Os Mutantes live was definitely not what I was expecting. In a woefully attended Vicar Street, Os Mutantes with one original member missing (Arnaldo Baptista) and (judging by photos and videos I had seen previously) two other members – a guitarist and a lead singer (Zélia Duncan). There were mentions of sickness and kidney problems but the show went on. From the outset, it was as if there was an invisible wall between the stage and the audience that made the gig seem like it was going to suck. The first few songs did little to capture the imagination of the audience aside from native Brazilians who knew some of the songs. Something was lacking and it was definitely to do with the missing band members.
Little by little however, the songs got stronger and the performance took on more flair and energy. Sergio Dias is a quietly charasmatic frontman and I’d liken him to a Brazilian Paul McCartney but the rest of the band apart from the older drummer seemed to be made up of session musicians and I don’t think this went unnoticed in the first half. The band were clearly enjoying themselves but the audience were not convinced. I heard Western influences laid bare in the songs: over-reaching psychedelic guitar solos with too much pomp, songs that sound like the Beatles (I was sure we were in for a “Na na na” Hey Jude Style chorus), Steely Dan and a few songs that go into prog-rock and Santana terroritory. Gradually, it became better and better until there were a lot of dancing feet.
It was the last five songs where Mutantes really salvaged the gig however. Playing a great version of “Bat Macumba” with a bridge which took away the syllables of the chorus line and built it back up again syllable by syllable and erupted into an almighty “BAT MACUMBA!” at the end and a great version of “Panis Et Circensis” really got the crowd going. So not a classic gig by any means then considering the high regard Os Mutantes have in music circles but what could have been a complete disaster ended in a minor victory.
An interesting sidenote for friends: The bass player looked so much like my mate Sean, it was uncanny. I just kept thinking it was him on stage! See..
Sean Mutantes
Video
Photos
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005 . He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Cara Magazine, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, founder of Lumo Club, club promoter, event curator and producer of gigs, listening parties & events in Dublin.
The audience was a bit sparse alright, and there were a few missteps, but those last 3 songs really rocked it! Bat Macumba, what a tune.
btw I think I saw you there, but I wasn’t sure if it was you so I didn’t say hi. 😉
The audience was a bit sparse alright, and there were a few missteps, but those last 3 songs really rocked it! Bat Macumba, what a tune.
btw I think I saw you there, but I wasn’t sure if it was you so I didn’t say hi. 😉
The audience was a bit sparse alright, and there were a few missteps, but those last 3 songs really rocked it! Bat Macumba, what a tune.
btw I think I saw you there, but I wasn’t sure if it was you so I didn’t say hi. 😉
[quote post=”556″]btw I think I saw you there, but I wasn’t sure if it was you so I didn’t say hi. ;)[/quote]
Yeh, me too, I couldn’t remember what you looked like. Are you rockin a beard?
[quote post=”556″]btw I think I saw you there, but I wasn’t sure if it was you so I didn’t say hi. ;)[/quote]
Yeh, me too, I couldn’t remember what you looked like. Are you rockin a beard?
yep!
we need nametags.
yep!
we need nametags.
yep!
we need nametags.
Good to catch up with you last night. I also thought I saw Justin, but wasn’t sure if it was you! This is getting kinda cyclical, no?
Agreed – it was patchy for the reasons you mentioned (under attended, missing members, etc) but it really picked up at the end. I could have done without the Eric Clapton style guitar solos, but what can you do?
I also said to a friend that Dias looked like a cross between Paul McCartney and a Latin Al Pacino.
And well done for bringing your folks. Pity I didn’t get to meet Ma and Pa Nialler9. 🙂
Good to catch up with you last night. I also thought I saw Justin, but wasn’t sure if it was you! This is getting kinda cyclical, no?
Agreed – it was patchy for the reasons you mentioned (under attended, missing members, etc) but it really picked up at the end. I could have done without the Eric Clapton style guitar solos, but what can you do?
I also said to a friend that Dias looked like a cross between Paul McCartney and a Latin Al Pacino.
And well done for bringing your folks. Pity I didn’t get to meet Ma and Pa Nialler9. 🙂
Good to catch up with you last night. I also thought I saw Justin, but wasn’t sure if it was you! This is getting kinda cyclical, no?
Agreed – it was patchy for the reasons you mentioned (under attended, missing members, etc) but it really picked up at the end. I could have done without the Eric Clapton style guitar solos, but what can you do?
I also said to a friend that Dias looked like a cross between Paul McCartney and a Latin Al Pacino.
And well done for bringing your folks. Pity I didn’t get to meet Ma and Pa Nialler9. 🙂
Sorry I should have introduced you! Silly 9.They left just before I was talkin to you after the show.
Sorry I should have introduced you! Silly 9.They left just before I was talkin to you after the show.
Sorry I should have introduced you! Silly 9.They left just before I was talkin to you after the show.
The review says it all in a nutshell. The first half was very ropey and i was expecting the whole thing to be a write off but the last 4/5 songs saved the day…
The review says it all in a nutshell. The first half was very ropey and i was expecting the whole thing to be a write off but the last 4/5 songs saved the day…
The review says it all in a nutshell. The first half was very ropey and i was expecting the whole thing to be a write off but the last 4/5 songs saved the day…
Ah I had a great time! but then again I was at the middle, in front and I don’t think I looked behind me till the end…
Ah I had a great time! but then again I was at the middle, in front and I don’t think I looked behind me till the end…
Ah I had a great time! but then again I was at the middle, in front and I don’t think I looked behind me till the end…
I was a hanger-on to Os Mutantes from 1969-72. It’s hard to pass judgment on the band when the main singer, Zélia Duncan, and she kicks bootie big time, and Arnaldo Baptista, co-writer of the songs, singer and keyboardist, are absent.
It is part of the Tropicalia 1968 movement (Hélio Oiticica’s work is being shown at Tate Gallery now) to blend all sorts of exogenous music and rhythms; spit it out Brazilian. Sergio is 54, Arnaldo 59. That the Beatles influenced them, ça va sens dire. Sergio got into progressive rock in the early 70s. Santana, whom I wouldn’t call progressive, was very popular in Brazil. I got to know of Steely Dan when I came to California in 1985.
It is part of Batmacumba’s structure to take away a syllable at a time. The song is by Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil.
One guitar solo I heard when I got home from the show here at the El Rey sounded like Layla a little bit. So? I think your review of half a band cannot do the band justice for two reasons: it seems the movement Tropicália is a foreign notion to your review; and to judge the band when two essential members are missing isn’t sound judgment either. It’d be like evaluating U2 without Bono and Edge, or GD without Très Cool and Billie Joe, get it?
Oh, I forgot the positive. The photos are awesome and so is the video.
[quote post=”556″]It’d be like evaluating U2 without Bono and Edge[/quote]
imagine a u2 without bono or the edge 🙂
[quote post=”556″]It’d be like evaluating U2 without Bono and Edge[/quote]
imagine a u2 without bono or the edge 🙂
and to judge the band when two essential members are missing isn’t sound judgment either
hey tina, nialler mentions a couple of times that there were members missing, and from what i can tell, was only passing judgement on the performance that was, not the band in general.
on the other hand, i was at the gig, missed the first few tunes but thought overall what i saw was fantastic. the replacement musicians were great and the guitar solo’s rocked. but then again what do i know, the Tropicália movement is a foreign notion to me 😉
and to judge the band when two essential members are missing isn’t sound judgment either
hey tina, nialler mentions a couple of times that there were members missing, and from what i can tell, was only passing judgement on the performance that was, not the band in general.
on the other hand, i was at the gig, missed the first few tunes but thought overall what i saw was fantastic. the replacement musicians were great and the guitar solo’s rocked. but then again what do i know, the Tropicália movement is a foreign notion to me 😉
and to judge the band when two essential members are missing isn’t sound judgment either
hey tina, nialler mentions a couple of times that there were members missing, and from what i can tell, was only passing judgement on the performance that was, not the band in general.
on the other hand, i was at the gig, missed the first few tunes but thought overall what i saw was fantastic. the replacement musicians were great and the guitar solo’s rocked. but then again what do i know, the Tropicália movement is a foreign notion to me 😉
Just as a reference: Zelia was never a member of Mutantes, she is replacing Rita Lee Jones in this awful revival stuff. Poor Arnaldo. They are just doing this for the money, which is one of the reasons why Rita didn’t want to join in.
Just as a reference: Zelia was never a member of Mutantes, she is replacing Rita Lee Jones in this awful revival stuff. Poor Arnaldo. They are just doing this for the money, which is one of the reasons why Rita didn’t want to join in.
Just as a reference: Zelia was never a member of Mutantes, she is replacing Rita Lee Jones in this awful revival stuff. Poor Arnaldo. They are just doing this for the money, which is one of the reasons why Rita didn’t want to join in.
Zélia Duncan became a member of Os Mutantes after their tour in 2006 (any rag-a-zine will confirm this.) As for Rita Lee Jones de Carvalho, there were hard feelings on her part, Arnaldo and she were married for quite a while. She said she was going to take care of her first grandchild (any rag-a-zine.) Nobody thought they would be as successful as they were in 2006.(I spoke to Sérgio about this –Anarchic_Universe)
After their success at Barbican, Rita decided to hit the road in Brazil and tour. One can’t forget she is married to her guitar player and co-writer of songs. As weird as they may be, it would be weird for Rita to join Os Mutantes and play her little percussion toys with Arnaldo.
So, I can only say that either Mr. Bacus is suffering from unrequitted love battling a lost battle nobody supports, i.e. a feud among original members of Os Mutantes or is one more wannabe know-it-all. Pathetic.
Hi guys, I´m brazilian and a huge fan of mutantes… i´m here trying to find out what happened to arnaldo and zélia… i´m worried… i hope it´s not big deal…
i´ve seen 3 shows after reunion, here in brazil, and one thing i can say for sure: although the show costs US$50 ground, they´re not doing that JUST for the money… it´s easy to see the smiles on their faces and how happy they´re playing… and we have to thank them for giving us that great opportunity of seeing them alive and live…
something happened between arnaldo and rita, some bad thing that will NEVER be solved, they will NEVER get along… and nobody knows for sure what the fuck was that…
and guys, listen to the awesome progressive rock album “Tudo Foi Feito Pelo Sol” by them… it´s great!!!
bye!!!
Hi guys, I´m brazilian and a huge fan of mutantes… i´m here trying to find out what happened to arnaldo and zélia… i´m worried… i hope it´s not big deal…
i´ve seen 3 shows after reunion, here in brazil, and one thing i can say for sure: although the show costs US$50 ground, they´re not doing that JUST for the money… it´s easy to see the smiles on their faces and how happy they´re playing… and we have to thank them for giving us that great opportunity of seeing them alive and live…
something happened between arnaldo and rita, some bad thing that will NEVER be solved, they will NEVER get along… and nobody knows for sure what the fuck was that…
and guys, listen to the awesome progressive rock album “Tudo Foi Feito Pelo Sol” by them… it´s great!!!
bye!!!
Hi guys, I´m brazilian and a huge fan of mutantes… i´m here trying to find out what happened to arnaldo and zélia… i´m worried… i hope it´s not big deal…
i´ve seen 3 shows after reunion, here in brazil, and one thing i can say for sure: although the show costs US$50 ground, they´re not doing that JUST for the money… it´s easy to see the smiles on their faces and how happy they´re playing… and we have to thank them for giving us that great opportunity of seeing them alive and live…
something happened between arnaldo and rita, some bad thing that will NEVER be solved, they will NEVER get along… and nobody knows for sure what the fuck was that…
and guys, listen to the awesome progressive rock album “Tudo Foi Feito Pelo Sol” by them… it´s great!!!
bye!!!
A Esmérya é a maiiisi Linda *-*
te amoo tiiiiiiaaa ;}