“The Beatles are more popular than Jesus”, said John Lennon who went on to prophesie: “Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn’t argue about that; I’m right and I will be proved right. I don’t know which will go first, rock n’ roll or Christianity.”
It was 1966. Only four years earlier Decca Records executive, Dick Rowe, had dismissed the teenage quartet from Liverpool with a similar prophecy: “Guitar groups are on their way out, Mr Epstein.” In the last six decades, many other prophets have similarly declared the demise of rock n’ roll, just to be contradicted by Guns N’ Roses, Radiohead, Nirvana, Oasis, The Strokes, Arctic Monkeys, you name it.
It seems, though, that 21st-century Argentina is deeply engaged in countering those prophecies. Anyone who has been to Argentina will know what a nation of rockeros it is (Pope Francis being no exception, with Patti Smith and Bono among his friends). And now, Inés Adam (27) and Martina Nintzel (22) are touring Europe in the form of Pacifica, to remind us that rock n’ roll doesn’t die that easily. Though they have been alive for less time than The Strokes, four years ago the duo met online to play the songs of their favourite rock band, but it quickly became clear they could write their own material.
Pacifica now has two albums, a decent social media following and have embarked on their debut world tour, including a stop on the Holloway Road, North London. The house was quite full, mostly of men who could easily be the girls' fathers (even grandpas), which was an intriguing anthropological experience: are rockers getting old (and those prophecies coming true) or do two young women on stage tend to draw a certain kind of male attention that has nothing to do with musical taste?
But beauty alone doesn’t carry the show, and actully young people also attended the gig. The trio (yes, there is a drummer involved) was bright and energetic; both Inés and Martina sing very well, Inés’ guitar is clear and precise, and Martina’s bass lines are beautiful and assured. There is no virtuosity, choreography or paraphernalia on stage, just raw rock n’ roll. The last time I had seen a rocker dive from the stage into the arms of the crowd, Martina had not yet been born, and she did it to the delight of the men around her.
Martina also introduced the song In Your Face! with a story that was longer than the music itself. She shared with the audience that she had an unrequited crush, but then one day, after a drunken binge, she managed to get him into bed. They were there, completely naked, but the guy was so wasted that he couldn’t rise to the occasion. At this point, I realised that Martina is completely aware of her sex appeal, and, without engaging in any kind of explicit activism, uses it to her advantage. She has fun with it, embodying the rebel spirit of rock n’ roll and playing with dirty old men’s imaginations. Stylish.
The lack of stage direction was also a relief: what they may lack in terms of ‘seriousness’ and ‘professionalism’, they gain in spontaneity and joy. The only flaw in this messy, rocky spontaneity was that they completely ignored their drummer and didn’t introduce him to the audience. Fortunately, Inés kindly replied to my Instagram DM, and now I know that Coke Torres is the drummer, the unsung hero of the gig.
Of course, I am not suggesting that Pacifica is reinventing rock n’ roll to the same extent that Pope Francis renovated the Vatican. Still, it’s a blessing to witness that the new generation isn’t as indifferent towards good and old rock n’ roll as it might seem to some. And, as far as Argentina is concerned, John Lennon’s prophecies will take a little longer to come true. At the end of the day, rock n’ roll doesn’t need to be the most popular genre to be alive, does it? As long as there’s a power trio on stage and a handful of people shaking their bones on the dance floor, there will be rock n’ roll, baby. It is only that, but I like it.
Inés Adam: vocals and guitar
Martina Nintzel: vocals and bass
Coke Torres: drums
