Eskorbuto

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Eskorbuto
Origin Basque Country
Genre(s) Punk rock
Years active 1980-present
Members
Paco Galán
Former members
Jose Expósito (deceased)
Juan María Suárez (deceased)

Eskorbuto was a Basque punk rock band from Santurtzi (Greater Bilbao, Basque Country) which formed in 1980. They have been one of the most influential bands for Spanish punk. They are known for their strong attitude and crude lyrics. They were one of the first bands to perform punk with lyrics in Spanish. Eskorbuto is a modified word taken from escorbuto (scurvy in Spanish). Along with the band La Polla Records, Eskorbuto has been very influential in the Spanish rock and punk scene.

Contents

[edit] Biography

The group formed in 1980. They were strongly influenced by the repercussions of the punk movement in 1977.

In 1983 on a trip to Madrid they were stopped by the police because of writing on a demo tape that they carried, with subjects such as ETA or Damn Spain Country. They were arrested under the anti-terrorist law. During the incarceration Eskorbuto felt abandoned by some sectors of the Basque Country and they shaped their despair on the album North Special Zone (Zona Especial Norte, 1984), on which they released the song A la mierda el País Vasco (Fuck the Basque Country). This, along with not wanting to align with the partisan Basque Radical Rock, brought many problems to them in the Basque Country. 'Zona Especial Norte'(Special North Zone) was also the name of a special plan carried out by the Spanish police and army to deal with ETA in the Basque Country. The album was shared with the band RIP.

Their first official album, Eskizofrenia was released in 1985. They began to perform outside the Basque Country, since in their homeland they had few possibilities of playing. In the same year they also released Anti-Todo (Against everything), an album considered by many to be one of best punk records of all time in Spain .

In 1986 they released a live double album, Impuesto Revolucionario. In 1987 another double album was released, this time recorded at a studio, Los demenciales chicos acelerados (The demential accelerated boys).

In 1988 they decided to produce and release themselves Las más macabras de las vidas (The creepiest of the lives).

With Josu and Jualma trapped in serious problems with heroin they released Demasiados enemigos (Too many enemies) in the fall of 1991. Shortly afterwards Josu and Jualma took their leave forever. Josu died because of the drug on the 31st of May in 1992, but in time to kick it. Juanma also left heroin but his arteries were badly injured and, with no strength to beat it, he died on the 8th of October in 1992.

[edit] Eskorbuto without Iosu and Juanma

Aki no keda ni dios was published in 1994, with songs that had been composed by Pako and Juanma before their deaths. Pako decided to keep on using the name of the group, in spite of the death of both charter members. Many fans of Eskorbuto deride this decision. Kalaña (1996) and Dekadencia (1998) are their works with the new line up.

[edit] Influence

Eskorbuto never emphasized their abilities as musicians. Nevertheless, they composed songs that quickly became hymns of the time, like Mucha policía, poca diversión. Their lyrics were loaded with rage and social content. They were a very controversial group, loved by many and hated by others. They were never aligned politically with any ideology saying, "Rock does not have a mother country, not even the Basque".

Their relationship with other groups was not good, even with La Polla Records (for instance, they stole a guitar from them). This caused a boycott on one or another of them, and the band halls had to choose to have Eskorbuto or La Polla Records, but not both together.

[edit] Members

  • Jose (or Iosu) Expósito - guitar and vocals (deceased 31-May-1992)
  • Juan María (or Juanma) Suárez - bass and vocals (deceased 8-Oct-1992)
  • Pako (or Paco, Francisco) Galán - drums

[edit] Discography

  • Primeros ensayos - (1982)
  • Jodiéndolo Todo - (1983)
  • Que Corra La Sangre - (1984)
  • Zona Especial Norte - (1984) (Split with the band RIP)
  • Eskizofrenia - (1985)
  • Anti todo - (1986)
  • Ya no quedan más cojones, Eskorbuto a las elecciones - (1986)
  • Impuesto revolucionario - (1986)
  • Los demenciales chicos acelerados - (1987)
  • Las más macabras de las vidas - (1988)
  • Demasiados enemigos - (1991)
  • Akí no keda ni Dios - (1994)
  • Kalaña - (1996)
  • Dekadencia - (1998)