In recent decades, Spain has joined Halloween celebrations that simply did not exist just a couple of decades ago. At the same time, on an international level, it has become a tradition to listen to tracks like Michael Jackson’s Thriller, the Ghostbusters soundtrack, or The Addams Family theme. Among the songs that also climb back onto the charts every year are Talking Heads’ Psycho Killer, Eurythmics’ Sweet Dreams, Lady Gaga’s Bloody Mary, Rihanna’s Disturbia, or even Britney Spears’ Toxic. As always, it’s a bit of whatever Spotify playlists or the algorithm dictate.
In partnership with Escenarios Madrid by Vibra Mahou, a different Halloween has been scheduled at La Realidad Club in Madrid. It will take place this Saturday, October 31, starting at 9:00 PM, with an after-party until 3:00 AM. Tickets cost 6 euros.
On the bill are the Madrid-based Aguasmil. The psychedelic art rock band has published nothing on streaming platforms, not even on Bandcamp, but they already have followers as diverse as Belén Aguilera or Bloodstein.
In the live set from the Wurlitzer Hall that they shared with our newsroom, they perform Jeff Buckley’s ‘Grace’ and a relatively obscure Ghost Funk Orchestra track (‘Blood Moon’), while you can sense the psychedelic 1960s backdrop, the urgency of late-70s rock, yet also a certain Latin sensuality. “Boca que ríe, boca que besa” is the colorful chorus of ‘big town / small city’, a track sung in Spanglish that sets them apart from the obligatory reference to Geese. By contrast, ‘Gélido’ is a piano ballad, showcasing Abril Rodríguez’s vocal potential. Below these lines, you can see a preview of their track ‘Santa María’.
The Halloween night is complemented by a performance by the Peruvian artist now based in Madrid, Ralessan, inspired by alternative rock and emo-rock. The 2000s are a reference in his music. The night will culminate with a DJ set by Aguasmil, which will feature an alternative costume contest where, according to the press release, the most psychedelic outfit will be awarded. We’ll see what their vision of fear-inducing music is.
