Els Pets
Encyclopedia
Els Pets is a Catalan
pop rock
band with lead singer, composer
and guitarist
Lluís Gavaldà from the village of Constantí
(Tarragonès
, Catalonia
, Spain
). Joan Reig plays drums
and Falin Cáceres bass
. At present, the band has the collaboration of the musicians Joan-Pau Chaves (keyboard, bass and singer), David Muñoz
(guitar, singer) and Brad Jones
(bass, guitar, keyboard, singer). In Catalan
, Els Pets means "The Farts".
, the origin of this pop-rock band can not be considered as an isolated event: it belongs to the musical movement of Rock català
.
, Els Pets were proud of their rural roots, and therefore marked their own style in opposition to the music that was made in the capital. The result was a bitter, ironic and humoristic complaint against the lack of their region. They name their genuine substyle Rock agrícola (agricultural rock). They began making concerts in the surrounding villages, coinciding in many occasions with the local celebrations.
In 1986 they recorded a sample in Tarragona, which was distributed manually. The following year Lluís Gavaldà moved to the United States, pausing the activity of the group. When he came back, the band was reinforced with Ramon Vidal, a guitar player, and a new section, Els Vents de Baiona ("The winds of Baiona
", sax and trumpets).
The first album is named like the name of the group, and appears in 1989. It is a mix of rockabilly
and ska
, among other genres. It has clear links with british rock
, with references towards groups like The Jam
or The Specials
. Songs like Terra Billy or No N'hi Ha Prou Amb Ser Català are examples of their political claims.
Two years after, they recorded Calla i Balla! ("Shut up and dance", DiscMedi, 1991), the second album. They achieved a better sound and became stronger in their local criticism with songs like Tarragona M'esborrona (in English, "Tarragona horrifies me") or Constantí, Molta Merda I Poc Vi. This trend is maintained in the following album Fruits Sex (DiscMedi, 1992), through which they reached the sound quality that defines the first period, adding to the band the guitarist Marc Grau (the producer of the group) and the pianist Toni Saigi.
Brut Natural (DiscMedi, 1994) represents the maturity of the band, the improvement of the sound that would define the following years. In it, the group combines the original criticism (slightly decreased) with a renewed style. During the year 1995, the band makes a tour throughout Catalonia, the Gira Cua, and records the live album Vine a la Festa (DiscMedi, 1995). But the total success comes with the album Bondia (DiscMedi, 1997), musically more rocker, which is sold 75.000 times and becomes Disc d'Or. This success places the band as one of the best in the Catalan rock. With the following studio album, Sol (DiscMedi, 1999), the group marks a difference in the tone of the songs, that become more introspective and melancholic, in detriment of the original criticism.
Com Anar al Cel i Tornar (DiscMedi, 2007) is the ninth album of the group. With it, the band refined its sound by moving further away from their once-trademark rock style and towards classic pop songs inspired by everyday stories and rich in melancholic yet life-affirming lyrics.
Fràgil (DiscMedi, 2010) is the title of its tenth album, which is to be available at April 10, 2010. Recorded at La Casamurada studio at Baix Penedès
during February 2010 and mixed at Alex the Great studios (Nashville, Tennessee
) by its productor, Brad Jones
, who also worked with the band since the album Respira, Fràgil carries twelve songs which talk about the fragility of things and the way of overcoming the highs and lows of life.
The band will begin the tour in Castelló d'Empúries
, Alt Empordà
at April 23, 2010, coinciding with the Catalonia patron saint day, Sant Jordi.
“Els Pets. Cara a cara” (Rosa dels Vents, 2003) is the biography about the rock band which is a phenomenon in the Catalan rock history.
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
band with lead singer, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Lluís Gavaldà from the village of Constantí
Constantí
Constantí is a village in the province of Tarragona and autonomous community of Catalonia, Spain....
(Tarragonès
Tarragonès
Tarragonès is a comarca in Catalonia, Spain. It is one of the three comarques formed in the 1936 comarcal division of Camp de Tarragona. It lies on the Mediterranean coast, between the comarques of Baix Penedès to the northeast and Baix Camp to the south. Over 60% of the population live in the...
, Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
). Joan Reig plays drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
and Falin Cáceres bass
Bass (instrument)
Bass describes musical instruments that produce tones in the low-pitched range. They belong to different families of instruments and can cover a wide range of musical roles...
. At present, the band has the collaboration of the musicians Joan-Pau Chaves (keyboard, bass and singer), David Muñoz
David Muñoz
David Muñoz born in 1996 in Ciudad de Mexico, Estado de Mexico, central Mexico is a Spanish director, producer, and screenwriter.- Biography :Economist. PhD in Financial Economics. He player for Patriots for several years and won 2 Superbowls...
(guitar, singer) and Brad Jones
Brad Jones
Bradley Jones also known as Brad is a retired Australian racing driver. Jones now acts as team co-principal with his brother Kim in the V8 Supercar racing team, Brad Jones Racing.-Motorsport career:...
(bass, guitar, keyboard, singer). In Catalan
Catalan language
Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
, Els Pets means "The Farts".
History
In spite of the differential characteristics between this band and the rest of the groups that emerged in the late '80s and '90s decades in CataloniaCatalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, the origin of this pop-rock band can not be considered as an isolated event: it belongs to the musical movement of Rock català
Rock català
The term Rock català is used to describe those bands singing in Catalan of any music style, especially in the late 1980s and early 1990s.The last years of Spain under Franco were shattered by a generation of singers that claimed and called for democracy...
.
Origins: Agricultural Rock
The band Els Pets was formed in 1985 in Constantí, by Lluís Gavaldà, Joan Reig and Falin Cáceres. Two female voices joined them, Les Llufes. Unlike the trends of the leading bands that appeared in BarcelonaBarcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Els Pets were proud of their rural roots, and therefore marked their own style in opposition to the music that was made in the capital. The result was a bitter, ironic and humoristic complaint against the lack of their region. They name their genuine substyle Rock agrícola (agricultural rock). They began making concerts in the surrounding villages, coinciding in many occasions with the local celebrations.
Baiona
Baiona can refer to at least two places:*Baiona is the Basque name for Bayonne a city of Labourd, Basque Country, France.*Baiona is a small town in Galicia, Spain....
", sax and trumpets).
The first album is named like the name of the group, and appears in 1989. It is a mix of rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
and ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
, among other genres. It has clear links with british rock
British rock
British rock describes a wide variety of forms of music made in the United Kingdom. Since around 1964, with the "British Invasion" of the United States spearheaded by The Beatles, British rock music has had a considerable impact on the development of American music and rock music across the...
, with references towards groups like The Jam
The Jam
The Jam were an English punk rock/New Wave/mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. They were formed in Woking, Surrey. While they shared the "angry young men" outlook and fast tempos of their punk rock contemporaries, The Jam wore smartly tailored suits rather than ripped...
or The Specials
The Specials
The Specials are an English 2 Tone ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry, England. Their music combines a "danceable ska and rocksteady beat with punk's energy and attitude", and had a "more focused and informed political and social stance" than other ska groups...
. Songs like Terra Billy or No N'hi Ha Prou Amb Ser Català are examples of their political claims.
Two years after, they recorded Calla i Balla! ("Shut up and dance", DiscMedi, 1991), the second album. They achieved a better sound and became stronger in their local criticism with songs like Tarragona M'esborrona (in English, "Tarragona horrifies me") or Constantí, Molta Merda I Poc Vi. This trend is maintained in the following album Fruits Sex (DiscMedi, 1992), through which they reached the sound quality that defines the first period, adding to the band the guitarist Marc Grau (the producer of the group) and the pianist Toni Saigi.
From 1994 to 1999: Consolidation
From 2000 on
In 2001, the band released their eighth album, Respira (DiscMedi, 2001). With that work, the band utterly renewed its sound, characterized by being more upbeat than its predecessor. Agost (DiscMedi, 2004) followed in this trend, with an added component of political and social commentary, as well as a richer variety of instruments. More recently, the band have taken part in the film Rock&Cat (2006) a docummentary on Catalan Rock. Els Pets have also continued touring extensively, and in a recent tour they chose to play only theaters and small venues throughout Catalonia, for a more intimate sound.Com Anar al Cel i Tornar (DiscMedi, 2007) is the ninth album of the group. With it, the band refined its sound by moving further away from their once-trademark rock style and towards classic pop songs inspired by everyday stories and rich in melancholic yet life-affirming lyrics.
Fràgil (DiscMedi, 2010) is the title of its tenth album, which is to be available at April 10, 2010. Recorded at La Casamurada studio at Baix Penedès
Baix Penedès
Baix Penedès is a comarca in Catalonia, Spain. The area has been settled since the times of the Iberians, with ancient ruins remaining in Banyeres at Can Canyís, in the capital el Vendrell at the village of Guàrdies and in Calafell at the villages of Toixoneres and la Ciutadella .- Municipalities...
during February 2010 and mixed at Alex the Great studios (Nashville, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
) by its productor, Brad Jones
Brad Jones
Bradley Jones also known as Brad is a retired Australian racing driver. Jones now acts as team co-principal with his brother Kim in the V8 Supercar racing team, Brad Jones Racing.-Motorsport career:...
, who also worked with the band since the album Respira, Fràgil carries twelve songs which talk about the fragility of things and the way of overcoming the highs and lows of life.
The band will begin the tour in Castelló d'Empúries
Castelló d'Empúries
Castelló d'Empúries is a town and municipality in the Alt Empordà and lies 9 km east of Figueres.In 1079, Castelló d'Empúries became the capital of the Empúries county due to the previous capital, Sant Martí d'Empúries, being too easily sacked by pirates...
, Alt Empordà
Alt Empordà
Alt Empordà is a comarca in Catalonia, Spain, one of two into which Empordà was divided by the comarcal division of Catalonia in 1936.- Municipalities :Populations are as of 2001.*Agullana - pop. 668*Albanyà - pop. 99*L'Armentera - pop. 742...
at April 23, 2010, coinciding with the Catalonia patron saint day, Sant Jordi.
Studio albums
- Els Pets (DiscMedi, 1989)
- Calla i Balla (DiscMedi, 1991)
- Fruits Sex (DiscMedi, 1992)
- Brut Natural (DiscMedi, 1994)
- Bondia (DiscMedi, 1997)
- Sol (DiscMedi, 1999)
- Respira (DiscMedi, 2001)
- Agost (DiscMedi, 2004)
- Com Anar al Cel i Tornar (DiscMedi, 2007)
- Fràgil (DiscMedi, 2010)
Samplers
- Els Singles (DiscMedi, 1991). Singles of the first two albums plus L'avi Martí and La Veïna
- Malacara (DiscMedi, 2002)
Special editions
- La Maqueta (Autoedited, 1986)
- Cap de Setmana (DiscMedi, 1993). EP
- Això és Espectacle (DiscMedi, 2006). DVD + live
Collaborations
- Com un Huracà. Homenatge a Neil YoungNeil YoungNeil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
(1996) - 20 Anys de la Companyia Elèctrica DharmaCompanyia Elèctrica DharmaCompanyia Elèctrica Dharma is a Catalan band. Many of its members are brothers, from the district of Sants, in the city of Barcelona. They have performed in Europe, North and South America and Africa....
(1994) - Munta-t'ho Bé. Single (TV3TV3 (Catalonia)TV3 is the primary television channel of Catalan public broadcaster Televisió de Catalunya, a subsidiary of the CCMA. TV3 broadcasts programs only in Catalan, with an optional dual track in the original language for some foreign-language series and movies...
's summer song and two other tracks)
Literature about Els Pets
Pep BlayPep Blay
Pep Blay is a Catalan writer, script writer and music journalist. As a music journalist, he interviewed stars like Lou Reed, The Cure and Nick Cave. He also often works together with Spanish artists, f.e. Enrique Bunbury, Iván Ferreiro, Amparanoia...
“Els Pets. Cara a cara” (Rosa dels Vents, 2003) is the biography about the rock band which is a phenomenon in the Catalan rock history.