BCN WEEK issue 48 by Marcus Villaca Design

INSIDE RAQUEL’S dBTOWN / ENTREPAREDES / REVIEWS / LISTINGS

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LA FATXA GETS STONED! PA G E 8

ALFREDO LAHOZ

B A R C E L O N A ’ S A L T E R N A T I V E N E W S W E E K LY | W W W . B C N W E E K . C O M | J U N E 2 8 – J U LY 1 1 , 2 0 0 7

‘PIRATES DEL MED’ WHO KNOWS, YOU MIGHT CATCH CAPTAIN HOOK HOLDING SWAY AT THE FASTNET...

JAC K S PA R R OW WO U L D B E S O P R O U D !

VOL 1, NO 48

FREE!

FULL SPEED AHEAD INTO FORMATGE! THE DISNEYFICATION OF BARCELONETA

PA G E 4

VOL 1, NO 48

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J U N E 2 8 - J U LY 1 1 , 2 0 0 7 W W W. B C N W E E K . C O M

EDITOR’S LETTER I like to look in holes. Deep, wide, gaping holes. Don’t get dirty on me Gladys; I’m talking about construction. Maybe it’s the little boy with a Tonka toy coming out in me, but I can’t help but cast a long gander into the depths of excavated space: reclaimed emptiness. Like my head, you suggest? No. Part of it is a curiosity I have about what the earth that supports us must be like. In a city as old as Barcelona - that has borne so much change and history, so many feet and their passage, so many lives beginning and ending - I imagine it supported by dead, hard dirt, as fruitful as a callous, lush like a desert rock. I imagine that chipping past its surface to operate on some electrical artery, or to implant a new bowel bypass, is like pulling back bitter land that nourishes nothing and is therefore resentful of its awesome responsibility of supporting a life it will never actively participate in. This week we’re talking about a bit of Barcelona earth that spits out like an afterthought: Barceloneta. In the past, this neighborhood had always been a place for a poorer working class, but now a richer, foreign eye has assigned it a new value. The Ajuntament is making efforts to make it a nicer, friendlier place, but a lot of the residents feel ignored. What will it be like in ten years? If Maya has her way it’ll be really, really cool with, like, really fun stuff and, you know, stuff, because it’s just nicer when it’s easier. Clean is keen. You’re beautiful. You’re a Weekling.

David Tressel DAV I D @ B C N W E E K . C O M

STAFF Marcus Villaça FOUNDER / CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jennifer Cross CO-FOUNDER Núria Ferrer PUBLISHER nuria@bcnweek.com David Tressel EDITOR david@bcnweek.com Lena Wiget ARTS + CULTURE EDITOR lena@bcnweek.com Claire Gunter SALES DIRECTOR claire@bcnweek.com Joe Littenberg EVENTS MANAGER joe@bcnweek.com Sara Custer COPY EDITOR sara@bcnweek.com Megan Ellis PROOFREADER megan@bcnweek.com Alfredo Lahoz PHOTO EDITOR alfredo@bcnweek.com Alida Zapata SALES EXECUTIVE alida@bcnweek.com Harmony Barry SALES EXECUTIVE harmony@bcnweek.com Noelle Julian SALES EXECUTIVE noelle@bcnweek.com

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS Maya Braun, VJ Dattoli, Isolda Déulafeu, Mark Dix, Raquel Garani, Prado Garcia, Dominik Gelada, Bob Groen, Maren Hermans, Irene Hwang, Michael Jones, Jordae, Alfredo Lahoz, Malina Lambrache, Stephan Ortiz

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Pelayo 52, 1-2, 08001 Barcelona, Spain tel. +34 933 01 13 63 info@bcnweek.com | www.bcnweek.com

BA R C E LO N E TA , R . I . P .

P H O T O BY

Alfredo Lahoz

THE END.

BCNWEEK

Guiri Trivia! EDUARDO MENDOZA’S LA CIUDAD DE LOS PRODIGIOS, DEALS WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF BARCELONA BETWEEN THE TWO WORLD FAIRS THAT THE CITY HOSTED IN 1888 AND 1929. BARCELONETA IS DESCRIBED AS BEING RIDDEN WITH POVERTY AND DISEASE. K A L E N R . O S W A L D , A L B I O N C O L L E G E

W H AT A R E Y O U G O I N G T O D O N OW , M I Q U E R I DA M A R U JA ? O ST I A H I J O , I A M G O I N G T O . . .

DISNEYNETA! P H O T O S BY

Alfredo Lahoz

BCNWEEK

BA R C E LO N E TA I N 2 0 1 7

TOO FAKE TO BE FALSE Life, from the 22nd floor of an air-conditioned, rented-by-theday flat overlooking the barri officially known as Barceloneta, but lovingly renamed Disneyneta by its new residents, doesn’t get any better. Disneyneta, the archetype of the simulated city: a city in which illusion becomes reality, a paradise where the hopes and dreams of the ideal world come true. The crowd in Disneyneta is a warm one. People are friends. Laughter, joy, imagination, and creativity abound. Nobody cries in Disneyneta. Nobody swears. Nobody worries. As in a real city, people are directed through organised currents and flows. They follow arrows. They stand in lines. It’s much like driving between the painted lines of real streets. Disneyneta is the miniature version of the ideal Barcelona. Rules are obeyed. This is a barrio in which murder, rape and adultery do not exist, in which poverty, dirt and dog poo on the sidewalk belong to the past. Imagine the Poble Espanyol, add the Tibidabo amusement park, and multiply it by Caribbean beach and Mediterranean fishing culture. Imagine a wonderfully pictureperfect place. A ghetto for happy people. The sweaty, dusty beer sellers with their bad English walking up and down the beach — always on the run from the police and spreading disquietude — are replaced by tanned go-go beauties whose white teeth sparkle in the sun. They carefully tiptoe through the sand selling chilled refrescos, accompanied by muscular male eye candy who substitute for the bony Asian masseuses. As a nice little extra, the boxy old chiringuitos are now open BBQs where sepia and lenguado, bravas, pimientos de padron and paella are sold para llevar, to be enjoyed whilst listening to a flamenco singer sitting in the sand, or perhaps watching the hourly Sardana show as the BCNeta crew in fisherman gear spray the street with water. If there’s anything to complain about in Disneyneta, it’s the sheer abundance of things to do and to see. Especially popular

Maya Braun

with residents and visitors alike is the Barri Cutre, a row of three streets that have been sectioned off from the rest of the “park.” It’s shockingly real, and like a time warp when you enter. The ruido of times past emanates from an amazing surround-sound system: seagulls screaming and flapping their wings, dogs barking and motos whining in the distance. A woman rants in Spanish about the hot weather and the high potato prices at the mercado. A TV blares. A man with a smoker’s cough takes a deep breath and spits slime. It’s all there: not just the sounds, but also the smells, the looks, the people. Grannies in woolen socks sit in front of their tiny, dingy ground-floor flats, not moving, just breathing; washing dries on the lines in front of the balconies; it smells a bit damp, a bit fishy, and a bit of cigarette smoke. From time to time a woman will appear in a window to let down a pack of diapers that’s caught by a little girl and carried to her mum who’s parked her newborn behind the counter as she serves old men quintos and bravas. Upon entering these stuffy bars, any female visitor is greeted with, “¡¡Guapa!!” and shouts, cheers and whistles from big-bellied men and their sons. The favorite attraction, however, is the elevator on the corner of Joan de Borbó and Carrer Maquinista that transports 50 people at once. Slowly and smoothly, with rumba catalana playing in the background, one rises 180 meters above the city, higher than the highest skyscraper in the barrio. But the real fun begins when it arrives at the top. It’s a sort of paint ball game. On leaving the elevator visitors have two choices: if they walk through Gate A, they are greeted by a gang of Tecnocasa agents. But if they choose Gate B, they enter Okupa World. According to their choice, they are dressed either in a tailor-made suit (plus mobile) or handed a dreadlock wig, rags and a dog. The adrenalin pulses through their veins as they walk out into a murky, derelict building suite. There, teamed up with their friends, they do their best, depending on the side they’re on, to either shoot the past, or kill the future.

VOX P O P U L I

BARCELONETA HABLA

Jordae

AND

Mark Dix

‘WOULD YOU FUCK HER? WOULD YOU? LISTEN TO THIS LITTLE PRICK. THERE WERE NO MOROS, NO BLACKS. NONE OF THAT LOT. AM I GETTING PAID FOR THIS? NO. BASTARD. WHAT ELSE?’ Arrrrr, sailor, watcha saying? Shaking off presumptions of guiri fake nostalgia, we got those grumpy old types talking. These people are living a rapid evolution that has left some of them with the bends. The questions asked were 1) What was Barceloneta like 10 years ago? and 2) Where it will be in 10 years time? -----------------------------------------------------------------Merche y Dolores, mother and daughter have a little shop selling summer and beach accessories. They have lived in Barceloneta for as long as they can remember. Pasado It was a lot prettier before. She (Merche) has lived here for 50 years now. It used to be a lot quieter - mostly just the people from the barrio - but there were some foreigners coming then too. There was more light, it seemed. The beach was emptier, more familiar. You

know, more of a barrio. Not so much building. There was food and people and kids playing in the streets. Just more personal. Oh, sure there was crime, but not as bad as other parts of the city, I guess. Futuro It’ll be the same as it is now, just with more people. We’ve been living here since we were kids. Now, if they decide we need an elevator, I have to go. What for? What barrio? Can’t go to the market, it’s too expensive. No good water. No good feeling. No people in the streets. The kids have nowhere to play except the beach. No football field for their sports. Not a lot of artists. The future looks sad. Barceloneta no se vende. -----------------------------------------------------------------Employee of the Barceloneta Centre Civic I can’t talk about social situations like this because I am an employee of the city. There are plenty of people

in the streets that you can talk to about it. -----------------------------------------------------------------Ricardo, around 50, chilling on a bench, slightly drunk. Has been living in Barceloneta for 15 years. Pasado There was a lot of change back then: I think for the better. It was just a ghetto with a dirty beach before. Since then there’s more money here. A clean beach, more tourism, more business. Before it was just a barrio delgado. Drugs in the streets, bad people, bad situation. It’s much better now. Fewer robbers, more money. I like the change. Futuro It will get even better here. Cleaner than now. A better place for the tourists. It’s too bad that people have to leave after living here their whole life, but nobody has the power to fight this situation. You can’t change the

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world. They will just come in and clean it all out, and make it even better to live in. The beach will stay clean, the tourists will have places to stay. The people who live here now will suffer from it, and the city will lose some culture, but the money will come in and make things better.

What else? You could go to the old market, where all the food was cheaper. Everything was cheaper. The flats were cheaper. You would pay about 15 million pesetas [¤100,000] for a flat. Now you pay 50 million [¤300,000].

What will the future look like? The whole neighbourhood will have been flattened. They’re going to build a load of apartments facing the sea. They’re going to cost a fortune, I swear. I’m going to be here. And there’s going to be people fucking, here, in the square outside the market. All over the floor.

-----------------------------------------------------------------Herman, in his late twenties, artist. Has lived in Barceloneta since 2000. Pasado It was a fishermen’s neighborhood, very poor. All the people of Barcelona thought it had the lowest neighborhood status of the city. The government just wanted to clean up the neighborhood, make it more livable. Futuro I think it will turn into a fashionable neighborhood. Just like what happened to the Born area: it was the same thing there. I see good and bad things from it. Maybe it’s a good thing for the arts; it’s important to have some space for people to do things. The art is making people move the money, but the artists also need to find a way to move with the changes too, and make money at the same time. The bad side is that the people living here have to move out of their barrio. There’s no justice for them. Where do they go? The city builds new things but sacrifices the culture and traditions of the people. -----------------------------------------------------------------Santiago, around 40, beach cleaner (summer) / fisherman (winter) Pasado I was here; my cousin was there [points to incredibly small woman behind the bar, who doesn’t react]. She’s a fighter! [Woman still doesn’t react]. Ten years ago? La Barceloneta was more familiar, more of a family atmosphere in the streets. Although the standard of living was lower, life was harder; I think it was better back then. There was a port here before the 1992 Olympics and the developments around that time. There were more people working in industries related to the sea. After that, the people who were living here started to change, to find work elsewhere or work in other sectors, but I suppose that ten years ago there were still a lot of people living here from that generation. Futuro The way I see it, there’ll be more people coming to live here from outside of the neighbourhood: young people, and that’s a good thing. Unfortunately, folk who previously lived off the old industries will have to move elsewhere to find work. But I don’t think the changes will be negative. In ten years, my cousin’s bar will be here, and I’ll be living here too, if I can. -----------------------------------------------------------------Bakery owner, around 45 Pasado I’ve been working here in the bakery for around 14 years. Back then it was very different. Even five years ago, La Barceloneta was like a family. On the ground floor of each building, where a lot of people live, the doors to the street were left open. People opened their homes up to the street. You could tell, it was more comfortable, more tranquilo. Futuro They’re going to kick us all out. I heard that there’s going to be new laws coming in, about having lifts in the apartments. There’s going to be more people from outside the city than from Barceloneta living here, I’m sure. Moros, Sudakas. People who don’t come here to work. People who come here to make a living from stealing. There’ll be more shit in the street, like drugs. Our children will be afraid to go out and play in the streets. But in ten years, I hope I’ll be here; I have a business and I like the area. -----------------------------------------------------------------Old Man, around 75, sitting outside the market, checking out girls. [Looking over at girls] Would you fuck her? Would you? Listen to this little prick. Were you here ten years ago? I’ve been here 50 years. Ten years ago… let me see. There were no Moros, no blacks. None of that lot. Am I getting paid for this? No. Bastard.

BCNWEEK

BCN BARRI BY

BARCELONETA

Michael Jones

WHAT MAKES A NEIGHBORHOOD’S HEART BEAT? HOW DOES ITS HEAD THINK? OR ARE THESE RIDICULOUS PERSONIFICATIONS TO PUT ON A BUNCH OF BLOCK AND MORTAR? WE START A SERIES OF ARTICLES INVESTIGATING THE PARTS THAT MAKE THE WHOLE WRITTEN BY OUR OWN EXPERT OBSERVERS. Whether I’m passing or sunning, playing or partying in this salty, sometimes murky, alcove of a barri, I always see sights different from those of the rest of the city. Sometimes they’re as obvious as a storm over what appears to be an endless sea or a hurricane-like botellón over a never-ending case of pink cava from the Champaneria. But more often it’s something like a guy in his thirties walking down a side street wearing nothing but some none-too-tight-or-white tightey whiteys and chatting away to no one and everyone. Or the feeling that I’m being watched by inhabitants of street-level flats who find my activities more interesting than what’s on their TVs. I always felt like I was in on a secret in Barceloneta. No matter how many tourists flipflopped past, or how many street-hawker-fronted restaurants touted their frozen paella, or how many hens squealed out from the shitty disco holes of Port Olympic, I always knew I was just one side street away from something humble, human, and, strangely, home-like, in a sense much broader than nationality. More recently, though, that side-street feeling is harder to find. I keep running into empty lots and signs promising new hotels in places that used to house irreplaceable and one-of-a-kind bars (R.I.P. Bar Paraiso). Or there’s the cold, 7,000,000¤ market opened this March (done in a perfect factory-gray color ideal for highlighting bird excrement). Change comes to us all, but in this city, heads are spinning from the pace of the transformation. Presently the Ajuntament is forcing 1,000 homes to be vacated for the installation of elevators (not mobbing, they assure us). That’s 1,000 families

affected, or 20% of Barceloneta’s population. City planners tell us that the elevators are to improve the quality of life for the barri’s elderly, but sudden concern for ancianos doesn’t quite ring true. The motor is geared more towards bringing in tourists and their money. Through the past decades, the decline of the fishing trade and steady disappearance of the working class, along with the hubbub of the Olympics, and to a lesser extent the Forum, have brought about an evolution that is, perhaps, inevitable. But the changes have an eerie sense of circular finality. After all, Barceloneta was founded to house the residents of another neighborhood mobbed into nonexistence to create the Ciutadella. So one must ask, is it the end of Barceloneta due to the city’s slash and burn approach to its citizens’ homes, customs and hearts in thirst for tourists’ money? Well, as I said, change happens to us all. It is, of course, the only constant. Instead of thinking in apocalyptic terms, I think it important to simply recognize and appreciate current reality for what it is: a brackish phenomenon where what’s new and promised exists with the old in a strange bedfellowing of unsure and untrusting animals. Of course the old will die and fall away, because it always does. We, however, are privileged to experience a beautiful fissure between epochs where contemporary stalks obsolete while obsolete has another beer. Traditions born from a lack of means and general excesses are now yoked with extravagant lives from foreign lands, and the conflict between these two beasts creates yet another fleeting facet that defines this neighborhood.

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bcnunhinged OV E R H E A R D BY

V J Dattoli

SHOW ME THE FELLATIO ------------------------VERY THIRSTY AT PRIMAVERA: Tour guides’ chat outside the Cathedral: Yeah, well I think letting a passenger shit in your coat is considered going over and above the call of duty. ------------------------MALE TEACHER: I don’t know why you girls wear those tops. They make you look pregnant. Students: Sir, when your kids grow up, you gonna have to learn to use that mute button.

------------------------LINGUAPANIC: I need to learn French and fast. Linguarama: Well, let’s start. Repeat after me: Jacques Chirac ------------------------TEACHING OPTIMISM: Oh, thank God it’s the end of the school year. Teaching got the better of me: Yeah, but I’m depressed cos the beginning of the new one isn’t far behind.

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IT LOOKS DISGUSTING, LIKE A MAXI PAD… BUT I’M GOING TO EAT IT ANYWAY. ------------------------ORGANIC TYPE: I just feel like everyone wants a piece of me; I just want peace. Exacerbated friend: Shut it, you whining old fart.

------------------------COURAGEOUS AMERICAN GIRL LOOKING AT HER PA AMB TOMÀQUET: It looks disgusting, like a maxi pad…but I’m going to eat it anyway.

------------------------NOT EVEN REMOTELY NATIVE SPEAKER: Save God, we weres a veeery lucked, the house nearly a burned down and out. Native speaker: You mean thank God. Not even remotely native speaker: Yes, save God.

------------------------LOUD DISCUSSION IN QUIET BAR: You don’t show me enough affection. Yes I do. It’s you who doesn’t show me enough fellatio.

------------------------BOY LEERING AT GAGGLE OF YOUNG YANKS: You can tell an American teenage girl from a mile off. Clueless friend: How so? Boy leering at gaggle of young Yanks: They are pastel.

------------------------VAGINA CURIOUS: Girls have insy and outsy vaginas. Mine is an outsy. Which is normal? Vagina Tidy: Well mine is a ‘neatsy and tidysy,’ but all the porn-mag chicks seem to have ‘nasty bits of spamsy’ spilling out everywhere.

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LA FATXA

DON'T LET YOUR SPANISH COME BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR HAIR! www.anthonyllobet.com / for an appointment call Gràcia Ros de Olano, 19 tel 932 180 449 / 639 931 555 Raval Sant Pau, 122 tel 934 413 177 / 645 257 506 Eixample Còrsega, 364 tel 934 574 211 / 691 330 188

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A S Y O U WA N T . . .

PIZZA A ND SA LA DS

RETURNING STONES Hi, my kind readers guiris. How are you? Are you still here? Supose, yes. You love BCN... This is my private fighting, my slow work... I wish some day I achieve that you hate a little bit BCN and then you leave her. Well, well, well... I was preparing myself in an aesthetic clinic. I’m new, I have a renovated body, wow! I losed ten or fifty kilos, I’m less ten or fifty years old, I have less less money in my bank account, and I lose a lot of time, but don’t worry I have Nicolau, my private driver (do you remember?), watching all your movements. He’s a good observer, good BCN’s guardian. I have a lot of things to explain, to add at my thesis about you. But today I want to fer-vos dentetes...Sorry, here the translation: I want to do little teeth to you... I was at the Olimpic Estadi Companys Lluís, enjoying the Bigger Big Bang Tour of the Kings, of the Bests, of the Rooooolling Stoounes. Wow! Yeah! People and people and people till

the drugs! Some people was passing and passing trough our personal space invading our intimity, touching our arms, our backs... Please, keep the distance! And the worst thing was a blonde girl who didn’t respect the other viewers. She wasn’t tall but his boyfriend was very very tall, a guiri boy, of course! Well, they decided to annoy us. Suddenly she grew up in front of us, and then we didn’t see anything! The concert didn’t still start, but what it happened if the Stones decided to start in this exact moment? Eh? Little blonde girl? She was up the shoulder of his boyfriend, she was happy, smiling, of course! But not me and neither the man that was near me. “Please, said him with all education of the world, can you baixar d’aquí? The other ones also want to watch the concert. Ja n’hi ha prou. És que ja està bé. Perdona, come to the floor”. And the girl: “Just a moment, wow! Just a moment!”. The man: “Please, ja està bé. Prou i

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OFF-NITES! WHY STAY HOME AND LISTEN TO WHAT’S ON YOUR IPOD WHEN YOU CAN MAKE OTHER PEOPLE LISTEN TO WHAT’S ON YOUR IPOD? NOBODY LIKES MONDAYS, BUT THEY’RE GETTING A LITTLE BIT SWEETER. BCNWEEK AND CONEXION ARE HOSTING ‘OFF NITES’ AT BENIDORM, ONE OF THE COOLEST BARS IN RAVAL. THE ATMOSPHERE IS CASUAL, AND THE MUSIC IS UP TO YOU. BRING YOUR IPOD OR LAPTOP, AND YOU CAN TAKE REVENGE ON YOUR BOSS BY DOING WHAT YOULIKE FOR A CHANGE. SIGN UP FOR A DJ SLOT ONLINE AHEAD OF TIME OR TAKE A CHANCE AND SHOW UP ON MONDAY NIGHTS FROM 22:00 TO 1:00AM. IF THERE’S SPACE OPEN ON THE BILL, IT’S YOURS. MONDAYS: THEY’RE THE NEW SUNDAYS.

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PLEASE, KEEP THE DISTANCE! AND THE WORST THING WAS A BLONDE GIRL WHO DIDN’T RESPECT THE OTHER VIEWERS. SHE WASN’T TALL BUT HIS BOYFRIEND WAS VERY VERY TALL, A GUIRI BOY, OF COURSE! WELL, THEY DECIDED TO ANNOY US. SUDDENLY SHE GREW UP IN FRONT OF US, AND THEN WE DIDN’T SEE ANYTHING! 42.000 people. All ages were mixed there, for me no problem, now I look like a thin and young girl... There was a little closed area in front of the stage, and I was there in! And you? Near the Mike, the Keith, the Rom and the Charles Watts, near near them almost touching them... emotion, exciting, screaming! But the behavior of people was not good, not correct. To be in a concert don’t give us the permission to do el què us dongui la gana, young boys! Some people was smoking stones, please, a little bite of respect to the other people that left

baixa!”. He was a good catalanet. I love him like this, very good man. With your panxa and your no smiling face, asking for the good conduct. Moderació nois! A viam, what was thinking this girl? Was she the only one that have payed the entry? No, of course! I don’t like to waste my money. I loved this typical catalanet keeping the order. Què seria el món sense nosaltres!

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El Mariposa BY

Jordae

T H E N E W S BY

THE THUMB ON THE LA FINA LÍNEA PULSO DE LA CALLE

DEAR DR. HOFMAN, BARCELONA IS ALIVE AND WELL

A Q&A WITH STREET ARTIST ‘WK INTERACT’ artist wk interact has been making a name for himself as an urban artist for m

there’s this fine line that’s been disappearing from the street the last few years. it’s become blurry, uneven, and completely saturated. just oozing with fattening juices. it’s not unexpected, not really even bad, its just the way of the gun… i’m talking about that fine line between art and the streets. i don’t care to discuss the philosophy of it all right now, but rather, i wanna talk about the qualities inherent. let me clarify right here, that quantity in an urban environment does matter, but that shouldn’t sacrifice the quality. there’s enough blek le rat knock-offs, faile cheats and just plain lazy bastards out there already. it’s all associative attraction and idleness. grow some fucking balls already. i want to see original thought. i wanna see some action, some ingenuity. let’s be real… who doesn’t agree? it ain’t that difficult, people. los artistes de barcelona have so much to offer, yet i’m seeing more calle in the galleries than anywhere else. so, let’s look back outside. let’s look at what people are talking about out here. first up, simply because it’s new and up right now, we’ve got dr. hofmann. maybe you’ve seen the large skulls around town announcing that “barcelona is dead.” punk died, bob marley died, tupac got shot, then johnny cash died, and now this. yep, it’s official....barcelona se murió. i can only assume that señor hofmann has seen the untimely demise of street art here, and he’s out there making sense of it. and it’s affecting people, as art should- i’ve heard the name dr. hofmann brought up in more

IS THAT YOUR PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE TOO? ARE YOU MOVING? ARE YOU ON THE MOVE?

Stephan Ortiz

BOOMTOWN

COGS

than a few conversations the last week. nice one. saludos sir. next up, i’d like to give credit where it’s due, and here it lies with ms. olivia and mr. case. she’s the one out there rockin’ those cute little olive-oil character stencils. she may not have much more to say with these other than “i was here” but the association is a pretty one, and she’s got the spots. and mr. case represents the rectangled tourists calmly stating, “excuse me, i think i am lost”. notwithstanding, in combination, mr. case, olivia, coolture, and btoy, have got some fancy designs taking to the streets. if you’ve seen the wallpaper-patterned post-ups and stencils around town, most of which are in beautiful multi-layered colors, then you’re enjoying their collective works. these guys all have something to say. something like: “look, i can see my surroundings, and its all so boring these days. i think i’ll do something about it”. they can design, they can paint, they can think, and they can act out all three. in doing so they’re reminding us that you don’t always have to make political statements. they remind us that this city is alive, full of people, full of ideas, full of culture. and believe me when i say that they’ve all got much more showing out there, you just gotta look for yourself. all said, if you’re interested in stencils, or street art, or just need something worthwhile to do, check out the international stencil meeting info at www.difusor.org. and look around; you just may see something that makes you think out loud.

We’ve heard it a million times before: Barcelona’s street art scene is dead. But anyone who cares to look beyond the knock-offs and sloppy tags will see good and engaging art on the walls. Coolture, Btoy, Dr. Hofmann and Olivia are just examples. There’s mucho más out there.

EXTRA! EXTRA! SPEND-HAPPY GERMANS. FLOATING HOTEL. A DEATH SCREW. TUFF-GUYS BREAKING KNEECAPS. THOSE TIDY HOMOSEXUALS. PLUS! THE JELLYFISH REPORT. After more than a decade of whirlwind hotel construction, the trend is slowing. Between now and 2009 5,000 more rooms will be added in 35 different projects. In 1995 there were 28,000 places for foreign bodies, in 2006 there were 52,500. A super luxury apartment-hotel will be built in front of La Pedrera on Passig de Gràcia. Consisting of flats between 70 and 100m2, guests will be able to have their personal responsibilities, such as food shopping and dog walking, managed by staff. The same group already has three similar apartment-hotels in the Eixample and Cuitat Vella, and will be opening more. Among other grand luxury projects planned for BCN in 2008 is a floating hotel in the port at the Fòrum. Good news for most of us: housing market slows and rental prices increase. Property owners realizing that they’ve missed the boom are putting their flats on the rental market at elevated prices. The old city center is the most costly, and a city-wide average per m2 is 13.7 euros. (David, why is this good news for us… have I missed the point?) Barcelona zoomed up 25 slots in the world’s most expensive cities ranking from last year’s 56th place to the current 31st ranking. The cheapest European city is Sofia, Bulgaria coming in at number 108, London being the most expensive at number 2. Number 1? Moscow.

Barcelona’s tourist bosses want to get more Germans, because last year over 350,000 came and put over 120 million euros on their credit cards. Their 2006 presence was a 20% increase over 2005. And if you’re thinking of Germany as a tourist destination, check out Berlin’s new hotel that relives its communist glory because now it’s fun: stark rooms, single, hard beds, ugly wall paper. I’ll have some salt in my wound,

please. And rub it in, hard. The Spanish Supreme Court has refused to review Salvador Puig Antich’s 1974 death sentence for general antidictatorial anarchist behavior and a dubious conviction for murder. Puig was killed in the Barcelona prison Modelo by having a big screw slowly driven into the back of his neck until it cracked. Modelo is currently being emptied to make room for a public park. The majority of Catalans don’t think that the Generalitat acts fast or efficient enough regarding inquiries or complaints, 37% say that the governmental body doesn’t understand its citizens, and, the real surprise, 48% say that the Generalitat doesn’t explain what it does or why. So don’t feel alone on that one. Being a tough guy in Barcelona doesn’t pay so badly. Property owners fed up with the slow judicial process are hiring thugs to kick everyone from okupas to legallycontracted renters out of their homes. The going price is between three and six thousand euros. From the end of June to the end of August, the yellow metro line will only take you as far as Vila Olímpica. From there you’ll have to take a specially scheduled bus. Something about maintenance and vibrations. The beach goes virtual: checkout www.bcn.cat/platges to learn surf conditions and jellyfish intensity. Imma Mayol says that there’ll also be more police, toilets (that are always locked or simply rancid), rubbish bins, and boats that clean the water of maxi pads. She also says that the gay beach is cleaner because the maricons aren’t so dirty. Are you sick of Mosso news? Well, just one more bit: the police body is saying in its defense that it is acting in accordance with training. They have been trained to slap and kick. A claim which, in my opinion, is very plausible.

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Raquel Gariani

UN MANIFESTO AGAINST THE CANCION DE VERANO ARE YOU A GUIRI ENTERADO? DO YOU KNOW AROAH, LE PIANC, LOS CARRADINE AND THE!FUCK? THEN, WELCOME TO THE CLUB. Maybe you’re not a beach guy but you can’t escape the hot weather. The heat is on the street. Your social life will become more and more active and that means you should leave your iPod at home, (not a bad idea anyway to avoid pickpockets and to talk more with strangers), and listen to what other people are listening to. You should be getting scared. If you’ve been living here for long enough, you must be aware of the canción de verano. Normally it’s a dancing song, with its own choreography, which is supposed to be sexy and in synch with a catchy chorus. Examples? The devil song “Aserejé” from Las Ketchup, or “Bomba” by King Africa. Don’t worry; we can work on some alternatives to get completely away from that. Trust me. At least we can be protected from the awful repetition in two crystal balls of upcoming festivals. At Summercase, you can live with pretty cool summer songs: big hits from cool people like Jarvis Cocker, PJ Harvey, Air — the French band, the super Arcade Fire (w-h-a-t a concert they do!), the resurrection of Jesus and Mary Chain, the amazing Editors, the Gossip… wow. If you’re not that pop-rocker you can dance with Chemical Brothers, Felix Dahousecat, LCD Soundsystem, 2manyDJs, Scissor Sisters, and Lily Allen. That’s fun for all and without any attack of the canción de verano. We can find solace in the other festival I’ve already mentioned lots of times: Faraday. In Vilanova beach we can have our granizados with some vodka, away from the medusas of bad music. By the time you read this I’ll be in bed, recovering from the big hangover from “Dancing Queen” — gay heterofriendly festival and better than thousands of San Joan parties. It’s showcasing Spanish freak-as-fun characters like Yurena (ex-Ambar, ex-Tamara). It will be difficult for you to recognize her talent, but she had an underappreciated album Superstar — very danceable and crazy lyrics about suffering with the media, about nice boys and big parties. I have the receipt from El Corte Ingles when I bought it; it’s still in pesetas. I laughed a lot with the songs like “Tu vas a ser mi hombre,” “Amor cannibal,” and “A por ti.” I’m a big fan of her efforts, and her strange and glamorous look. She could be a Bond girl, as her last name is Seisdedos. Also at Dancing Queen, these boys from Ibiza, singing and dancing with their big fans “Party, Ibiza, Locomia.” Yes, they are Locomia. This party will be absolutely fabulous. The Pet Shop Boys will cry when they notice they weren’t there. Another one to take into account is Josmar. Josmar was born in Girona and when he was 12 years old he decided to be an artist. He has been on the radio as an actor, but here you can see him performing as a singer. If you make it to this festival then you’ll have a ten in Spanish culture and I’ll give you the title and big flag of “Guiri Enterado.” It’s nice to be a guiri enterado. You only get this title when you’ve been living here for a long time and nobody has to explain directions or politicians to you; when you already know that the free Catalan classes are not as good as they’d like to be; when you say that you won’t go to Maremagnum discos and when you know some Spanish bands. There will be some concerts at Niu, in Sala Becool and Espai Jove de l’Eixample, where you can get to know some bastions of Spanish music. Cool local bands will play, including: Aroah, (delicate pop from Madrid); Le Pianc, Los Carradine (but without Billy Bragg this time, and I hope not dressed as bees) and The!Fuck (undressed as usual). You should check it out. Another beautiful concert will be TV on the Radio. These guys really rock. I mean post-rock with the electricity on. They’re Brooklyn guys and to get their meaning you’ve got to listen to them. Also coming to town, The Cult with big hits like “Revolution” or “She Sells Sanctuary.” Wow, this article is getting bigger and bigger. I think I should go out and take a walk, ufff. Man, what a nice concert season. With all of these, who needs a stupid canción de verano? All right, nothing against different tastes, marshmallow, crema catalana or chocolate, any music that brings us together is sweet. Like Fary. You’ve probably heard about him recently; respect to you brother, have a good new life. Oh, I have a big favor to ask all concert organizers: please, turn the air-conditioning on as high as you can. And, would asking for free beer be too much?

BCNWEEK

Art

Film ROJO® OPENS NEW ART VENUE Festival miniMETRAJES The Spanish revista ROJO® – rollo hip, artsy Not simply thefeatures ownership of acoming camera andthat glossy — that up and would turn you into an artist, but with all the artists/illustrators inaugurates a 175m2 mobile phones and around thatThe allow exhibition space on cameras calle Girona tonight. you h to produce short video clips there’s definitively an artistic democratisation taking place. To find out what creative amateurs have come up with, check out the second miniMetrajes festival that is dedicated to showcasing seriously short shorts filmed with either a digital camera or a mobile phone. Place: Centre Garcilaso @ Juan de Garay, 116118 (Metro Sagrera) Time: 20:00h // until June 30th More info/contact: www.funcionvideo.org Design La Santa presents Ultramarinos Half a year ago La Santa celebrated the launch of its revista de tendencias artisticas that featured up and coming artists who work in photography, illustration, painting, and plastic arts — a sort of visual culture scanner. Now, six months later, they present their second edition entitled Ultramarinos at the Iguapop gallery that features more emerging estrellas. If you like art in book form and you’re interested to find out who’ll be en vogue soon — have a look. Place: Iguapop @ Comerç, 15 Time: 20:00h Admission: Free (+ usually some free vino tinto) More info/contact: www.lasanta.org Fashion + Party From Apolo to La Terrrazza: A Fashion Freak Parade No, this isn’t Bread & Butter. But it’s fashion and fun and for everyone. You could call it an Off B&B, a fashion event without the fashion facistas, a night that celebrates la moda without elevating it to the raison d’etre of life. The evening starts at Sala Apolo with performances (not to be confused with models walking up and down cat walks) and DJs Bbrothers plus Isabel Díaz from Radio 3 at 10pm. At 00:30h the fiesta moves in a big parade (that also celebrates gay and lesbian pride) up the hill to La Terrrazza where the party starts at 1:00h and goes on until 5:00h. Place: Sala Apolo @ Nou de la Rambla, 112 Time: 22:00h // The festival runs until June 30th Admission: 35¤ at the door (for the entire festival) // 25¤ at www.telamagazine.com More info/contact: www.telamagazine.com -------------------------------------------------------

FRIDAY 29 Music You Say Party! We Say Die! Shake it, shake it, shake it! From Vancouver directly to Razzmatazz lands one of the coolest dance-punk bands, ready to make your body real sweaty. Hits like “Stockholm Syndrome Part Two” or “The Gap”, will burn the house down, raise it again and throw it around only to make you go crazy. And yeah, for the same price, you get concert and club. Place: Pop Bar, Razz @ Almogàvers, 122 Time: 2:30h Admission: 15¤ at the door // 12¤ at www.ticktackticket.com More info/contact: http://www.salarazzmatazz.com/conciertos by Dominik Gelada

Music Faraday This is not the music festival of the year when it comes to the line-up but the Faraday

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Lena Wiget

festival in Vilanova i la Geltrú clearly Teatre Grec in Barcelona, or for free ingets Sta.an A+ for location – next just to the beach, Coloma de Gramanet outside of with Barcelona views theofsea, green grass to sit on… on theof31st August. Tonight on stage are the Sweed, Jens Time: 21:30h Lekman, The Ladybug Transistor, I Got You Del Place: CD Drome, Primavera Sound @ Parc On Tape,s/n Neils Children, Sr. Chinarro, Forum, Hidrogenesse and Admission: 65¤ forThe theLight entireBrigade. night Place: Faraday @ Playa del Far, Vilanova i la More info/contact: www.primaverasound.com Geltrú ( Time: 20:00h // June 29th to June 30th Admission: 23¤ to 28¤ per day / 35¤ to 40¤ for both days More info/contact: faraday.tv -------------------------------------------------------

SATURDAY 30 Art Difusor Difusor is a Barcelona-based project established with the goal of bringing together European artists specializing in stencil art. At the moment, there’s a lot of political and cultural debate about this type of street art, so it comes as no surprise that Difusor has put together the meeting in Barcelona. The event officially kicks off on June 26 but there will be plenty of live art in the streets, lectures, debates, visuals/films, an exhibition at Miscelänea and even a street-art route through the city, all carrying on till the 1st of July. Some collaborating artists include Zosen, Kafre, El Chupet Negre, Pez and Cuber, but there will be many more. There’s just way too much going on with this, so get online and check www.difusor.org for scheduling information. And bring a stencil! Event: Exhibition at Miscelänea @ Guardia, 10 // June 30th // 20:30h Event: Concert and live painting near the Bessos river @ Pi i Margall, Sant Adrià del Besos // 22:00h to 3:00h // June 30th Admission: Free More info/contact: www.difusor.org by jordae

Todo Urban Funk Skateboard Fun Part of the Urban Funke Festival is a divertido get-together where amateur and professional skaters as well as urban artistas and musicians demonstrate their skills at the Plaça Marques De La Foronda (that’s midway up the stairs that lead from Plaça Espanya to the NMAC). Later the same day: Clubbing à la Urban Funke with DJ Assault at Fellini for 15¤ per person starting at 24:00h. Place: Fuentes de Montjuïc, Plaça Marques De La Foronda Time: 12:00h to 19:00h // Admission: 5¤ More info/contact: www.urbanfunke.com Music + Fashion Fashion Freak Summer Playa, playa, playa: With friendly beach volleyball matches, sexy beach fashion and beachy party music, the Fashion Freak Festival comes to a close at playa Marbella. Place: Bar de Playa Amparo @ Playa Marbella s/n Time: 16:00h to 1:30h Admission: Free More info/contact: www.telamagazine.com -------------------------------------------------------

SUNDAY 1 Dance Dies de Dansa You can go to the Mercat de les Flors and watch arguably fascinating Taiwanese yin-yan dancers glide over the floor for 30¤. You can also enjoy a fantastic view over Barcelona from the open air municipal swimming pools of Montjuic whilst drinking a beer and

C O M P I L E D BY

Prada Garcia

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Alfredo Lahoz

THE SHORT LIST

BARS, RESTAURANTS AND HANGOUTS QUE MOLAN BIG TIME M E T I C U L O U S LY S E L E C T E D ( B U R P ! ) /// R E P E AT E D LY J U E R G A -T E S T E D /// N E V E R E V E R PA I D F O R

BEER HALL

CERVECERIA CATALANA M A L LO R CA 2 3 6 T E L . 9 3 2 1 6 0 3 6 8

Do you love miniature hamburgers? I mean teeny tiny hamburguesas that look just like big ones? Then do as the blond, Oompa Loompa orange catalana does with her boyfriend (the guy with the sweater tied around his shoulders… you know him): spend the evening at la Cerveceria Catalana. You’ll be surprised, as the place is not as expensive as it looks, though the food is. Giant shrimp sizzling in garlic and oil, espárragos are sautéed with olive oil and salt, and Camembert — oh, the Camembert! — is covered in chopped almonds, served hot with berry jam. Todo como Dios manda. Weekends at this place are packed, and they'll offer to put you on a waiting list for a table. So hit the bar. The bartenders are way nicer than the waiters, and the camaraderie shared while reaching for the last eelcovered montadito far outweighs what you would get on the terraza which looks way more like Loompa Land than BCN.

J U I C E STA N D

L’OLLA DEL TORRENT T O R R E N T D E L’ O L L A 1 0 6

L I V I N G - C U M - R E STAU R A N T

CHICO CHANGO S A N T P E R E M É S A LT 3 4

This cute little living room-cumrestaurant is new to the Barri Sant Pere and shows every sign of staying, because it is what many of its neighbors seem to have forgotten is so important: CHEAP. The limited menu (even more limited by the fact that they are out of 1-2 options per night) is a case study in giving the people what they want: Mexican food (taquitos, quesadillas, etc) at Mexican prices. Two people can get BAR BODEGA

TEO

ATA U L F 1 8 T E L . 9 3 3 1 5 1 1 5 9

In its past life, this hidden bar was an old neglected bodega. A couple of years ago, though, new owner and friendly bartender, Rafa, gave the place a makeover with lights, young artists' work on the walls and chairs from dia de los trastos. New Bodega has a cool atmosphere and a steady clientele of guiris, especially Colombians (‘cause they're Rafa's fellow countrymen), Brits (‘cause he used to bartend

drinks (the Margaritas are weak… or am I strong?), an appetizer and an entrée and keep it under 25¤ total, emerging full and a bit buzzed. Admittedly, this place did not seem at all ideal from the outset. The décor seemed poco mexicano and the host was wearing headphones to drown out the incongruous live Björk on the loudspeakers. However, cañas down the hatch and an order of nachos later, I noticed the happy selection of lucha libre masks, and in the bathroom found the smallest urinal ever. If a place can pull off a cute urinal, well, it can pull off anything. www.myspace.com/chicochango there) and Australians (‘cause his wife's Australian). The wine is no longer the main attraction, though the place maintains the huge oak barrels above the bar, and neighbors keep coming to buy their supply, usually during the day. Nowadays, the cocktails are the main atracción. The signature lychee martini is like spring in a glass, but for a more alcoholic experience, go for the intense passion fruit and cachaça martini; a delicious kick in the head. And if you really want to get hammered, show up from 8 to 10 pm: two-for-one time. But beware of the killer step on your way out. Guiris goin’ down!

TEL 932 10 49 01

Though the gargantuan juice stand positioned inside L’Olla del Torrent makes entry difficult, I always like a place that remembers its roots and prides itself on how far it has come. Apparently, they used to be a wheeled orxata stand. Now, though, business has expanded and not only will you find orxata, but also a variety of healthy, fresh juices that make you feel a little less guilty about that greasy but deLISH sobrassada and cheese crêpe you devoured. I have always considered crêpes a street food, so it is interesting to eat them inside a restaurant that has not updated its furniture or décor in the last century... sort of like eating pancakes on your grandma’s antique credenza, only with more of a chance to spill, as those juices I mentioned come damn full, and the tables, well, wobbly would be the word. Say that five times fast.

CANDY STORE

HAPPY PILLS ARCS 6

TEL. 933 04 30 97

The name alone will get you into the store, for who would pass up the chance to munch down some happy pills? Call me PacMan, because the minute I heard about this place, I was off to try it out. Most bulk candy stores in Barcelona are the same: very colorful yet with that hint of grabby grime, ambiguous pricing and one angry woman manning the cash register. Happy Pills, though, is a tiny, well staffed and medicinally clean candy store where everything is one price, and it is gathered with a twist. Instead of flimsy plastic bags (which they do have), you can fill medicine bottles that help the eater deal with the “unbearable lightness of being,” or, if you are green, the “canvi climatic”. Unfortunately, you have to go with their choices, so you can’t get too specific, but I have a feeling that it will change very soon. It was packed today and will be packed tomorrow, and soon enough they will have the money for that bespoke candy medicine bottle label maker that we have all been waiting for.

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LISTINGS

CONTINUED

JUNE 28 - JULY 11

watching Vaivén from Germany, Robert Hylton from the UK and Taller Anton Lachky from Slovakia filling the piscina space with their moves. Place: Piscines Municipals de Montjuïc @ Av Miramar Time: 19:15 to 20:30h Admission: Free More info/contact: www.marato.com --------------------------------------------------------------

MONDAY 2 Film (V.O.) C.R.A.Z.Y. Open-Air The open-air cinema season on Montjuic begins today. Different from last year, they’ve got three screenings per week planned until August 2nd. The evening starts with a concert by Kaulakau (Jazz fusion) and the feature film, C.R.A.Z.Y. by Jean-Marc Vallée, begins when the night has set at 22:00h. If you plan to use public transport, wait at the Plaça Espanya towers where a special bus service will be provided to take you to Sala Montjuïc between 20:30h and 21:30h (there are also buses that take you back down). Place: Sala Montjuic @ Montjuic s/n Time: 22:00h Admission: 4¤ More info/contact: www.salamontjuic.com --------------------------------------------------------------

TUESDAY 3 Music TV On The Radio Unlike so much New York rock of recent vintage (in this case 2001) this indie band eludes neat categorization. They are majestic, sometimes spastic, also elegant, and de vez en cuando cynical, and tremulous. Their songs are a mix of sterling vocals, aggressive rhythmic patterns, layers of noise chasing each other… In fact, the best thing you can say about TVOTR is that they don't actually sound like a band at all. It’s difficult to describe but great to listen to. Place: Sala Apolo @ Nou de la Rambla, 112 Time: 21:30h (doors open at 20:30) Admission: 24¤ at the door // 20¤ at www.ticktackticket.com More info/contact: www.myspace.com/tvotr by Chris Freeman

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WEDNESDAY 4 Film (V.O.) Taxidermia (Hungary, 2007) An rather uncommon, well-told tale directed by György Pálfi that tracks three generations of men, including an obese award-winning speed eater, an embalmer of enormous cats and a man who shoots fire out of his penis. Seriously disgusting yet entertaining. Place: Cine Casablanca Gracia @ Girona 17 Time: 18:00h and 20:00h Admission: 6¤ More info: www.taxidermia.co.uk --------------------------------------------------------------

THURSDAY 5 Art Inauguration Bestial When Miss Van curates an exhibition you surely won’t be bored by pretty images without message. She has selected new works by Fawn Geweiller, Nano4814, Angelique Houtkamp, Kev Grey, Mademoiselle Kat, Kid Acne, Jeremy Fish, Junko Mizuno, Aiko, Sunny Buick, Ciou, Herbert Baglione, Mike Giant, Landry&Limbo, Javi Rodriguez and her Miss-Van-self. Place: Iguapop @ Comerç, 15 Time: 20:00h (inauguration) // Until August 4th Admission: Free More info/contact: www.iguapop.net

BCNWEEK

Music B-estival: John Mayall + Govt Mule One of the new festivals that is making its way in just two years of life, is the B-estival. Really big names such as John Mayall and Govt Mule will be performing at the Poble Espanyol recinto one after the other, for 38 euros. Not bad if you think, John Mayall has been playing with Eric Clapton, John Lee Hooker, has about fifty albums, and is bluesy seventy years old! Also quiet historical are Govt Mule, ex-Allman Brothers with over thousand concerts full of blues-rock sounds, and critically acclaimed albums such as “The deep end Vol 1.” Two legends; Caro but a must see. Place: Poble Espanyol @ Av del Marquès de Comillas / Montjuic Time: 19:30h Admission: 38¤ More info/contact: www.b-estival.com by Dominik Gelada

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FRIDAY 6

Tibidabo, Lluis Muntadas and Plaça del Doctor Andreu Time: 10:00h Admission: Free More info/contact: www.hamaka.org Music Grec: Medeski Martin & Wood The Grec Festival focused on all cultural events, arranged once again, a really nice musical line up. If you are into jazz, you will probably know about those four music geniuses. Medesky Martin and Wood are a very innovative, and creative long term jazz band, which renewed stylish jazz terms into a new vision, playful and full of creativity. In this particular adventure they included some years ago John Scofield, top ten funk-jazz guitarist, for some playing together, and ended up with two full albums, and a couple world tours. My imagination can’t go that far, sorry, but facts are facts. Place: Teatre Grec @ Pg. Santa Madrona, 36 Time: 22:00h Admission: 15¤ to 36¤ More info/contact: www.barcelonafestival.com by Dominik Gelada

Art Hardware Hacking It’s the last day of the exhibition Hardware Hacking where Pablo Rega, Olaf Ladousse and Ricard Solà present their experiments with things that make sounds. Not ground breaking but inspiring. Place: Almazen @ Guifré, 9 Time: 17:00h to 21:00h Admission: Free More info/contact: www.almazen.net Music Green World Music Madness Do you know what klezmer music is? Well I didn’t until I went to the last Global Music Circus night at Mephisto and found myself involved in a six-person, arms round shoulders, knees up at 5 am – Jewish wedding style. We’re talking funky global house, African beats, reggae, and Balkan bangers, all designed to keep you dancing your ass off. You have to love djs who go mental to their own music, like Berta (aka Mata Hari) who rarely stops jumping around on the stage, furniture, bar… whatever she can get her feet on. The crowd is usually well up for it with all kinds of silliness accepted, and even encouraged. Apart from great music, let’s appreciate that the guys are environmental conscious and print all their flyers on recycled paper whilst giving a percentage of the proceeds to charity to ensue carbon neutrality. Place: Sala Mephisto @ Roc Boronat 33, Poble Nou Time: 24:00h to 6:00h Admission: 12¤ including drink More info/contact: www.globalmusiccircus.com by Anna Gurney

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SATURDAY 7 Performance INn Motion The performing arts festival INn Motion celebrated at the CCCB follows up on crisis-struck governments (Conservas, BCN), the mystery of happiness (Accidents Polipètics, BCN), and people without memories (Llonovoy, Mallorca). Place: CCCB @ Montalgere, 5 Time: 19:00h to 24:00h Admission: 5¤ More info/contact: www.conservas.tk

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SUNDAY 8 Chill Out Hamaka Hamaking is a get-together, a collective chilling out in public spaces to demonstrate the beauty of a peaceful, playful, culinary botellón. Place: Parc de la Font del Racò @ Between Av. del

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MONDAY 9 Music Grec: Gonzales Born in Canada, he became an underground icon in Berlin and, finally, a producer and pianist in Paris. This is Gonzales, a provocative musician, a charming singer or a wild rapper who has flown from trip hop to hip hop, stopping over in cabaret. Tonight at the Plaça del Rei he performs music from his 2005 released album Solo Piano in a surreal show somewhere between Andy Kaufman and Richard Clayderman. Place: Plaça del Rei Time: 22:00h Admission: 25¤ More info/contact: www.barcelonafestival.com

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TUESDAY 10 Music Frank Black No introduction for this one. The second half from the Pixies has been playing on its own around the world for some years now, having quiet a success. Not only because of him being part of the first alternative big bang , which could be a main reason, but also because albums like “Fast man rider man” or “Honeycomb”, are more than good. Alternative American folk-rock, not only for Pixies lovers. Place: Apolo @ Nou de la Rambla, 112 Time: 21:00h Admission: 25¤ More info/contact: www.gamerco.com/iguapop by Dominik Gelada

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WEDNESDAY 11 Art Barcelona-París-Pekin More than 50 artists from Barcelona, Paris and Peking exhibit their interpretation of Catalan, French and Chinese urban realities. Place: Off*Ample @ Ample, 5 & Pasaje de la Paz, 10 Time: 11:00h to 20:00h Admission: Free More info/contact: www.espace-ample.com

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WE’RE A

Dominik Gelada

Julian Urigoitia, lead member from 08001, chats in his studio about their new album, Vorágine: Since I started this project, people kept telling me that it didn’t sound like it was from Spain, or Barcelona. There has always been this cultural mixture here, but it was more like a Latin fusion thing. We wanted to focus on the Mediterranean fusion with Moroccan sounds, Aribic, even Greek influences…So if we put that all together with my personal UK musical influences, the result is more or less what you get to hear. 08 is known for having lots of collaborators. You think that’s positive or maybe too chaotic? I would say that in the first album, chaos was the word for it. Now I’ve learned from the past and count more on the same artists from our first work. The new ones were asked to participate, but only if they would be able to stay with us covering all the concerts for the next two years, at least the lead singers -who are always more important. So yeah, it’s been less chaotic. It’s still quite improvised, and with lots of collaborations, but much more structured. Most of the artists have other projects, even different jobs, and sometimes it’s difficult to handle it. We know that; it’s our handicap. Clerence is one of the new impressive voices in the album… Yeah, he’s the man. In the nineties he reached Top 40 in Benelux, sold a million copies, and was, and is, a superb singer, with soul roots, who I met playing in the metro!!! Man I was so amazed that I talked to him right there about joining 08. It was kinda like a miracle, such a singer!! No muchos in Spain.

He sings one of the, let’s say, “hits.” Are you looking to be massive? Well, just listen to the single and you’ll see it’s the antisingle (“Jungle”). Maybe it’s more commercial than the rest, true, but dude, its working….reached number 7 on iTunes! What about the track “Musik and Life?” That’s hip hop, isn’t it? Sincerely it’s a wicked track. Its hip hop but still with the same essence of the rest, an eighties bass line, afterwards some electric guitars….again the Arabic influence…maybe the track which nobody expects to be there , but makes it’s way around.

IMMA VALLMITJANA DOES “DIRTY POP”

KUBIK

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Bob Groen

HER WORK TESTS OUR ABILITY TO LOOK FOR MEANING

JUNE 8 – 28 DISTRITOQUINTO @ FERLANDINA 53 WWW.DISTRITOQUINTO.ORG

With its übercool location underneath the grotesque solar panel at El Parque del Forum, Germany’s answer to the greenhouse effect promises to become one of the cities hotspots for this summer. In many aspects, one can argue that Berlin is hotter than Barcelona. Art, music, party science, counterculture, to mention just a few, flourish in Germany’s capital like never before. But what do you do with a great concept that the weather in your hometown just doesn’t allow to reach its potential? Exactamente, you move that thing south where the sun always shines and the atmosphere is club-friendly. One year after its conception, the critically-acclaimed, open-air club Kubik has landed in Barcelona for the summer. The idea of illuminating industrial liquid containers and structuring them into a dance floor is brilliant in its simplicity. The architect behind it all, modulorbeat, found some open ears at Balestra Berlin: Silvana de Hillerin (28, Berlin) and Mascha Thomas (27, Munich) took the idea and teamed up with lighting designer Andreas Barthelmes of LightLife to create an enchanting open air experience. ‘The idea is to illuminate fallow land that the city just doesn’t care about. Like the Forum. There’s nothing to see or do; sometimes you’re not even allowed to be there. Almost as if the Ajuntament avoids it,’ says Mascha. ‘In Berlin, there’s lots of unused space, which to us doesn’t make sense. Our aim is to revitalize this unused space and give it back to the people. The Forum is an example of megalomaniac city planning. A global prestige project that the people of Barcelona did not need, but still their houses were taken down for it. Now the whole area is almost useless. I’m not saying a party is the answer, but at least we’ve built something guay.’ Kubik´s minimal techno can be enjoyed until the 29th of September.

50’s, 60’s, and 70’s American advertising has never let anyone down. Its upbeat images, loopy colours and cheerful characters promised a bright future that lay ahead, and if it’s difficult for somebody born after those fizzy decades to figure out if the atmosphere really was as gleaming as implied through those billboards - the grand points of reference of our times - we can still open a 1974 Vogue and understand that a strand of the culture certainly had a taste for images that diffused a sparkling outlook on life. In the much more pessimistic first decade of the XXI century, Imma Vallmitjana takes a look back at the visual culture of those times and figures out that the happy world promised in those images has never materialized now that we’re facing staggering social inequality and environmental disaster. She cuts through old ad images, distorting characters, and making the once cheerful colors dull and monotonous. She transforms clear and explicit advertising into images that are ambiguous and hard to understand, which confuses us since we are used to looking at advertising and recognizing its message at once. Being bombarded with fast-changing information on the streets, we tend to look for compact, images that are easy to digest, and stray away from vague ‘pretentious’ art like Vallmitjana’s. Her work, however, tests our ability to look for meaning, to stop and start analyzing images that are much more difficult to decode but which also lead to much more relevant content.

OPEN EARLY FOR ALL TRI-NATIONS RUGBY GAMES

When’s the big day in Barcelona? Well, the public and press presentation day isn’t clear yet. We want it to be really big, at a big venue, the official thing you know. We’re working on that. In any case you can be informed on myspace myspace.com/08001 or www.08001.org.

VENUE

Malina Lambrache

TERRACE OPEN YEAR-ROUND

You co-produced with Laurent from Flam, and mixed with Mike Marsh. Those are some really big names! Yeah, the Laurent case started almost accidentally and ended up being a success. I needed help from the beginning, too much for me alone, so I knew a friend from France who recommended a production agency to me. I was glad to work with someone with over twenty years of experience. Even so, he always worked under my opinion, and never lost the original idea of 08. And mastering... oh God, this guy is a genius. I had total confidence in him. He was so good I couldn’t tell him anything.

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FILM

TAXIDERMIA

FROM THE INSIDE, DEAR FRIEND, WE ALL LOOK JUST LIKE PIGS BY

Maren Hermans

In biology I once learned that the organs of pigs and humans are very similar to each other, in both appearance and function. What György Pálfi shows in his controversial, border-breaking, stomach-aching film Taxidermia adds a lot to this little lesson in homology. Situated in socialist Hungary, the film tells a family’s story in three generations. A horny grandfather shoots fire out of his penis and is very much into everything sexual. His son, born with a little pig tail, becomes one of the most successful speed-eaters in all of socialism and the grandchild dedicates his life to taxidermy. First impression: this is a film about stuffing. It’s visual poetry, featuring the full palette of bodily juices, orifices and different methods to eviscerate and maim, PLUS some steamy innards on a cold winter’s day’s. But by using these brutal, direct images, the film makes a clear statement about ethics and humanity. Humans turn into animals, pig-like creatures who are reduced to their basic elements while at the same

time exaggerated to extremes: sex and food are no longer just necessities for survival, but rather become grotesque and obscene outlets for dirty fantasies, dreams and desires. This all is told through a very non-traditional storyline, with surprising turns which make you think that the next scene can’t possibly be more disgusting than the one you’re watching. But let me tell you: it can. As the retired speed-eating champion reminds his son, 'I had a vomiting technique named after me’, I try to hold down my Pizza Marinada and ask myself, “why am I actually watching this? ” A film theorist with some interest in psychology might say, “Through feeling nausea by watching disgusting or horrifying movies, we feel ourselves confirmed as 'normal' human beings, part of an ethical and modern society.” But here my old biology teacher would smile, turn off his overhead projector and counter, “From the inside, dear friend, we all look just like pigs.”

ENTRE PAREDES BY

Irene Hwang

PULPO IS SPANISH FOR OCTUPUS THE LAST OF A DYING BREED: A RESTAURANT IN BCN THAT’S WONDERFUL, AS WELL AS WONDERFULLY CHEAP Oh, Octopus: For those who have tried this chewy, tentacle-laden mollusc, you’ll know that while the bad stuff really sucks (it’s tougher than leather boots and covered with that oozing funk that reminds you of snot), the hard-to-find good stuff is really quite delicious and worth the hunt. Fortunately, this weekend my boyfriend and I ate some of the most amazing seafood (i.e. pulpo) that I’ve had in ages. We went to THAT restaurant: Unpretentious, super clean and brightly lit, with the owners manning the bar and loud and friendly waiters playing frisbee with plates of the yummiest Mediterranean seafood EVER. Not only was this place fantastically good, it was more than just barato. It was like “oh-my-god-I’ll-probably-get-foodpoisoning-but-I-don’t-care” kind of cheap. It was such a good deal that I’m NOT telling you where it is, what it’s called, or how I found out about it. I’m just going to selfishly enjoy the stunningly low prices and hope it never gets outed. It’s the kind of place you don’t expect to find in BCN anymore. Although I haven’t been in Spain or Catalunya for that many years, I was here to enjoy a mind-bogglingly favorable exchange rate between the dollar and peseta. Six years later, crazy (and selective) inflation (coupled with the natural Spanish tendency for nickel-anddiming) has not only doubled menu prices, but also transformed many parts of the city into overpriced tourist zones that have no resemblance to their former selves. Don’t get me wrong. I’m NOT nostalgic; I just want good cheap food (or good cheap anything for that matter), which is an increasing rarity in this city. While I cheer efforts to make the city a “nicer” place, I think much of the gentrification of BCN’s more modest areas results in not only the welcome expulsion of the nasty (gross, flashing, drunk guy), but also erases a lot of the good (affordable, family-run businesses and restaurants) as a consequence. Call it the “chemotherapy approach” to urban renewal.

While I will admit that I’m happy to walk cleaner streets and not worry about crossing paths with the sketchier side of Barcelona, I do think that such an approach can lead to hasty decision making. Take for instance the Dino that used to be on Passeig de Gracia and Consell de Cent: eleven years ago on my first trip to Barcelona, this ice cream parlor was THE thing I loved the most. With authentic 60’s decor and a totally fantastic, sinuous ice cream counter, it was unlike any place I’d ever seen at home (yep, that would be New Jersey). My backpacking, architecture-student self was beguiled by its unfamiliar splendor. Now, more than a decade later, this Dino has been converted into another example of the forgettable, generic, modern stores (think Mango) that push 10¤ desserts to the throngs of tired tourists spilling from the Casa Batlló 16.50¤ (?!) tour. Taking something “old” and replacing it with something “new” isn’t always an improvement. It’s important to understand how a building functions (within a specific setting, community, or context) in order to make a proper (or at least considered) decision about how to conduct its renovation or removal. Imposing a formulaic architectural look or style as an easy replacement for older, worn down parts of the city (which honestly do call for improvement) will only prove to be a temporary fix. New is only better (i.e. “nicer”) if it can provide concrete answers for present problems and address the character of future growth and development. I mean really, what does “nice” mean anyway? I loved my weekend seafood fest. Not only were we incredibly drunk and full, we also got to experience (what I consider to be) a now overshadowed side of BCN: genuine, without being touristy or outdated. It’s my hope that those qualities don’t get lost during the decision-making process regarding the character of the city’s development.

ASTROLONA BY

Lady Ondina Osborne

ARIES This afternoon I found myself sitting with two women twice my age talking about their sexually dysfunction-ing husbands, and the essence of happiness (the two topics were not related). They were smoking cigarettes and telling tales of children bound to wheelchairs and the unjust nature of the Spanish judicial system. Ayy, ¡qué maruja! You need something similar this week. Let someone who’s been around longer bend your ear. I think you believe too much in your own young experience. TAURUS Lovely little ladies have opened a massage parlor in the office next to mine. I, quite innocently, asked them if it was a massage parlor or a massage parlor. They took great offence to my question and told me that it was a proper business of the up most moral standards. As you already know, I personally don’t mix my sexuality with morality…it leaves a bitter aftertaste. There’s a bitterness that’s seeping into usually so-sweet cuntcock. Why is that? Be careful because rancid juices make you a fun toy not. GEMINI Very recently, a flight from Amsterdam to Washington (that’s the American state all the way across the N. American continent) had plumbing problems and sewage sloshed around the floorboards for the entire trip. Nice. Are you too traveling in piss and shit? Be careful with your upcoming travel plans that I see you finalizing this week. You could very innocently find yourself in a gravy boat afloat in a sea of pus (could be fluid related. Wrap it up, Charlotte). CANCER Someone has guessed your correct age and you’re feeling concerned. Of course you’re beautiful and appear younger than you are, but that reality is quickly slipping away. Do you think that life is going to look you over and you’ll slip through into old age beautiful? No sweet baby, not even you. Don’t lament this harsh reality, instead focus on doing what you’ll never be able to do properly: appreciate the youth you have left. LEO As I write this the summer solstice is passing. As it is for any good pagan, this is a very powerful night for me and I look forward to my banquet with the Gods and Goddesses from which my fleshly needs will be fed. You are looking forward to getting completely nuttered for Sant Joan (the Catholic stamp of approval for pagan behavior that can’t be modified), which is the same difference, really. The days will now be getting shorter towards fall and winter. Have you packed away your nuts, my little squirrel? VIRGO Syllogomania is the proper name for someone who hordes, to a suffocating extreme, what most people would call rubbish. I say that the vast majority of us earthlings manifest symptoms of this “syndrome” because the fact is that we are such mammoth waste producers and don’t even think twice about where it all goes. You understand me because your heart is too feeling an earthly, environmental tug. Polystyrene, what a nightmare. Oh, what to do? You can’t change the world, grasshopper, just your actions. Aim for a ripple effect. LIBRA Hey, I’ve got some Gods for you: Aa Norn, Goddess of the past; Iccovellauna, Goddess of water; Oki-Tsu-HikoNo-Kami, God of kitchens; Shagpona, God of smallpox; Speio, Goddess of caves; Summanus, God of thunder; Tagabayan, Goddess of adultery and incest; Tango, God of virgin birth. How’s that for your empty heart? If none of these work for you just make up your own, it’s all the same anyway. SCORPIO Slap happy and on a roll. You’ve got your pockets full of shine and two skips in your step. The wind is blowing sweet scents and your ears only hear the sweet rocking of a beat called baby and tune tolling a memory reminiscent of ecstasy. Oh yeah, life’s all about days like these. You’re on the upward side of a happy slope. Scream your flavor. SAGITTARIUS I overheard a conversation between a backpack carrying tourist and a cop the other day. It wasn’t about a stolen wallet or other petty experiences; it was about the legal status of knives on airplanes. The look on the hardly bilingual cop’s face was along the lines of “why the fuck are you making me suffer through this trivial concern?” You too are discussing the rights of umpaloompas with Chinese nuns. Refocus your inquiry. CAPRICORN Your job is still like a persistent cock pushing its way past your sphincter. While you’re still holding it at bay, it will break through and cause you extreme insanity…or is it you the cock in the ass of another on a relentless insistence? Be either encouraged or terrified by my observations and make appropriate decisions. AQUARIUS You were so stoned yesterday that as you devoured that entire bag of potato chips you didn’t notice the image of Ray Charles on one of the greasy slices. Just like the Mary’s appearance on grilled cheese, Ray came back to earth and made an appearance just for you, but you ate him. Sacrilege. The only thing to do is take in as much music as possible over these next few days. That was his message for you anyway: you need more music. PISCES Your fishy self has taken on the horney salmon personality of late, going against the stream in blind stubbornness. You’ve been so blind to your surroundings that you don’t even realize that you’re going against everyone else and that’s why things are so difficult for you. The great thing about being a water sign in that you can flow so much easier than the rest. Relax your mind and body; you’ll soon slip back into your old flow.

Personals I SAW YOUS + CONFESSIONS

JORDI’S LAW SEND YOURS IN AT WWW.BCNWEEK.COM/JORDILAW48_SUB.HTML Metro users: Wait until you’re standing in front of the ticket gate in the metro before you start searching for the ticket that is invariably at the bottom of your bag. Abuelas: When walking in Barcelona's narrow streets, arrange your family into an impenetrable line. If there are not enough of you to take up the whole street, develop a magical "sixth sense" to cut off anyone trying to pass. You will be exactly four people behind the one who chooses to stand on the left side of the escalator instead of climbing like everyone before him did, and four people is too far back to ask his lazy ass to step aside and the person right behind him will just make funny faces instead of saying something. STAND RIGHT!!! Cashier at Suma Supermarket: Try not to smile, talk, or otherwise interact with the customer when serving them, thus allowing you to save energy, which you can then use to put all the goods through the checkout at a rate that is fast enough to create an impenetrable mound of shopping on the other side. Dog owners: To avoid the potentially embarrassing action of having to pick up your dog’s shit from the pavement, simply take it to my street in Gracia and let it do its business there. If you choose to wear your espardenyes (typical Catalan shoes with woven fabric soles) it will either rain or you will be caught out after street washing time. It never hurts to have a pretty girl in your company when dealing with Spanish men, be they workers in a hardware store or lawyers. You will be going along at a nice clip matching the long legged strides of the person in front of you when suddenly they will remember they are going the wrong way coming to a complete stop giving you a split second to negotiate a quick dodge and a curse, or a well placed collision. You’re portera will always be a nosey, miserable, oftentimes slightly retarded, hateful cunt. But if you bring her cookies when you first move in she will watch your back and keep you up to date on all the building gossip. Your choice. Hint: You can stand in a line for any service, but unless you have

verbally staked a claim to the spot by asking and announcing who you are behind, you don't exist. Quin és l'últim? If you do not speak Spanish or Catalán and have any food aversions or allergies, it is guaranteed that you will choose just that off the menu thinking it is something else. None of it can be returned because you won't know how to charm your way out of it. Bon profit. No matter how much you practice saying the word “perdón” at home to yourself, no matter how loudly you say it, no matter how markedly you hit the accent, the person whose attention you want will never, ever hear you. Your paella will be filled with empty mussel shells.

CONFESSIONS LIKE THE DIRTY PAPI ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CATHOLIC STAINED SCREEN PLAYING WITH HIS OSTIA, WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR SINS. SUBMIT YOUR BCN RELATED CONFESSION ONLINE AT BCNWEEK.COM AND FREE YOUR SPIRIT OF THAT CUMBERSOME AND UNNECESSARY GUILT. DON’T ASK FOR OR EXPECT FORGIVENESS, HOWEVER, WE’RE JUST TRYING TO NOT FEEL SO GUILTY OURSELVES. SEND YOURS IN AT WWW.BCNWEEK.COM/CONFESSIONS48_SUB.HTML I purposely ride extra close to pedestrians who are walking in the bike lane. If I nick their arm, I am delighted. I have eaten at Maoz at least half a dozen times and never once paid for my sandwich. I'm a racist and a classist. I hate and don't trust any and all Chinese food that costs under 20 euros per plate. That shit'll fuck you up. They're not to be trusted. I've masturbated in the biblioteca on Sant Pere Mes Baix. I earned over 800¤ Saturday night (Sant Joan) nicking wallets from the fucked up. Don’t worry, the cards are worthless to me, but thanks for all that cash. The building next to mine is undergoing a renovation, so its scaffolding if filled with workmen. I spend the morning walking around naked and enjoying the leers. My bathroom is on the other end of my long, narrow apartment. Sometimes, instead of making the trek in the middle of the night, I whip it out off my balcony that is six floors above a busy, narrow centre street.

NEW JORDI’S LAW!

I work as a bike guide, and I purposefully take my people on impossible to negotiate streets overflowing with people or traffic because I hate them. I’m a regular at a restaurant in Gràcia. Not because the food is particularly good, but rather because the woman who owns it reminds me of my dead mom. My little brother almost died of an overdose when he came to visit me. My girlfriend got a needle of adrenalin in her heart a la Pulp Fiction because she snorted heroine instead of coke at a party. I’m the one who steals your drink in discos.

I SAW YOU SEND YOURS IN AT WWW.BCNWEEK.COM/ISAWYOU48_SUB.HTML In the park, next to the swings. We talked for 30 minutes or so. You got a great smile. Big deep blue eyes. You know how to listen like most people don't. You wore a long dark blue dress, hinting at something more. We shared some beers and ideas. And inevitably, you had to go, I had to stay, finish my beer, on the swing, left to my own curious desires. libido_demasiado@yahoo.co.uk Dancing at the Nova Mar Bella chiringuito the night of Sant Joan. You have curly dark hair and a sever dance style. I tried to chat to you but you were really fucked up and all you could do was smile and shake your ass. I’m not even going to try and describe myself because there’s no way you’ll remember me, but I’m going to keep an eye out for you and your pointy nose. Eating last Friday at Veronica in the Raval. You were with a group of your girlfriends, Our tables were opposite and we were catching each others’ sneaky looks. You’re tall with long, dark hair with beautiful white skin. I’m sure you were Gothic-youth because I was too and things like that one recognizes in an other. Wanna reminisce with some Morrisey? bruceadams@gmail.com I see you quite often in the Día on c/Hospital just near the rambla de Raval. You’re the cashier. And you are fucking miserable and rude. Your ability to ooze anger and spite actually inspires a soft side in me, makes me want to take you away from it all. Of course that’ll never happen because you have never once made eye contact with me and if you smiled your face might shatter, but just thought I’d put this vibe out there: I wish you’d just try to be a bit happier.

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