Gijon Sound is a musical movement that arose in Asturias during the early 1990s to become one of the most popular scenes in Spanish indie music. While Los Planetas were starting to define the musical movement in Granada that would go on to counter another musical scene created in Madrid during the 1980s by the name of the ‘Movida Madrileña’, La Buena Vida was doing the same in San Sebastian and El Niño Gusano in Zaragoza – decentralising the focus placed by Spanish music on the capital city that had so greatly featured in the ‘Movida Madrileña’.

Many of you will remember the most iconic band of this sound, Australian Blonde, whose hit song Chup Chup was used for the film ‘Las historias del Kronen’ by Montxo Armendáriz and was even heard on the radio shows of Los 40 Principales. However, you may be surprised to learn that other bands of equal importance coincided in time and space with Australian Blonde, such as Penelope Trip, Manta Ray and Nosoträsh. Penelope Trip provided the space for many of the bands from the movement to rehearse and Nacho Vegas from Manta Ray used to provide drinks at La Plaza – a bar that became the temple where all indie musicians from Asturias would gather. Many of the musicians from the Gijon Sound movement studied at Oviedo University and spent a great deal of time on the Milan Campus, whose cafeteria often served as a meeting place for the bands of the 1990s. Besides the bands mentioned above, other Asturian bands like Doctor Explosión should also be recognised as, although they were not fully involved in the indie sound of the Gijon Sound, they were in the right place at the right time. Also worthy of special mention are the bands created by the girlfriends of the members of bands in the Gijon Sound movement, such as Undershakers or Nosoträsh.

Other lesser-known bands could include Screamin’ Pijas, Las Buges or Babylon Chat, one of whose tracks is included in our Podcast, or the noisy Eiminator Jr., a band who took their name from a track by Sonic Youth on their Daydream Nation album and whose sound is closer to noise pop than that of the Gijon Sound.

This brief journey through the Asturian sound would not be complete without mention of Paco Loco, the producer for most of the Gijon Sound bands, who has become perhaps the most reputable producer of Spanish indie music, the Astro music label and the Gijon International Film Festival, one of the benchmark film festivals in Spain and very closely associated with this movement. The film festival regularly includes courses, discussions, meetings with directors and daily concerts or live music parties. (www.gijonfilmfestival.com)

We now offer you a brief tour of the bars around Gijon where the Gijon Sound movement was most present, some of which still conserve the same musical spirit today. We also offer a podcast including some typical Gijon Sound tracks for you to listen to while you visit the bars we recommend here.

The small, cramped but charming bars and good music of Cimadevilla are an essential requirement for experiencing the nightlife in Asturias. Let us begin in the Plaza de la Corrada, more specifically at the La Plaza bar, spiritual home of the Gijon Sound. Very close to La Plaza, you will find Soho, which plays great Spanish music until four in the morning and then British music until the sun rises. Soho has a well-kept secret: a small upper floor accessed by climbing some steps that is easily among the best in the Gijon nightlife. We cannot fail to mention the most legendary bar in the city: Escocia. This bar has become a refuge for those of us in our early forties and still maintains the spirit of the Gijon Sound. El Patio de la Favorita is another trendy bar, with great music and a live DJ every night. On the way, between the Plaza de El Marqués and El Patio, and as long as you like a good gin & tonic, Lola Gin is a great place for you to enjoy a G&T with cucumber, lemon or lime.

1. La Plaza, Travesía de la Corrada con la de Atocha, Gijon
2. Soho, Calle de las Cruces, 33201 Gijon
3. Escocia, 7 Calle de Santa Lucía, 33206 Gijon
4. El Patio de la Favorita, 4 Calle Ezcurdia, 33203 Gijon
5. Lola Rojo Gin, 5 Calle de San Antonio, 33201 Gijon

Perfect plan to go with friends! Check our flights and sign up! 

Donostia is a fascinating city, with its unique gastronomy and outstanding beauty. But its privileged location on the Cantabrian coast has also turned it into the habitual destination for all lovers of surfing looking to take advantage of the best waves without having to leave the whirl of the big city.

While the La Concha beach is one of the more glamorous and traditional images of San Sebastián (its shell is replicated in the awards that are presented at the annual film festival), the La Zurriola beach has set itself up as one of the great paradises for surfers that live in the capital of Guipuzcoa. Flanked by the delightful Kursaal building and by the esplanade of the Gros district, this 800 metre long beach has also been the setting for some of the concerts of the San Sebastián Jazz Festival and the huge events taking place during the Semana Grande, in addition to surf and skate competitions and other events.

Por David Moreu

So how about it? Come on, let’s go! Check out our prices here!

The upcoming 14th International Beefeater In-Edit Music Documentary Festival will be featuring the best music documentaries from the past and present. This time around, what caught our attention is the large number of punk-related documentaries. No wonder, as we happen to be celebrating the fortieth anniversary of this genre. You heard it – forty years have passed since a group of mates got together and crafted a band to start a riot. And, indeed they did. The Sex Pistols lit the fuse in late 1976 and, just two years later, the musical paradigm had changed radically. The system was transformed from a scene dominated by intellectualised, ultra-professional hard rock and progressive rock bands such as Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Genesis or Emerson, Lake and Palmer, into another, totally alternative and largely amateur scene. And, London was the nerve centre of this new circus act.

Some documentaries dealing with this genre will feature at this year’s In-Edit Festival. Check out the programme here. Following is a rundown of the documentaries in which London acted as the backdrop. It’s amazing to see what the City was like at such a major turning point in its history, just when it it seemed more like a time bomb on the verge of blowing up, on account of the wrangling between different political trends and the high unemployment rate, particularly among young people. Remind you of anything?

Jubilee (Derek Jarman, 1978)

Rather than a documentary, this is actually a feature film, albeit 100% punk. Its director skilfully captured the spirit of the moment in this marvellous dystopian movie in which Elizabeth I travels 400 years into the future and lands in a desolate, nihilist Britannia where gangs of evil girls and killer police roam the streets.

The Filth And The Fury (Julien Temple, 2000)

Set at the pinnacle of this documentary genre, this film was a watershed in its day. It does true-to-life justice to the story of the Sex Pistols, the band which caused a sea change that rocked the foundations of the music industry in just one and a half years. The documentary is crammed with references to the punk scene in London. Highly recommended.

Rough Cut Ready Dubbed (Hasan Shah and Dom Shaw, 1982)

This film documents the post-punk period (1979-1982), which saw a convergence between various urban tribes, notably the Mods, Rockers, Punks and Skinheads. The editing is markedly punk, while it’s interesting to see the prevailing looks and the way the folks moved in their milieu. The main characters are scene celebrities (press, musicians, DJs, etc.) and the movie is recorded in Super 8. Stills in motion from a fleeting period marked by upheaval.

Rude Boy (Jack Hazan & David Mingay, 1980)

Set in London in 1978 and early 1979, with The Clash as co-protagonists. The movie opens by setting the scene in the electoral context that London was steeped in at the time, with nationalist, anti-communist and even xenophobes on one side, and anti-racist and anti-Nazi protests on the other. The film blends fiction with documentary and also chronicles tours by The Clash.

Punk: Attitude (Don Letts, 2005)

This documentary makes the perfect introduction to the genre for the uninitiated. It features a huge gamut of celebrities who were involved in some capacity, notably Captain Sensible (The Damned), Mick Jones (The Clash) and Siouxsie Sioux (…and the Banshees), brought together by the hardened documentalist and DJ who mediated between punks and Rastafarians in the first year of London punk.

Four Accessories For the Punk Experience in London

1. Dr. Martens Boots

Worn by many of the lads that feature in the In-Edit documentaries. Nowadays you can buy them at the official Dr. Martens Store, and also at the Camden and Portobello street markets, sold by the odd specialty stall.

2. Second-hand Punk Records

If your thing is vinyl, with mangy, well-bent edges, the best deals can be found at All Ages Records in Camden.

3. Pubs

A number of pubs became part of the haunts of the punk movement in the 70s and early 80s, particularly those in the vicinity of the 100 club on Oxford Street, or The Roxy, in Covent Garden. If you still feel the urge to down a few pints among leather jackets with studs and crests, we recommend you head for The Elephant’s Head in Camden.

4. Garments

As much as some voice the opinion that punks were anti-everything – and even anti-fashion – we all know that was not true. The Sex Pistols were the first to be put through the fashion wringer. They were the living mannequins of Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood, who owned the Sex punk boutique at 430 King’s Road. Today, such designers as Westwood herself or Jean Paul Gaultier still display punk influences. There are currently a number of stores that carry iconic garments, but we recommend a futuristic update of this trend at Cyberdog.

Be sure to put on tight leather pants and spike your hair.  Discover the wild side of London – check out our flights here.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Words: Ilanka Verhoeven

Believe it or not, there are far more reasons to visit Amsterdam these days than its infamous coffee shops or its red-light district. Along the harbor and in the city’s South Axis area, futuristic buildings have been going up – a modern counterpart to the city’s canal houses. Amsterdam touches the heart of anyone who is passionate about architecture, from historic to modern buildings. To explore them, just act like a local: hop on a bike and go.

1. The Eye Film Institute

All tourists arriving by train in Amsterdam are immediately treated to a view of the beautiful futuristic building across the IJ harbor. The free commuter ferries leaving Central station are mostly packed with locals who are familiar with the new creative center of Amsterdam. Designed by the Vienna-based firm Delugan Meissl Associated Architects, the Eye Film Institute opened in April 2012 in North Amsterdam, a district which was considered to be a no man’s land at the time. The Eye institute offers the visitor a large choice of attractions. The building houses four modern film auditoriums, an exhibition space and a freely accessible basement where movies and clips from the Eye collection can be viewed. The café-restaurant completes the Eye’s headquarters. The terrace offers a great view over the water. Enough reasons to cross the waters and be entranced by the architecture of the Eye Film Institute.

2. Jan Schaefer Bridge

The futuristic steel bridge named after the politician Jan Schaefer is located on the IJ harbor and connects the Piet Heinkade with Java Island. Designed by Ton Venhoeven, the shape of the bridge generates a multiplicity of experiences. An intricate web of connections divides the bridge into separate flows of traffic. Whether you are on foot, by car or on a bike the bridge is accessible to everyone. The bridge provides an interesting combination of modern and historic architecture since it passes under the old ‘De Zwijger’ warehouse. The monumental warehouse built in 1933 in the business- expressionistic style, was renovated in 2006 and now serves for cultural institutions and events.

3. Museum het Schip

Designed by the prodigy born of the Amsterdam School movement Michel de Klerk, Het Schip is located in the district of Spaarndammerbuurt. One of the few of de Klerk’s designs actually built, the building was designed in 1919 and since 2001 it’s the museum of the Amsterdam School. The highly unusual and unique monument to expressionist architecture is a great site for anyone interested in learning more about Amsterdam’s history. Next to the building there is also a collection of street furniture in the style of the Amsterdam School.

4. Zuidas

Zuidas is best known as a leading international business centre. Home to international companies, the Zuidas area seems to have been created by and for lovers of modern architecture. The skyscrapers of renowned architects such as Toyo Ito provide a spectacular view over Amsterdam. One thing is certain: The Rock building at the Zuidas evokes strong reactions, both positive and negative. The work of Erick van Egeraat distinguishes itself from others by facades with leaning panes of glass, aluminum, stone or concrete with hardly any 90 degrees corners. The playful base of 24 floors, consisting of transparent parts and a robust concrete top is characteristic of Deconstructivism, a1990s movement. Aside from the Rock there are many other buildings worth the visit, among them Ito and Viñoly.

5. Theatre Tuschinski

Rising above the neighbourhood of the Rembrandtplein are the two towers of the Art Deco façade Theatre Tuschinski. Built in 1921, the Theatre was erected based on the designs of architect H.L. De Jong, with interior decor by Pieter den Besten and Jaap Gidding. The exterior is a crossover between the Dutch Amsterdam School style, art nouveau and art deco. Despite the renovation works between 1998 and 2002 the theatre holds on to its original style. Today, the Tuschinski Theater belongs to the big distributor Pathé, which gives you a good excuse to see the latest movies while enjoying its art deco interiors.

So you feel like visiting Amsterdam, do you? Book your flights here!