We rose early with the task of driving from southern to northern Spain. It was just under 800 clicks so pretty easy for a couple of seasoned Aussie touring Musos such as ourselves. Everyone here thought we were nuts, but I’m thinking, Melb- Syd is 900+ and we do that the day of the show nearly everytime plus on these highways you can sit on (or as we like just over) 120 kms.

So we made it to Aldea De San Miguel by about 5pm. On the drive in it was getting more rural and dryer as we went. The feeling of being in the middle of nowhere was excentuated when we arrived in the town. There are a couple of ruins at the start of the town, which borders dry farm paddocks with dirt tracks and really old houses on the tiny streets. The Bar Cuco is literally on the first crossroad. We pulled up out the front and there was about 6 old dudes sitting around Mafia style out the front playing cards and drinking a weird looking beverage. There was not another soul around. Rebecca the owner was inside, an awesome chick, who didn’t speak English who also thought we were crazy for travelling from Estepona that day and not having any Spanish speaking person in our party.

Sound check was good, my pedal board seemed to have exercised it’s Estepona demons and we were good to go. I had a sleep and Danny went for a Vespa ride with Johnny the other bar owner, a sick dude. They made us an awesome BBQ for dinner that we ate at a table in the 4-bedroom house across the street that we had entirely to ourselves. Once dinner had been consumed and we got ready for the show I said to Danny I was going to head over and tune my guitars and stuff so we could start promptly at 10pm. I was trying to avoid a repeat of Estepona, where we went on 2 hrs later and crew had to bail.

The road out the front of the venue was engulfed in gig goers drinking, smoking, generally getting fired up. I got a hearty cheer from everyone on my way into the venue, ha! Inside, the bloody placed was slammed full! I was thinking “holy shit” this is going to be epic. I got onstage and started tuning and people were already starting to get rowed up.

This gig was awesome!! We were confined into a small space due to the really small stage and the mass amount of people. I thought I was going to take out several people with the head stock of my guitar a couple of times. The crowd was unreal, “Just Wanna Rock N Roll” is going down a treat over here, the sing a long was immense. Chicks undies were thrown on the stage, this group of chicks had all these signs made up at the back saying “kiss me”, “take it off” and shit, it was classic. Others came up and were pinning badges on us, who knows what that was all about? But all in very good fun.

We finished and they demanded 3 encores. With the most hardcore chants we’ve heard yet. Like everyone screaming. So we played Immigrant Song, Rainmaker and then Highway to Hell with Danny on vocals tore the roof off. The Spanish love Aca daca and you couldn’t even hear us with how loud they were all singing the chorus.. That turned into about another 30 mins so we played for just over 2 hrs and these nutters still wanted more, on a fuckin’ Tuesday! It was past 12 by then, but that’s nothing for the Spanish, these people wrote the party book.

We took about 5000 photos, they love that shit here. I tell you these people are sending me broke with guitar picks, im getting asked for like 5 plus a show! You can’t really say no, it a bloody pick, you are going to look like the tightest prick on earth sayin’ “oh sorry mate I need these”. I’m thinking of buying a cheap bag, just to give away. Next tour I’ll get some KOTN custom ones. But the enthusiasm of the people here is amazing and tonight (on a fucking Tuesday) it was at fever pitch.

Great night, great hospitality, great people, Bar Cuco Fuck Yes!!! What a bloody beauty!

Much love

-Higgsy (Andres) J

 

(pic coming as soon as we get some decent bloody internet!)