Interview with Brigade Loco (EN-ESP)
Chat with the Basque band Brigade Loco
Click here to read the interview in Spanish | ENTREVISTA (ESP)
‘Borghetti Crew’ is the title of the split album between the band Azione Diretta, often featured in our pages, and Brigade Loco from Bergara, in Euskadi. The release date, 13.12, is not at all casual for two politically-minded bands. Precisely on the occasion of the release of this split, we decided to ask a few questions to this Basque band, which already has several releases under its belt.
Radio Punk: Hi Brigada Loco, this is Radio Punk… Nice to meet you! Your name has recently resonated on the Italian social pages for a project together with Perugia’s Direct Action! Let’s start with this: how was this project born and how does it develop?
Brigade Loco: The project was born thanks to the friendship born during the trip we made to Rome in April 2019, for the Acrobax Shout festival at the Cinodromo. There we coincided with different groups and among them was Azione Diretta, with whom we made a certain relationship. They invited us on Monday to go to the Curva Nord Perugina for the Perugia-Lecce match and there began a relationship that lasts until today. Later we could invite them to Bergara to play in the gaztetxe (social center) along with Madbeat and some local bands and let’s say that from that day began the first ideas of doing something together in the future.
Radio Punk: From what we see there are two things that make you very similar to your fellow adventurers Perugini, the link with your land and the passion for soccer, what do you say to this?
Brigade Loco: The truth is that they are two points in common and two key points for us. We are proud to be Basque and to live in Euskal Herria. We are deeply rooted in our land and our culture. The soccer theme has also been important. Brigade Loco has always had the south end of Anoeta as a meeting point. We like to go to the south end of the stadium on match days of our team, Real Sociedad.
Also, that soccer match in the north curve of Perugia influenced the relationship between both musical groups.
Radio Punk: Have you already listened to the songs of your last album “Aurrera Doa” and “Solo per en control”, what do they talk about?
Brigade Loco: “Aurrera doa” is a song about self-improvement. It talks about how important it is to fight for yourself in the worst moments. Life is a constant struggle. “Solo pero en control” is a version of the band “Fiachras” that we followed a long time ago (nowadays unfortunately they are no longer active). It tells the story of Lope de Aguirre, a Basque conquistador, known for his brutality and for declaring war on the Spanish empire, being himself a conquistador sent by the Spanish crown to South America in the 16th century.
Radio Punk: We use the musical answer to enter the political sphere, for years the Italian comrades have maintained and imprisoned the Basque independence struggle as a reference point. What is the situation?
Brigade Loco: Today, with the armed revolutionary cycle already finished, the situation of the historical left-wing pro-independence movement is more focused on the electoral struggle and on disputing the hegemony of the Basque bourgeoisie and on bringing the political prisoners to Euskal Herria. At the same time, other groups emerge with more autonomous dyes and with messages and demands closer to communism and the proletariat.
Radio Punk: Let’s go back to the music… Do you have any future plans to play in Italy?
Brigade Loco: We would love to play in Italy again and if possible in more than one place to keep getting to know new realities and experiences.
Radio Punk: Can you describe the punk music scene in Euskadi? Tell us your impression
Brigade Loco: We refer to the scene in which we move as “street music” in which we include punk, oi, punk-rock, folk-rock… where the important thing is the attitude and the coherence of the bands. Let’s say that the health of the scene is quite good. Bands are coming out in the last few years, and many concerts and new festivals are being organized, many of them self-managed. We think it’s important that the scene is alive and active and that young people feel attracted to it to keep it alive.
Radio Punk: Last question NO, in a small space to say whatever you want, absolutely free subject…
Brigade Loco: Thank you very much for this opportunity, we hope to see you soon on Italian lands and a greeting to all the comrades who support the scene there! Daje forte!
Credit Photo: Aingeru Bidaurreta Photography
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