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Xutos & Pontapés
09.06.2012 – Photos Xutos & Pontapés (Kolping-Arena, Kloten)
Sunday, June 10th, 201209.06.2012 Xutos & Pontapés (Kolping-Arena, Kloten)
Sunday, June 10th, 2012
Yay! Time for another Xutos concert! =:-D
Xutos & Pontapés returned to Switzerland, and after seeing them there and in Luxembourg last year, I kinda knew what to expect this time. So I wasn’t surprised to see that this concert was held in an arena taking more than 10.000 people… And considering how relaxed the concerts were last year, I didn’t even mind the big arena.
Turned out that there really was no reason to be concerned about the huge crowd and not being able to see anything or having to queue up for hours everywhere – everything was well organized, and in addition, it wasn’t too crowded. Actually, it looked quite empty, at least in the beginning – however, I assume that it wasn’t too bad and that the amount of people was sufficient to make up for the spendings. At least I hope so; I mean, I want Xutos again next year! =:-)
The night started out with the Euro tournament game between Germany and Portugal on big screens – and I really mean “big” here. I had expected some TV screens, but no, we got two real video screens, yay! And I even liked the result… But why did everyone else applaud and cheer at the wrong times?! *g* Of course, the night might have been even better with a different result, but then, I assume Portuguese are used to losing at soccer… uhem. =;-)
Right after the game, the program started with “DJ Master Flo & Friends”. And that really sucked, sorry. The sound was awful, and the performances were really bad as well. Plus, nobody cared. I was starting to get afraid that this might not be as much fun as expected… especially because of the sound. I mean, what was that?! You could hardly hear anything.
In the end, it turned out that most likely they weren’t allowed to use the “real” PA, because when the support band, Herman José and band, came on, the sound was terrific all of a sudden. So yep, that sounded promising! Suddenly, it was possible to understand what was being said on stage – uh, or at least parts of it, because I found out my Portuguese is really more than rusty. At least I managed to follow most stories and jokes that the guy was telling until right before the punchline. Which sucks. *gnaah* Plus, I didn’t know any of the songs they played. So no, unfortunately that didn’t work for me. It seemed like most people were enjoying the gig a lot though, and I can understand that, it just wasn’t for me.
But well, I was there because of Xutos anyway, and they came on shortly after. And played Não sou o único, the first song I ever heard of them, as second song. And of course they got me right there! =:-) I can’t really report a lot about the concert (because there wasn’t that much happening except for them playing songs *g*), but it was amazing – again! The atmosphere in the front was really great, especially in the beginning (got a bit quiet when they played a couple of ballads and love songs in succession). Overall, it seemed like the audience could have been more enthusiastic though. Nobody seemed to understand what they were up to in the middle of Dia de S. Receber, and so hardly anybody sang (or rather screamed *g*) along. Too bad! And just as sad a performance as the soccer team, if I understood that comment correctly. =;-)
They did the part again where drummer Kalú sang one song, accompanied by Zé Pedro on the guitar. Big fun! =:-) And then they did a cover of a song of a Brazilian band because they did that for Rock in Rio as well. If I understood correctly, not sure. *g*
…
Oh wait, guess I DID understand: Titãs – Vossa Excelência
So, all in all, a great concert and huge fun! Even though it was much too short, of course. *g* It took forever, but I did manage to get hold of a setlist after the concert, so here it is:
Contentores
Não sou o único
À minha maneira
Barcos gregos
Homem do leme
Remar remar
Gitos mudos
Conta-me histórias
Circo de feras
Perfeito vazio
Negras como a noite
Tonto
Quem é quem
V. Exas
Alta rotação
Dados viciados
Dia de S. Receber
Chuva dissolvente
—
Submissão
Ai se ele cai
Maria
Casinha
—
P’ra sempre
Most people left right after the show, and those who didn’t had to endure a couple of more songs of DJ Flo, but only a few because they noticed pretty soon that it didn’t work. =;-)
Overall, this was an awesome night, and I’m still amazed by the fact that something like this is possible in Switzerland! Thousands of Portuguese coming together for such an event. Marvellous! =:-D
24.04.2011 Xutos & Pontapés (Rockhal, Luxembourg)
Monday, April 25th, 2011
Last June, when I saw Xutos & Pontapés in Évora, I would have NEVER expected to see them again two more times in less than a year. But in February, they played in Switzerland, and now they played in Luxembourg!
And well… even though I loved the concert in Switzerland, now I know that it sucked. Big time. At least compared to what Xutos delivered in Luxembourg, yeah! =:-D
First of all, I was impressed by the size. I attended a concert at Rockhal just a month ago, and it was a rather small venue. OK, I knew that they had another hall as well, and I expected that to be maybe twice the size, but that would still be small. Well… turned out that the big hall was actually about ten times the size of the small one, and the small one was actually used as cloakroom this time. (No, I’m not kidding…) My guess is that there were about 5000 people at the concert. Which means 5000 Portuguese, somewhere in Luxembourg… I’m still amazed by that. =:-)
So a huge hall, lots of people, sunshine outside, great atmosphere inside. There was a support band as well, playing hard rock/metal, didn’t get their name though. It was nice as support, but nothing really special.
Then, at a quarter past ten, the lights went out again and it was time for Xutos! As I noticed that a lot of people were googling for the setlist of the Switzerland concert, I had decided to try and get a setlist after the concert, so I could post it here – didn’t manage to get one though, sorry… =:-( So here’s just a list of songs that I’m pretty sure they played. It’s definitely not complete though:
Ai se ele cai, Sémen, Não sou o único, À minha maneira, O mundo ao contrário, Perfeito vazio, Superjacto, Homem do leme, Para ti Maria, Chuva dissolvente, Dia de S. Receber, Alta rotação, Circo de feras, Contentores, Quem é quem, Classe de 79, Alegre casinha, Para sempre
The concert lasted almost two hours. Unlike in Switzerland, Xutos didn’t play as many new songs in the beginning but started with well-known songs – a good idea, I think. And the audience loved it right from the beginning! Somehow, it seemed much more like a concert to me and less like some kind of “happening”, as it was in Switzerland. So the atmosphere was great right from the start, and the band seemed happy to give us all they had in store. Just amazing!
In the middle, we got a little acoustic set, just like they did it last year in Évora. That was nice – however, I think it was a pity they played Maria during that part of the concert. I mean, everybody was waiting for that song, and we enjoyed it as well, but then… the “real” version rocks so much more! It felt a bit like an economy version of the song. =:-/ But then they went back to the “real rock” afterwards, with a gigantic speaker on the backdrop and “Alta rotação”. So I’m not gonna complain. =;-)
Xutos did play some of the new songs as well, of course, at the beginning of the encores. And it was obvious that a big part of the audience didn’t know them, and the reaction was close to zero. That was sad! Especially because it really doesn’t take much to like these songs… I mean, they played Classe de 79. My Portuguese is really pretty bad, but when I first heard that song live, I loved it right away. So if you actually understand what they are singing about, how can you just stand there and wait for the song to be over?!?
But apart from that, the concert was just amazing! =:-D Thank you for coming to Europe, Xutos! Now, how about a little concert in Germany next? *gg*
Here are some YouTube videos from the concert:
24.04.2011 – Photos Xutos & Pontapés (Rockhal, Luxembourg)
Monday, April 25th, 2011
26.02.2011 Xutos & Pontapés (Stadthalle, Bülach)
Sunday, February 27th, 2011
About a month ago, Xutos posted on Facebook that the first tour dates for 2011 are out. I checked them – maybe I could plan my summer vacation around a concert again? First date: Zürich. Zürich?!? Waaah!
OK, actually it was Bülach, but if you’re 2000 km away, that’s probably the same. =;-) I dug out my Portuguese, managed to arrange a ticket, and started looking forward. At the same time wondering what that would be… I mean, Xutos in Switzerland?! Who will go see them there? Sure, the Portuguese that live in the area, ’cause I doubt that any Swiss or German people have heard about Xutos (except for a handful that has lived in Portugal, maybe). So a concert in front of 200 people would be quite cool, right? But then – why do they use a venue that can take 2000 people?!
So I really didn’t have a clue what to expect. When I arrived, I was surprised to see so many cars and people around. And as soon as I went inside, I was completely flashed… Portuguese everywhere! Everyone who worked there was Portuguese (and spoke Portuguese of course), and the hall was filled (and I mean filled – ok, maybe not crammed, but definitely not empty!) with Portuguese people. I didn’t hear a single person speak German – ok, except for the guy at the box office who helped me translate, because hell… I need a few days to get used to Portuguese again. *g* However, I understood most of what was happening around me, and I just LOVED the atmosphere. Little Portugal, somewhere in Switzerland… I had no clue that so many Portuguese are living abroad… =:-)
Anyway, this was really a “happening”. Lots of Portuguese advertising stands, soccer transmission in the foyer, Portuguese food, … DJs were warming up the crowd, and by a quarter to midnight, Xutos finally came on!
I can’t come up with the setlist now, but it was a nice mixture of new and old songs. And this time, I actually knew the new songs as well – guess my visit to Worten payed off. *g* Hardly knew any lyrics though… *sigh* I definitely got some work to do there before the concert in Luxembourg…!
The atmosphere was great! In the beginning, however, it was a bit quiet, especially during the new songs (which isn’t unusual, of course). But as soon as they were playing one of their “hits”, the crowd would go crazy. “Não sou o único” – waah, that was amazing! Everyone was going nuts, and hey, that is the first Portuguese song I ever listened to. And I still remember the lyrics, yay! And this time they even played “Vida malvada”, which I had dearly missed last year in Évora… =:-D
I didn’t get much of the talk between the songs, but they didn’t really talk that much anyway. Instead, we got a lot of songs and almost two hours of concert! And the later the concert, the more enthusiastic the audience. Just terrific – I loved every second of it. And I think Xutos enjoyed it quite a bit as well, even though I had the feeling that they had to “work” quite a bit in the beginning to get the crowd excited. But they definitely managed that… =:-)
So now there’s no doubt that I’ll get on my way to Luxembourg as well – but I guess I’ll really need to study the lyrics (it’s so stupid to be at a concert if you can’t sing along… *grr*), and I guess I should also practice my Portuguese a bit until then… or how else am I gonna survive if I have the choice between Portuguese and _French_?!?
26.02.2011 – Photos Xutos & Pontapés (Stadthalle, Bülach)
Sunday, February 27th, 2011
26.06.2010 Xutos & Pontapés (Évora)
Monday, June 28th, 2010“Boa noite, Évora. Aqui é Xutos & Pontapés!” Wohooo! =:-D
OK, I gotta admit that I didn’t really have the slightest idea what to expect. As I wrote in the preview, I hadn’t seen a “real” Xutos & Pontapés concert before, just a few songs at a festival and at an acoustic concert. And the DVD of course, but that one didn’t really convince me – liked the CD version much better, the video was rather lame, in my opinion. Still, I was SO excited to finally get to see Xutos!
I spent the day in Évora, walking up and down all day, feeling dead and incapable of walking when I got back to the hotel to change. *sigh* And on the way back, I had passed a poster that said “21:00” instead of “21:30”, so I decided better safe than sorry and got going right away. As the concert took place a bit outside of town, that meant about 40 minutes walking. *argh* But I made it and found the stage and the entry without problems. They even had my ticket! *yeah* And when I picked it up, they told me: “Comece as onze. Starts at eleven.” – uh, great, it wasn’t even half past eight yet…
Anyway, the doors opened just after I got there. There were two short lines, but only about… hmm… 50 people altogether? So not much of a problem, and I didn’t want to get to the front row anyway (way too embarrassing if you don’t really have a clue about the lyrics, uhem *g*). But the cool part: There was a small “pit” in front of the stage, enclosed by some catwalks that lead out to a small “stage in front of the stage”. And it was no problem getting in there – ok, of course it meant no drinks and no toilets until and during the concert, but that was feasible (with beer prices of 2 Euros for a little sip – which is okay, but not for Portugal *g*). In the end it turned out that there wasn’t even a reason for this: The entry to the “front of stage” wasn’t even closed, and it didn’t get fully crowded either. So cool! And this was actually my biggest impression of the concert: It was incredibly relaxed. No pushing, no shoving, no nothing. Only smiling faces whereever you looked. (Also from the security, which seemed to be well organized as well, something I hadn’t expected, to be honest.) Everybody was having fun, and it was much more of a “together” than “every man for himself”. Awesome! =:-)
Next were two and a half hours of waiting – but it was okay, the weather was nice, lots of people to watch. I spent the time figuring out which of the t-shirts I wanted to buy. Turned out they didn’t sell choice one, and choice two was sold out in my size. *grr* But nobody else wore choice three, so that makes me an individual now, I guess. Or something like that. *g*
And then it was finally time for Xutos! =:-D The beginning was strange – they came through the audience (which of course was hard to see from the “front of stage”, but there were monitors), arrived at the small stage in front, and then they just waved and didn’t seem to know what to do, until they decided to go on to the “real” stage. *g* They started playing – and I spent the first three, four songs wondering how it felt. Was it worth coming here? Amazing? Boring? Hmm… Already in the beginning, they played a lot of songs I didn’t know – that’s something I hadn’t expected, ’cause I thought they’d play about the same as on their “new” DVD. But then, they just released a NEW DVD a few weeks ago, so the other one can’t be THAT new anymore. *lol* It stayed like that throughout the concert, that was a bit of a downside. But then, there were at least two songs that I loved right away, so I guess I’ll have to pay Worten a visit tomorrow to buy some new CDs. *g*
I was absolutely impressed by the professional show – mostly because I hadn’t really expected that. OK, the stage was a clear hint, so I could have guessed it, but still… There was a huge light show, including fireworks and fire fountains, two big monitors, and of course the other stage in front of the stage. “Front” meaning behind me and the other people in the pit in front. In the middle of the concert, the whole band went there to play a few songs. I found that really funny – even though we could only see their backs. Oh, and the occasional mean smile whenever one of them turned around to face us. *gg* Really nice and funny. And again very relaxed: Imagine Die Ärzte doing that at some concert – the fans in the front row would be SO annoyed and hating everything and everybody. Here, the people in front just turned around and kept on having fun! =:-)
Xutos had a few guests on stage that played along on some songs – I didn’t know any of them, so I didn’t really care, but they fit in nicely and they all got a warm welcome from the crowd.
It was great being up front and really getting to see the band. Turned out it’s all the same as always. =:-) Even though I hadn’t seen them before, I noticed when something went wrong, and they were just joking about it and having fun playing the show. Just really… relaxed. (I’m overusing this word, I know, but it’s just so true!) And also “the same as always”: Zé Pedro is an incredible poser, but all the more difficult stuff was played by the other guitar player. *g* Just the way it’s got to be! =;-)
Honestly, I had been expecting a bit more from the crowd. Like shouting and screaming and – yes – pushing and crossed fists (signaling “X”) in the air. There was a bit of it (except for the pushing *g*), but somehow, I had expected more. But it might be that there was more “outside” of the stage, I don’t know. For me, it felt a bit like the fun didn’t really start until the end of the show, when after some fireworks, the sprinklers came on and everybody in the front started dancing in the rain. Or in the “Chuva dissolvente”, rather. *g*
Xutos went off stage, there was some shouting (no “Por-tu-gal” though, shoot, I missed that – now I can’t tweet about how I want the audience to do that at a Ärzte concert once, everybody starting to shout “Deut-schland” before the encores *lol*), and Xuuuuutos came back! Some more songs, and then: “Minha casinha”. Uuuuh – no! NO! Not yet! Come on, you just started… uh, two hours ago. Waaaaah!
They played it, they said good-bye, they took a loooong time to say good-bye… and they came back once more for two final songs. Yeah! =:-) I was desperately waiting for “Vida malvada”, but they didn’t play it. =:-( Too bad, but “Maria” was a nice conclusion as well. They went off, and at the same time some fireworks started, so now it was clear they wouldn’t come back.
I got myself a t-shirt, walked 40 minutes back, fell into my hotel bed and decided that
a) this was not the last time I’ve seen Xutos
b) next time it’s not gonna be only one concert
c) I have to dig out my Portuguese again – I knew it too well to just forget about it
d) a Xutos & Pontapés fansite (or at least “lyrics translation site”) would be a good way to do that, right?
A huge OBRIGADA to Xutos for a fantastic concert – loved it, and I will be back! =:-D
26.06.2010 Preview Xutos & Pontapés (Évora)
Monday, June 21st, 2010Yeah, I’m gonna see Xutos! =:-D
OK, so – who the hell is Xutos?! Well, Xutos & Pontapés is a Portuguese band. Actually, it’s probably the first Portuguese band I ever heard of, ’cause we listened to their song “Não sou o único” in my Portuguese class. And I loved the song!
So when I came to Portugal to study there for half a year, I already knew the band. Not quite my style, I suppose, but when they played a free concert in Estoril, I decided to go there. It was a pretty strange arrangement though – it was supposed to be a free concert in front of the Casino. But because they were expecting rain (huh? no cloud in sight…) they moved it into the Casino, which made me feel a bit uncomfortable. Mostly because there were way too many people there, I suppose. So I didn’t really see anything, and honestly – the concert was a bit lame. They were sitting on stage and doing some… folk songs, or something. And then I had to leave early to catch my last train back, and they hadn’t even played “Não sou o único” yet.
Still, I bought their CD a few days later, and I just loved it. Actually, I listened to it so much that a few days ago, when I put it in again after not listening to it for a few years, I could still sing along. Without understanding WHAT I was singing. Kinda spooky. *g*
Then, a few weeks before I was going back to Germany, there was a free festival in Lisbon, very close to where I lived. Of course I went there! Great decision, ’cause not only did I discover Pólo Norte, a band that I adore ever since (and that played the song “Vou p’ra longe” that night, a song that described my situation so perfectly at that time, and even though I heard it for the first time that night I understood every single word and had tears running down my cheeks ’cause it was so true…), but I also got to see Xutos again.
And: I found out that Xutos & Pontapés are actually a rock band. *uhem* Hey, I only knew their acoustic album! How should I know that this was their “Unplugged” album?! And that they played an acoustic concert in Estoril? Arrrgh. I should have known earlier. ‘Cause they really rocked that night, even though they only played three songs or so…
I actually thought about a trip down to Algarve to see a Xutos concert a few days before going back to Germany, but I just didn’t have the money to do that. So I never really got to see them! =:-(
But now is the time! I decided I want to have some real summer vacation this year. Just a week, but that’s better than nothing! And since I haven’t been to Portugal again since I lived there, the choice was easy, and I’m gonna spend a week in Costa da Caparica starting Thursday. =:-)
Of course I checked Xutos’ tour dates (and the ones of Pólo Norte as well, but they don’t play at all). And yep, Xutos will play in Évora at the time when I’m in Portugal! OK, Évora is not right around the corner from Costa da Caparica – but it’s feasible. And I am SO looking forward – can’t wait! =:-D