PCP, Vertical Smile, Sin Dios @ Gasteizko Gaztetxea, Vitoria SPA 14 March 1998

I was looking forward to do this concert alot. It is a benefit for Anarchist Prisoners, kind of Anarchist Black Cross. We arrive in time and meet with Sin Dios and Vertical Smile. In the meantime I have another deja-vu. Well, more or less. This one is concerning cars bumping into eachother. When we played here with Catweazle, we had 2 cars bumping into our brand new but expensively rented van. Plus, another van drove off one of our side-mirrors. This time we bump into another (brand new) Citroen van. Actually, I am to blame… (Hope the owner is not reading this) I give directions to our driver but am totally distracted when I see Pepe offering me the “Alerta Antifascista!” LP. Alerta indeed, because now our van is cutting deep into the left side of another one and destroys a great deal of the back lights. We look around to find the owner but no luck (for him/her). After getting some drinks, we see the van is gone. Probably all-risk insured?! Our van has only small damage.
Inside, they show a video about prisoners and hungerstrike. I wish there was someone to translate but Sin Dios are vanished. I meet with Inaki, organiser for our next and last concert in Bilbao tomorrow. He explains a bit about the video. There’s coming more and more people. I hear Corazon Negro can not make it because yesterday his (this band is 1 person) squatted house was set on fire by nazi’s. When Vertical Smile starts to play, it is full in front of the stage. This is a weird band. Songs sound like Unity/Uniform Choice, then like total punkrock and typical NYHC or straight forward old-school hc…. pfff, I already mentioned I’m not good in describing bands. Can’t wait to hear something new from them. PCP plays second. There’s a big crowd in front of the stage. We begin to feel like rockstars and put on our sun-glasses. Suddenly we have a seventh bandmember hopping all over the stage and stirring up the crowd. I don’t know what to think about it. After our concert, I run into alot of old friends – they come from all over: Bilbao, San Sebastian, Valladolid (hello Urbano!), Zaragoza, Madrid and even Bordeaux!! Impressive. Then it’s time for Sin Dios. Now I see they are quite popular. Everybody’s singing along and they also have an extra member on stage… Actually, it is the same person we had but now she is doing some serious shitwork as well, like putting the syndicalist flag up. After 30 minutes they get another member. This one is different. She is very present and physical. It’s obvious she loves the band… Nevertheless, Sin Dios are totally convinced and very combativo. Petje af!
At 2 am eat dinner, talk alot and say goodbye to Pepe. Off to Josu’s place and have some sleep.

PCP (Groningen, The Netherlands)
Vertical Smile (Portugalete, Spain)
Sin Dios (Madrid, Spain)