Of all the bands of the last decade to come out of the so-called Soul and R'n'B revival wave, few - if any - reach the energy level and authenticity that The Excitements deliver both on stage and on wax. The spiritual heirs of the era of rollicking shouters and deep soul balladeers, the band has consistently delivered an array of 45s and Lps, and embarked on incredibly long tours all over Europe with an unmatched tightness and drive.
No longer a secret known only to conoisseurs, they are a group that, like the greats, doesn't recreate but just IS the real deal. Known as a fast and greasy Rhythm & Blues machine, they also take care of the soul end of things, and their energetic show offers a mix of furious pace and spine-chilling slow moments alike.
Slowly building a huge following since 2010, they've performed their R'n'B and Soul cocktail old school style, leaving audiences wondering how a band from Barcelona (Spain) is able to channel the show-stopping fierceness and class of such classics as Wilson Pickett, Etta James, Ike & Tina Turner, or any act to come out of Memphis, Detroit or New Orleans during the late fifties and sixties.
The festivals, big and small, venues, gigs and open-air parties at which the band has performed are too numerous to count. The band - founded and led by Adrià Gual (rhythm guitar) and Daniel Segura (bass), and fronted by the explosive vocals of Koko-Jean Davis - has brought their powerful set to a huge number of macro-festivals such as: Paleo Festival (Switzerland), Garorock (France), Shambala Fest (UK) and Couleur Cafe (Belgium), the most important showcase festivals such as MaMA Festival (Paris, France) or Eurosonic Noorderslag fest (Netherlands), blues and jazz festivals such as Cognac Blues Fest (France), or San Sebastian's Jazzaldia Festival (Spain), their hometown's BAM – La Mercé Festival (Barcelona, Spain) and some of the most important spanish fests like Enclave de Aguas (Soria, Spain), Festival de Peralada (Girona, Spain), and specialized vintage international festivals such as Actual (Logroño, Spain), Euroyeye (Gijón, Spain), Purple Weekend (León, Spain), Beat Festival (Italy), Hangar Rockin (Switzerland), Stompin' Festival (Finland) and Funtastic Festival (Benidorm, Spain), while also heavily working the club circuits over most of Europe's countries (including several appearances at the Royal Albert Hall and O2 in London).
The soul-rocking powerhouse that is The Excitements is completed by, besides Koko-Jean Davis (vocals), Adrià Gual (rhythm guitar) and Daniel Segura (bass): the scorching 6 strings of Albert Greenlight on lead guitar; the thundering beat of Jose Luis Garrido (drums), and last but not least, the soulful sounds of Nico Rodríguez Jauregui on baritone sax and Jordi Blanch on tenor sax.
Another secret among conoisseurs, independent label Penniman Records (Barcelona), is the company which has unleashed their half a dozen 7 inches and 3 Lps until now (all of them produced by raunch king legend Mike Mariconda) of which “Breaking the rule” (Penniman Records, 2016) is their latest slab of raw soul and classy R'n'B, blending all their influences and setting out more ambitiously than ever their own sound and style.
