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Hammersmith Apollo, London / Dec
12, 2007
Tom Hughes, The Guardian * * * * * (5
stars)
The standard soundbite on Rodrigo Sánchez and Gabriela Quintero
has them as a pair of former buskers from Mexico who play heavy metal covers
on acoustic guitars. If that makes them sound like a novelty act, it would
be hard to argue. But theirs is a show so ear-poppingly dexterous, so ineffably
charming and so supremely entertaining that it might even give novelty
acts a good name.
The stage set-up - two stools, and very little else, in one of London's biggest theatre-size venues - does not look like much, but the instant they start to play, their hyper-speed virtuosity is mesmerising. Gabriela's hummingbird-handed percussive style looks nigh-on superhuman as she beats intricate rhythms on the body of the guitar simultaneously with her jagged, staccato chords. As unfashionable as it may be to praise such technical flash, it is jaw-dropping and makes two guitars sound like a full band.
The covers sound great - you could even read their version of Metallica's Orion as a play on that era of metal's penchant for flamenco interludes and pseudo-classical asides. But originals form the bulk of the set, and there is no doubting their talent for ornate composition, full of agile textural shifts and catchy lines.
Those busking roots show through in their easy camaraderie with the audience (as do their metal ones, via all the devil-horn hand gestures), and the priority seems to be pleasing the crowd rather than making an artistic statement. But the kick you get out of this awesome show could, for 90 minutes at least, make the faux profundity of so much "serious" rock seem like meagre virtues indeed.
Hammersmith Apollo, London / Dec 12, 2007
Tim Cumming, The Independent *
* * * (4 stars)
It's not hard to pin labels on the guitar-slingers from Mexico City, Rodrigo y Gabriela. They play metal with acoustic instruments; are described as "world musicians" (more because of their country of origin than their actual music, which mines the metal legacy to its core); and represent a kind of post-rock, post-irony phenomenon of our times whereby a full house can roar in near-hysterical approval at the couple's layer-by-layer undressing of the old Led Zep warhorse "Stairway to Heaven" without the slightest shame.
An American reviewer called them Metal Mariachi, but first and foremost they are guitarists, pushing their plugged-in acoustic models as far as they were designed to go, and then a bit further. Believe the hype: the ferocity, intensity and control of their technique is extraordinary.
Tonight kicked off a mini-tour taking in Glasgow and Manchester, and their first gigs here since the summer- festival season. The two appear beneath a giant screen, and with two either side, for the live, rapid black-and-white VJ-ing of their performance that adds a vital visual layer to the music.After some metal fist-waving to the crowd, Rodrigo begins to pick and hit the body of his instrument at once, a kind of hard-cop, soft-cop guitar interrogation that fuels the delicate-to-driven template of songs such as "Tamacun" and Metallica's "Orion", staples of their setlist and highlights of their debut album.
As for Gabriela, she takes the guitar pummelling to even greater levels of intensity, summoning up a full-kit drum battle on the body of her guitar with extraordinary facility. There seems to be a whole rhythm section hiding in there, and stadium acoustics to boot. Even more impressive is the fact that the guitar doesn't swing wildly out of tune.
For much of the set, they're perched on their low chairs, bent over their instruments, headbanging as the riffs rise and fall, cut with fluid runs and flourishes from Rodrigo. Apart from being staggeringly good musicians who must have metal fingers as well as strings, they are superb workers of an audience.
"Tell us what to play and we'll play it!" shouts Rodrigo, and from there they hit the floor running, encouraging the kind of audience participation you don't see outside of panto, with the balcony doing one clapping rhythm, downstairs doing another, and the duo riffing ecstatically over the top.
The result, as Rodrigo would say, was awesome.
JamBase review of NY
show
Seattle Times - Feature
Preview
Seattle Times - Review
LATITUDE, UK LIVE PERFORMANCE
Headliners on the main Obelisk Arena for Saturday are Damon Albarn fronted
The Good, the Bad and the Queen, but on a recommendation, I chose to
check out Dublin-based Rodrigo Y Gabriela. I'm glad I did, as the fast-fingered
pair are two of the most creatively talented and technically accomplished
guitarists I've seen in hell knows when. And the crowd inside the Uncut
Arena aren't disappointed either: the group's incredible virtuoso guitar
playing encouraging the audience into a third musical element of furious
handclaps. The metal influences on the band are clearly evident, too:
acoustic guitar that is fast-paced, monumental and thundering, every
available surface of their instruments utilised to some ingenious musical
purpose. And as lead Rodrigo Sanchez finger picks the opening chords
to Led Zeppelin classic 'Stairway to Heaven', festival goers couldn't
ask for a better end to the evening: Gabriela layering the sound until
both break into a breathtaking classical rendition of Jimmy Page's solo.
Once the stage is empty, still echoing with their feverish rhythms, the
crowd remain and shout for more. But in all honesty, what Rodrigo Y Gabriela
deliver isn't made for encores: theirs are songs that amaze and blow
the mind, before vanishing with the same flair and imaginative abruptness.
In a word, what Rodrigo Y Gabriela do is epic.
Ben Wilkinson
TOCA LA GUITARRA: ¡VIVA EL MARIACHI METAL!
NY Webster Hall ( 16 April 2007 ) review from glidemagazine.com
Like the famed postal creed, neither Nor’easter nor visa restrictions nor Justice Department bureaucrats nor transportation delays could stay two badass musicians from excitedly kicking off their spring tour at New York’s Webster Hall.
It took quite a bit of effort for Mexican guitar duo Rodrigo Y Gabriela to emerge onto the stage last night, braving inter-government shenanigans, mistaken identity, record rainfall in the Northeast and their own version of Planes, Trains and Automobiles. The pair began this epic journey in Mexico, moved through Los Angeles, were diverted to Atlanta, then flew up to — where the fuck?, Rodrigo asks — Baltimore, until finally a train brought them into New York proper. For us.
Hype can be a dangerous concept, and self-imposed hype can be even trickier. I couldn’t have been more excited about my first live glimpse of these characters, and not for one second did they let me down in any regard. Read on for more thoughts and pics and videos from an amazing night with Rodrigo Y Gabriela…
That strange Candy and Martin-esque journey detailed above is not unlike the duo’s broader path to the stage last night. What started as a desire to ”play the real shit” in the Mexican thrash metal scene became a failed experiment that led to playing back-up mood music at a hotel bar. That gig turned into an acoustic ticket to bumming around Europe and situating in Ireland, where these two most likely picked up the obvious proclivity for the word ”fookin’” in their stage banter.
Some serendipidity in original failure came, and eventually the new music took hold, culminating in a record deal and a long tour of these United States. They’ve become a success story in this country now, but their path was surely as bumpy as the headache that brought them here last night.
It’s tough to describe an evening with this band, just as it’s incredibly difficult to describe their sound without butchering it. I’m not sure if the term “Mariachi Metal” has ever been used at all, or if it’s ever been applied to Rodrigo Y Gabriela, but that’s the best descriptor I can imagine for this music. It’s as if a roaming band of mariachis met up with a nomadic pack of Metallica die-hards on the road somewhere, and nine months later, two stars were born. One-part satanic rock, one-part angelic classical; sheer fuck-your-face acoustic awesomeness in totality.
The duo arrived without a setlist. Rodrigo took a minute after the first
song finished to address the crowd, letting everyone know how happy they
were to finally make it to the postponed gig. And since it was the first
show of the tour, they had no planned set to showcase their unique talent.
One song in to the night, and already they took requests. Fitting, as
the crowd participation surpassed just about any show I’ve been
to outside of my nephew’s 1st birthday party.
Rodrigo Y Gabriela’s music itself is worthy of every fluffing adjective
I possess. But the duo’s sound and visual engineers deserve a massive
amount of credit here as well. It’s simply amazing how well every
note and every self-percussive guitar knocks and bangs are amplified.
There’s a clear lead line, rhythm line, drums and bass in almost
every song, yet only four hands are making the music. It’s the
great audio team that makes it possible for the full-band sound to come
from these two, and I feel they’re owed a debt of gratitude.
The visual side provided some mesmerizing moments as well, and the video shots of these two live on stage displayed on a big screen behind them (as evidenced above and below) made some for necessary and fantastic over-stimulation.
As usual with a predominantly instrumental band, song titles tend to run together and I can’t pick out what’s what. Also, I’m a total newb. The one original song I can relay that they absolutely tore to fucking shreds is Diablo Rojo (seen here on Letterman), the tune that got me into them in the first place.
Excellently, it followed a “What song is it you wanna hear?” Freebird kind of moment, which made me a happy boy. Throw in some other recognizable originals and a few teases like Seven Nation Army, either Cat Scratch Fever or Smoke on the Water (same song?), and a show finale of Stairway To (flamenco) Heaven, and you’ve got one helluva night.
The pair seemed genuinely excited to introduce a special guest at the end of the evening: Alex Skolnick of the thrash metal band Testament. The three then launched into a cool jam session to end the evening, mostly centering around the theme to Dave Brubeck’s Take Five. At that point my lovely date and headed towards the egress, so unbelievably content in the 90-minute showcase we just received. I honestly wish every band brought their level of enthusiasm and intensity to the first night of a tour.
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One note I left out in the covers – there was one moment of singalong hilarity at the show. After a long speech about their love of heavy metal, Rod Y Gab broke into Pink Floyd’s Wish U Were Here, which I’m pretty sure is a non-sequitor. The song was quick and over fast, but I’ve never been a huge fan of an entire crowd singing lyrics (especially the worng lyrics, Guy Behind Me) at the same time, even if we were prompted by the band. Regardless, just for posterity’s sake, I took a little video of the shared lyrical experience:
Rodrigo Y Gabriela just ooze coolness. They throw up the devil-rock
horns after every song, they tell funny stories, they collect funny stories,
they’re a good-looking pair and they rock the fuck out. What’s
not to love?
This really is a must-see band, and when they come to your town, you
best get on it.
NY Webster Hall ( 16 April 2007 ) review from glidemagazine.com
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