Grupo Republika at Águas Boas

It’s been a couple of years since I have been to a local festival, and I had forgotten how energetic and spectacular they are. Last weekend, in Águas Boas, it was the Festival da Santa Margarida, held over the weekend of the third Sunday in July. Like all local festivals in Portugal, the weekend is

Vagos Open Air 2014 – Day Three

Being the first band to perform on the last day of a festival is a tough place for anyone to find themselves, and the audience for Opus Diabolicum was a little sparse to begin with. Sound problems during their first song didn’t help, but these minor faults were quickly and professionally rectified and  Opus Diabolicum

Vagos Open Air 2014 – Day Two

The first band of the day, Requiem Laus, formed in Madeira in 1992 but didn’t release their first album until 2005. During that time they have garnered a reputation as a solid death/black metal band, so it was a shame to see such a small audience at the start of their performance. However, as everyone

Vagos Open Air 2014 – Day One

While fans of Dance, Electro, and Hip-Hop were heading down south for the MEO Sudoeste Festival, metalheads from Portugal and beyond were heading north, to Quinta do Ega in Vagos. Since the festival officially became known as Vagos Open Air in 2009, a trip to the Quinta do Ega has become an annual pilgrimage for

Vagos Open Air 2013 – Tarantula

Keeping up the arachnid theme, Web were followed by the veteran Portuguese Heavy Metal band, Tarantula. One of the first heavy metal bands in Portugal, Tarantula, fronted by Jorge Marques, provided a powerhouse performance. Setlist: Spiral of Fear, Afterlife, Dark Age, The Nature of Sin, You Can Always Touch the Sky, Changes Coming, Face the Mirror

Vagos Open Air 2013 – Web

Day two of Vagos Open Air kicked off in style with the Portuguese Thrash Metal band Web. Setlist: Life Aggression, Mortal Soul, Awake, (In)Sanity, Beautiful Obsession, If Only There Was Light

Vagos Open Air 2013 – Evergrey

Keeping up the Scandanavian influence, Moonsorrow were followed by the Swedish progressive metal band, Evergrey. With an epic 14 song setlist, Evergrey haunted the audiencee. Sadly, I had to leave before the end of Evergrey’s performance, so missed the last few tracks, and also the bands Sonata Arctica and Lacuna Coil. Setlist: When the Walls Go

Vagos Open Air 2013 – Moonsorrow

After Bizarra Locomotiva at Vagos Open Air came Moonsorrow, a pagan metal band from Finland. According to Wikipedia, the band ‘incorporates elements of black metal and folk metal in their sound’, and call their music “epic heathen metal”. They certainly got the approval of the crowd, and gave a rousing performance. We even saw some Finnish flags being waved. Setlist: Unohduksen lapsi, Köyliönjärven Jäällä, Taistelu Pohjolasta, Sankaritarina, Kuolleiden Maa

Vagos Open Air 2013 – Bizarra Locomotiva

The second band of the first day at Vagos Open Air were Bizarra Locomotiva, an industrial metal band from Portugal. Fronted by vocalist Rui Sidónio, and accompanied by Miguel Fonseca on guitar, Alpha on keyboards and Rui Berton on drums, Bizarra Locomotiva took the festival to a whole new level. Set List: A Procissão dos Édipos, Egodescentralizado, Desgraçado De Bordo, Gatos Do Asfalto, Engodo, O Anjo Exilado (guest

Vagos Open Air 2013 – Secret Lie

Last weekend (09-10 August), Vagos hosted the annual Metal Festival, Vagos Open Air. With a strong line up, as ever, the festival opened with the Portuguese band Secret Lie. Including adaptations from Vivaldi, and a sneak listen of a song from their new album, Secret Lie got Vagos Open Air 2013 off to a buzzing

Vagos Open Air 2013 – Tarantula

Keeping up the arachnid theme, Web were followed by the veteran Portuguese Heavy Metal band, Tarantula. One of the first heavy metal bands in Portugal, Tarantula, fronted by Jorge Marques, provided a powerhouse performance. //embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js Setlist: Spiral of Fear, Afterlife, Dark Age, The Nature of Sin, You Can Always Touch the Sky, Changes Coming, Face the Mirror

Vagos Open Air 2013

Yesterday was the first day of the Metal festival Vagos Open Air where we covered Secret Lie, Bizarra Locomotiva, Moonsorrow and Evergreen. Today is Web, Tarantula, Rotting Christ, Iced earth, Gamma Ray and Testament. It promises to be a rocking day, and a big thank you to the organisers for a fabulous event. The atmosphere

Let the festivities begin…

Starting in late April or early May the village festivals take place across Portugal. Associated with local saints, the festivals are an opportunity to eat, drink, and generally be merry. Nowadays, the evenings are given over to bands who tour the country, playing a mixture of traditional Portuguese music and covers of rock songs. This

Minta and The Brook Trout at Teatro Aveirense

The second part of the concert last Friday was from Minta and The Brook Trout. This four-piece acoustic rock band couldn’t have been more different than Samuel Úria, but the two sessions complemented each other perfectly. A Portuguese band that sings solely in English (the other group I think of like this are Fingertips), Minta

Samuel Úria at Teatro Aveirense

Last weekend we were lucky enough to be able to cover a double bill concert of Samuel Úria and Minta and The Brook Trout at Teatro Aveirense, Aveiro. These were two completely different acts, Minta playing a nostalgic acoustic rock, while Samuel was very much a poet who expresses his poetry through music. Samuel used

Balla at the Teatro Aveirense

We’ve been a little quiet lately, but last weekend we went to see Balla at the Teatro Aveirense. They were really good, of course, and we were delighted to have the opportunity to be there for the concert and the sound check. Balla, fronted by Armando Teixeiro, are an excellent rock back that play just

Grupo Ondas in Malhapão Rico

Our first band of the new year was also our last band of 2012. After wanting the chance to cover Grupo Ondas for ages, like London buses two opportunities came along at once. This time, Grupo Ondas were in Malhapão Rico, a village not too far from Oiã, and the show was well attended, especially

Grupo Ondas in Oiã

This is the first time we had the opportunity to photograph Grupo Ondas, even though they are a local band from just a few miles away. Afterwards, they were really kind with their compliments and were a fun band to photograph.

Monica Sintra, Nucha e Ana

The last concert of the Festa do Silveiro was another popular Portuguese singer, Monica Sintra. Along with Nucha and Ana, they brought a very successful village festival to a close.

Quim Barreiros at Festa do Silveiro

During September was the Festa do Silveiro. On the last day there was a concert by Quim Barreiros, perhaps one of the most popular ‘pimba’ musicians. Pimba is a relativiely modern variation of traditional Portuguese music, often with a lot of sexual innuendo (pretty much all of which goes over my head). This was the