Cadillac Solitario

A magical night at Cadillac Solitario: when fate (and Jorge Salán) team up with HANG OUT

On 21 February, the legendary Cadillac Solitario hosted one of those gigs that stay etched forever on the venue's walls and in the band's memory. With Rick once again doing an outstanding job on bass and Pedro at the helm on guitar, the gig promised thrills, but what actually happened blew any script clean out of the water.

A wedding, a mystery and a guest from another galaxy

The venue had already been booked for a wedding, and any wedding guests who fancied sticking around could catch the show for a token entry fee. What the band didn't know was that the wedding was none other than that of the brother of the mighty Jorge Salán. Also in the crowd was a former Obús bassist, making for an atmosphere of top-flight Spanish rock royalty.

When the guitar genius — a true god of the six strings who also turned out to be an extraordinarily down-to-earth and charming bloke — got up on stage with HANG OUT to play Rockin’ in the Free World together, the place went off like a rocket. Watching Jorge Salán lock in with the band on such an iconic song left the crowd utterly starstruck.

A gig given everything, note by note

Far from crumbling in front of such an illustrious crowd or losing focus after the surprise, HANG OUT showed enviable maturity. The band reeled off a flawless set on the Cadillac's boards, with Pablo up front leading the crowd and connecting from the first chord, while Jorge's drumming and Borja's solid rhythm guitar held the whole machine together.

The audience, completely won over out of sheer love of rock, hung on every note of a meticulously crafted setlist that ran through the unbridled energy of classics like You Give Love a Bad Name and Vicio, the tension of Enter Sandman and a triumphant home stretch with the encores. The trip through the home-grown anthems Ama, ama, ama y ensancha el alma and En blanco y negro, and the utterly unhinged finale of Whole Lotta Rosie, with Pedro running riot on guitar, turned the night into a historic milestone.

It was, beyond argument, a once-in-a-lifetime night when the magic of live music, the crowd's complicity and the unexpected blessing of the rock gods made HANG OUT shine like never before.