OHAI again from the Land of HxC: Bogota, Colombia!
Justice to my new experience will not be made if I selfishly highlight only one of the various bands that I got to see this past Saturday – No Sir. As I mentioned previously, aside from having formerly established a commitment to go see Abismo, the main reason I wanted to be at this show was to finally see the guys from Pitbull. This wish of mine goes back to 2007, when I first developed a cyber-friendship with Edgar de Castro (the band’s guitarist) and I started promoting their album at the radio station.
Even though I had not had the pleasure to personally meet any of the band members, to me Pitbull was more than just a noisy band with screaming vocals. It was a statement against injustice and a way to promote equality in a world that has undermined the fact that we need more people with the same thirst for change. I got closer to the band’s ideology after one of their members, Julian Prieto (Requiescant in Pace, amen) got murdered by a whole bunch of minds, whose frivolity of thought empowered them to end with the life of another human being, for absolutely no reason (and even if there was one, the means do not justify the ends). Little kids whose lack of direction never allowed them to see the repercussions of their actions. To this day, I am not exactly sure what happened to them (I would much rather not share my opinion with regards to what yours truly would have liked to do to these beings). I wouldn’t be surprised if they are still roaming around the streets of Bogota, as that is the justice of a country that has no memory. Many people already forgot about that day; I did not. That is because, in the most humble way possible, Edgar sent me a set of words to tribute an irreplaceable mind, a friend, a son, more than a band member a brother, a human being, just like you and I, whose light could not be extinguished in vein. I never met Julian, but I did shed more than a tear for his lost. Even though four years have gone by since his lost, this is my way to give tribute to Julian. You will never be forgotten.
As sad as that last paragraph was, let’s try to get back to the joy of HxC, the one that got me on this blogging-binge in the first place. Sooooooo, where was I…? Oh yes, I was really pumped up about this HxC thing that I had just discovered (thanks to Abismo) and I just wanted to see more – Yes, I’m Hardcore like that, how suiting ^-^. It was like a bad craving, where I just could not get enough. I met with Edgar outside the venue and he took me backstage, where I got to say hi to the guys from Abismo and after that, I found a terrific spot about 10 meters above the stage. Perfect for shooting (of the photographic kind, that is). I took a few photos of the band that was playing, and got to see an interesting perspective of how the fans display their loyalty to their idols; the way they sing along, the way they mosh, how others who don’t want to mosh kick the shit disturbers, and such.
The moment that I had been waiting for came: it was Pitbull’s time to get on stage. They grabbed me and I got the balls (I probably borrowed them from one of the girls who was moshing) to get on stage. The moment they said hi to the crowd, the whole Mama roared… Jesus “HxC Lion” Christ! They started playing and it was like a dream come true. There was a moment when I wanted to cry but I couldn’t look like an absolute sissy, particularly while being on stage. The kids started to get on the stage and the energy was so strong, it was practically pushing me off the stage into the crowd. I managed to capture some incredible shots that I will be posting very soon; I just have to go through a few things (color-correct and such) and they will be available for your viewing pleasure in no time. In the meantime, I will leave you with a video of the show. The song is called Todo Nunca es Todo (Everything is never everything)
BTW, Look who is in a skirt taking photos ^.^
When Daniel (whom I enjoy referring to as Pupi – meaning snob, even though he ain’t really one, it’s just me wanting to bust his balls. Maybe one day he’ll let me borrow them to mosh like they do here) speaks, the crowd listens. He becomes kind of like an icon that everyone respects. His words go beyond just wanting to rock on; it’s really more than that. There was a moment were he spoke about injustice and about how killing each other because of different musical tastes is thoughtless and moronic. Killing another person simply because he wears a Metalcore shirt is not alright (Really? Damn). He went on to illustrate, with such authority, what the real problems in the world are. He talked about the issues that do not face most of us on daily basis: farmers being displaced by the armed conflict, innocent civilians being killed for no reason, people killing each other because of different political ideologies, and things like that. Those are the real problems of the world. The crowd listened and supported his message. I was flabbergasted, not because I didn’t think he could utter those words, but because of the way they were being conveyed. Suddenly, I wanted to just hug him and cry and thank him at the same time for sharing such a strong message with the rest of us. I did nothing, but I do owe him that hug.
Later on, he asked for 30 seconds of silence to honour the memory of Julian, and aside from one drunken bitch that just wanted to be the center of attention, everyone submitted. My eyes watered. It was a beautiful moment and I am very glad I got to be a part of it. Looking back on this whole experience, I think I got a bit too emotional, which is something I usually don’t face during a concert. I know there is going to be a next time when I’m going to get even more emotional, and that will be the day I finally get to see Aire Como Plomo playing live. I will make sure to bring a box of Kleenex that day and not to wear any dark make-up.
They went ahead and played Irreversible and something inside of me just wanted to explode. Definitivo, Negativo, Irreverisble… and Jesus “Slam-dancing” Christ, the fans started going BANANAS! What a terrific feeling, I demand at least 10 encores and I want them NOW GODDAMNIT!
After the show ended, I had the chance to meet with some of the guys and everyone was so incredibly content. Some were already slightly intoxicated, some others were on their way to become slightly intoxicated, and there I was… fully sober (thanks to a rock-&-roll night that left me with a horrendous hangover, which I am still trying to overcome – Mind you, it’s already Wednesday). We shared our experiences of the show and I just couldn’t stop talking about how amazed I was. Some dared to question the amount of shows I have attended (I didn’t bother refuting their opinion), some others wanted to hear more about it, and some were curious about the photos taken. Overall, I was just pleased to be part of this whole episode. I made some new friends, each of whom has a very interesting spark. I am really looking forward to the next time we meet, as I really believe there is more to experience about the Bogota HxC scene through the eyes of those who still believe in making music from within.
As sad as that last paragraph was, let’s try to get back to the joy of HxC, the one that got me on this blogging-binge in the first place. Sooooooo, where was I…? Oh yes, I was really pumped up about this HxC thing that I had just discovered (thanks to Abismo) and I just wanted to see more – Yes, I’m Hardcore like that, how suiting ^-^. It was like a bad craving, where I just could not get enough. I met with Edgar outside the venue and he took me backstage, where I got to say hi to the guys from Abismo and after that, I found a terrific spot about 10 meters above the stage. Perfect for shooting (of the photographic kind, that is). I took a few photos of the band that was playing, and got to see an interesting perspective of how the fans display their loyalty to their idols; the way they sing along, the way they mosh, how others who don’t want to mosh kick the shit disturbers, and such.
When Daniel (whom I enjoy referring to as Pupi – meaning snob, even though he ain’t really one, it’s just me wanting to bust his balls. Maybe one day he’ll let me borrow them to mosh like they do here) speaks, the crowd listens. He becomes kind of like an icon that everyone respects. His words go beyond just wanting to rock on; it’s really more than that. There was a moment were he spoke about injustice and about how killing each other because of different musical tastes is thoughtless and moronic. Killing another person simply because he wears a Metalcore shirt is not alright (Really? Damn). He went on to illustrate, with such authority, what the real problems in the world are. He talked about the issues that do not face most of us on daily basis: farmers being displaced by the armed conflict, innocent civilians being killed for no reason, people killing each other because of different political ideologies, and things like that. Those are the real problems of the world. The crowd listened and supported his message. I was flabbergasted, not because I didn’t think he could utter those words, but because of the way they were being conveyed. Suddenly, I wanted to just hug him and cry and thank him at the same time for sharing such a strong message with the rest of us. I did nothing, but I do owe him that hug.
We love you Andrea...
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Andrea Loves you too
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