My first time seeing the genre-bending Mexican guitar duo, who put on one of the most riveting and virtuosic live performances I’ve ever seen.
This was also my first gig at the Northcote Theatre, one of Melbourne’s venues that I just never got around to. As I found out later, it is Melbourne’s oldest surviving purpose-built cinema, recently re-invented as a live music venue. It preserved the original Art Nouveau style and ornate plasterwork, and has two areas of choice, the balcony and the floor. I briefly considered the balcony before deciding that I wanted to watch the two guitar masters up close.
Due to Easter holidays and a pile-up of work, I stayed longer at my desk at home, and missed out on the opening act. In fact, I ended up cutting it way too close for my liking with a long drive across the city and lack of easy parking options. I still found a good spot on the floor and felt relieved later on for not hanging at the back with its non-stop chatter. It was mostly drowned out by the music, but during the quieter numbers the hum made a few people around me turn heads in exasperation.
When I think of an acoustic guitar duo, I imagine something tasteful and sedate, but Rodrigo y Gabriela are a very different beast with their exhilarating melange of flamenco guitar and metal. Their metal roots and the astounding physicality of their style really come through live, especially when you watch Gabriela furiously toss her hair around while hitting the strings so fast her fingers become a blur. She also uses her guitar as a percussive instrument and sets the rhythm for Rodrigo’s scorching lead melodies. At times their guitars sound like they’re duelling each other, and other times they blend and come together in a beautiful harmony.
Aside from generating insane amount of energy, the duo were enormously warm and personable, all smiles and good vibes, encouraging the audience to clap along with the music. Early on, they paused a song to reveal that this Melbourne concert was their very last live show at the end of a very long world tour. Despite being on the road for months and months, they showed no signs of exhaustion or burnout, and seemed palpably excited to be playing one last time before heading into the studio. Their love for music and performing in front of people was obvious and endearing.
I only have one studio album by Rodrigo y Gabriela so I didn’t expect to recognise many songs, but they’re the kind of band where you’re bound to enjoy their show if you like their musical style. Their most recent album experiments with electric guitar, which Rodrigo strapped on in the second half of the concert; there were also some electronic touches from the synthesizer on the far side of the stage. One memorable moment saw Gabriela performing solo while bathed in eerie purple light, showing a more experimental and psychedelic side.
The show was a complete lovefest between the duo and the audience, with the very first song receiving the kind of rapturous response crowds usually reserve for the encore. I was blown away by Rodrigo y Gabriela’s musicianship and it was easily one of the most entertaining gigs I’ve been to. I now want to explore their albums more, but for a full experience you absolutely need to see them live.
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