Americana in Espanya.
It may have been less than a week since standing in front of Wilco in a field in Glasgow but the opportunity to catch the act at Benicassim was an opportunity not to be missed. With a reputation for altering their set-list around, there was the chance an entirely different evening could evolve.
From complete darkness, the band pitched into battle with a bluesy workout before 'War On War' from 'Yankee Hotel Foxtrot', was followed by the same albums, 'I Am Trying To Break Your Heart.' With a great intro announcing its imminent arrival, the song allowed the first moment of personal contact from Jeff Tweedy to the audience. The simple act of replacing the word "hello" with its Spanish equivalent "hola" was enough to elicit a huge cheer and broke the ice.
It was really smoky onstage and the band were creating a sonic wall of confusion with effects and delays triggering multiple sounds throughout the show.
The inclusion of the Spanish football chant "Ole, Ole, Ole" before 'Handshake Drugs' was played, was further proof of the crowd's enjoyment and they were rewarded with the tremendous bass intro of the track.
Other favourites such as 'Shot In The Arm' and 'I'm The Man Who Loves You' as well as new songs like 'Impossible Germany' or 'Walken' were all eagerly received and any concern about the show being a replica of the Glasgow event were unfounded. That said who knows when the next chance to catch Wilco will be, so it was all worth with it. With Jeff Tweedy making a personal plea for Spain to adopt the band to allow them to spend more time in the country, you got the impression that the band enjoyed their evenings work as well.