Day 500

Sunday November 17

While November Madrid hasn’t been as tropical as it can be at this time of year, we’ve still found it perfectly comfortable to be out and about in for long periods at a time. However, today it shows what it can really do this deep into the year as the sun comes properly out for the first time since we’ve been here. One of the things I always loved about Madrid is that you have temperature readings all over the place. For some reason, at just about every bus stop. Chemists too. Because of that, we can see that today reaches all the way into the high 20s. With that, it’s spectacularly lovely to be out and about earlyish. Not long after 11 which is quite impressive considering the late night. And we’re also feeling surprisingly fresh and up for it.

Today is a tourist day with us both feeling a relief that there’s no curiosity of a Now Hustle hanging over us. We’ve done it and proved once again that we can turn up in a random city, hit the street and play a gig to a whole new audience.

When we came out and about walking on Thursday we took in the part of Madrid on our side of Plaza Espana, up to and including it. Today we’re crossing over to what’s on the other side of that great square which punctuates the bottom end of Gran Via. The flagship event I have planned for today is to take the Teleferico – cable car – up into the hills of Casa de Campo, the huge expanse of public park on the west of the city. This gives you an incredible view of the city as you’re able to look back and see that it really is built on a hill, and then look forwards to the wilds you’re entering. Once up there it’s a great winding walk down which continues when you hit the boulevard that runs along the river. Even the walk to the Teleferico is all part of it as it takes you through Plaza Espana with a slight detour to take in the area of Principe Pio station, then the park of Templo de Debod and the views over the city from here. Then onto Parque de Oeste – West Park – itself a great place to visit. And the whole walk there is just a wonder of greenery.

As we get to the far end of Plaza Espana, Maja simply has to stop. I’ve learned that Swedish people have a great need to stop and appreciate the sun whenever it’s out. And that’s exactly what she wants to do now as we stop, lean against one of the plaza’s skyscrapers, close our eyes, and incline ourselves towards the sun like opening, luxuriating flowers. Even I feel the mid November wonder of this.

From here we’re about to pass another Mark landmark of the city. One of my previous apartments is right here on Calle de Martin de los Heros, within shouting distance of the plaza, and very much in sight of it, and on a road that arrows straight to Arguelles and Moncloa where we will find the Teleferico. This large apartment was a house share with two others, a girl from Peru and a guy from Argentina, and my bedroom had its own balcony right across from the Renoir Cinema, practically overlooking Plaza de Espana. A spectacular place to live. It’s really fun to pass by it now for the first time in over 10 years, and to be able to show it to Maja. 

Then it’s onto the Templo de Debod, which is a real and ancient Egyptian temple, which was – pause to consider the questionability of this – taken down in Egypt and transported brick by brick here to be reconstructed. You used to be able to just walk into it and have a look around and I’m planning to do that, but nope. You have to pay now, and book, and it’s fully booked. So we can have a walk and a wander around it and see the building, but that’s it. We do that and go round the edge of the park where you have that great view over the city. Down the hill from there and in to have a look at the majestic Principe Pio station. Through there and out the front, on the way stopping to pick up some more of those wonderful Spanish empanadas. This gives us a pause to stop and eat at the top of the steps that lead down to the station entrance. Given the fantastic sun, the setting and the actual occasion itself and this really feels like a bit of a movie moment. When we’re ready to set off again, I just check for the Teleferico on the map to make sure I am remembering the way correctly, and to make sure I take the right route there that will take us down the wide, picturesque tree lined boulevard. Yep, there’s the Teleferico. And, oh. It’s closed. I instantly have to come up with a plan B, which I formulate quite quickly. The Teleferico was going to take us deep into Casa de Campo. But that kinda means we’re already quite close to the actual entrance of that huge park, and so quite close to the beautiful lake setting within it. So let’s do the walk to there. Yeah. That’s a decent alternative plan. We can at least visit the place, even if we don’t get the full panoramic view and massive, expansive walk back through it all.

Yep. That works wonderfully and Maja gets to see some more serious Madrid tapas action. We find a great outdoor terrace bar,I go to get us a pint each and return with a huge plate of chicken wings in a fantastic mild curry sauce. Seriously. That’s dinner. How do they do it? When the guy was plating them I was convinced he was taking care of another customer at the same time, not preparing a free beer snack for us.

Ready to go and we realise we are all totally walked out. So this is a great opportunity for Maja to take her first Madrid metro ride – metro being the Madrid underground. We get this from El Lago (lake) station. This is just four stops, change, then one stop to Gran Via and home. Simple. 

Rich of Triskels messaged me yesterday to give me a heads up on an open mic that happens in the Malasana area on Sundays. It’s at a place called El Pez Gato (the Fish Cat. No I’ve no idea either, although it is on Calle del Pez so at least that’s something). We’re heading along to that tonight after a brief recovery session from today’s exertions. We get there to find a really cool, long venue with steps in the middle leading up to another long room with a stage at the end of it. And right at the front of the whole thing, host Juelia is sitting at the bar with one of those baseball caps with a propeller on top. I actually think this is a really clever way of drawing attention to yourself as the person running an open mic, and so the person people should make a beeline to to talk to. Which we do. We discover she’s bilingual so yeah, chatting in English is all fine here. She’s delighted to hear we’ve dropped in on a visit from London and we’re in and on the list.

When she gets up to open proceedings, it’s clear from the beginning we’re in the hands of a presenting pro. She’s like one of those late night talkshow hosts. All charisma, fun, energy, and generally getting the whole place rolling. I’ll fast forward a little here and say we’ve done a lot of open mics in quite a few countries now, and she’s by far the best host we’ve ever seen. Great with the acts too with organisation and getting people behind them. And she also pulls off the magic trick – which showcases her full pro-ness – of being a massive stage presence herself while making the whole thing not about her at all. This is a near impossible feat to pull off and thinking about it now, I’m convinced it’s a personality trait and absolutely positively cannot be taught.

As she’s beginning, we know what’s coming next. Just before she went up ashe asked if we wouldn’t mind being first and we were totally good with that. And this is no dead spot in the proceedings at all. If anything, we’ve discovered at times that being bestowed with the honour of being last can be to play to an empty house with everyone having left for last trains, buses, or just because they were tired and wanted to go home. Or, and please whisper this one. Sometimes an open mic night just isn’t very good. The random nature of them can throw up stinkers, just as they can throw up the most magical of nights. Kinda like sport in general really, and sometimes the patience of a room has been exhausted long before the final act takes to the stage. So yeah, we open and as the night progresses and the audience ebbs and flows, we feel we actually had the best spot of the night. You really do just never know.

So up we are and we ask the soundman to plug in our wireless pieces. Fair to say he is not impressed at all. He almost pretends not to know what Maja’s asking for, and when it comes to me, he says, in very passable English, there’s a lead there. It’s acoustic. It’s not like you’re going to be jumping around. Very matter of fact and total deadpan, I reply, ‘I am.’ With a shrug, a mildly indignant sigh, and maybe even a resigned shake of the head, he takes my wireless unit and plugs it in. Then retreats to the centre of the really quite well populated room with his tablet which contains the virtual sound desk.

We’re ready and we have a very polite and attentive room equally ready for us. I think by this point they’re a little intrigued. We’ve only got one song. This is a packed roster and everyone only gets one song. As we’ve discovered so many times, that’s all we need so all good. We’re going for I Like You (Better When You’re Naked) which starts with me hitting muted strings for a percussive type count in. I use this kind of sound a lot. Well, there’s a massive misunderstanding here as the soundman thinks the lack of sound I’m making is some kind of fault and whacks the guitar sound right up. Which I’m not aware of at all until I finish my count and hit the first chord. Oh damn that was loud. Me and Maja immediately recoil as though shot from the speakers at the side of the stage. I look up at the soundman who understands what’s happened now. I ask to check the sound again, play a few chords, things get remodified and we’re ready to go again. This time we’re off. As the second verse comes in, the soundman gets another dose of understanding as we both leave the stage and make our way deep into the room to finish right in the middle of a very surprised audience, which really comes along on this journey with us.

We stay out there working the room for the whole song with whoops and cheers sounding out every now and again. Then, to end it we head back to the stage to find our closing positions right as the final chord smashes out. And that’s our turn and the room reacts hugely. Enough for us to feel we’ve left our mark here tonight. One song. It was all we needed. As we leave the stage – again – the soundman comes up to us. His demeanour has very much warmed up and he shakes our hand and we thank him for looking after us. I’m glad we stood our ground with the wirelesses, and equally glad we demonstrated our full use of them.

The great thing about going on first is that you can then sit back and enjoy the show and a few drinks without thinking about when you’re going on, or having any kind of thoughts about how it’s going to go. You’re done. You know. The rest of the night is now yours. Or ours. And that’s how it goes as we enjoy the other performers, Juelia very much among them, who also performs deep into the show with one of the best songs of the night. Could we have expected any less?

When the event here ends, we stride triumphantly into the Malasana night and post ourselves in the direction of Plaza dos de Mayo and El 2 De. We’re hoping to catch up with Ivan after our performance and the wonderful reception from him yesterday. When we arrive the place is gratifyingly quiet, so perfect for over the bar conversation. But, unfortunately, no Ivan. Oh well. Let’s go to Triskels for a quiet one. There’s no-one there I know tonight, but we do get very warmly welcomed and made to feel at home by tonight’s bar manager. We’ll take that. It’s really all for the best that there’s no-one around here that I could have had a big reunion with. Tomorrow’s the big night and the reason we’re in Madrid in the first place. The Frank Turner show. So yeah. A lovely, quiet pint in here and we’re off. See you tomorrow.