Hitting the road
with the sun up, the wind in your face, and "Roads" from the Backyard
Babies pumping on the speakers makes it seem that, just for a moment, the whole
universe is reconciled.
Travelling the
long way to attend the show of one of your favorite bands - those of so many
that you thought you could never see live - can be an experience, at least,
very interesting.
The night in
Niceto Club started early with many fans approaching to share expectations,
drinks and a conversations about what they would experience a few hours later.
Just after 8.30 p.m, Camus, Kefren and the Turbocoopers took turns in warming
up the stage for the main event of the night.
An almost full
venue was the framework for what would be a powerful and intimate show, where
the band altered their list of songs with brutal honesty ("we truly did
not know what songs to play, so we're going to do the ones that we like »), and
boy they really did. After an overwhelming start by the hand of "Made me
Madman" and "U.F.O Romeo", they gave free rein to a string of
their finest and most classic material. The quartet sounded tight, and although
the sound of Dregen's guitar might have been louder, Nicke Borg's aguardentious
voice was heard loud and clear during the 90 minutes of the show. The singer was
much more animated than usual, and with excellent humor he led the band with an
enviable cadence. The base of Peder Carlsson and Johan Blomqvist sounded solid and
held the foundations for Dregen to display his unique style of playing and
moving on stage. With a 1930s New York gangster look, his custom Gibson and an
arsenal of trademark riffs, the guitarist danced, harangued, cheered and
literally blew up the audience singing the now classic "Star War,"
leaving more than one with an open mouth in the face.
They sounded
"Highlights", "Dysfunctional professional", a heartfelt
"Abandon", a much-hyped "Nomadic", the surprising
"Ghetto you", the catchy "Heaven 2.9", and perhaps the most
emotional moment of the night from the hand of "Painkiller", that
hymn to the losers co-written with Tyla of Dogs D'Amour that made the skin
bristle with amazing lyrics and the magnificent guitar solo by Dregen. After
the announcement of the release of new songs for the end of the year and only
two songs of his last album "Th1rt3en or Nothing", the last section
of the show was a real Punk n' Roll bulldozer, with the band playing with
clenched teeth as in 1998 and willing to fly all over the air in the hand of
"Look at you" exploding by the speakers. Several classics were
missing, but had "Roads" sounded, the universe would have had, at
least for me, even more meaning.
The Scandinavians
took their time to come down to South America and show what they do best, and
the result was truly gratifying. They were seen (and heard) comfortable and
happy throughout the show and the energy was also transmitted to all the
audience.
Like great
friends who stand the test of time, the visit of the quartet was a true
celebration, with anecdotes that will surely appear every time we name those
gigs that marked us forever.
Long live to
Sweden, long live to Rock N 'Roll and long live to the Backyard Babies.
Cheer them up so that
they come back, because I know they will.
Matias Sosa