Review of the Week: Rodrigo Y Gabriela * * *
Rodrigo Y Gabriela. Photo: Getty Images
Friday November 20 2009
Mexican fiesta
Not since David Gray went from playing to three men and a dog in Whelan's to serenading arenas, has an act parlayed a cult Irish following into global success as emphatically as Mexican instrumental guitar duo Rodrigo Y Gabriela.
In the now oft-repeated tale, they started out busking on Grafton Street and, after a few dizzying years, ended up on David Letterman.
Now, with new album 11:11, "Rod y Gab" look poised to ascend to yet another level of international popularity. At a concert in Chicago last month, the twosome, who began their careers bludgeoning their instruments on the Mexican metal scene, received the ultimate endorsement when no less a figure than Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo joined them on stage.
They've also basked in gushing reviews across the US and Europe, while back in Mexico, to where they have returned after eight years in Ireland, they are fully fledged rock stars. Musically, however, there are moments during this sell-out concert when you wonder if they aren't in danger of painting themselves into a corner. At times, their mastery of the fret-board is nothing short of dazzling -- a "duelling guitars" face-off between the two features some of the most stunning musicianship you'll ever witness (a "fish-eye" camera in Rodrigo's guitar treats the audience to the instrument's view of proceedings).
And yet, there's a spirit-sapping sameyness, with individual tracks segueing into one soggy mass of Latin spontaneity.
To be fair, they seem alive to the danger of all of their compositions sounding alike and work hard to mix things up. At one point, Gabriela produces a drum which she pounds bodhran-style as Rodrigo shreds his guitar -- surreally, it calls to mind some long lost jam between Carlos Santana and Christy Moore.
Later, Rodrigo uses distortion to make it sound as if his playing an 80s synthesiser (remarkably it's all done on guitar) and they drop snatches of tracks by Metallica and Led Zeppelin -- though only the riff from the White Stripe's Seven Nation Army will probably register with non-metal heads.
Rodrigo Y Gabriela are without question voraciously talented, but sometimes you wonder if they have lost sight of where virtuosity ends and indulgence begins.
- Ed Power
Irish Independent
