Gabriela
I have waited a long time to see Rodrigo and Gabriela after missing their last show in Sydney a couple of years ago so when I arrived at the Enmore theatre last night I was very excited. This was momentarily ruined on arrival when I realised that not only had I missed Ozomatli recently but also Buddy Guy and Keb Mo’ on March 13… gutted. After arriving late I missed the support act so I’m afraid I can’t tell you what Lauren Jane was like so I apologise to Lauren. I was quite suprised by the amount of support Rod & Gab get in Australia, the Enmore appeared to be a sell out, and where I was stood about 10 feet from the stage it was certainly packed in tight! The stage was set up with simply 2 chairs, 2 mics and 2 guitar stands, the simplicity is fantastic it makes you even more appreciative of their talent once they start playing and sound like there are couple of percussionists hidden under Gabriela’s chair!

If you have never heard of Rodrigo Y Gabriela I highly recommend you check them out, they don’t appeal to a certain age group or just to guitarists as the Enmore crowd proved. There was a complete cross section of people from young teens to 50 or 60 year olds, how often do you get that at a gig? (Well ok recent come backs by certain 80′s rock bands aside!). Their music is a fusion of South American and Flamenco with the energy and power of metal band (this is probably due to them starting out in thrash bands!) and they are famous for their arrangements of Metallica’s “Orion” and Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” among others. Last night they also added Metallica’s “One” into the mix. Rodrigo played his usually flurry of fast alternate picking while Gabriela stunned the crowd with her fantastic Rasgueado and percussive techniques. Personally I think she is the star of the show she has an amazing sense of rhythm, without her I probably wouldn’t have the same interest in their music. Check out one of Gabriela’s tutorials on YouTube.

After 1 1/2 hours their music does get a little repetitive, probably due to the seemingly endless rendition of Tamacun but certainly worth the wait and the money!

My favourite crowd shout of the night came after Gabriela had finished introducing the next track. “I LOOOVEEEE YOUUUUU…….as a guitarist”.

Rodrigo Y Gabriela Official Site
Rodrigo Y Gabriela’s MySpace page