Carles Falguera Ordax: Not dying of disgust

"Those of my generation did not find a cultural heritage worthy of that name, and those of us who have done things, we have done them in a very self-taught way. Even so, curiously, I don't see the legacy of our generation being picked up by today's young creators," speculates Carles Falguera Ordax, as he sips from a steaming cup of black tea.

He arrived at the Bar on his Royal Enfield in the morning, early, an early riser as he is, dressed in a shiny leather jacket with a patch of his beloved The Who. "If you put something on the radio, you can put on La Competència from RAC1 or something from what's left of Radio 3, although it's getting worse and worse," he warned.

Then, after the customary greetings and ordering his drink, the veteran musician confessed to being in retirement. "Live music in Barcelona was already very damaged, and partly it's the fault of musicians who have accepted the conditions of the venues, sometimes almost paying to play. The pandemic has simply been the final blow. I want to continue writing songs and recording, but at home, at my own pace. I don't want to go out there to die of disgust."

--- Die of disgust?

--- Yes, precisely. And believe me, there are many people who die precisely from that: from pure disgust.

36 years on the road without a blanket

Fond of many things and passionate about a few, especially music, painting, and writing, Carles Falguera Ordax fell in love with music at a tender age. "It was when, as a child, I heard the Beatles for the first time. A love that was later reaffirmed when I discovered the Who."

It was then that the idea of forming his own band began to take shape in his mind. A purpose he managed to materialize when he had just turned 16, when he got his first Rickenbacker guitar, like his idol Pete Townshend at the time. It was 1986 and that was the beginning of the journey of Los Bisontes, one of the most veteran bands on the Barcelona scene.

"I created Los Bisontes because I missed a good 60s-sounding band in Barcelona, capable of making good merseybeat and good 60s punk, without that eighties tinge of the garage records of that time. It was something that was not abundant here, and that's why the band started."

In these 36 years, the sound has been shifting, going through sixties pop, psychedelia, southern rock or country, becoming the backing band for the mythical Sleepy LaBeef, the iconic American artist, known for improvising his repertoire and making the musicians who usually accompany him sweat blood. Nowadays, it is a classic rock band in every sense of the word.

With a new album, their fifth, in preparation, Carles is especially proud of Heroes & Idols, which he defines as his most ambitious album. "It was recorded as if it were a radio show, with commercials and curtains, and it brings together eighteen songs by bands we really like, such as the Ronettes, Larry Williams or the Pretty Things. It's more than three hours of music!"

Tired of waiting for a change of tide

"As I was saying, I'm more or less retiring. And on the one hand, it's a matter of age. I've had a great time, I've lived many things and, in a way, I've already done everything I had to do. But on the other hand, there's also the treatment that culture is receiving in this city and that makes one want to retire, unless the very improbable case of a change of tide occurs," reasons the parishioner, with his tea almost finished.

--- A change of tide?

--- Yes, for institutional tyranny to end and, more generally, for there to be some criterion, plurality and social lucidity, because, right now, we are in a context of single thought that what it does is kill plurality ---replies the musician---. I'll tell you more, increasingly, my favorite places in Barcelona are the train stations and the airport, the places that help you get out of here ---he says laughing---.

--- You won't want to leave here when you try our delicious breakfasts and lunches. Don't you feel like eating something?

Carles Falguera Ordax finishes his black tea and gives one of his ironic cobalt blue glances:

--- As long as it's good, I'm open to offers, although I warn you that I've been eating macrobiotic for many years.

--- No way!! Macrobiotic?

--- Yes, and as I said, for years.

And, leaning on the bar, about to go out for a blonde cigarette, he maintains his gaze without losing his contagious smile.