The morning hurries its last moments before giving way to noon, the time when Alfons Foriscot enters the Bar with his calm demeanor, eyes of a clear blue that have gently closed, or opened like lighthouses, to the rhythm of tons of pulsating sounds. Hair pulled back, rolled-up jeans, and an eloquent Stray Cats t-shirt.
"I am a Barcelona citizen passionate about rock & roll. A good family man with various jobs ranging from driver to extra in series and advertising. I have lived in Ibiza, the Canary Islands, and London, and I have traveled twice to the southern United States to learn where the music I love comes from," he explains before leaning on the bar and ordering a coffee.
--- You are also a musician.
--- Yes, I have two bands, The Wall-O-Matics and The Tacoma Kids.
The Wall-O-Matics play classic and fast-paced rock & roll, while Tacoma Kids are a brand new tribute band to The Sonics, whose debut concerts scheduled for these dates had to be canceled "due to the damned Covid." Alfons fixes his gaze on the coffee cup he is sipping from, before raising it again and, with a crooked smile, uttering: "I hope you all come to see us!"
The rock & roll that vibrated in Gràcia
Before getting on stage with his double bass or electric bass, Alfons Foriscot was the owner of Café 1954, a memorable bar located in the heart of the Gràcia neighborhood where one could go to listen to classic sounds of the 50s and their derivatives, from Clyde MacPhatter to Elvis, passing through Wanda Jackson, Brian Setzer Orchestra or Ruth Brown, and where even some DJs, like the legendary and much-missed Pepe 7Wheels, cheered up the crowd with their selections.
"We had illustrious visitors at the bar, like Glen Matlock from the Sex Pistols, as well as many musicians from the 50s scene from all over the world who were passing through the city," explains Alfons, who recalls that, back then, about fifteen years ago, he also promoted some concerts.
--- And how did that go for you?
--- I lost money on all of them---, he laughs, aware of the financial blows that all those who operate in the musical underground of this city are susceptible to enduring---.
Barcelona round trip
"I love Barcelona, but I need to escape when I can, especially to Tossa de Mar. I live between El Born and Port Olímpic, so when there are a lot of tourists it's quite overwhelming," explains the musician who, despite these bursts of escapism, never stops returning to the city where he was born.
"Mass tourism has changed the city for the worse ---he laments---. I miss the late 80s, the pre-Olympic era, without cruises or Ryanair. There were fewer visitors, but they were better and more educated," he reflects, and after a silence adds: "Even so, Barna is really cool!".
Lunchtime is inexorably approaching, so Alfons Foriscot asks to look at the menu, anticipating that he will order a menu "with its two courses, dessert, drink and coffee, as befits a 52-year-old gentleman."
On the radio, Mario Cobo's new song plays, which the patron seems to be silently enjoying, a man of few words as he is.
--- Should I leave the radio on? Is there anything specific you want to listen to?
--- If you can, put on La Competència, from RAC1, which I never miss. It's my way of keeping up with current events, as I avoid watching, listening to or reading the news.
--- And why is that?
--They fool us like Chinese!