MAQUINA. + Kelley Stoltz – 29 October 2026 (Sala Upload – Barcelona)

Rarely has a double lineup made so little sense or felt so disjointed as that of last Thursday at the Upload venue in Barcelona. Two acts that are worlds apart and have very different audiences shared the stage and the evening.

MAQUINA.,Sala Upload Barcelona 2026 – Photo taken by Meritxell Rosell for Indieofilo^©

The Californian musician Kelley Stoltz opened the evening with a short but excellent set. The former Echo & the Bunnymen member showcased his many talents, winning over the audience with his pop melodies tinged with psychedelia and his slightly surreal anecdotes and stories. These ranged from the healing powers of the cowbell — bless that instrument! — to the curious misadventures of Reni, the Stone Roses’ drummer, which inspired a song. Stoltz also revealed his darker side, closer to his Bunnymen roots, towards the end of the set.

Kelley Stoltz,Sala Upload Barcelona 2026 – Photo taken by Meritxell Rosell for Indieofilo^©

However, the real highlight of the evening came courtesy of the Portuguese MÁQUINA., a trio from Portugal that has built its reputation on ferocious live performances and a sound drawing on hypnotic rhythms, noise and repetition as a ritual. Attending a MÁQUINA. concert is not just a musical experience. It’s a multi-sensory journey: you hear, feel, touch, experience, savour and smell it all, while the pain is celebrated. It’s like a descent into hell, with endorphins at their peak and adrenaline levels skyrocketing. And all the while, you’ll have a perpetual, diabolical and psychotic smile on your face.

Halison of MAQUINA.,Sala Upload Barcelona 2026 – Photo taken by Meritxell Rosell for Indieofilo^©

Just before they came on stage, I looked around and saw that the scene had changed considerably from a few minutes earlier. A motley crew of eccentric characters was mingling with the usual crowd at Barcelona’s concert halls. A mother and her daughter asked if they could move to the front row. The little girl, who has a beautiful blue-tinged name, is a huge fan of the Portuguese band and spent the whole evening swaying her hair alongside her mother, who was also spellbound by the Portuguese magic.

José Rego of MAQUINA.,Sala Upload Barcelona 2026 – Photo taken by Meritxell Rosell for Indieofilo^©

Each of the band’s three members has their own distinct personality and talent. Together, they form a beautiful yet destructive whole.. Halison, on drums and vocals, he is the metronome, the guiding light and the voice that carries out and completes the task. He is clad in a T-shirt from Dame Area, a Barcelona band with whom they share a style and vibe, he is the beginning and the end, the alpha and the omega of everything. João Cavalheiro, on guitar, is the driving force, the unleashed fury and electricity that power the monster. And José «Mendy» Rego, on the bass, embodies strength and malice: its sound strikes and resonates in our minds and hearts until it takes hold of us.

João Cavalheiro of MAQUINA.,Sala Upload Barcelona 2026 – Photo taken by Meritxell Rosell for Indieofilo^©

Right from the beginning, with the starting ones “Dança” (which, in its studio version, features a collaboration with the aforementioned Dame Area) and “Four-to-the-floor”, a vast, uniform mass of bodies and souls jostles, shifts, sweats, collides and shudders as if possessed... The concert hurtles through agony, exile, body searches, drills and breakdowns at breakneck speed, and not a single person falters. The band, growing ever more fired up, finds time to ride the drums, encourage crowd surfing, and attempt to break into the crowd. The audience is showing its wholehearted support for these blessed Portuguese with ever-increasing fervour.

MAQUINA.,Sala Upload Barcelona 2026 – Photo taken by Meritxell Rosell for Indieofilo^©

The show ends with ‘Pressure/Pleasure‘ and ‘.‘ (What a marvellous title for a song by a band like this, and what a powerful symbolism in that full stop!) This puts the finishing touch – if you’ll pardon the expression – on a night that has reconciled us with life and exorcised any inner demons present.