Recap of the 5th Anniversary of Anti-Karaoke Madrid

I’m now on the high-speed train headed back to Barna… Last night we celebrated the 5th anniversary of Anti-Karaoke Madrid, and I’m still recovering from the euphoria and exhaustion. Last night I was so busy I didn’t even have a moment to take a sip of beer!

Truthfully, I experience about one tenth of what the audience does in each show, especially in highly organized special events like anniversaries. There are so many behind-the-scenes details to pull off correctly that I have no time to actually see the show, except for when I slip down into the audience to hand out Cheetos and candy; or when I can peep through the curtain; or — and these can be some of the most exciting and intriguing moments — hearing the roar of the audience from the dressing room, without being able to see what is actually going on.

Between the cake (“brazo de gitano” – a Spanish cream-filled sponge roll literally called “gypsy’s arm”), spraying the crowd with champagne, the slices of Pan Bimbo (the Spanish equivalent of Wonder Bread) flying through the air, filling people’s mouths with whipped cream, plus some wonderful prepared acts (wait for the videos of “Thunderstruck” by Manolito Metal & Rigodon or Lady Madrid’s “Somebody to Love”), it was an intense night of unforgettable moments and, yes, love. Thank you, El Sol club and everybody who’s ever come to A.K Madrid in these past 5 years, for converting that one Wednesday of every month into one of the happiest days of my life, without fail. Specifically, I’d like to thank some of the people who’ve been there since the beginning and who have helped to make this show what it is: Nacho and Marcela of El Sol Club, Sergio Jungle, Rafa Gil, Jorge Alvariño, Eugenio Mira, Manolito Metal and Rigodón, Santi Pardo, Uvejo, Eddie Ramone, el Ginecólogo de Nicole Kidman, the folks who schlep all the way from Toledo to enjoy 3 hours of Madrid crazy (Gonzalo, Carolina, Alejandra, Luis and Ricardo), plus more recent friends like el Inquebrantable McGinty, Teresa Aguirre, Metalguay, Crazy Brunette, Nikki, Peter Parker, the Barrero Bros., Bombazo Platino, Jaime “Coco” Falero Puche and Nuno; and our current photographers Naroa and Torke.

Of course I am not mentioning nearly all the people who have contributed to making this show great and I apologize for that, but my brain is half-dead and this post is already reading like one of those long Oscar speeches. But, whether you’ve ever performed onstage or have just enjoyed the show from the crowd: you know who you are. So thank you!

Stay tuned to the Anti-Karaoke page on Facebook for the chronicle of the entire evening, with photos and videos of each performance. And I hope to see you next month, on March 7th, for Carnaval, Anti-Karaoke style! Nothing goes better with A.K. than freaky costumes and lots of drinking, so spread the word!