Rodrigo y Gabriela returning to Olympia
Following their recent sold–out Olympia Theatre show, and with their new album Mettavolution released this week to much critical acclaim, Rodrigo y Gabriela have announced news of an extensive UK & Irish tour in late September and early October, including a performance at the Olympia Theatre Dublin on Thursday September 19th. Additionally, the band have shared a visually arresting video to the album's title track, of which they say: “It was wonderful to work with director George Mays on this video. And once again we worked with visual designer Joshua Pierce who also designed the Mettavolution album cover. His ethereal landscapes bring a sense of otherworldly nature to the video. With this video we were trying to balance the energy of the track with a meditative calm where we are at one with our surroundings.”
Three years in the making, Mettavolution brings together Rod and Gab’s passionate interest in Buddhism, the history of human evolution and the liberation of the potential we have as a species; all expressed through the medium of two acoustic guitars. Conceived and composed in their studio in Ixtapa on the Mexican Pacific Coast, then road-tested in South America and the USA in 2017, before more fine tuning and further tweaks on their Australian tour of 2018, a long list of new material has been distilled down to six new Rodrigo y Gabriela compositions and one audacious, jaw-dropping cover version.
Deep-rooted fans who discovered Rod and Gab through their 2006 self-titled breakout album have long recognized the Mexicans’ mastery of their instruments. And Rodrigo’s shimmering, hummingbird flourishes hovering over Gabriela’s extraordinary engine room rhythm section are present and correct on ‘Mettavolution’; but what sets this new record apart is the laser-guided focus on melody, energy and beat. There is not an ounce of excess baggage on the fresh, dynamic tunes that Rod and Gab present here.
Through relentless touring and terrific word-of-mouth support, Rodrigo y Gabriela have established themselves as a hugely in-demand live act, particularly in America, where they sold out the Hollywood Bowl (two nights) and the Red Rocks Amphitheatre as recently as summer 2018. They have also sold out multiple nights at the Royal Albert Hall in London, Le Zenith in Paris and Radio City Music Hall in New York, not to mention venues in Australia, Japan and Europe. With career album sales well in excess of 1.5 million worldwide, Rodrigo y Gabriela have established themselves as globally successful artists who are eager to write new chapters in their already illustrious story.