Review: Rodrigo y Gabriela at HMV Institute
Mexican acoustic rock duo Rodrigo y Gabriela already have a cult following thanks to their unusual blend of metal, jazz and flamenco – and it's easy to see why.
Like a large tequila, their music has a giddy no-holds-barred quality that sweeps you off your feet and transports you to another place entirely.
On a rainy Sunday evening in Birmingham this is no mean feat, but Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero had the crowd packed into the HMV Institute eating from the palms of their (extremely nimble-fingered) hands.
Appearing at first in silhouette behind a silk screen, they introduced themselves with a spine-tingling solo each before the curtain dropped and they launched into the mesmerising Diablo Rojo.
The influence of Rodrigo y Gabriela's beginnings in a Mexico City thrash metal band is the secret ingredient which makes their live shows so deliciously unique, focusing as they do on the incredible interplay between Rod's fiery lead lines and Gab's powerful rhythm.
At times she plays her guitar more like a drum, battering it with her bare knuckles between chords as she pogos about the stage.
Not to be outdone, Rodrigo seems to have found the ultimate use for an empty beer bottle - using it as a fretboard slide.
After a sizzling version of Buster Voodoo, the pair were joined by Alex Wilson on piano who worked with them on their latest album Area 52. Their most ambitious studio album to date, it was recorded in Havana with a thirteen-piece Cuban orchestra.
Wilson added a jazzy, salsa-esque dimension as the band proceeded to demonstrate what an amazing sound can be created with just three musicians, twelve strings and eighty-eight keys.
Few flamenco artists can boast a background in metal music, and Rodrigo y Gabriela seem to enjoy blending their own songs seamlessly into classics from Metallica, Tool and the Red Hot Chili Peppers as well as revealing their sense of humour with a rocked-up version of the Inspector Gadget theme.
The pair have come a long way since they were spotted broke and busking on the streets of Dublin by Damien Rice.
Now, with four studio albums and a couple of forays into Hollywood film scores under their belts, Rod and Gab still retain a raw energy that makes them utterly captivating to watch.
They saved Tamacun, my personal favourite, until last before finally exiting the stage to AC/DC's For Those About To Rock amid deafening applause and a show of metal salutes.
Not many flamenco bands can say they've experienced that.
By Abigail Edge
