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Author: Info Funtastic

Swami John Reis

Reis is best known for fronting Rocket From the Crypt, the dynamic, high-octane, horn-infused punk band that left an impact on the music landscape of the 1990s. He has also been in post-hardcore groups Pitchfork and Drive Like Jehu; rock bands The Night Marchers, Sultans and Plosives; and low-key instrumentalist Back Off Cupids, as well as teaming with The Blind Shake to put out a magnificent surf album. And, of course, Hot Snakes, once described as a hardcore garage punk band.
He is the owner of Swami Records, a label he founded in 1999. He frequently works with bands in a studio capacity and releases albums by many southern California groups through his label. He also hosts the “Swami Sound System” program (previously on San Diego radio station 94.9 (KBZT),and now available on Slacker Radio). Reis remains an influential figure in the San Diego underground music community who is always performing with different bands, and he will be flying to Spain for an exclusive show that will be full of junk shoppe punk that kicks you in the ding ding full of fist pumpers, head bumpers, stinky dumpers, meaty thumpers and toe stumpers.

 

The Undertones

The Undertones emerged from Derry in 1976, the result of five friends (John O’Neill, Damian O’Neill, Feargal Sharkey, Billy Doherty and Michael Bradley) learning how to play basic rock and roll.
Even by the standards of that decade Derry was not the rock and roll capital of anywhere. With no live bands worth watching, they learned by listening to mail order records, reading one of the few copies of NME that made it to Derry but most of all from listening to John Peel’s wonderful show on BBC Radio One. Practicing in their bedrooms eventually led to the band recording John O’Neill’s ‘Teenage Kicks’ in 1978 on Terri Hooley’s Good Vibrations label in Belfast. The legendary DJ John Peel received a copy and liked it so much he played it twice in a row on his radio show.
The Undertones signed with Sire Records and ‘Teenage Kicks’ was re-released, resulting in the band’s first appearance on Top Of The Pops. Over the next five years, John O Neill, crafted further pop gems such as `Here Comes The Summer`, ‘Jimmy Jimmy`, `You’ve Got My Number (Why Don’t You Use It)’ and ‘Wednesday Week’ whilst Damian O’Neill and Michael Bradley contributed ‘My Perfect Cousin. They also recorded four highly acclaimed LPs. Indeed, they almost enjoyed the life of professional musicians. In 1983 Feargal Sharkey left the band to pursue a solo career and the remaining members decided to call it a day. The Undertones were to remain silent for the next sixteen years.
In 1999 The Undertones reconvened, without Feargal Sharkey, to once again perform their two-minute, three and a half chord songs to a new generation of fans in Derry and around the World…Fellow Derryman Paul McLoone replaced Sharkey on vocals and his vocal prowess and electric onstage presence soon convinced any doubters that he was more than capable of doing the job.
After much consideration the band released an LP of new songs called `Get What You Need’, which was critically acclaimed by Q magazine, Uncut, Rolling Stone and Hot Press. Songs like ‘Thrill Me’, ‘I Need Your Love The Way It Used To Be’ and ‘Everything But You’ showed that the art of writing short, sharp songs had not been lost over the previous two decades.
In 2003 ‘Thrill Me’ was released as a limited edition 7” vinyl single and found its way to John Peel’s turntable. He introduced it on his show commenting, “And these are words I thought I would never be saying on radio again, a new single from The Undertones”. He liked it so much he played it twice, just as he did with ‘Teenage Kicks’ in 1978.
In 2016 the Band released vinyl remasters of ther first two LPs; ‘The Undertones – The Undertones’ and ‘The Undertones – Hypnotised’ along with a 7” vinyl remix of the 1979 single ‘Get Over You’. Remixed by Kevin Shields (My Bloody Valentine/Primal Scream). Michael Bradley also published his book Teenage Kicks: My Life As An Undertone’.
2018 marked the 40th Anniversary of the release of their most influental and famous song, ’Teenage Kicks’. On 21st April for Record Store Day 2018 the band released a Vinyl Singles Box Set containing the 13 x 7” original Undertones singles from the classic early period: 1978-1983.
Of this release Damian O’Neill says:
“The collective attitude of The Undertones to the magical power and influence of the humble 45rpm 7” single was always one of total reverence and respect. It really did matter. Back then in our Undertones world, a great single was even more important than the L.P it helped promote and getting on Top Of The Pops was the ultimate accolade that we were doing it right. And if you didn’t make it on TOTP’s, then there was always the next single.Listening again to these 13 A and B sides, I hear a great pop group who
tried their best to be true to themselves and ultimately didn’t disappoint.”
In 2025 The Undertones come roaring back with an extensive UK and European tour to promote the release of their very first LIVE ALBUM….hard to believe that the band never released a live recording.
The new live album includes selected old and new songs performed by the post 1999 line up with Paul McLoone on vocals and is currently only available on vinyl and only at the live shows.

Toody Cole and Her Band

Fred and Toody Cole are R&R legends and DIY icons.
For over 40 years, the couple has toured the world performing their blend of rock and roll, punk, garage, country and blues in bands such as The Rats, The Range Rats, Pierced Arrows, and, most notably, Dead Moon.
Explaining the extent of what they have meant to music would take pages and pages, but we’ll try to summarize it in a few lines:
They met very young when Fred went to play in Portland with his then-band, The Weeds (later The Lollipop Shoppe), and it was love at first sight. They married and together developed a way of dealing with the music industry and life in general that, for us, is THE EXAMPLE to follow for its honesty, independence, and generosity. They built a house with their own hands and opened a gear-music store that was the seed of the Portland punk scene. Later, Toody gave Fred for his birthday the vinyl cutter that had belonged to The Kingsmen’s manager and from which the anthem “Louie Louie” was released . Since it wasn’t in very good condition, Fred spent months fixing it until he got it working, and voila: they could press their own records. Not happy enough, they founded Tombstone Records to release their records along with those of other bands they liked. When they went on tour, they drove, set up, and repaired the equipment themselves if anything broke.
Dead Moon conveyed the idea that it is possible to live a life ignoring the evils of this world by building one of their own—and, of course, a much better one. They are adored by legions of fans around the world, from anonymous ones and the most underground bands to superstars like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Jack White. The seed they planted has germinated and will endure forever.
Sadly, Fred is no longer with us, but Toody continues his legacy, and it’s beyond an honor to have this superwoman join us for this special edition, in what will be an ONLY SHOW IN EUROPE, performing songs from the repertoire of her legendary bands: The Rats, The Lollipop Shoppe, Dead Moon and Pierced Arrows. Joining her on this adventure are Kelly Halliburton, drummer for Pierced Arrows and occasionally Dead Moon, (whom he’s known by the Cole family since he was a child since his father played with Fred in the 1970s in a band called Albatross), and Christopher March, guitarist on the fabulous Jenny Don’t and The Spurs.
We’ll welcome them with open arms and hands ready to give them an standing ovation that will make rumble the skyline of Benidorm.

 

Penelope Disco: the venue

  • conciertos

  • piscina

  • jardin

  • baile-dj’s

  • gorila

  • deejay

When Penelope opened its doors in 1968 in what was then a small fishing town, no one knew what the future was going to be, both for the club and for the, now, city. It can be said that Benidorm and Penelope grew hand in hand and you cannot imagine one without the other.

Located in the leisure area of Benidorm (Avenida Comunidad Valenciana, 120), Penelope is characterized by the Mediterranean style of its structure with several distinct areas: the MAIN ROOM, an INDOORS one where the CONCERTS and after parties take place, with 25,000 W of sound, projections and funtastic decoration, a SECOND ROOM, also INDOORS, which will be open during the concerts in case you want to DANCE with this year’s guest club: the Brits from HIPSVILLE A GO GO!, and finally, the PATIO that has been completely remodeled and improved, preserving its magical nooks and crannies and a SECOND STAGE has been added for concerts and DJs. We can’t forget the fabulous POOL with glass walls in which the bravest can take a dip. On the patio, in addition to DANCING with the DJ or SWIMMING in the pool, you can EAT something or buy clothing, records and other wonders as the DRACULA MARKET is back, or simply RELAX on its comfortable SOFAS. ALL THREE AREAS, with their corresponding BARS, will be OPEN AT THE SAME TIME, so you have no chance of getting bored.

We cannot mention this club without talking about its logo: the enigmatic silhouette of a bohemian-looking young woman, with long flowing hair that covers her face and her Panama hat coquettishly tilted, has become an icon in Spain. (The national newspaper “El País” published a report on its back cover showing a list of the best-selling stickers in Spain, where Penelope’s was second only behind Osborne’s famous Toro-Bull).

Its creation goes back to 1968 when a French woman artist, Paule Rosset, noticed a girl called Mao, beautiful and attractive, modern and ahead of her time, whom she carefully portrayed, destining her to become a symbol.

38.5475,-0.1162

Penélope Disco

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