Portugal 80s Metal: IBÉRIA

Band based in Baixa Da Banheira, Moita, formed around 1984 under the name Asgarth. The group consisted in João Alexandre guitar, o João Sérgio bass, Toninho guitar, Tony Duarte drums, Luís Filipe vocals. In 1986 after Francisco Landum guitar (ex-TNT) joining the group, they change its name to Ibéria. In mid-1986 there are some changes in the line up: Tony Duarte goes to Samurai, Luís Filipe leaves and João Alexandre returned to his early post as vocalist. To promote the band musically, in two months, they prepared three songs for the 1st demo tape and in January 31th 1987 Ibéria goes to the Midi studios in Lisbon and recorded a 3 track demo tape, in only 10 hours. "Warriors", "Lady In Black" and "Hollywood" were mixed on February 5th in just four hours. Francisco Landum had played all the drum tracks on the demo. The group was still searching for a drummer and the choice fell on Tony Cê, a experienced musician, long known of the band, who accepted the invitation. It was complete the first line up: João Alexandre vocals, Toninho guitar and Tony Cê drums. Francisco Landum played the figure of guitarist, producer and composer, but was not officially part of the band, being considered only a sideman (he was lead singer/guitarist in Samurai). The first copies of the demo contained 5 songs, "Warriors", "Lady In Black", "Hollywood" and instrumental versions of both "Warriors", "Lady In Black". By this time Ibéria begin a massive campaign to promote the demo tape, at all levels in the press. João Moura and Luís Baptista from the fanzine "Devastação Metalica" (Metallic Devastation) gets the job for the Official Iberia Fan Club, at a time when it began to gain popularity. The 3 songs from the demo tape stays at the tops in several local radio stations across the country. Pita, director of "Clube Luso" in Radio Comercial, excited by the rise of the band in the radio tables, decides to put Ibéria on the program "Clipomanias" transmited on national TV, RTP1 on August 5th 1987. The recordings of the program took place in the stage of Rock Rendez Vous. The recording theme was "Hollywood" and the band appeared twice that summer in the program, accompanied by a interview. Also during that month of August, the newly founded fan club ends, being the fanzine suspended.They first live performance was in Alhos Vedros, Moita, July 31th 1987, on an improvised stage with a weak PA, for approximately 650-700 people. In October 3rd they play at the Ginásio Atlético Clube, Baixa Da Banheira, for about 1.200 people. And their first gig at Rock Rendez Vous was with Cruise, November 13th and in the 30th of the same month they return to the same famous venue. In December 1987 Ibéria signed a contract with the independent label Discossete, which gave the possibility of Iberia to record a minimum of 10 songs per year, over the next three years, with no restrictions. Multinationals like Polygram required the recording of the songs in Portuguese, that was what happened with V12.

Began the rehearsals and pre-production of the 1st single. In February 6th 1988 at Nicola, Barreiro, the band experienced live new songs, such as "Children Of The World" and excerpts from Vivaldi's instrumental with "The Way To India Sailling". March 5th, they start recording, in record time the single, the chosen songs are "Hollywood", "Feels Like Love" and "All Night Flying". It was recorded a long version of "Hollywood" to get in the Maxi-Single, as well as "All Night Flying", also only available in the Maxi-Single version. The recordings toke place at the Discossete studios located in Lisbon, on the days 5th, 12th,18th,19th e 26th of March 1988. The concert presentation of the single is made on April 29th 1988 at the Rock Rendez Vous. Ibéria appears again on May 7th on TV, RTP program "Sobe & Desce" and in that same afternoon they give a show in Santo André, Barreiro. After 2 days, day 9th, the band recorded live on Studio 4 "Hollywood" and "Feels Like Love". It's on May 18th, presented by Luis Filipe Barros that Iberia presented live "Hollywood" in one of the biggest stages in the country: the Coliseum of Lisbon, before more than 3,000 people. Quite cheered, the band fraternize with the likes of Xutos & Pontapés, UHF, Delfins, Peste & Sida, Rádio Macau, Sétima Legião, V 12, Samurai, Loco, Adelaide Ferreira and others. That same day Francisco Landum leaves Samurai to devote himself exclusively to Ibéria. In the same month is formed the Ibéria Fun Club, by the hands of João Sergio, João Alexandre, the roadies: Lopes, Caldeira and Pedro and the two program directors of the Metal Killers radio show, on Arremesso Radio, Victor Brás and Tony Machado. Always with the essential collaboration of two friends from the start: Luis Baptista and João Moura.

Toninho on May 28th 1988 for professional reasons, decides to leave the band. But Toninho still follow their mates during the recording of Raul Durão TV program "Ponto por Ponto" in RTP2 on June 10th. His leaving requires that João Alexandre returns to the post of rhythm guitar and vocals. With this line up the band plays at the Radio Nova Antena party, Odivelas, June 3rd 1988 and one month later, 9th with Rádio Macau in their home town, Baixa Da Banheira. Also in July 23rd the band makes the TV program "Clubissimo" playing "Hollywood", it was the 4th TV appearance in only 2 months. July 24th they gig at the Praça da Batalha, Abrantes. However with the departure of Toninho, they decided not to release the Maxi-Single (the 3 songs were later released in a compilation with other 2 bands from Discossete label). September 7th to October 17th, Ibéria records 10 tracks that would end up on their 1st album. The presentation concert of the album takes place on December 3rd 1988 at the Ginásio Atlético Clube, Baixa Da Banheira, their home town. The 1st half was insured by Alkateya. A week later, day 10th, it's time for a concert in Central Park, Lisbon to present the album in the capital, and in the same afternoon the album is sold at the shops. In 1989 the band is overwhelmed with a recording on January 20th, where it says the band is the first Portuguese band to go on BBC-Radio One, specifically in the Friday Rock Show of Tommy Vance, with the track "No Pride", Tommy praises the band (Friday Rock Show had an audience of 20 million listeners across Europe and parts of USA). In February 10th they play in Sesimbra, inserted in the championship game of Kick-Boxing.Ibéria recorded two video clips of the two ballads on the album, "Lady In Black" and "Children Of The World", recorded in Almada, Costa da Caparica and Lisbon on February 22th and also on RTP studios, February 24th. They play on March 24th in Cuba, Alentejo and April 1st in Campolide, Lisbon. Francisco Landum, who as guest musician of Da Vinci, (they also in the same label of Ibéria), had a big role in the victory song on the Festival Of The Song (the winner will perform at Eurovision contest, representing Portugal), with the song "Conquistadores". Toninho decides to rejoin the band. After a concert on April 28th at the Danceteria Lido, Amadora, Francisco Landum suffers a car accident, in which escapes with his life but is urgently admitted to hospital. Toninho unprepared, leaves for Lausanne, Switzerland, replacing Landum in Da Vinci on the Eurovision Song Contest, before one billion people. 4 days later, João Alexandre also had a car accident, leaving marked not only his face but also his spirit and the band. About 10 dates were canceled immediately and the band's activity is almost null.

Recovered at the end of May, João Alexandre enters the obligatory military service. Tony Cê decides to leave the band due to professional problems, that do not allow him to stay in the band. Also during the auditions for a new drummer, Francisco Landum, already recovered, decides to leave to join Da Vinci. Tony Duarte who already had been in the band right at the beginning, replaces Tony Cê and Toninho replaces Landum. The farewell concert of Tony Cê was in Barreiro on July 2nd. August 26th is the date of return to the stage with the new lineup in Lordelo, Paços de Ferreira, Metal Brains do the 1st part. In November the band released a video of rehearsels and preparation of 10 songs that would be part of their 2nd LP. Due to delays in the studios which was scheduled for November, does not begin until December 14th and ended mixed on December 14th 1989 at the Discossete studios. "Heroes Of The Wasteland" was produced by Francisco Landum and co-produced by Ibéria. The promotion of the new album starts on April 25th with Radio Macau in Odemira and follows a series of concerts around the country and the consequent promotion, until after a concert opening for UHF. Late October a invitation is made to Toninho to join UHF and record their LP "Comédia Humana", the invitation was accepted on November 9th, leaving the band once again in a very bad situation. With his departure also leaves Tony Duarte and the other two elements have to look for new musicians, they appear almost immediately: Vasco Vaz guitar and Marco drums, both coming from Braindead. The band recorded in the TV programme "Mapa Cor De Rock". In early 1990 the band released the video clip of "Mexico" with the producer of "Pop Off" TV show. João Sérgio is invited by Francisco Landum to join Da Vinci. Accepted the invitation on the condition to continue to monitor Ibéria. João Sérgio prepares for the summer tour with Da Vinci, while rehearsing and promoting Ibéria, hoping to achieve results with Lp "Heroes.." and continue the concerts. Alongside, João Alexandre also starts with a new project called Shanghai Blue.In the mid ´90, Ibéria give at the União Banheirense the five years anniversary concert, that was also shot on video. In August the band is one of the leading bands of the festival Diz Sim Á Vida that takes place in the stadium of Barreirense, Barreiro, along with Tarantula, British Lion and many others. The scarcity of live concerts and the fact that the LP sells less than the previous one, the label Discossete doesn´t want to record the third LP, breaking between them and Ibéria, who are left without recording contract. With difficulties in keeping the band in full operation, with João Sérgio e Landum in Da Vinci, João Alexandre in Shanghai Blue and Toninho in UHF, the band decides to stop, followed by long months of complete inactivity, stopping also with the Fun Club. It's in late 1992 that the project is resumed, in order of participation of its members in other bands: Francisco Landum and João Sergio out of Da Vinci and João Alexandre breaks Shangai Blue. Vasco Vaz is led by Adolfo Luxuria Canibal for the band Mão Morta, which begins with a career where he still is (along with the Mundo Cão) and Marco enters Peste & Sida and records later "Orgia Paroquial" leaving later to Bizarra Locomotiva, and other projects. As for the other drummers, Tony Duarte and Tony Cê no longer entered in any musical projects, stand completely apart from the stage. Landum decides to only dedicate to studio work and sets up his own recording studio "Aikesom" and stays away from Discossete, where he worked as an independent producer for a few years. Today is one of the most (if not the most) respected producers in Portugal, and perhaps most successful in this field, having their own production company.

João Sergio brings with him from Da Vinci, drummer Quim Andrade (ex-STS Paranoid, and Samurai before joining Da Vinci), Toninho returns from UHF and João Alexandre brings with him the lead singer of the defunct Shangai Blue, Miguel Angelo. The group decides to continue with the name Ibéria, but changed their sound and sung in Portuguese. The band then works new songs and recover from their previous repertoire "Mexico" which was originally written in Portuguese. Some songs already prepared for the third album of Ibéria were retrieved and modified, "Agua de Fonte Virgem", "Extravagancia", "Quando Estou Lá", "Sem Daqui Sair”, "Sou”" and "Sismo". Also are recorded some of these tracks in demo, in the studios of Radio Mundial in Barreiro with Toninho as lead singer, before the complete adaptation of Miguel. With the band complete, "Sismo" is recorded at Sound Heaven Studios, in Almada, at the beginning of the year. Ibéria make a promotional cassette with another band, Arabian Penthouse, in which each band divided one track per side. Even at this stage the band starts the bars circuit and in late 1993, João Alexandre leaves the band to go to England, where he would take a sound engineering course, Miguel Angelo accumulates the functions of rhythm guitarist and vocalist. Quim Andrade for professional reasons also quit the project. Guitarist Victor Brás (ex-Shangai Blue) and drummer Pedro Torrão, friends of the band, enter the line up. Ibéria decide to move to a 3rd LP. In December 1994, the band recorded thirteen songs in a direct take, with the sound team of CHS, in Montijo. The songs were: "Bicho Homem", "Quando Estou Lá", "Orgasmo", "Garrote", "Extravagância", "Água De Fonte Virgem", "Corre Voando", "Sem Daqui Sair", "Dor", "Mistério", "Quero", "Sou" and "Caminho Prá India". This repertoire is shown to several labels. Ibéria plays live in Reguengos de Monsaraz and continues the circuit of bars and clubs. The impasse facing publishers remains but the band does not give up and continue the contacts. While waiting for answers, the band enter the studio to record two tracks. At Genisom studios, Vale de Milhaços, November 1995, the band recorded "Bicho Homem" and "Quero". Ibéria are invited to make a unpluged live on Radio Super FM, on March 9th 1996.

By June the band has some dates, Johnny Guitar, in Lisbon, June 25th at a party of the label Genisom, at the Pavilhão da Siderurgia, in Paio Pires. The band gives a great concert and a recording contract for the 3rd album it was almost a certainty, when the band is surprised by the request of Miguel Angelo to leave the group, for personal reasons. Without a lead singer, it is with great dismay that after 10 years of Ibéria (1986-1996) they decided to end the group.

In 2009 both albums are remastered from the original masters and released for the first time in CD, limited edition dijipack.

Ibéria reform with a new line-up and records a new album...

biography by João Sérgio Reis

DISCOGRAPHY