Manolo García, a scrap metal dealer with sand in his pockets

Barcelona"Nostalgia, if you pack it in a small suitcase, is fine," Manolo García told the audience that filled the Auditori del Fòrum in Barcelona this Thursday. He then added that it's important to live in the present. In this way, he was explaining the repertoire chosen for this "theater" tour: songs from his first album released under his own name, Sand in the pockets (1998), and what he released a few weeks ago, Industrial estate workers (2025). Only in the encore, after having performed 10 songs from the first album and 11 from the last, did he add other titles from his discography, including the re-release ofInsurrection, the classic song by El Último de la Fila that García never forgets.

The proposal is unusual, although it's reminiscent of what Els Pets have been doing this year – concerts dedicated to two albums. It carries an obvious risk, because it places the newly released tracks in the difficult position of having to defend themselves against songs endorsed by collective memory, such as Mud birds, I prefer trapeze and In San Fernando, a little bit on foot and a little bit walking.The three songs, placed just before the encore and with the wind at their backs from an audience that showered them with applause, were particularly effective. Of the new songs, some worked better, such as Luster and fire, a synthesis of utopia and indignation, and Will-o'-the-wispwhich can leave a mark on the memory, and all of them, the new ones and the others, are performed with a good voice, excellent sound, and the complicity of eight musicians with whom he constructs a coherent musical treatment. In any case, it is necessary to appreciate that a musician shows such conviction when presenting a new album.

The concert began with Industrial estate workersThe first song in Catalan in Manolo García's repertoire. "It is increasingly important to defend culture and language," he said, echoing what he had already stated. in 2024 at the Palau Sant JordiThe audience reacted immediately when Zapatero's riff began, seamlessly blended with one of the new songs. I went up with the ladyAnd the first big moment of the night came with To whom I have loved so muchOne of the most moving songs about love ending, full of short verses laden with bitterness and sadness. The second was the ovation with which the audience rewarded violinist Olvido Lanza at the end of Like someone giving a soft drink.

"Barcelona scares me a lot"

The way the two albums are divided between the two shows that, at 70, Manolo García maintains a powerful and expressive voice, and that he remains unbeatable in the registers he patented with El Último de la Fila, such as the open-mouthed melisma that conveys both anger and joy. It is true that the new songs lower the intensity ofSand in the pocketsBut he didn't slow down for over two and a half hours. In fact, he left the stage several times to sing while walking among a crowd that would follow him to the ends of the earth. "Memories are amazing. They keep us company and give us warmth. Thank you for the warmth you're giving us tonight," he said after admitting that Barcelona intimidates him: "Barcelona scares me a lot." He also repeated his usual dedications from his concerts, such as acknowledging the work of farmers and ranchers, and insisted on his crusade against e-commerce, social media, and digital communication; in this regard, he celebrated Australia's plan to ban mobile phones for those under 16.

The final part of the concert, freed from the preceding script, came after a ten-minute break, and included songs from other albums such as Mai, time has been lost, We are lightness and A theatrical twist (which linked with A little bit of love), before unleashing nostalgia and euphoria with Insurrection and the usual tribute to Mexico (The king and Return, return). At the Auditori del Fòrum, perhaps nostalgia could fit in a small suitcase. However, the suitcase will have to be large when Manolo García and Quimi Portet rescue the songbook ofThe Last in Line on May 3 and 7 at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.