ReachExtra
As part of its cultural offering, the Garrison Library has partnered with the Arts Society Gibraltar with monthly lectures on Art History; and with musician Guy Valarino for a Classic Vinyl Playback in which, essentially, we listen to an LP.
On April 17th at 7.00 pm The Arts Society Gibraltar have a lecture by Dr James Lindow entitled ‘Home Is Where The Art Is: The Renaissance Palace Interior (Italian Palaces)’.
The lecture demonstrates the distinct contribution the urban palaces of Renaissance Italy have made towards the distribution of the visual arts.
Significantly many of the paintings, sculptures and decorative objects from this period were originally intended for the domestic interior.
While a number of the large palace facades survive largely intact, their interiors have been lost or remain at best altered, since the fifteenth century.
Examining diverse visual and written sources, together with surviving objects, the opulence of the Renaissance palace interior is vividly recreated using the speaker’s extensive research from his scholarly book, The Renaissance Palace in Florence: Magnificence and Splendour in Fifteenth-Century Italy.
Tickets are priced at £12.00 and are available at the door. (Ticket price includes complimentary drinks)
On Thursday 25th April, Classic Vinyl Playback in conjunction with the Garrison Library present a playback session of Melon Diesel’s debut album La Cuesta De Mister Bond which celebrates its 20th anniversary this coming month.
While the events usually see an album spun on vinyl, this particular album was never pressed to the format but being such a huge cultural marker in Gibraltarian music, it should not be overlooked. Dani Fa from the band will be at the event for a Q&A before the playback.
Released in 1999, the album saw a group of five young guys from Gibraltar shoot up the Spanish and Latin American albums chart and enjoy a level of success and popularity which was unprecedented in Gibraltarian music.
Originally known as “Treehouse” the band had a passionate following in its hometown, becoming a staple of Friday nights’ playing packed bars.
After years of gigging in the 90’s and releasing a successful self-produced EP, the band travelled to Madrid in search of a record deal.
After a few months struggling to obtain a deal, the band returned home to the Rock, but not long after, Sony Spain tracked the band down after an A&R rep had overheard their EP playing in a restaurant.
With a record deal signed for three albums, the band changed its name to Melon Diesel, named after an infamous shot at The Collingwood, a popular live Gibraltar venue for the band.
The album was recorded at Chapel Studios, Lincolnshire and Moody Studios in London with production duties by Barry Sage, a veteran who has worked with artists such as The Rolling Stones and New Order.
The album reached the top 5 in the Spanish Album charts and produced a number one single in “Quiero Un Camino” with several other singles reaching the top 5 in the singles chart.
It was certified platinum with sales of over 200k copies. The album was supported by a tour of Spain spanning two years and over 140 shows, attended by over 600k fans.
Influenced by the classic rock sound of bands such as Led Zeppelin and the sounds of 90’s grunge music, the album’s mix of anthemic tracks and heartfelt ballads has seen it come to be considered as a watershed cultural moment in Gibraltarian music.
Inspiring countless local musicians and lovingly remembered as providing a musical backdrop for a generation of Gibraltarians.
Tickets available from buyticket.gi (ticket price includes complimentary drinks and tapas).
