great rock bands from the USA . The Deadstring Brothers proved to be as good as they sound on their Myspace site. Good rock and roll, great voices and lots of enthusiasm.
This was their first visit to Europe by invitation of the main act, Marah, who I'm sure will not be disappointed
by their choice of support.
Marah, well what can you say about these guys. This is their third visit to Mallorca. They have such a good following, plus they enjoy performing here so much they just had to come back whilst on another action packed tour of Europe. They have an amazingly large fan base in Spain for an American band that perform in English and struggle to say hello in Spanish. But when you see these guys live you understand why. The energy and the power that they put out is amazing. The music is well written and the two brothers, Serge and David Bielanko, have the sort of gruff, smoked too many cigarettes, but just right, rock and roll voices that make you want to join in.
If they come back next year, which I hope they do, let's hope they turn up on a Friday or Saturday night instead of Sunday and although Teatre Lloseta is a great venue, they also appear nearer to Palma so that you can have a drink and really let your hair down. A band like this deserves a good audience!

January 2008 Circ Bover

The first night of San Sebastian was preceded by a visit to the circus. Circ Bover, who are based in Mallorca, had been on at Parc de la Mar in Palma from mid December. A small company of around a dozen, they get you smiling from the moment you walk in. The two clowns help to get everybody in the right mood, along with setting the scene for the evenings entertainment. A very light hearted but extremely professional bunch of young performers that keep your attention throughout.

Having seen the show in Sineu (I think), not long after they first started this tour back in November, I have to give them all a pat on the back for the way they have improved their performances, a very slick show.

If you had to pick a star of the show it has to be Raffa the clown, whose antics had the child in front of us wetting himself with laughter from the off, but he also helps to make the show flow. There is not a point throughout where you are looking at your watch, apart from the break when you want them to come back out and give you more!

This was their last night at Parc de la Mar and their last show until March and even though they obviously had some friends in the audience they received a standing ovation at the end of the evening and it was much deserved.

I'll be looking out for them when they return.

Jan 19 San Sebastian night 1

The annual San Sebastian celebrations in Palma this year produced a bit of a dilemna, well for us foreigners anyway. Once everybody had worked out what was on where, we were spoilt with the choice of 2 great English bands of the 70's and 80's, Echo & The Bunnymen or ELO. My decision was made easier as the band on before Echo was Sterlin. A local band with lead singer Adela Peraita's who has been described to me, by a well known bar in Sa Pobla, as having "the voice of an angel". Their music does not disappoint, playing original rock ballads with catchy tunes and good lyrics. If you come across their album "Destroy", I strongly recommend it.

After a short break to sort out the stage, the main act Echo & The Bunnymen appeared. Even though there had been good reports of the band it was difficult to know what to expect. It had been over 20 years since these guys had been at the top of the tree so you tend to be a bit dubious. But it didn't take long to realise that lead singer McCulloch and guitarist Sergeant had not lost a bit of their original style and swagger. With music from their underated last album Siberia along with the classics that you all know, including seven seas, The killing moon and bring on the dancing horses from their early days the audience was rocking to this great free show. The square, Joan Carles II, was jam packed and a lot of those were Brits, plus we heard a good contingent of scousers speak up when requested. I bet there were a few wheel-less cars in Palma that night :-).

A great music night in Palma, but the oranisers have got to get themselves sorted out. You wait for good concerts and along come two on one night. By all accounts the ELO concert was very good, even though there were none of the original members, they were almost the real deal. But no Mr Blue Sky!