By Clara Sofía Arrieta @mediatica Photo by Simona Malaika @simonamalaika
Let me introduce myself: I am Clara Sofía Arrieta, I love music and I particularly enjoy concerts. I've been coming to Rock al Parque for quite a while now, since around 1998. I was still little, and getting my parents' permission to come was quite a family affair. However, I can recognize that this annual encounter with rock music made a significant contribution to my personal development and, of course, my emotional education. Every time I've come, arriving at the park thrills me to be back, to know that the teenage rocker, with her purple, blue, silver, or fuchsia lips, is still there.
This year, thanks to the invitation of my friend Santiago Rivas and José Gandour, I'm undertaking the task of transcribing my impressions of what happens to me this weekend. I'm a writer and actress (Let this serve as a promotional spot: you can see me on the event screens between bands, as I'm being advertised. Wigs and Rock and Roll, Mario Duarte's film in which I act and which premieres in theaters on August 23), but this time I attend as a mere spectator who comes to enjoy an event and report on it.
Although my history with Rock al Parque has been a long one, I have to confess that my relationship with metal day had been nonexistent until yesterday. I have to admit I'd never been before, not because I dislike metal, but because I'm genuinely unfamiliar with the genre. So, as a starting point for this piece, I declare myself completely ignorant.
My first day at a metal festival. Believe it or not, I was nervous. Very nervous. Excited like any of the teenagers who, with or without their parents' permission, are setting foot in Simón Bolívar Park for the first time in their lives to be part of Bogotá's rock festival. The musical journey begins with that familiar search which is more of a strange lesbian groping in broad daylight and in front of many people. Next comes the thorough search of every item in my backpack. Everything. Everything goes: sunglasses, sunscreen, notebook, water, pens, cookies, scarf, wallet, pain reliever in case of headaches or cramps, black eyeliner, earplugs, and I even had to open today's blush to make sure its dark burgundy hue wouldn't disrupt the smooth running of the event. Done. Everything back in my bag, and I take the hand of my wonderful companion who, while she's been to every festival you can imagine, is experiencing Rock al Parque for the first time. I'm talking about Uriel Dorfman, an important Argentine sound engineer who has worked with Cerati, Soda Stereo, Fabulosos Cadillacs, Andrés Calamaro, Calle 13 and a very elegant etcetera. But in his early teens, Uriel was really into metal. He proudly told me that he had waist-length hair and that he used to bang to the rhythm of Megadeth, Pantera, Ozzy Osbourne, and Rage Against the Machine.
I gripped his hand tightly so I wouldn't get lost in that labyrinth of shadowy fabric that led to Satan's realm. As we walked, one of the logistics men said something I didn't understand and thought was some kind of behavioral warning, and yes, it was, but in true hellish fashion. He repeated: “Let’s mosh properly, guys!”. Obediently, we followed the path that led us to Masacre. My whole body throbbed to the rhythm of that guttural voice that filled the Plaza Stage. All the black possible: studs, boots, tattoo ink, piercings, and leather from head to toe, following the movement of the long hair.
We entered the press room, and I realized it would be presumptuous of me to try and interview any of the musicians, given my complete lack of knowledge about them. And if this was an immersive exercise, well, then off I went! I saw Suffocation, Implosion Brain, Dark Tranquility and Dark Funeral. What impressed me most was the effect of the sound on my body; I felt everything inside me bouncing, and I had a muffled roar. If I could have heard my erudite companion, I probably could have told you something. He was explaining things about seven-string electric guitars, double bass drums, and low tunings.
At one point we went out to get something to eat, and in my eagerness to understand, I spoke to a girl with dreadlocks and half her face beautifully painted. She was with a guy, and I asked them which band they liked. They said Skulls. They were happy it was my first time seeing metal; they had come from Neiva, as usual every year. Later, I hung out with some guys from Bogotá (from Suba and Engativá) who told me that Masacre was the best because you could actually dance to their music., who came every year because it was necessary to support the local scene and to ensure that Rock al Parque would never end. They explained to me that there are many genres within metal: black, speed, thrash, grind, death, glam, gothic, satanic, melodic, and others. They told me that female metalheads were very beautiful but that they rarely came alone. “"Sometimes a mosh pit breaks out with old women and they're very rough because they pull each other's hair and scratch each other; one is gentler, with their kick, their punch, but no more.".
What I enjoyed about Dark Funeral was the theatricality, the makeup, when they stood still and looked like figures from a tremendous nightmare of furious orcs. However, my favorite band of the day was Dark Tranquility, perhaps because they were more melodic than the others. (Metalhead friends, I'm going slowly). And of course, they seemed very imposing on stage with their Viking manes. It's well known that metal fans are the most loyal of all, so it must have been exciting for the dark faithful when Mikael Stanne, the vocalist of Dark Tranquility, said (and please forgive me for taking the liberty of translating): “You guys are incredible. You know what? We’ve been here in Colombia, here in Bogotá, many times, and what’s always impressed me is that you guys are totally dedicated to the world of metal. Right? You guys are committed, passionate, and 100% dedicated to metal, and it shows.”.
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