The Lisbon band Dead Combo presents itself in Loulé tonight, 17th of May, in Silves tomorrow, the 18th, and on the 30th of May in Vila Real de Santo António. In the bag, bring the new album “Odeon Hotel”, in a show with a totally new live lineup.
“For the first time we are having more people on stage, with Alexandre Frazão on drums, Gui on saxophone and melotron, António Quintino on double bass and melotron”, he revealed to Sul Informação the musician Pedro Gonçalves.
The drums have already served as accompaniment to the electric guitars of Tó Trips and Pedro Gonçalves in other concerts, including in the Algarve, but this time, the stage will be much fuller, with a fuller final result. «It represents the album much better, Dead Combo's music is much more complete with this line-up», highlights the artist.
The new album will be played in its entirety, but other themes, already classics, will be present and, with this new line-up, there is the promise of «new arrangements and some surprises».
The band's seventh original work was named “Odeon Hotel” as a metaphor for the transformations that Lisbon has undergone over the years and that, in some way, are reflected in the musicians' lives. The huge tourist demand has brought a new dynamic… «Better or worse, we can only say in a few years. The good thing is that the abandoned buildings are being recovered and the center is being inhabited again. The problem is that this is not being done by the Portuguese, who are unable to pay these amounts. They are pushing these people away from the center», confides the guitarist.
Lisbon's cosmopolitanism attracted many artists, giving a new life and strength to entertainment and artistic centers, such as has never been seen in recent times. “Whether it's good or bad we still don't know, but it's certain that something is happening! The record is a reflection of that and the cover too. Without realizing it, our records have followed the evolution and mutation of the city».
This reflection is obviously not noticed in the lyrics – although there is even a theme with a voice… – it is the music environment, the place where the musicians are transported – and we with them – or what makes them feel and think that is reversed in the name given to the themes.
“ I Know, I'm Alone”. Musically, there is a much more present drum set, chosen by producer Alain Johanes, and the inclusion of the saxophone, by Gui (Xutos e Pontapés).
The band has been in existence for 15 years, with seven studio albums, two more live and a DVD, and concerts in and out of the country, in a reality that still surprises the project's mentors. “When we started Dead Combo, the last thing we were thinking about was having so many people listening to our music, we even thought that there was no space, nor interest, on the part of people, for this type of music. Every time we give a concert and the room is full, we are surprised, it's a constant surprise”, reveals the guitarist.
The rediscovery of Portuguese music by the national public, which took place throughout the 2000s, and «a greater openness to listen to what was not so commercial», may explain the fact of a purely instrumental project, where the musical basis are two electric guitars, have achieved this success.
The truth is that the melodies that come from the guitars of Pedro Gonçalves and Tó Trips bring with them a sound that is identifiable with the national culture, a certain Portugueseness… «actually, we never thought about it… but it could be around, yes. When we make songs we never think about pleasing anyone. I think there is a certain Portugueseness, whatever it is, that people identify with. The only thing we care about is having Portuguese elements in our music, it can be a rhythm, a melody, a harmony», says Pedro Gonçalves.
Os Dead Combo play today, May 17, at Cineteatro Louletano, tomorrow, May 18th, on the Teatro Mascarenhas Gregório, in Silves, and on May 30th, at the closing show of the Lucem video festival, which will be in Vila Real de Santo António, always at 21 pm.
God give me money is characterized by Pedro Gonçalves as a peculiar theme, since Tó Trips, who never really liked the more traditional Brazilian music, made this music that he himself thinks is very Brazilian…
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