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Members Only
The question I’m always asked, asking or hearing is
Where’s the scene or venues for the live acts? Well,
merci a Jordi Hereu and Co, the number of dives with
a stage that’s in use can be counted on very few fingers.
Well, so what? Instead of lamenting we should
be inventing. If there a will, there’s a way, and we the
sheeple are still making waves and change. Solutions
are always around the corner. The trend these days,
and probably for some years to come, is to frequent
that sometimes-short-lived great place that you had
to become a member of. It’s not a bar or theatre; it’s
a cultural association, and for a one-time minimal fee
(normally around 3€) and a mite of paperwork,
you can form part. Here’s a few you may not know yet,
and a couple of other places along the same lines.
& To quote the lovely and talented Paula O’Rourke,
“I’m starting a revolution.” Our war cry: “Stop the violence,
not the music!!!”
by Michael Jones
(Black-Gold)
La Cova de les Cultures
C/ de l'Angel 12
 It’s a rare thing to find gold at the end of a dark alley. I remember
clearly that those were my thoughts as I entered
this cove for the first time last summer for a performance.
A dodgy dark alley and then – Bang! – the cool, long hallway
of a museum, high white walls laced with art or photos in
classic exhibition style, clean matte-black floors. I headed
in farther to the back to where the space opens up into a
small yet adequate stage, with a hangout lounge space. Honey,
I’m home. And that’s what the owners’ attitude is: this
space belongs to everyone. They have been hosting concerts,
reunions, literary nights, new wave art exhibits, a slew
of international acts, and all with a unique identity and
agenda. These cats (the collective of owners) have been
working and building up the space for only 6 months, but
already the word is out and this is where all the parties seem
to be these days.
www.lacovadelescultures.com
(Modern-Chimes)
Portal Nou
Portal Nou 30
 Oh-so-new and oh-so-català, this little space, which was
something of a tradesman’s workshop not a year ago, has
been building momentum since the summer. It’s almost
like a hip converted garage with all the spaces converging
on each other. Is it a theatre space, storage, workshops, a
bar? The answer, quite simply, is yes. It’s a wide, multi-layered
and sharp locale. If the space seems limited, don’t
fret; their agenda’s not. It’s got a wide range of classes and
workshops, from guitar to yoga to global initiatives; regular
performances that run from independent film to magic
acts (hmmm?); and, of course, the expected tour de force
of actor- and musician-driven events. Out at the front door,
even when closed, a list of contacts and upcoming events
is clearly displayed. A large cog or gear, which to me symbolizes
the ideas of today, the barrio’s history, and a feeling
of cooperation this community surely needs, sits beside it.
www.portalnou.org
(Fabric-Nation)
Niu Espai Artistic
Almogàvers 208
 If you’ve read the feature article, you know that this space
is currently at the center of a conflict over the Inside22@
Festival that they’re hosting. You might think it odd, then,
that we include them here and in our listings, but we do so
to make a point. I clearly remember catching, some years
back, an off-the-beaten-path live music and audiovisual
event there, the front window separating me from Poblenou’s
industrial urban wasteland as I reclined on leather, surrounded
by the hip and freaky. The stuff that Niu offers
has always been good. Will its programming stay the same
in the future, or has their choice set a downward descent
into motion, wherein no conscientious artist will work with
them again? Now that they’re collaborating with the same
organization that has publicly cleaned house on the area’s
artists, locals and underground movements, are we forced
into the position of boycotting art to keep our ethics intact?
www.niubcn.com
Photo: Daniel Cantó flickr.com/photos/elchicodelaleche/
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(Rouge-Vouge)
R.A.I.
Carders 12
 How many years have I walked by this place with longing,
fear and curiosity? The metal door is always plastered with
propaganda for coming events around town, and there’s
always a stream of crusties, hippies and/or artsy-ies coming
and going, many followed by a whiff of patchouli oil
or with strange-looking instruments flung over their backs.
Stranger noises frequently trickle down to street level.
Curiosity overwhelms fear, and I find upon entering that
the name (Recursos d’Anímació Intercultural) says it all,
and that that tag is just as easily spelled B.C.N. This space
has been in operation some dog years now and has been
doing it all down and dirty from the street up. For inspiration,
it takes the roads, metros, dank locales, and everything
else used or created by pockets of city society, and turns
then into subjects of discussion and interaction. Everything,
that is, that can make the true artist’s heart beat stronger
and faster. Forget the website, just check it out.
(Be-Bop)
Jazz Clot Underground
Carrer del Clot 18
 Did you know Barcelona has really become something of a
shining light of jazz in the past few years? More than a few
tourist traps and off-beat venues have been steaming up
the crowds with some of the world’s best jazz players. By
best I don’t necessarily mean famous, and these players
may be underground or emerging, but these days you can
find big fish even in small cultural ponds. Some of these
catfish are the bee’s knees in the jazz world, often jamming
with the really big names as they slide through Barcelona
any given day of the year. If you get the chance, despite their
sporadic show dates, JazzClotUnderground is my best suggestion
for catching a mind-blowing jazz show. Run by a
true genius kamikaze bass player in a converted small factory
workshop with a backroom set up as a club concert
hall, this joint is also a residence. Get in touch for the next
concert series.
jazzclotunderground@yahoo.com
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