Let's join the end Seventies and we visit Catalonia to a) immerse in warmer climate, and b) to meet this interesting band: La Banda Trapera Del Río is a Spanish rock band which were founded in the neighborhood of San Ildefonso in Cornella de Llobregat (Barcelona). Having emerged almost simultaneously with pop punk (1976), they are regarded as precursors in Spain, although members of the group were not considered punks. In fact, although their music draws like that, actually more in attitudes (especially "Morfi", the singer and showman), he was an urban and gritty garage rocker. Keep in mind that members who shaped the final sound of the band (Juan Pulido (drums) and "Uncle Modes" (guitars)) came from groups of symphonic or progressive rock. In 1978 they received several offers to release an album, finally chose Belter. But first that year appeared their first 7Inch "Rule/Rock Cloaca" on Monster Records, considered one of the foundation stones of punk in Spain. The publication of the debut album La Banda Trapera
Del Río was delayed almost a year, despite being already recorded. In addition the band always complained that Belter deceived them with sales figures and did not pay them royalties. They were active from 1976 to 1982. In 1992, on the occasion of the reissue of their first two albums, the group came back together. They recorded two more albums and again separated in 1996.
In 2009 (and despite the death of guitarist "Uncle Modes" on November 1, 2004) the band reconvened until his farewell concert of 25 March 2010 on the Ramblas in Barcelona. This last concert became a tribute to John "Raf" Pulido, admitted to hospital the day before (his last performance on March 23) because of the disease he died on April 13, 2010.
Well, their debut is a healthy mix of good rock'n'roll with hardrockin' guitars/solos (most songs with a length of more than 3:00 minutes!!) and a nice touch of punky, sometimes chaotic moments. As I said: interesting band
