Live: Manu Chao @ Kentish Town Forum - 16 December

January 5, 2009 · Filed Under Live, Review · Comment 

The Forum is packed full of people denying the Winter outside. The Latin vibe, mixed with the inter-rail generation is filling Kentish Town to its very brim. Music Towers struggles our way to the front, with people getting pretty stroppy till we get to all the funsters at the front.

Manu Chao these days is actually Radio Bemba Manu Chao’s Touring Band, and has been for the last few years. With gentle-giant Gambeat on bass, every time the the kick drum starts the crowd bouncing his thumping bass lines fuel the frenzy.

The storming guitar player, Madjid Fahem, curls his tongue like he should be in KISS. His ripspeed guitarism is better then anything those NY punks ever did though, with a flaming SG and his body twisting and turning in time with the music. When he switches to an acoustic, never have I seen a one-note solo been played so well, with an occasional lightspeed run.

In true British ignorance, I have no idea what any of the words are. Spanish, French Italian and Arabic mix about in pick and mix spendor. The outstretched hands in the air, from the front of The Forum, to the back, imply that hefty chunk of the audience do.

Tracks start taking a formula anthemic rally cry into reggae groove. Then a small break, fill or thumping of microphone into Manu’s chest. Then go mental as we are rocking out. Call and answer giant chants, and solo.

Watch ‘Me Llamen Calle’ bu Manu Chao:

So many elements are like a football match this evening - the layout of the band in a 4-3-1 formation, the amount of bald heads in the audience, the chanting, the crowd sweating buckets, with those call-and-answer chants reaching a frenzy.

Manu Chao himself kind of swans about, his clothing casually falling off. You can see a fair few faces lighting up as he shows off his Ladies’ Man credentials to this full house.

Last time they played a solo gig it was at Wembley Arena, and for Manu Chao and Radio Bemba this is a pretty intimate show. London has really have been missing out.


Proxima Estacion Esperanza

Because 2008, Audio CD, £9.99

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Manu Chao announces surprise London show

November 26, 2008 · Filed Under stuff we like · 1 Comment 

Apologies to anyone reading this that doesn’t live round the corner to the Kentish Town Forum in north London, but Manu Chao has just announced a surprise show there for December 16. The last time Manu Chao played London, he sold enough tickets to pack out Wembley Arena, and for my money they were the was the only band putting in the effort at Glastonbury 2008.

Tickets are here

Tickets are here. I’d get a move on if I were you.

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