Rock 'n' roll Granada
In Granada there are numerous great indie rock bands, and they certainly represent serious competition for those in Madrid. Los Angeles led the way and they were quickly followed by TNT, 091, La Guardia, Los Planetas, Lagartija Nick, Lori Meyers and Niños Mutantes. An impressive catalogue of great groups that are not alone, as there are currently many bands that perform in the numerous venues that programme live concerts. This is where the next consignment of bands will appear to make the musical life of Granada even more immense.
In Granada, the first electric guitarist to perform beyond its frontiers was the lead guitarist of Los Ángeles. His compositions marked an era. Miguel Ríos took over and left them in the best hands, since the baton was handed to a band that was one of the best in new Spanish pop rock during the effervescent 1980s: The band was called 091, a group of three led by José Ignacio Lapido, El Pitos and Joe Strummer (from The Clash), and the best exponent of the musical volcano that erupted in numerous bars and concert venues in the city and brought some fresh air to the streets of Granada.
You really have to take a stroll through the Albaicín, which used to be the location for the old rehearsal rooms called "Las Cuevas", and was used by numerous bands, including KGB, Al-Dar o TNT, the early line-up for Lagartija and 091, and where a few shops selling "vinyls" are struggling to survive, some of them also to be found in the Calle Duquesa and the Plaza de la Universidad. When it comes to having a good time, Plaza Nueva, Pedro Antonio and Calle Elvira should not be missed, but there are extraordinary venues such as Planta Baja, a club in Calle Horno de Abad, Pubs such as Ruido Rosa in Sol and Pata Palo, as well as tapas bars like Amador from the song by Los Planetas and Eric, a real photographic museum of the scene in Granada; in short, a series of incredible dives full of bad company.
You can't really talk about a "Granada sound", but the energy is unmistakeable. This was immediately evident with La Guardia, another Granada band, with more melodic guitars and led by Manuel España. They had several "number ones". The extraordinary success of "Mil calles llevan hacia ti" would explain the significance of Granada as a setting for this genre.
From then on, and already in the 1990s, there was a succession of Granada groups that had been forged in the city's renowned rock bars. Los Planetas and Lagartija Nick rose to prominence simultaneously and even shared some of their members, which caused quite a stir on the music scene. The former were leaders of the indie movement led by Jota, and the latter, Antonio Arias's band, after producing a historical album, Omega, together with the Flamenco singer Enrique Morente.
Niños Mutantes, practically in the next century, Lori Meyers, yet another mainstay of indie, the latter from the town of Loja, continued the saga of great pop rock bands from Granada. The next batch of rock bands can already be seen on the stages of the music bars.
