The Quireboys - Kafe Antzokia, Bilbao. January 15, 2015.

Fifth visit of The Quireboys to Bilbao, and third to what I like to call their "home away from home", the Kafe Antzokia. 

Thirty years on the road, five shows in the past ten years in Bilbao, every time better than the last one... you might think that has to stop some day, there must come a time when you say: "Well, it was good, but not as great as the last one"... but not with the best rock´n´roll band in the world for the past 25 years. They just keep getting better and better and better... and better again. HOW THE FUCK DO THEY DO IT???

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that after 25 years releasing albums most bands run out of inspiration, but in the past two years Spike & Co. have put out such two jewels as "Beautiful Curse" and "Black Eyed Sons". 

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that while many bands seem to be "working" while they are onstage, the English lads ooze rock´n´roll from the very first minute they step on a stage. Last night was no exception. From the very first chord of "Troublemaker" it was clear they would take no prisoners. They were there to rock out. In fact, this time they were so anxious to kick our asses that they didn´t start with their usual war cry: "We´re The Quireboys and this is rock´n´roll". That had to wait until the next song, the great "Too Much Of A Good Thing".

I mean, how many bands can start a show with three "bombs" like "Troublemaker","Too Much Of A Good Thing" and "Misled"? It´s way too great. After that, the band commanded by the mighty and charismatic Spike combined hits from the past (all the favorites from their classic debut album "A Bit Of What You Fancy", the beautiful "Mona Lisa Smiled", of course "Tramps and Thieves"...) with the ones from the present ("What Do You Want From Me" and "Stubborn Kinda Heart" from their last album and the beautiful (no pun intended) "Beautiful Curse").

As I mentioned before, the band was in great shape: the new rhythm section is amazing.

Keith Weir is still the master of the piano

and the interplay between Paul Guerin

and Guy "Griff" Griffin

is really what this band is all about.

"I Don´t Love You Anymore", which came surprisingly early in the show, chilled us to the bone and that anthem called "This Is Rock´N´Roll" lifted fists in the air and made us scream like there was no tomorrow. "´Cause we need it, we live it, we breathe it, it´s our only dream, together forever, breaking all the faces".

Of course, "7 o´clock" blew the roof off the Antzoki

and as always "Sex Party" ended the show leaving us wanting for much more.

After the show, I had the chance to get a pic with Paul

Keith

and Spike (where were you, Griff?)

Paul remembered me from all the shows in Bilbao, and Keith remembered me from Twitter (is that a sign I´m being a pain in the ass?). I´ll never forget the moment I took the pic with Spike because the guy who took it needed three times to get it right and after the second one Spike looked at me laughing and said: "He´s fucking useless". Ha ha!

Spike thanked us for keeping rock´n´roll alive with them. No, Spike: WE thank YOU all for keeping rock´n´roll alive. It´s kinda funny that the very same night they played here, Rich Robinson announced that the Black Crowes had split for good. No worries, we still have The Quireboys.

SETLIST:


1. TROUBLEMAKER

2+3. TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING + MISLED

4. THERE SHE GOES AGAIN

5. ROSES AND RINGS

6. WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME

7. THIS IS ROCK´N´ROLL

8. MONA LISA SMILED

9. WHIPPIN´ BOY

10. I DON´T LOVE YOU ANYMORE

11. TRAMPS & THIEVES

12. HEY YOU

13. STUBBORN KINDA HEART

14. BEAUTIFUL CURSE

15. SWEET MARY ANN

16. 7 O´CLOCK

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17+18. I LOVE THIS DIRTY TOWN+SEX PARTY