On the first day of the return of Quilmes Rock marked by the perfect songs of Estelares and Conceiendo Rusia, the celebration of the permanent validity of the legacy of Virus, the recognized festival pulse of Las Pelotas, the great explosion of Trueno in rock lands and the bitter existentialist humor of El Cuarteto de Nos, Gorillaz put on an epic closing at a venue in Tecnópolis before some 60,000 people.
Although the big names and the sets that lived up to the respective expectations that circulated throughout the day on the five stages already allowed us to speak of a very good presentation of this edition of the festival, the brutal sound and interpretation display of the combo led by Damon Albarn raised the balance of the day to levels of excellence.
It was also a great synthesis of what had happened in the previous hours, because the great sound palette highlighting great songs by Gorillaz It crowned a succession of sets in which the round tunes and the stylistic variants that rock allows abounded.
Although from 3 p.m. various shows began to take place, it was after 5 p.m., with the massive arrival of the public, that the day began to take on color on the Quilmes and Rock stages, the two most important of the festival, with the presence of Stellar, Airbag and Knowing Russia.
As usual, Manuel Moretti’s group excelled in the field of elegant songs, with precise melodies and good lyrics, in a tight set; Also on a song level, although with other intentions, Knowing Russia prolonged that moment of pleasant tunes.
For the closing of his set, Mateo Sujatovich, the artist who is carrying out this project, opted for “I pray for you”, a declaration of the principles of the legacy that he seeks to maintain with his work.
In the middle of both pop moments, airbag He put the quota of classic rock, with a presentation in which none of the gadgets of the genre were missing, as there was scenery with flames of fire, fast guitar solos played with the teeth, distortion and ballads of an epic tone, among other things.
But there was also a good version of Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing” enhanced in its hardcore colors, and a walk through some famous riffs, such as Aerosmith’s “Walk this Way”.
Called to be the great emotional touch of the day, the new meeting of Viruswith brothers Marcelo and Julio Moura, and drummer Mario Serra, elegantly dodged that label and reaffirmed that yesterday’s classics can sound as modern as they did 40 years ago.
With hits such as “Imágenes paganas”, “Interior hole”, “The tester”, “Disposable love” and “Pronta surrender”, among others, Virus made it clear that it is a repertoire that is so topical that it still resists to play in the field of nostalgia. That it has not been expressly evoked -because it is a presence that flies permanently- the figure of Federico Moura was perhaps another successful position.
The icing on the cake was Benito Cerati as a guest in “Honeymoon hand in hand” and Marcelo Moura’s sincere joy for that visit. It was inevitable to remember that Federico Moura was the producer of Soda Stereo’s recording debut.
Virus was followed The Quartet of Us, with its ingenious and rhythmic lyrics that, camouflaged as free association, challenge the listener with their existentialist ideas. Between some premieres of their imminent new album and classics like “El Hijo de Hernández” and “Indo a la casa de Damián”, the band commanded by Roberto Musso rounded off a vibrant performance that had its most brilliant moment in “Counterpoint for human and computer “.
In the midst of so much traditional rock and pop, Thunder brought new blood with a set that did not move away from rock sounds but from rap territories, that space where it has been developing for so many years.
A vigorous band and an energetic vocal performance with ease to launch his rhymes allowed Trueno to win over an audience that in a few more minutes would be jumping to the rhythm of The Balls.
Precisely before the great central number of Gorillaz, Germán Daffunchio’s group played the game that works best for them: animating the festival audience with their succession of classics. To do this, he put aside his most melancholic facet and his sound explorations to bet on insurance.
Meanwhile, on a stage located on the margins of the two power plants, Vicentico, Eruca Sativa and Los Pericos night shifts were divided.
For the grand finale of this first day, which earlier had had various emerging artists, the great attraction of the festival was reserved and Gorillaz did not disappoint. Damon Albarn’s combo set was a test of musical imagination and a display of charisma. The final crossing with Trueno in “Clint Eastwood” left the great postcard of the festival -and beyond as well-.
Incidentally, the great moments that abounded on this first day made us forget the bitter taste of the last-minute cancellation of Fito Páez for having contracted coronavirus.
The Quilmes Rock, which returned to presence after nine years of absence and a virtual edition held in 2020, will have its second and last day this Sunday from noon.
Nathy Peluso, Divididos, Los Auténticos Decadentes, Turf, Los Tipitos, Lit Killah and the tribute to Catupecu Machu appear as the great attractions for the closing.
