The Musical Essence

Today we’d like to talk about musical essence, which, as you may remember from our last post, was one of the six key things we think a band should have.

No one can dispute how important it is to differentiate yourself from others in any discipline. In fact, that was the main reason why we formed our group. Despite the—many, many—influences we’ve had, Crianza, Verdejo, and Claude Gros never stop studying, learning, and growing as musicians. That’s what life is all about: follow the path, but never stop noticing the signs.

It’s true that we’ve tried to mould our style using refined techniques from some of the musical greats—because we enjoy learning them!—like their way of writing… but we’ve always wanted to be different. And we’re working on it.

 

Pau Donés. In memoriam

 

Starting on our journey of reflection, we wanted to take a moment to talk about the recent death of singer Pau Donés, leader of Jarabe de Palo, because it has made us reflect even more than normal. Did you notice how his death affected almost everyone you know?

And why that is? Ultimately, it’s because the singer–songwriter accomplished something that not many people achieve in the complicated world of music: he was unique, recognisable, and had his own musical essence. And that’s even with, if you’ll allow us our little joke, him dedicating an excellent song to Agua, but not to wine, as we would have preferred. Well, no one’s perfect.

 

 

 

For his music, for the way he was, for the way he handled adversity, and, above all, the way he stood tall in the face of a disease as tough as cancer, Pau Donés had to have a place on our blog. Him, his group, and his music.

 

Strive to stand out

 

 

Media theorist Marshall McLuhan claimed that, “Having adapted Beethoven‘s Ninth Symphony for Fantasia, Walt Disney commented, ‘Gee, this’ll make Beethoven.'”

So, a piece of music that had been played since 1824, the symphony considered to be the German composer‘s masterpiece, was recovered more than a century later (1940) to bring life to the first great animation film in history.

Despite Disney‘s audacity, this case summarises the learning process that every content creator has to go through. In other words, it’s not about plagiarism, it’s about being strict with the work. But, even if you manage to find your essence, from all the training you’ve done, you’ll still have a long way to go.

There are those who, by decree, will discard any remarkable work that doesn’t fit with their style, ideology, or thinking. However, we are a sea of empaths (another of the key points we recommended for forming a band), and we listen to everything. For obvious reasons, we can’t say that we drink from all fountains but, metaphorically, we do.

As we said before, it’s not about plagiarising (as journalists say), but about absorbing the best of what’s out there, in order to forge our own identity.

 

The 50 Most Important Rock Musicians

 

And to this end, what better way to learn than to focus on the best of the best. In the December 2010 American edition of Rolling Stone, one of the most influential magazines in the world of music since the late 60s, they published a list of the 100 Greatest (Music) Artists (oh how we love these lists!). It was curiously different to the one which appeared in the Spanish edition a year earlier, which featured half the number of artists. Here in Spain, it was titled the 50 Most Important Rock Musicians.

On the list from the US edition, which you can see here, the ten top positions were held by these industry heavyweights, primarily due to their influence:

 

10. Ray Charles

 

9. Aretha Franklin

 

8. Little Richard

 

7. James Brown

 

6. Jimi Hendrix

 

5. Chuck Berry

 

4. The Rolling Stones

 

3. Elvis Presley

 

2. Bob Dylan

 

1. The Beatles

 

The list varied a little in Spain, but the essence was much of the same:

 

10. Madonna

 

9. Bob Marley

 

8. Jimi Hendrix

 

7. Michael Jackson

 

6. John Lennon

 

5. Elvis Presley

 

4. Bob Dylan

 

3. Bono

 

2. Mick Jagger

 

1. Bruce Springsteen

 

It depends how you look at it

In other words, the same magazine had a different take on the same subject, depending on the location. Because Chuck Berry does not hold the same weight in Spain as Madonna, for example. Although, Madonna—an influential woman wherever you are—being ranked among the 50 most important rock musicians… Well, that’s a little strange, without meaning to be argumentative. But, back to our point: we’ve been able to learn something from all these musicians. And we’ve observed the identifying traits of each one. 

As an example, we’re going to focus on the Spanish list, and you’ll see how we put these details into context:

 

Madonna

The Blonde Ambition star kicks off our list and, like our Lola Flores, she’ll die with her boots still on. She has been much more than an icon for so many groups, such as the LGTBQ community, who idolise her. During the 80s, with a laser focus on achieving success, she rose to become the “Queen of Pop” and her tours became global events. The diva was so famous that her concert on the 1st of August, 1990, was broadcast on prime time Spanish Television for everyone to see. Something which would be unthinkable today.

 

 

Bob Marley

Considered the quintessential Rastafarian and a Jamaican icon, he is the true messiah of reggae. In fact, the musical style would not be the same without this artist, who also influenced other disciplines—such as pop and rock—and who died young, but left us with an overwhelming legacy, especially The Wailers. The world would not be the same without No Woman, No Cry or I Shot the Sheriff.

 

Jimi Hendrix

Legend has it that Robert Johnson sold his soul at the Devil’s Crossroads in exchange for his unique skill playing the guitar. If this was really so, we cannot imagine what Jimi Hendrix, another countercultural figure from the 60s, must have had to do; he, who was one of the first members of the famous 27 Club (a list of rock stars and other artists who died under different circumstances at the age of 27). But the reality is that this bluesman, who played the Stratocaster guitar like no other, a Seattle native, just like later leading groups such as Nirvana or Pearl Jam, was a trendsetter, who never missed any of those first early rock festivals, and much more than just a musical icon.

 

Michael Jackson

 With Jackson, what happened was similar to the feeling you have when you don’t pay much attention to something, but when you lose it, you miss it tremendously… Sound familiar? The artist who, as a child, stood out and made huge profits for the music industry, has been stigmatised in recent years, and with good reason. But herein lies the eternal ethical dilemma between the artist and the person… Where we’re going with this, without delving too deep into it, is that MJ was and continues to be the rightful King of Pop. Motown squeezed a lot out of him, but he later released some of the most important records, in terms of sales and quality, in the history of pop music. We’re of course talking about Thriller, Bad, and Dangerous.

 

John Lennon

We have to warn you, we’re huge fans of The Beatles. And, to be honest, we would have snuck Paul McCartney onto either of those two lists. Not to mention the great George Harrison. Some of the best songs of the 20th century came from the Lennon-McCartney duo. And Lennon has undoubtedly influenced millions (yes, millions) of bands around the world. His exceptional mind, his way of seeing the world, his sensitivity, his talent, and his social commitment, turned the young man with the round glasses—or teashades (sorry, this is another one of his hallmarks)—into a cultural reference that will stand the test of time. In the future, when they talk about the greatest musical artists of the 20th century, they will speak, without a doubt, of the English singer who was fatally shot in the archway of the Dakota.

  

Elvis Presley

The King of Rock was a true social whirlwind for many years, particularly in North America, where the nascent phenomenon of rock and roll became the disruptive model for youth becoming adults who, additionally, were a product of the complicated years following the Second World War. Elvis changed everything. He was probably music’s first media figure, someone that everyone knew everything about… And, as if his music were not enough, his films catapulted him to global stardom; the perfect complement to a career that was declining in parallel with his life. Despite this, his legacy is colossal. He knew how to combine his talents for singing, dancing, and playing the guitar and piano with an image that could be sensitive, combative, and even ground-breaking for the time.

  

Bob Dylan

There are some Bob Dylan moments that everyone remembers… That concert in Newport, where he performed on the electric guitar for the first time and was booed by so many because they believed that this broke the rules of the folk music the singer was famous for. Or the time when he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature but failed to attend the awards—his friend Patti Smith collected the award on his behalf. But no one doubts the interpretive potential of the unique, introverted guy who has been on stage for a lifetime and has recorded timeless classics such as Blowin’ in the Wind and Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door. A real musical automaton who has won over his critics and the public, and continues to be a benchmark for any self-respecting musician.

 

Bono (Paul Hewson)

The guy who, in the 80s, surprised the world in a white tank top, and who, in the 90s, dazzled with his band, U2, with one of the best records of all time—yes, we’re talking about Achtung Baby! He went from being a musician to becoming a cultural reference and even an influential political activist for many causes. Bono can safely say that he has been everything he wanted to be. Together with The Edge, Larry Mullen Jr., and Adam Clayton, he has created legendary shows that everyone wants to attend, even if they don’t like his music (which is something they should be forced to reconsider!). But he was also the guy who wanted to inject power into colossal records like War, and he did; calm into The Unforgettable Fire, and he did; experimentation and change into Pop, which came out perfectly; maturity into All That You Can’t Leave Behind, and the whole world surrendered to his talent. Bono‘s personal brand is so powerful that even the talented young stars of the Spanish comedy series Muchachada Nui imitated him… And very successfully, too.

 

 

Mick Jagger

They say you haven’t lived if you haven’t seen The Rolling Stones in concert. We wouldn’t go that far but, if anyone has a reputation for being energetic on stage, it’s Mick Jagger. Lest we forget that Maroon 5 even wrote a song called Moves Like Jagger… Sometimes, a young Jagger even seemed possessed! And not to pull you from your reverie, but he’s already been sporting grey hair for several decades now. The album Their Satanic Majesties Request, released in 1967, confirmed that this band was a whole new beast, unlike anything we’d ever seen before. You could write an encyclopaedia on Jagger’s life (you could trace the inner workings of his colossal ballad, Angie, for example), as well as that of his partner, Keith Richards. Because music, rock music, like life, puts everyone in their place. And 20th-century music would be much less musical without this frontman and his band. 

 

Bruce Springsteen

Our list would probably not be topped by the most famous musician to come out of New Jersey (with the exception of Bon Jovi‘s perfect mane), although he would definitely be among the Top Ten. Funnily enough, the artist who wrote the great American anthem Born in the U.S.A., with clear political connotations, has had more phases of mainstream popularity outside his country than in it. As you well know, he’s a methodical, seasoned type of guy, who everyone remembers for his concerts, and who could be defined as the hardest worker in rock music, partly thanks to his band. In recent decades, he has stood out for creating traditional rock and roll music with conscious, engaged lyrics. For example, do you remember what Streets of Philadelphia was about?

 

In short, these are just ten examples of great artists who have each been influential in their own right, with different musical conditions and expertise, and in different contexts. But, we can learn something from all of them. One thing in particular: each artist has their own identity. And each one of them has set trends and earned millions of fans. They have been a beacon for other musicians—us included—and their legacy will not be forgotten soon.

 

The Ten Best Spanish Songs to come out of Lockdown

Today we’re going to talk about the ten best Spanish songs to come out of lockdown. Compositions that, perhaps, in other circumstances, would not ever have been made by their talented creators, but the virus changed the pace for all of us. Many of these artists had planned tours, launches, dreams… and they were all cut short. But instead of wallowing in self-pity, they channelled that potential into something positive. The result is these ten songs that we bring to you today, all of which help us to see the health and economic disaster in a new light. Music can really change your perspective.

As you know, Oinoz is a young, dedicated group, who are very attached to their native Spain. The three of us, Crianza, Verdejo y Claude Gros, like you, have spent this time in lockdown full of anxiety, but determined to improve our technique and repertoire. As Celtas Cortos said, They can’t stop us.

Everything that has happened during this terrible pandemic—which, hopefully one day, we’ll look back and laugh on—has taught us many things. Not just the fact that it’s really not necessary to hoard rolls of toilet paper, or do keepie-uppie challenges on social media, but how much we miss being close to the people we love. Being affectionate.

Since the first days of lockdown in mid-March, we’ve experienced first-hand the very real reaction felt by the vast majority of society, who have realised that perhaps, as Alejandro Sanz said, we were living in a hurry. Or, as Alex Ubago would say, we lived without fear of anything… But, now we’ve been struck by a harsh blow of reality. And life, at least for the three of us, will be valued anew. Sung to a different melody.

 

The Unsung Heroes

They say that in coastal areas, people often live with their backs to the sea. Something similar happened to us with our country’s health sector. Something that has really stirred us up inside is the unanimous recognition and applause every evening for the real heroes of this battle; all the warriors who have fought on the front lines of an aggressive virus that, just a few months ago, seemed like a distant problem (one that we even mocked!) .

But there have been other heroes who have received no applause, and they deserve recognition all the same. Our parents, who don’t like to take orders, but who have patiently obeyed—for the most part—and listened when their children insisted they not leave the house or even go to buy bread. And our children… they deserve a medal. Confined between four walls, they’ve spread their games out on the floor, they’ve laughed, they’ve had fun… they’ve encouraged us to do the same! They’ve taught their elders a real lesson, now that they don’t have their teachers in front of them.

But there are still more heroes. Many musicians have offered up their creativity, worth, and social engagement with songs that come right from the heart, to help the people who are suffering the most from this COVID-19 crisis. Their work will go towards obtaining the necessary resources for NGOs, food banks, and charity projects, which will help to alleviate the effects of a crisis that, not so long ago, seemed unimaginable.

Ten Songs to Fight the Pandemic

With your permission, we’d like to review the ten songs that we’ve selected for you

Residente – René (Quarantine Version)

The Puerto Rican singer, known for his time on Calle 13, published this autobiographical letter—which is sure to make your hair stand on end—just a few days before the state of alarm was announced in Spain due to COVID-19. Together with his mother, and top musicians like Rubén Blades and Leo Genovese, he decided to record this video, via videocall It’s sure to make you shed a tear (if you haven’t already while listening to the original version). At the beginning and end of the song, the artist’s mother intervenes, explaining that “I haven’t seen my mother or son since all this began, but I feel them with me every day”, while also thanking her mother in an emotional dedication.

In total, some thirty musicians, in conjunction with some technicians, lent themselves to recording this wonderful song. We really recommend you give it a listen.

Lucía Gil – Volveremos a brindar (We’ll Toast Again)

This real marvel of a song comes from Lucía Gil, the young lady from Madrid who we’ve seen on our TV screens for years—for example, in Tu cara me suena on Antena 3—as well as in some of the best musicals—like La llamada.

She herself acknowledges that the song came about because she too has been “a victim of the long hours of lockdown”. The song is dedicated to her fans, but above all to “those who are taking care of us”.

Gil also makes a plea to all of Spain, “he who gathers to fight without arms, has fun, encourages, loves and supports himself…” Good for you, as the Tik Tok generation say!

Volveremos a juntarnos, volveremos a brindar

Un café queda pendiente en nuestro bar

Romperemos ese metro de distancia entre tú y yo

Ya no habrá una pantalla entre los dos

(We’ll meet again, we’ll toast again

There’s a coffee waiting in our bar

We’ll cross the distance between us

And there’ll no longer be a screen dividing us)

Vetusta Morla and various artists – Los Abrazos Prohibidos (Forbidden Embrace)

This single was released to help the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) raise funds to research the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which caused the current pandemic. Among the many artists who participated on the track are Joaquín Sabina, Iván Ferreiro, Luz Casal, Nacho Vegas, Rozalén, Eva Amaral, Ismael Serrano, and Santi Balmes from Love of Lesbian. They all lent their voices to this song by Vetusta Morla, who have become one of the most beloved groups in Spain. We’ve had this one on repeat!

 

Por los que nunca miran el reloj mientras curan

Por los que hacen suyas las heridas de los demás

Por los que merecen los abrazos prohibidos

Y se meten contigo en la boca del lobo sin mirar atrás

Por los que hacen del trabajo sucio la labor más hermosa del mundo,

Y pintan, y pintan de azul la oscuridad

Cada noche aplaudimos en los balcones, la muerte huye con sus dragones

Callamos la boca al silencio un día más

(For those who never watch the clock while they heal us

For those who care for others’ wounds as if they were their own

For those who deserve a forbidden embrace

And enter the wolf’s mouth with you without looking back

For those who make the dirty work seem like the most beautiful thing in the world,

And paint, and paint the darkness blue

Each night we applaud on the balcony, death flees on its dragon

We close its mouth for one more day)

Sofía Ellar y Álvaro Soler – Barrer a casacasa (Look Out for Number One)

Who would have thought that Álvaro Soler would end up singing his song Sofía to his future girlfriend… Well, that’s just what happened. Life is a dream after all…

The Catalan singer and Sofía Ellar are the adorable musical couple of the moment; two great talents who have already proven their worth and who are the subject of huge interest from the Spanish public.

They’ve joined forces to compose Barrer a casa, an emotional song they wrote, recorded, and produced at home, stressing the importance of staying at home during lockdown.

 

Y ahora Madrid se nos viste de fantasma

A las ocho caen las redes, se llenan las terrazas

Y ahora aprendí por qué hay que barrer a casa

Porque la mejor canción no entiende de murallas…

No entiende de murallas.

(And now Madrid see us dressed like ghosts

At 8 o’clock the systems fall, the terraces fill up

And now I understand why you have to look out for number one

Because even the best songs don’t understand barriers …

They don’t understand barriers.)

 

Rozalén – Aves enjauladas (Caged Birds)

It’s not novel to point out that the singer from Albacete has a special talent for hitting a nerve. And she does it once again with Aves enjauladas. A simple composition that puts a pause in your step.

She composed this song in the first few days of lockdown to raise money for a network of flats for women and families at risk of social exclusion, a project supported by the NGO Entreculturas.

The singer is emphatic, noting that, “if this is difficult for most, it’s even more so for those who don’t have an easy life.”

 

Cuando salga de ésta iré corriendo a buscarte.

Te diré con los ojos lo mucho que te echo de menos.

Guardaré en un tarrito todos los abrazos, los besos.

Para cuando se amarre en el alma la pena y el miedo.

(When I get out of this I’ll run to look for you.
I’ll let my eyes tell you how much I miss you.
I’ll keep all the hugs and kisses safe.
For when grief and fear hook into the soul.)

Zahara – Al alba (At Dawn)

On the 4th of April, 2020, Luis Eduardo Aute, one of the most famous singers of the last few decades, died after a long illness. His death was yet another blow in the middle of lockdown.

As a tribute, Zahara, one of the most recognisable voices on the Spanish music scene, released this cover.

The Andalusian singer has made the most of the stay-at-home order like few others, in recording personal adaptations of great songs, such as Kiko Veneno’s Echo de menos, and a unique cover of Don’t Blame Me packed full of electronics, which deserves all the praise it receives.

 

 Resistiré 2020 (I Will Resist 2020)

The Castilian proverb says, there is no greater contempt than a lack of appreciation. But, if we really scratch beneath the surface of that proverb, we can also arrive to the opposite conclusion: whether you admire someone or they repulse you, the fact remains that something about them caught your attention. We say this in reference to this song by Dúo Dinámico, first released in the late 80s, which has taken on a new life in quarantine. We have to be realistic: some people hate the song due to overexposure. However, ask any little kid to sing it to you, and they know the words from start to finish! As the old saying goes, Where there’s smoke, there’s a fire…. You’ll have to excuse us, we love our idioms at Oinoz!

But, back to the song, under the impetus of Spanish radio station Cadena 100, a large group of musicians and artists have lent their talents to this new version of the single, with all profits going to Cáritas. Among the many artists included on the track are David Bisbal, Efecto Pasillo, Rulo, Melendi, and Blas Cantó.

Vanesa Martín – Un canto a la vida (A song to life)

The singer from Malaga never misses. And we mean this in the best way. In fact, she herself has defined this song, which she composed together with David Santisteban, as a call to union, empathy, and solidarity, and it’s having an effect on a lot of people. “These are complicated days in which we’re all fighting towards the same goal,” says the performer, who is committed to “helping those affected by COVID-19 and all the heroes who are on the front lines of battle.”

Through this song, Vanesa Martín gives visibility to the #CruzRojaResponde initiative, having already committed to donating all proceeds from the track to the organisation, in order to help them combat the pandemic.

Manuel Carrasco – Prisión Esperanza (Prison Hope)

At the beginning of it all, when Manuel Carrasco took second place in the second edition of reality tv talent show Operación Triunfo, few predicted the colossal success he went on to achieve. His music career is one of the most well-established on the Spanish scene. He is a classic, committed touring musician. He demonstrates it once again with Prisión esperanza, which he composed in early April.

All profits from this song will go to the Spanish Federation of Food Banks, an organisation which the singer is collaborating with on social media.

 

La soberbia y la codicia

La ambición del ser humano

Con licencia para todo

De lo bueno y de lo malo

Qué importancia tiene ahora

Lo perdido y lo ganado

Las cartas están boca arriba

Y el mundo está boca abajo

(Pride and greed

Human ambition

With a license for everything

The good and the bad

How important is it now

What was lost and what was gained

The cards are on the table

And the world is upside down)

Yo Me Quedo En Casa Festival – Quédate en tu casa (Stay Home)

We conclude this review of the ten best Spanish songs to come out of lockdown with this catchy ska tune, from yet another huge collaboration of artists. This one includes, among others, La Pegatina, David Otero, Funambulista, Andrés from DVicio, and many more musicians, all of whom participated in the tremendous festival. Said festival was hosted on Instagram and has held several editions since May.

Another great success which has proven that people are interested in culture in general, and music in particular—which is what motivates us here at Oinoz! Very much so!

 

Quédate en tu casa conmigo

será algo más sencillo

quédate con quien te mire como yo

miro a mis vecinos cuando salen al balcón

démonos la mano,

lo haremos codo con codo

sabremos compartirnos,

vamos a poder con todo

no puedo esperar menos de ti

sé que tú esperas lo mismo de mí

(Stay home with me

It will be much simpler

Stay with someone who looks at you the way I do

I watch my neighbours on the balcony

Let’s shake hands

We’ll do it elbow to elbow

We know how to share with each other

We can do it with everything

I can’t expect less from you

I know you expect the same from me)

 

And there it is—our review of the ten most wonderful Spanish songs to come out of lockdown.

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Thank you!

The best live shows ever

Today we want to talk a bit about at the best live shows everat . Because talent is one of the things that motivates us the most at OINOZ..

Yes, even though the world has stopped due to COVID-19, and it’s gonna be a long time before we’re able to go to big outdoor festivals or indoor venues again, we think it’s a great time to look back on some of the best concerts or tours of all time. There are obviously so many more than we have time to mention, but let’s take a brief tour of some of the most memorable moments for music lovers around the world.

 

1. Woodstock. First off, we’re going all the way back to 1969, to a farm in Bethel, New York State, where they celebrated one of the most quintessential music festivals of all time. That event, which followed in the wake of Monterrey, brought together nearly 400,000 people for three days. Organised during the Summer of Love, the festival would set the bar for later years, hosting some of the greatest performers of the era, such as Jimi Hendrix, Santana, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Who, Janis Joplin, Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, and Sly and The Family Stone. The festival event returned once in 1994 for its 25th anniversary, but unfortunately the 50th anniversary event was cancelled.

2. Live at the Apollo. Much has been said of James Brown, the Godfather of Soul. “The hardest working man in show business.” His strong work ethic, how he penalised his band for any mistakes… But the reality is that, under his strong hand, they created many perfect compositions. This live performance—recorded at the Apollo Theater in New York in October, 1962—achieved critical acclaim and was a huge sales success for the time. He believed in his work so much that, in the face of his record label‘s refusal to finance the production of this album, it was he himself who put up the money out of his own pocket.

Rock Greats

3. Live in Japan. Progressive rock has given us some of the best performances in history. Undoubtedly, one of such performances was this one from Deep Purple, known to almost everyone for their song Smoke on the Water. The compendium of performances they put on in Osaka between 15-17 August, 1972 places them firmly on this list. . You need only hear the guitar solos to know that this band, back then, had been touched by the gods.  A month earlier they played at London’s Rainbow Theatre and, at the time, Guinness World Records credited them as the loudest band on the planet. Other agents of psychedelic rock, such as The Who, could quite easily be on this list as well… If you’ve ever wondered who the first person was to smash a guitar on stage, the answer is Pete Townshend in 1964*. [*edited – original said 1965] The guitarist and singer accidentally broke the neck of his guitar on the low ceiling at the Harrow Railway Tavern, then in a fit of anger he smashed the rest of the instrument on stage. And that was only the beginning. The Who gave us many memorable performances over the years, for example, Live at Leeds.

  

Los Acoustics

4. Unplugged. MTV Unplugged was a series of acoustic concerts that were very popular in the 90s, and for a long time they were the fundamental choice for many musicians. Especially those who started it all. This format put the abilities or shortcomings of musicians and groups on display in front of a live audience that fell at their feet. The most successful of all the Unplugged performances was the one by Nirvana, recorded for MTV in 1993, just a few months before the death of the band’s frontman, Kurt Cobain. That event in Aberdeen would forever stand as a torchbearer for the grunge movement. A couple of years earlier, performances from Paul McCartney and Eric Clapton would show the potential of a format that took the Western World by storm, and which all the biggest singers of the moment were clamouring to join.

5. Live at Wembley. Despite the fact that, for many music lovers, Queen’s greatest tour was the Jazz Tour—recorded on the album Live Killers—which took place in Europe from January to March, 1979, it was the band’s final tour with Freddie Mercury, in 1986, which remains in the annals of rock history.  It was something akin to what The Beatles accomplished with their Saville Row rooftop concert. That gig became the final public performance for the magnificent four, who performed nine takes of five songs. Almost as memorable is Queen‘s Live at Wembley performance—the highlight of their Magic Tour—which brought together 150,000 people. The performance was recorded in the legendary Wembley stadium on the second night of the two concerts, which took place on 11 and 12 July, 1986.

 

Everyone has a million favourite concerts to choose from, right? However, few are remembered by everyone. Some are remembered for strange reasons, such as Bob Dylan’s performance in 1965. The author of Blowin’ in the Wind had captivated a large audience with his folk music but, at that time, the electric guitar was starting to gain ground, and the most famous singer-songwriter in the world switched to the new sound. Something which much of his loyal fanbase never forgive him for. In Newport, Dylan grew his legend more than ever.

 

What’s your legend?

At OINOZ, we’re big fans of live shows, so tell us… What was your favourite concert?

OINOZ

 AND HOW A MUSIC BAND IS FORMED

What does it take to form a group that aspires to succeed?

If you’re here, it’s because, at some point in your life—probably this one right now, as you’re reading our blog—you have considered forming a music band. Yeah, but how do you do it? We were tired of seeing the typical American movie trope of a handsome man, who played average guitar but was loved by all the cheerleaders, forming—by means of his own hubris—a group that would go on to be successful. In fact, we’ve all been led to believe that the ignition spark for all the great bands came about by pure coincidence. We have even come to believe that fate, as if by magic, placed some of the most important musicians in history on the path to forming legendary pop and rock groups, due to the merely circumstantial fact that they were related to, or neighbours of, the band‘s founding members.
It’s similar to commercial strategies from record companies, which reference a single from this or that supergroup that has been “kept in the drawer”, appearing in a state of flux to offer a totally new sound from the group in question… Expectations soar and sales shoot up. Pure marketing.

 

The Mystique of Legendary Bands

Forming a band involves a certain amount of mystique. This has been the case for decades. Everyone has heard of the group who fired their first drummer, or the bassist who developed an original sound. Or the guitarist who died of unnatural causes… Sound familiar? Certainly, some of these stories happened as they are told, but there are also multiple strategies to inflate the bubble and capture the attention of the music lover. It happened a lot during the golden decades of the music business, which, although it continues to rebuild itself, has not been at its best in the last 20 years.
On other occasions, the leader of the band was simply passing by somewhere and, at that specific moment, the planets aligned and groups—such as Queen, Metallica, and Iron Maiden—suddenly emerged in their definitive form, and went on to amass millions of followers over decades of success.
The music business has changed tremendously since the birth of the internet, but do you think it was easy for The Jackson 5 to succeed? Or Black Sabbath? No, it wasn’t. These are two antagonistic examples, which focus on the theory of family or a new sound, which we will come back to a little later.

Music Franchises

But, mind you, the reality is that those bands who succeeded in their day (and continue to do so), did so fundamentally by contributing something different, and today they are practically music franchises. I’m talking about The Rolling Stones, AC-DC, Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, U2… Groups that fill stadiums as soon as their tickets go on sale. It’s the recognition they deserve after many years of hard work and, let’s face it, suffering. As the dance teacher on Fame used to say… Fame costs! However, they climbed to the top bit by bit, one step at a time. Hard work, as I like to say, also in music, pays off. They worked hard to become the best.

 

What do you need to form a good music band?

1. A different sound. You can have multiple sources of inspiration (in fact, the more the better for a musician), but the key is to be yourself, as a group. Oasis don’t sound like The Beatles, but did they have their own identity? Exactly…
   2. Training and persistence. Obvious, right? Musical training will open many doors for you, but the world of music—like all artistic disciplines—is not easy. However, talent is also a key factor. When obstacles arise, don’t throw in the towel. He who seeks, shall find.
   3. The right instruments for what you want to offer. At a time when everything has been simplified to the bare minimum of musical expression, and in which the guitar is disappearing from all hit singles, listen to Love Me Again by John Newman and you’ll see the wonders that can be created with multiple instruments in just 4 minutes. In this sense, the globalisation of technology allows us access to cheap, accessible instruments (software), which, until relatively recently, cost millions.
   4. An identity. Certainly this is becoming more and more relative, but you have to have an essence, a well-constructed message. In the era of feature collaborations, it’s important not to stray too far from the kind of music you make, in order to maintain a certain loyalty among fans. There are fans who will never forgive you for this.
   5. A bold message. We live in the age of experience. In music as well. For this reason, you have to put your heart into each composition. Listen, if you like, to the single René by Residente—the one we mentioned in point 2. He is the perfect example of a musician who was rejected by many record companies, and yet today is the proud owner of dozens of Grammys.
   6. Empathy and contacts. We’re also in the era of social media. Take advantage of it! Make contacts. Right now, we’re probably at the moment in history with the most opportunity for contacting anyone in the world. Be empathetic, not pushy, but get yourself out there using these tools. Many doors will open for you.

Who are OINOZ?

Well, you’ve come this far and, as promised, we’ll tell you what it takes to start a band. However, before answering the million dollar question, I think you should know who we—OINOZ—are.
I want you to understand that our history is like that of many other bands—full of hard work—but that we’re different in that we’re based on around a single reality: wine. Although, it’s also possible that we all met at a specific moment in time, completely by chance. Our story.
We call ourselves Crianza (vocals and guitar, the heart-throb—well, not really, but let me have this one), yours truly; Verdejo (drums), and Claude Gros (bass). As you can see, names related to the land… Let’s get to know each other. It’s gonna be a lot of fun!
Yes, because OINOZ is a band made up of three guys from three different places, who all met under the shelter of a grapevine at the 2010 edition of Sonorama. From that moment on, we began a friendship that would form the basis of what we are today: a music band; the result of much sacrifice, with hard work as the forging element of a musical project that seeks to become a benchmark on the national scene.
We want to surprise you. And I know we’re going to do so. In our blog, we’ll tell you how a music group gets a contract, which group has sold the most records of all time, and what types of music groups there are on the market. We’ll do this, with your permission, while sharing a delicious glass of wine with you. OINOZ, of course, sounds good.