Remarkable Stories from a Spanish Bar

Big plans
Friday, June 28, 2013

Had we bitten off more than we could chew ?

I was starting to think so.

I am never one to play it safe and take the easy option, luckily Barry is normally happy to come along for whatever mad ride is next, it has been known for him to have a few wild ideas, which keeps life interesting and a continuing adventure.

But reality was starting to kick in, we didn't have long to arrange everything and when I received the list of equipment they needed, I almost died. They had emailed it to me in both English and Spanish, but to be fair it may well have been written in Japanese for the amount I could understand. The downside of not being and never having any experience in the music business, is that you have no idea what the equipment is called. Now I was freaking and so was Barry, how could we get this to work ? We had pushed our budget to the limit and beyond, we had excitedly told people we were doing the concert to end all concerts in our little bar, we had the town halls agreement to help and here we were, thinking that's it, can't be done.

Armed with the list I went to speak to the town hall and tell them it couldn't be done and to forget it.

I walked in and explained to Antonio, we can't do this, look at this list, I don't even know what half these things are, let alone where to get them. He took one look at the list, laughted and said what are you worried about, I will get you everything. Oh, okay, you think we can do this ? 

Nervously returning to the bar to tell Barry the good news, basically we had no choice, we were doing it and it had to be good, because it was now costing the town hall a lot of money as well as us.

We signed the contract and paid the deposit 'The Logical Group' the best Supertramp tribute band in the whole of Europe if not the World, where coming here. If the equipment was not right they would not play, but we would still have to pay them and have a huge amount of very disappointed and upset customers on our hands, the pressure was well and truly on. No choice we had to pull it off !

This was a mammoth project, ordering stock, sorting out staff, buying food, getting posters made and distributed as far and wide as possible. Accommodation booked for the whole band. 

The accommodation was not that difficult as there are very few places I would happy put such a large group of people up in. A customer and a friend has a house at the top of town which he lets out for holiday lets, I went to see it, although access isn't ideal as it is right by the Castle, it fitted every other requirement and bless him, gave it to me at a discounted rate. One more thing handled.

The fateful day was approaching, had we done enough ? Had we ordered enough ? 

Only time would tell.

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The Big Splash
Sunday, June 23, 2013

The big splash

We decided that for San Juan on our fourth year we would go for a big SPLASH.

We had the number for Frankie B the lead singer of the seventies pop band 'Heat Wave'. We had met Frankie a few times on our annual holiday to the,as my girls call it 'The Other Spain' or Fuengirola as normal people call it. His singing was always in a different class and he had expressed an interest in playing at our little bar. Our customers loved 70's and 80's music, so we knew we would get a good crowd of locals and with advertising up and down the valley hoped we could pull in loads of new people.

Frankie B first on the left

I emailed Frankie but unfortunately he was unable to sing for us that year, but he did give me the number of an agent. I contacted the agent and he had one Whitney Houston tribute artist that could, for a lot of money do that date. We were unsure, I love Whitney Houston music, but our customers were more Rock n Roll, suddenly it looked risky. Add to that the fact that I looked up this lady on the net and found nothing at all about her, I was worried. So I cancelled her, but my mission had only just began.

Barry with an number of our customers enjoyed a lot of 'Supertramp' music, aha an idea. I started trolling the net and what did I find ? 'The Logical Group' a huge Spanish 'Supertramp' tribute band from Barcelona. They are the best in Europe and travel the world playing, coached by 'Supertramp' themselves, they are huge. 

I came to the conclusion that if you don't ask, you don't get and emailed them.

' we have a small bar in Serón, Almería and are looking for a band to play for San Juan, I don't suppose that such a huge and amazing band like yours would consider playing such a tiny venue and for a tiny fee!'

Barry said I was mad and they would never agree to come and if by some fluke they did we wouldn't be able to afford them. 

He was wrong.

I had an email back saying they were doing a huge festival the weekend before in Almería city, so although normally wouldn't do a venue like ours as they were driving past, they could do it for a fraction of their normal fee, if we could put them up for the night.

My plan was coming together, now I was excited, this was going to be huge.

But had we bitten off more than we could chew ?

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The Water Fiesta
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

I would like to apologise for the amount of time I haven't written.

The last few months have been extremely difficult for me, due to the sudden death of my Father. 

I have spend a large amount of time in England and struggled to get my head round writing, however I am now finding a new kind of normal and that includes sharing with you our incredible journey. Please continue to be patient with me and I will do my best to entertain you.

Thank you for your continuing support.

Okay today I will start by building a picture of arguable the most important fiesta for 'El Bar la Picinia' (the swimming pool bar)

San Juan

The fiesta of water.

The first year in the bar we didn't really get it. The swimming pool had not been cleaned and therefore wasn't open.

We had a number of customers come down looking for a party, wanting to know where the live music and sardines where. We had neither.

For us it was a non event a weekend just like the rest, but a decision was made that night which lead to some amazing parties for the following years.

The second year

We ensured the pool would be open, mainly by continually nagging the town hall. A water fiesta, the pool needs to be open, that is what the town want and the second year they got it.

We brought a huge amount of Sardines cooked on the BBQ and had live music. A good night was had by all, ending with everyone jumping in the pool at 12pm to wash away the sins of the year.

The third year 

The third was amazing, really amazing.

Again we had made sure the pool was open. Posters had been placed in every shop in town and further afield, on every tree and we were ready. Or so we thought.

We had a English band, well a mix of a couple of bands, mainly English playing together. The music was great rock and roll and they went down a storm.

We quickly ran out of Sardines and were so so busy, about 120 people, that friends who where on holiday jumped in to help. An amazing regular Chrisy fixed herself by the sink as we were running out of plates and cutlery.

It was just amazing, we could not have hoped for more, the support from the town was overwhelming and the help our friends gave, priceless.

At 12.00 people started jumping in the pool, my daughters were slightly shocked by the skinny dipping, as was I with so many people about, but the skinny dippers where having so much fun, they really didn't care who saw them !

The fourth year

After the success of the third year, we decided to really go for it. I had tried to book a  famous 'Supertramp' band called 'the logical group', they were unable to do San Juan, but came the week before, a story for another day.

We did manage to get 'Plan Bee' from Mojcar and they were good, really good. Stage set up in the car park, temporary bars around, loads of staff. We really pushed the boat out. We however had a disappointing turnout, we just covered our costs. But those who came had a brilliant time. A new bar that had opened up the hill, seemed to have done very well, all the benefits of live music but none of the work. Can't blame them, they must have thought all there Christmases had come at once.

Look up Plan Bee on  YouTube : http://youtu.be/wYV4iy1CBNM

They really are brilliant and done us proud.

Now we have more time we are looking forward to seeing them and not having to work. We want to sit back and enjoy or maybe a little dancing.

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