Sixties Rock Weekend started in 2011 with the exultant and convincing Dustaphonics

Thursday March 3, 2011. Sixties Rock Weekend kicked off on March 3 with a perfect organization, high punctuality, no crowds, in a pleasant space with a quite right sound. The home band Magic Dildoss and The Dustaphonics  were the first of the great performances programmed  for this year 2011. The british  band took the stage at the  Magic Box of the Auditorium of Castellón with new members and determined to please, with an amazing show, much to their fans and those who did not know much of their careers who probably exceeded their fans.

Their concert was excellent. It was led rhythmically by the fireproof Bruce Brand (Clique, Masonics, Thee Headcoats, etc.) and a young bassist named Michael Bluesmith, we enjoyed the guitarist Yvan Serrano also known as DJ Healer Selecta, who played tirelessly with the utmost professionalism, multitude of styles attached to rock and roll for the two soloists, Kay Elizabeth and Dana who gave a wonderful performance in all tracks with a great charm, vitality and impressive vocal control.

The Dustaphonics are, in short, the history of rock and roll condensed into an original proposal that takes references from the fifties to the present. Their music becomes an encyclopedia of genres and not just dedicating one of his creations to each style, either "garage", soul, instrumental surf, R&B, pop, blues, etc but also have the luxury of mixing with an enormous conviction and devotion. The group thrilled the audience and musicians had a great time, while got  the complicity of the public. After the concert, thanks to the intervention of the organizers of the festival Iván and María from the remembered band Los Búhos, Magic Pop was able to talk at  great length with the Dustaphonics in an interview that had the invaluable assistance of Pat Sarrais. In future instalments we will share with you what they told us about their artistic and personal aims.

Before we were shocked by The Dustaphonics with their staging and pace of his brilliant concert, Magic Dildoss faced the always difficult starting  in front of an audience that listened with great interest but lacking of the always welcoming even the much-needed enthusiasm. Magic Dildoss reviewed the tracks of their first EP, played the odd version, and offered their personal musical approach where mix equally touches of "garage sixties" with the American rock. To highlight a good  rhythmic dominion to run their strong ideas, but perhaps with a little bit long development for some of their themes. Songs that could be much better with a few guitar passes less. Nevertheless, a good band with a promising future to continue following closely to ascertain their contributions to the state scene, developments that will not leave us indifferent.

The opening of the festival was given by the executive director of Castelló Cultural and Councillor for Culture of the City Hall. The first visitors, who were  quite a lot considering that were the first day and Thursday, took delight with a beautiful exhibition of cars, motorcycles and guitars of the sixties and seventies, as well as with the art exhibition by the Pera-U, clothing and records. Finally, it’s remarkable that two of the most important newspapers in their sections about Castellón, in a report about the first day, one of them, Las Provincias, led the news with the headline: "The mods take La Plana." From our point of view, this is certainly a mostly exaggerated and unnecessary headline. Sixties Rock Weekend is not a mod festival, not at least with the precepts by which those who defend the existential attitude would consider the most absolute orthodoxy. Therefore, there were not many mods, or not so many as to take La Plana (Castellón). The festival is organized with an excellent discernment and it doesn’t need neither to be categorized nor to be labelled to be justified. In our view, this is a unique opportunity to enjoy the sixties roots music and its evolution into the generic approaches of the seventies. That’s why we are in Castellón, to have fun and after the first day, I can assure you that the organizers handed enjoyment on a plate.

Translated by Pat Sarrais

For more information about the festival, you can enter in the official website or read our interview with the data from the participating groups in this year.

Information in Spanish here