Our friend folk punk rocker Gab De La Vega (also known as the main man of hardcore punk band THE SMASHROOMS) has shared the details of his upcoming Spanish tour in late April. Gab will visit 6 cities and we invited him to sit down with us and share his thoughts on yet another trek, each stops and his friends from Spain. Play Gab’s latest record to appreciate its great feel and honesty, and scroll down to see what gab has to say about the tour.
Gab De La Vega lives and encourages a vegan and straight edge lifestyle. At its heart, his latest record ‘Never Look Back‘ made up of fresh, simple songs, but they are formed into something fuller and more meaningful through wise use of melodies, phrases and right message.
“Our actions and our choices are politics. If we want to change the world we must be the first thing to change.”
GO HERE to RSVP and get more details. GO HERE to see Gab’s merch and grab a record, a tee or a cool bag.
25.04 – VALENCIA – La Kriatura
26.04 – MADRID – Wharf 73
27.04 – GIJÓN – Caja De Músicos
28.04 – PONFERRADA – Morticia
29.04 – BILBAO – Bohemian Lane
30.04 – BARCELONA – Bar Ceferino
Gab commented:
My next tour is just days away and I start feeling all the excitement.
It’s always a mix of feelings, the great anticipation, the desire to see new things and meet old and new friends and a tiny bit of anxiety.
“Never Look Back” came out about 2 years ago and I’ve played so many shows I can’t really believe it.
This time I’m finally going back to Spain. Last time it was in 2014, when I played Barcelona, Madrid and Bilbao. It was fun and a nice taste of the Spanish hospitality.This year’s route mixes old and new destinations: Valencia, Gijón and Ponferrada are places I’ve never been. Barcelona, Madrid and Bilbao are cities I’ve already played, but never with the songs I’m playing now (“Never Look Back” came out the year after my visit to Spain).
In Madrid I’m playing with my friends WILD ANIMALS. I’ve met them because we worked together with my label Epidemic Records to release their LP “Basements: Music To Fight Hypocrisy”, a great punk rock record you should definitely check out. They are going to play an acoustic set with me and I’m very excited about it. Great band and awesome people. They have been helping me with this tour and I can’t wait to have the chance to hang out with them.
In Barcelona I’m playing with two hardcore bands. I grew up in the hardcore punk community so I’m always happy when this happens. And I’m even happier when they are bands of friends. Appraise, local hardcore act, from my friend Gabi, who’s also been very helpful with a bunch of contacts, suggestions and of course with the Barcelona show. I’ve seen them years ago at Fluff Fest, very good modern youth crew stuff.
Along with them, Swedish vegan straight edge hardcore band IRON is also playing. My friendship with Iron goes back to the release of their Midnight Raids 7” and we’re still in touch. They also helped me with a show in their hometown Malmö back in 2015. Great band and sweet people.
I can’t really wait to play with these two bands.As for Bilbao. I played there for a local animal rights group in 2014. Carlos, the person who helped me both now and back then, is a very dedicated activist for animal liberation and we’ve become friends since then.
Bilbao is a beautiful city, so different from the rest of the cities you can find in Spain (even in the lifestyle for some reasons); in fact, the Basque Country has an identity of its own and people there know it’s important to value their cultural heritage, which has been diminished quite a lot by the Central State through the centuries. That’s why they prefer to call themselves the Basque Country, or even better Euskal Herria, which is the name in the local language. Their language is so different from any others you can find in Europe and although I can speak Spanish, I can’t really understand a word in Euskara.
Anyway… I am aware I don’t know all details and all shades of the matter, so I hope I have been able to sum it up in the best of ways, with all respect for my Basque friends!
As for Valencia, Gijón and Ponferrada: I’ve seen pictures on the internet and they all look amazing! Valencia is a very old city, with lots of historical things to see; I hope I can have a little time to see something. Gijón is by the Ocean, which is always something I want to see when I have the chance, since I don’t live on the coast. Ponferrada is a town I’ve never heard before and I when I looked on the internet to see where it was I was so happy to see it has a beautiful castle, which I hope to visit. All these new places sound and look great.
I’ve studied Spanish language and culture at the University and surprisingly I’ve never been around Spain very much. This is definitely a great chance for me to dive into the beauty of these places, to learn more about Spaniards and their lifestyle and culture. And all this from a very privileged point of view, living, embracing, experiencing and contributing to the alternative and underground culture of one of the most alive Countries in Europe. How awesome is this?
I’m so grateful for this opportunity I’ve been given so thanks to the people involved in this tour and to those who are going to these 6 shows. Let’s make them unforgettable! I’ll hug you all personally in a few days, but for now “¡Muchas gracias, seguramente serà muy divertido!”.
See you on the road!
