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Last posts

Thermal circuit close to Barcelona

Mónica Boixeda Barcelonian, Only-Be

The benefits of hot, sulfurous and bicarbonate waters have been known since ancient times, with archeological references that date from times as far back as the Roman civilization. Although the Hispanic Muslims, who occupied the whole Iberian Peninsula until 1492, were fans of water in all of its varieties, this practice was progressively abandoned in the dirty middle ages. For this reason, thermal springs, community pools and spa areas were left in disuse and became ruins. It wasn´t until well into the 19th century when the local Spanish bourgeoisie, copying all those imported from Europe (Baden-Baden in Germany, Lido in Venice and Evian on the French-Swiss border) that people started spending long summers close to the old thermal springs. That´s how spa resorts started around the country (Lanjarón in Andalucía, in the south, Mondariz and La Toja in Galicia in the north and La Garriga in Catalonia), at the same time as comfortable centres were built that canalized, managed and saved these resources. Towns became luxurious second residencies and they changed the whole urban layout to accommodate this select and distinguished clientele who was looking for resting and relief cures for bone and breathing illnesses. In these exclusive spas, predecessors of today´s modern resorts, was where the aristocratic dame, the casanova-wannabes, the successful businessmen and the artist searching for inspiration came, along with the rheumatic elderly people, for the need to regain strength and experience an intense social life. These 19th century spas began to decline in the mid-20th century but, in the last decade, a clientele used to urban spas has put them on the map again. And... read more

Duran Duran in Istanbul

Mónica Boixeda Istanbulite, Only-Be

On the 9th of July, at the Maçka Küçükçiftlik Park in Istanbul, you can watch the British rock band Duran Duran live on tour to promote their new album, ´All You Need is Now´. Duran Duran is the British band that best represents the 80s New Wave, and it´s made up today by John and Roger Taylor (vocals and bass), Simon Le Bon (vocals), Dominic Brown (guitar) and Nick Rhodes (keyboard and drums). Their trademark badge was their glamorous performances on stage that were reproduced in the videos. This differentiated them from various bands that brought punk aesthetics. This attracted many young girls, becoming a commercial phenomenon of the time. However, it´s not all been marketing and glamour for Duran Duran, since they´re an excellent music band that was formed with the intention of being a band with the energy of the Sex Pistols but with danceable rhythms like David Bowie and Roxy Music. They achieved this in great terms and that´s where a large part of their success lies. Their name comes from the film Barbarella (1968), directed by Roger Vadim, where the villain is called Mr. Duran Duran. The sci-fi film starring Jane Fonda was considered very daring, since it had a high erotic content for the time. The early days of the band were difficult. They played at night and worked during the day as concierges, waiters or DJs. In 1981 their first album was released, with a homonymous title. The single ´Planet Earth´ reached #12 in the British Top 20 Chart. The single that strongly reached the top spots was ´Girls On Film´, reaching #5 in... read more

Pearl Jam in Concert at Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam

Paul Oilzum Amsterdammer, Only-Be, Things to do in Amsterdam

It’s difficult not to think of the American band Pearl Jam, who will give two concerts in the brand new Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam on June 26 and 27 http://www.ziggodome.nl as true survivors. They are, after all, one of the very few bands dubbedSeattle sound from the first half of the 90s that remain active. Along with Nirvana they were leaders of the grunge movement, although they were polarized by the media into a rivalry similar to that seen between the Rolling Stones and the Beatles in the 60s. Unlike the latter, however, members of Pearl Jam sent signals of believing that they were the antagonists of Nirvana, who achieved great press quickly, despite the many points of contacts between the two groups, and were catapulted into massive stardom in a surprising and unfortunate way which for a significant part of a whole generation was converted into little more than a lifestyle. It was only after the suicide of Kurt Cobain in 1994, who was unable to cope with the fact that his group had become the most objectified and popular band worldwide or to live with the fact that the existential angst and anti-system anger of his most memorable songs had been transformed into a spectacle and a sought-after object of consumption, that Eddie Vedder, the singer and charismatic leader of Pearl Jam, seemed to realize the absurdity of having contributed in some way to the above-mentioned confrontation with someone who was actually a friend with common interests and a similar history of marginalization. The tragic death of Cobain made it impossible to know which direction his music would... read more