Rodrigo y Gabriela - Tues 27th Nov Colston Hall, Bristol

Mexican buskers turned bona-fide guitar heroes deliver a powerful nuevo-flamenco masterclass to a sell out crowd at The Colston Hall.  Their route to stardom has been well documented as a triumph for the underdog.  From playing rough clubs in unsigned thrash-metal outfit Terra Acida (acid earth) to opening for fellow one-time busker Damien Rice who spotted them on the streets of Dublin, Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero have wowed audiences worldwide since 2002 and their legend continues to grow.

After the success of their self-titled album and the critically acclaimed ’11:11’ the band have been almost constantly on the road until time out for Gabriela’s hand stress injuries was followed by ‘Area 52’ a project with a 13 piece Cuban Orchestra who have added a richer, fuller feel to many of their most well-loved tracks.  The duo takes to the stage and strum frenetically behind a white curtain which dramatically cascades revealing the pair clutching their acoustic Yamaha’s.  Hitting their stride early with Rodrigo’s pinpoint finger picking melodies and Gabriela’s relentless rhythms and thunderous knuckle-rapping of the poor defence-less guitar, it isn’t hard to see why they are such a big live draw. Throughout ‘Diablo Rojo’, Rodrigo adopts a rock-star stance, his face a picture of total concentration as Gabriela pogoes around the stage.

Some new songs are showcased tonight that suggests a further shift towards their metal roots. Rodrigo’s guitar is mangled through numerous effects pedals providing some surprising results. Both embark upon a 10 minute solo slot that seems to push them to the limit.  Gabriela begins with an effects laden wah pedal solo that turns into a blistering attack on the senses in Led Zeppelin territory.  Her love for Metallica shines through in the latter part as pulsing rhythms give way to some hard-edged cranking, the lack of drums and bass made up for by some down-right vicious percussion.  Rodrigo opts for more serene melodic tinkering, sidling between acoustic and electric styles with pace and precision, equally impressive for entirely different styles.

There is a natural chemistry between the two as they regularly meet mid-stage blending Rodrigo’s rapid and dextrous finger-picking and Gabriela’s triplet beats and boundless enthusiasm.  Taking turns to address the audience, both are charmingly down-to-earth, Gabriela’s cursing amuses the crowd as she humbly pays tribute to the contributors on their latest record. Highly accomplished keyboardist Alex Wilson joins them for some Havana style jamming which slots in well but ultimately outstays its welcome.  ‘Vikingman’ is played so breathtakingly fast that the audience struggle to keep the clap going, its an awesome sight to behold as once again the alchemy of metal, jazz and flamenco leaves everyone grinning.

Following the night’s highlight a dazzling version of ‘Tamacun’, they leave to rapturous applause and AC/DC blaring out.  The absence of vocals and limitations of their instruments perhaps will make it hard for them to develop enough to maintain their mainstream appeal.  However, what is clear is that they are a must-see experience live, often leaving their audience shaking their heads in joyous disbelief at their technical prowess.    

Review published online by Venue.co.uk:
http://www.venue.co.uk/music-live-reviews-r/19803-rodrigo-y-gabriela

Setlist: To follow

Best Track - Watch online through link below:

Rodrigo y Gabriela - Tamacun