Music

There’s a fired up few pairs of hands on deck for the timely revamp of this most central of Barcelona locales. First of all is the relaxed licensing law granting nightclubs a piece of the live music action and the sparkling new equipment installed courtesy of the mighty Otto Zutz group. Then there is the newly-appointed creative direction from omnipresent promoters Menos Que Cero, whose fresh assault on the Music Hall project has been largely driven by an ideology of creating a high profile and yet intimate space onto which artists walk as independent musicians “with something to say” and in need of a break, and leave poised for big things.

Menos Que Zero hopes to orchestrate that miraculous transitional onstage “moment” which they believe so many of the bands plugging away on the Catalan music circuit deserve. The first venture since the inaugurating ribbon was cut last April, has been to resurrect and re-program Catalan music extravaganza EscenaBCN, which stormed Palau San Jordi to a lot of buzz and wild applause last year with the local-hero likes of Love of Lesbian, Flores Azules and Mishima, who debuted their lauded first release Ordre i Aventura.

Now an affectionately curated cycle of live shows, EscenaBCN has been hitting its stride with rip-roaring performances from Joan Colomo, The Waterparties and Los Campesinos! And with upcoming December sets from riff-brandishing Barcelona troubadours Neurotica (December 17^th) and the romantic Nick Drake-inflected arrangements of Inspira (December 19^th) among others, Music Hall looks set to come full circle this winter.

musichall.es