09-12-2019
Queen
In 1979, the British rock band launched their album “Jazz” with a spectacular concert in Madrid. The combination of their massive hits, singer Freddy Mercury’s showman talent and Brian May’s guitar skills managed to touch the hearts of the thousands of assistants that gathered in front of the Pabellón del Real Madrid that 23rd of February. In 1986, they would return to our country with three more concerts.
The Clash
The iconic punk band honoured Madrid with a concert in 1981. Two years following the release of their legendary album “London Calling”, Joe Strummer’s crew was deemed one of the most influential bands of the era by the critics. Their music had transcended to a superior quality level and their shows were absolutely wild. An article published in a famous national paper about that concert claimed: “Many times they don’t know what they’re talking about, but that’s just another part of their charm”.
The Rolling Stones
In spite of the huge storm that poured over Madrid that night, the Rolling Stones gave one of their most legendary concerts on that 7th of July of 1982 at the Vicente Calderón stadium. Organized by music promoter Gay Mercader, this concert is now part of collective memory as one of the most important ones to have been seen in our country. Back then, the Stones were the most important band on the planet. A group of survivors from the 60’s and 70’s at the vanguard of “arena rock” from the early 80’s, a genre that gives just as much importance to spectacle as music.
David Bowie
Madrid’s Vicente Galderón stadium was also the first national enclosure to host this British legend. It was 1987; the supposed start of his musical downfall, but his “Glass Spider” tour still saw all of his theatrical passion. According to the legend, the “white duque” fell in love with the city, whose streets he so often wandered accompanied by his friend Peter Frampton.
Michael Jackson
The American star visited Madrid in August 1988, at the highest peak of his musical success. His show at the Vicente Calderón was his second concert in Spain, just two days after playing in Marbella and one day before blessing the Camp Nou of Barcelona with his presence. That day, 60,000 people witnessed one of the most spectacular shows of the music industry, with zenithal lights looming over the shadowy musicians on stage, cleverly planned tricks, and perfectly synchronised music and dance.
Madonna
On her part, the “blond ambition” gathered 50,000 people at her first Spanish concert in Madrid on July 27, 1990. There were many anecdotes that were remembered after that night’s concert: Madonna wearing an Atlético de Madrid football shirt (with a 16 on the back), the huge screens where the show was being broadcasted censuring a masturbation attempt and Madonna loudly saying “coño” (pussy) in perfect Spanish. Several of her friends that the singer just had dinner with the night before also attended this show of choreographic perfection: Pedro Almodóvar, Bibi Anderson and Antonio Banderas.
AC/DC
Fire, destruction and decibels. The Australian band of AC/DC offered not one, not two, but three (three!) concerts at the Plaza de Toros de las Ventas in Madrid in 1996 during their Ballbreaker World Tour. For these three nights, the Young brothers’ band showed their entire musical path, which was already 20 years old back then. Those nights became immortalised with the release that same year of their live LP “No Bull” and a DVD directed by David Mallet.
