The real Madrid sound

Sun, sea and Sangria, paella and Picasso, Rioja and Real Madrid – just some of the things Spain is justifiably famed for. But one thing not on that list is great rock bands – but slowly that might just be changing.

A whole wave of fantastic bands is coming out of the country from the spikey indie pop of The Hinds to the addictive experimentalism of Oso Leone. To that list can now be added The Parrots – a threepiece from Madrid whose debut album Los Ninos Sin Miedo (The Fearless Kids) is an exuberant garage rock thrill ride.

The trio Diego García, Alex de Lucas (bass) and Larry Balboa (drums) met at university in Madrid and began playing music together but it was not all plain sailing.

They said: “The idea of Los Niños Sin Miedo – The Fearless Kids – came about because in Spain it’s really difficult to make it as a rock’n’roll band.

“When we started there were so many indie bands, indie bands, indie bands. No one would back us, no other bands, no media, nobody. So we got on with it, and people started coming to our shows, promoters started booking us, but at the beginning it was just our gang of friends in Madrid.’’

Having carved out a formidable live reputation they recorded their debut album in one week and it’s short and very sharp.

It is an exhilarating blast of breathless garage/punk rock that lasts less than half an hour, which is plenty of time to exhaust the listener (in a good way). To be in with a chance of winning this album answer this question. What is Real Madrid’s stadium called ? Entries to, Parrots, Nigel Thornton, Peterborough Telegraph, Unex House - Suite B,Bourges Boulevard, Peterborough, PE1 1NG by September 3.

The Parrots