Free Palestine Music and Arts Festival, Barril da Alva, Portugal June 15th, 2025

This was a wonderful day and I met and hung out with a lot of different people. Weather was fantastic. About 30C but the park was totally shaded by large trees so a very nice spot.  Different things for kids (Face Painting, theatre area, inflated jumping area), lots of drink stands, craft beer from Arganil (Puro Mall), falafel stand, vegan burgers, cakes, and some people selling clothes and books and stuff to raise money.  The auction was very good with a table full of stuff that you could bid on. I won a very nice serving plater made by Debbie Manson, a local ceramic potter expert.  Lovely..  Money goes to a great cause.

These two guys with dolls were awesome.  They did really cool rock songs like Bad to the Bone, Voodoo Chile, etc..  Check out this little video. Wow.. So much fun..

As far as the music went it was a lot of cover songs, mostly.  I arrived when Jim Black and Kate were playing.  An acoustic duo. I do not remember much of them as I was meeting people I know and saying hello. 

Undying Heads

Undying Heads are a bunch of UK expats playing mostly original songs and some covers with a sort of punky dirty grimmy edge to it. Mixing rock and folky stuff with some great political lyrics.  They were really fun.   

$Med Records, were two kids (one really young) who rapped over different songs and beats. No idea if they programmed the music themselves or anything like that. They were decent rappers but I just find it a little fun these white kids making all these “black” moves and hand gestures, etc.. you ain´t black… make up your own original moves.. Anyway, they had the biggest crowd of the day and people loved it…

Dave Hendo and Becky, are again two locals. Becky sings and plays violin. I have seen Dave around in a ska outfit, with the Crusties, and solo. Super nice guy. They did mostly cover songs (Small Faces, Beatles, etc..).. Probably a few originals as well. 

Snazzy Ragamuffins, were a five piece band with a female lead singer.  Again, mostly cover songs, so of which she sang well and some she was very flat on the vocal.. Not great.. The two guitar players were the main focus. It was a well received set and they ended with Imagine, the John Lennon song. Sadly, we are still far away from John´s vision.. Very sad…

The Crusties used to be a 3-4 piece band and are not a 5 piece.  it has been a while since I had seen them. They play all covers but some very interesting and more obscure stuff.  Really old blues stuff, Bowie songs, etc… Fun band and nice to see my friend Christian playing Cajon with them. They had a younger new electric guitar player as well.  They were great. Best band of the day musically. 

The Crusties

I Spy, local politically charged rockers always get the place moving and are getting better and better every year now days. They have a new CD out called a Drop in the Ocean. Check it out. 

http://andyshades.bandcamp.com 

I did not see the DJs at all.. Great event and nice to see and hang out with so many people..