Last October Firefest 2024 was held in Manchester and I can say with great pride and satisfaction that we were there, on stage, giving our all to bring live not only the songs we have been defending for more than a year but also the best version of ourselves as a band. Mission accomplished.
This event had not been held for the last 10 years, but Bruce Mee had firmly decided to bring it back because he is one of those people who refuses to let the good things that music has given us disappear... the CDs, the magazines, the radios, the vinyl, the concerts and of course the festivals. Against all odds, with a huge personal effort, that I think all Rock lovers thank him for, and with a lot of determination, he did exactly what he said he was going to do and has organised an impressive Festival that has once again brought together a large part of this great family from all corners of the world in the Academy Hall in Manchester. I have to say... their effort was worth it because it was all spectacular. The festival started on the afternoon of the 11th of October and lasted until the evening of the 13th, and our set was scheduled for the last day, Sunday the 13th.
Since we were going to England, our friends from Kingdom of Madness (Mark Stanway), with whom we had toured Spain in April, invited us to open for them at a gig they were going to play at the legendary KK's Steel Mill (Wolverhampton) on Friday the 11th. We thought it was a great idea and besides the fact that we were delighted to see the band again, it was extremely attractive to play in that legendary venue.
We had recently been playing in England, but in acoustic format, as in June José Luis Gallera (bass), Gustavo MartÃn (guitar) and I had been part of the line-up of another festival, the Tower of Fire in Manchester, and although we left very happy and everything went perfectly, we had been left wanting to play with the full band, so it was time to give free rein to our set-list in electric format.
The fun started with the organisation of the trip; from Gustavo sending photos of his disassembled guitar so we could bring it without taking it in the hold of the plane, to the chats about what to wear. The acoustic band members were joined by Javier Gómez ‘Cozy’ (drums) and Gustavo Di Nobile (keyboards); that's the whole ‘family’. Although the band has been going for less than two years, I must say that the rehearsals, the concerts, the trips and the continuous coexistence unite a lot. But we haven't travelled alone...we have gone to England as a real expedition, as the band was joined by four fundamental supports for us (Rakel, Pedro, José Luis and Santi).
The trip... Hello again, Manchester!
On Thursday 10th October, we took our flight Madrid-Manchester. I had a moment of panic, because I lost a pendant (my amulet) that I have been wearing since I was 14 years old, when I left my metal objects in the scanning tray at Barajas. I have to say that the airport staff and the police behaved wonderfully and when they saw that I was overwhelmed, they searched with us and miraculously found it on the floor. I don't want to imagine that I would have had to make such an important trip for me without my amulet.
We arrived in the afternoon at Stockport (Manchester Airport) and there was Matt waiting for us with the van that the festival had made available to the bands for their travels. The band went to the hotel in the van (the biggest I've ever seen) and I took a taxi to see Bruce, who had to give me the accreditations for the festival, some CDs and the latest issue of Fireworks Magazine. The weather there, as always...freezing...but I'm getting the hang of it. We all went to rest because Friday was going to be busy... and we did very well!
Concert at KK's Steel Mill with Kingdom of Madness
On Friday morning Gustavo and Jose picked up their instruments at Big Fish and I was busy preparing everything I needed (which is no small thing) for the gig we were going to play at KK's Steel Mill (Wolverhampton) in the afternoon-evening. At 2pm Matt picked us up promptly at the hotel with the huge van. It's just over an hour and a half's drive from Manchester to Wolverhampton in normal traffic conditions, but I don't know if it was Friday, but there was a massive traffic jam on the motorway which turned the hour and a half into two- and a-bit hours. Matt, our driver, apart from being a lovely guy, drove us beautifully to our destination and also managed to get us there on time.
We enjoyed the beautiful landscapes on the way from Manchester to Wolverhampton
KK's Steel Mill is a legendary venue in the UK where the greats have played and is owned by K.K. Downing, former Judas Priest guitarist and currently playing with KK's Priest. The room is very large and has a lot of detail. It's actually part of a very large building that includes lots and lots of dressing rooms, lounges for the artists and an endless hallway whose walls are lined with incredible photographs of great bands that have played there. The building has a lot of personality, character, within the Industrial Revolution aesthetic and within its walls you get that special vibe of places that have seen a lot of things over many, many years. The history of this building began when Edward Lisle built his first bicycle there in the early 1870s. In 1883 he founded the Star Cycle Company, which did very well, and in 1897 the company became the Star Motor Company and went on to manufacture cars. The hall retains all its original structure, with its steel columns, its characteristic brickwork on the exterior and interior.
The stage is huge, enormous. The technicians were very friendly and helpful. And of course, to see Mark Stanway, Mo Birch, Micky Barker, Alan Bell, Chris Dando and Richard Bailey again, Kingdom of Madness, I was really looking forward to it. We were opening for them in April in Barcelona, Vitoria and Madrid and unfortunately on this occasion we couldn't stay to see their show because Matt, our driver, had to take the van back to Manchester. I would have loved to sing ‘Midnight’ with them as we had done in Vitoria and Madrid...but it wasn't possible.
My feelings playing at KK's Steel Mill were endless, partly because of the spellbinding environment itself. In fact, maybe some mischievous goblin was around, since during the soundcheck we had some inexplicable problem that fortunately was also inexplicably solved. We had come prepared with several layers of clothing because we had been told that the room was freezing...a fridge. However, we were finally able to leave a lot of things in the dressing room and play with only one layer of clothing, as the temperature was perfect in the hall.
Loved to play with Gustavo Di Nobile's hats in the dressing room
There are no words to explain what it feels like to go on stage. It's always a new adventure and every occasion, every venue and every audience...is unique and extraordinary. But if there's also a big audience, you're in England and it's the first time you're going to play your songs live there with the whole band... well... it's a very special moment! If you also see the smiling faces of your travelling companions Rakel, Pedro and Santi in the audience, you feel calm and ready to give everything. And then you notice that you are enjoying yourself, that the rapport between the five members of the band is total, that you are living the moment intensely and that the songs have hooked the concert-goers (you can see it in their attentive expression and in how much they move).
The audience, from the beginning, was wonderful, receptive and participative, a real pleasure to have played there! Also, when we finished, we were picked up by a lovely woman who was helping Kingdom of Madness with the merchandising to tell us that there were people who wanted to buy records, t-shirts and whatever we had of ours. We went down and signed records...but most of all we talked to some of the people who came to tell us that they loved the show, that they really enjoyed it. Thank you so much to all those people who came to the concert that day, your attitude before and after the concert means a lot to us! Hopefully we will be able to play Wolverhampton again.
My strange habits
We drove back to Manchester with Matt, exhausted and happy. I always stay at the Victoria & Albert Marriott Hotel when I go there because I feel comfortable, they know me and the place inspires me a lot. This time I wanted to stay there even more. Although the Firefest organisers had booked rooms for all the musicians taking part in the festival in a Holiday Inn, wonderfully located right in the centre of the city and practically next to the Academy Hall, I knew that if I stayed there, I wouldn't stop talking to everyone. When I have concerts, I like to isolate myself a bit, concentrate, relax and be alone. Besides, that way I avoid anyone thinking that something is wrong with me or that I'm not very sociable. I think this happens to a lot of singers and we don't usually try to give an explanation for our silence or the lost look, which in reality is usually because we are just going over the lyrics of the songs. The fact is that once again I relaxed in my beloved hotel in order to have my faculties at 100% on Sunday.
At the entrance of the Academy Hall
Tanya Rizcala
On Saturday it was time to relax, but also to meet a very special person who until now had been a long-distance friend. At last Tanya Rizcala and I were going to meet in person to give each other the big hug we had been looking forward to after many phone conversations. Tanya is a Canadian singer of Lebanese origin who leads a great band called Epic. Her voice is just like her spirit..... deep, warm, powerful...one of those voices with a lot of personality that touches the soul. I'm wearing the pendant she gave me: a beautiful blue stone that corresponds to my date of birth. Also, a beautiful Lebanese bag. Can you be more thoughtful?
With Tanya and Bruce Mee
The first time I heard something of hers was on ‘Circle of Friends 1’, an album on which we were both lucky enough to be included with one song each. That song was one of the songs she was going to perform at Firefest with my band. The other song was a beautiful cover of Europe's ‘Girl from Lebanon’, for which Robert Säll joined us on stage.
Tanya and I had arranged to meet at the reception of her hotel and when I arrived, she was already friends with my friend Santi and the whole band. She had integrated into our group from the first moment as if we had known each other all our lives. We gave each other that hug and went up to one of the rooms to do a more than original rehearsal. Cozy on the percussion playing beats and clapping and the rest of us doing arrangements and bass with vocals...and backing vocals. It looked great and certainly very original...the two of us singing at the top of our lungs in the hotel. Luckily there were about 100 other musicians in the hotel, so no one was too surprised.
Festival Saturday
That same Saturday morning we finally left for the festival. Until then we hadn't had the chance to see the venue and I have to say that we were very impressed. Academy 1 has a capacity of 2000 people and incredible facilities (dressing rooms, etc...). As soon as we entered, I saw Bruce Mee with his sales team in the merchandising area, he was always looking after everyone and surrounded by all the records and t-shirts of the bands that were participating in Firefest 2024. We all gave each other a big hug and I moved towards the stage to get a closer look. About to start playing was Atlantic, a band I didn't know but loved. Suddenly I realised how high the stage was. It wasn't that I was afraid of falling, no... it wasn't that, it was that I had planned to wear an extremely short skirt on Sunday for our concert... like a belt... tiny! My whole life flashed before me in a second...hahahahaha. I don't like to sing thinking about other things and even less about my wardrobe, so at that moment I changed my plans for the concert and opted for a more conservative and certainly more prudent look for a very high stage. A pity... because I loved the other skirt. I have it reserved for another occasion.
As we had been playing in Wolverhampton on Friday and hadn't been able to attend the Firefest concerts, on Saturday we had the pleasure of seeing almost all the bands that played and we were there until the end to see Robin McAuley, a real treat to enjoy such good music!
Robin McAuley
Robin McAuley and I had sung a duet on ‘Kiss in a Dragon Night’ (the title track) and I can't thank him enough, as his wonderful voice adds a magical touch to the song. Some time ago, on Facebook, we were discussing the possibility of singing the song together live sometime. Actually, I always thought it would be great but it was very difficult for a singer who lives in Madrid and a singer who lives in California to coincide in a concert to make this intention a reality. Robin is an impressive artist, but also a close and charming person who always has a smile on his face for anyone who approaches him.
As life was smiling at me, it turned out that against all odds we coincided at Firefest. It's a bit like winning the lottery. I couldn't stop rejoicing at the thought that we were part of an extraordinary line-up at a festival of enormous prestige, with all kinds of media and details and that on top of that I was going to sing with Robin McAuley. Of course, we had exchanged emails agreeing more or less what we wanted to do, what parts we would do together and where each voice would come in... but even so, to go straight on stage without having tried the song together was a bit crazy. We decided to do an a cappella rehearsal in my dressing room the same Sunday morning. We only sang the song once and we loved it...so we didn't need any more. When there is harmony between two voices and between two people, you don't have to think too much about it because it works straight away.
Singing with Robin is something unforgettable and there are some awesome pics from Myke Gray.
The Dressing Room
Our dressing room was the Marx Brothers' dressing room. It was a crazy place full of people coming in and out all the time. Tanya and I were doing exercises to warm up our voices before going on stage while we were exchanging make-up and dressing up. All around us people taking pictures with Robert Säll and Robin. The band changing clothes and eating some sandwiches.... In the middle of the chaos the management of Rubicon, the record label that licensed ‘Kiss in a Dragon Night’ in Japan, came up to see me. It was a real pleasure to meet them. They came with a lot of records from the Japanese edition for me to sign. I was very happy that they came. It was a surprise and an honour!
In the dressing room next door were Supremacy. As I walked past their door, I heard them speaking in Spanish.... It turns out that they are from several different Latin American countries and that their bassist lives in Spain. Since they were playing just before us, I didn't get to see them... but I understand they were spectacular.
Our concert and many friends
After the usual pre-concert nerves, we walked down the endless stairs. It was our turn to go on stage. There was quite a big crowd, which put me in a very positive frame of mind. With concerts it's often the same as with planes. Once I'm on the plane or on stage, I get away from it all and feel calm. The lights were amazing and I could see the logo at the back of the stage behind me (like KK's Steel Mill). ‘Natural High' started to play and I went out to enjoy that moment with all my might.
There were a lot of songs we could play: two complete albums (‘Kiss in a Dragon Night’ and ‘Tiger’, which was just released) from which we finally got a very varied set-list. But we also decided to add ‘Cry Wolf’, which is the title track of the next solo album to be released in 2025. It's the first time I've played a song whose album is not yet fully finished, but it's an ideal live song that we love to play/sing, with a lot of punch... and I couldn't think of a better place than England to premiere it, I'm so glad I did because it sounded perfect!
The songs flowed... Tanya came in to do her songs and Robert Säll came in to do his songs... and everything just kept flowing. Robin McAuley joined us for our duet and I'd swear it was the highlight of our set; our voices intertwined as if we had sung together live a thousand times. It's a good thing the whole concert was recorded. Luckily, we also have amazing photos from a great photographer, Myke Gray, who immortalised the whole festival - a wonderful and amazing job! I couldn't be more grateful to him…thank you Myke!
After our concert we stayed a while to listen to some great bands and chat with friends who had come from all over Spain to the festival, as well as old and new friends from all over the world I can think of - I love the international atmosphere at these festivals!
The wonderful Spanish Audience in Manchester
Bruce was barricaded in the merchandising area and when I went to greet him, I was pleasantly surprised to find that our friend Mandy, with whom I had shared a great dinner on one of my previous trips, was there with her whole family helping Bruce. Mandy is the nicest, prettiest, smiling person you will ever meet... and the whole family is the same! Somehow, I am starting to feel more and more attached to Manchester and it is becoming my second home, friends included. It's a welcoming city. Cold...very cold...but full of wonderful, warm people.
Meeting Mandy is always a gift!
Dinner at our favorite place: The City Road Inn
We stayed until hunger reminded us that we hadn't eaten yet, so our whole expedition hit the road and strolled to our ‘favorite place’. We were joined by our dear ‘sister’ Tanya, who as I said at the beginning, happily is now one of us. Our late lunchtime fortunately coincided with the usual UK dinnertime.
When we played the Tower of Fire Festival at the Rebellion in June, we went out for a bite to eat after the show. Next to the venue we had found a restaurant with a totally British aesthetic and very good looking, where we had a great meal and we were served by a very nice and professional girl. I had been thinking about going back for months and I wasn't the only one! At the City Road Inn, they made room for us at a table and there we were able to celebrate our concert with some good beers and some delicious puff pastry pies that are typical of the place...mine was mushroom...I love it!!!! This place is very special. Very, very cozy and with an exquisite and eye-catching decoration. The friendly waitress remembered us perfectly and of course she looked after us wonderfully. We were relaxed, having dinner and drinking beer. I am sure that everyone who came with us and had not yet been to the City Road Inn, will be looking forward to returning as well. I do!
Last day in Manchester and back to Madrid
On Monday it was time to go back to Madrid and we were able to take advantage of the morning to go for a walk around the city as our flight was late and the weather was very sunny and nice. It seems incredible, but... despite all the times I've been there, I still hadn't discovered the real center! I loved the walk-through Piccadilly Gardens, where people were sitting on the grass in the sun or walking their dogs; and also, the endless Manchester Arndale Shopping Centre, where I could spend a month going from one shop to the next shopping compulsively... what a pity I didn't have enough space in my suitcases for everything I wanted to take with me. Next time I'll bring an empty one!!!! The surroundings of this shopping center have made me fall in love not only for its architectural features with a pure English flavor but also for the atmosphere of its boulevards where there are lots of street musicians who are a pleasure to listen to and who create an atmosphere full of magic. In addition, they had already put-up Halloween decorations in the streets.... very original!!! It is well worth a stroll through this area.
Piccadilly Gardens and Outside Arndale
At two o'clock in the afternoon, with the classic British punctuality, Matt picked us up to take us to the airport. Our faces were a mixture of satisfaction and sadness because it was time to go back to Madrid. When we arrived at the airport, we said goodbye to Matt and headed for the check-in desk. I had one suitcase in the cabin and another checked in with all the liquids, because on the previous trip I had had to throw away some creams and make-up, hair mousse and a small bottle of nail polish remover, because they had changed the size of the bags that could be taken on board and not everything would fit. The liquids disaster was minimised because there was a check-in worker with an extraordinary ability to fit lots of things in a minimum of space and in record time... it was amazing to watch her work and place my little bottles and jars until almost everything fit. When I arrived at that point in the airport, I saw the same woman. She recognised me, smiled at me, said hello and told me she remembered me perfectly!!!! I also recognised her immediately, but that's no merit, because I don't see thousands of people a day!!!! We laughed because this time I didn't have any liquid with me and I didn't give any work.
The flight was quiet...with sunset included. We arrived very late in Madrid and we all said goodbye waiting for our suitcases on the conveyor belt. We will see each other very often here in Madrid too, but Firefest 2024 will always be remembered as one of the best things that ever happened to us.
Congratulations and a thousand thanks, Bruce Mee, for the extraordinary work, the good taste in organising the festival and above all... for having counted on us to live what we have lived.
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