La movida Madrid Tour

MADRID

La Movida

Many theaters opened up around Gran Vía attracting a wave of lgbtq actors and musicians that would gather around the bars and cafes after the shows; and by the 80s the streets of Chueca turned into the most liberal ones becoming the LGBTQ district of Madrid — so get your fan ready and put on some Locomia to explore the bohemian side of Madrid.

Time period: 1980-now

Movie/book: Laberinto de Pasiones (1982)/ Relato sin Costuras by Rafael Garcia Contreras

Soundtrack: Locomia/Mecano’s music

Fashion: colorful outfit, geometric patterns plus a bag

Budget:

This tour would take you through: Chueca the bohemian neighborhood of Madrid that went from neglect to trendy with theaters and art galleries; and through Malasaña the epicenter of the night life in Madrid during the 80s. The area is characterized by neon signs, small streets with hidden bars, and gays from a round the world. After the Spanish dictatorship ended a burst of creativity (that had been suppressed by fascism) exploded in the form of music, art, film and fashion known as La Movida Madrileña: the punk movement of Madrid. Barcelona was the bohemian city of Spain during the Dictadura but after Franco died there was a migration of young artist and rebels from the provinces to the capital looking for better opportunities. The forgotten Malasaña and Chueca neighborhoods became the epicenter of the counterculture in Madrid: the first one known for its venues and graffiti and the second one for its theaters and bars. La Movida grew first in the living rooms of Madrid but then it went out on the streets when venues like Rock-Ola (a punk/new wave hub), La Vía Láctea (a legendary bar/disco), and Sala El Sol (new wave bar/concert venue) opened up; setting the stage for even more underground local bands like: Alaska y los Pegamoides, Radio Futura, Nacha Pop, Gabinete Caligari y Parálisis Permanente. In the 80s Juan Carlos Argüellos started tagging the streets of Madrid with his nickname Muelle which included a flecha (arrow) at the end. He inspired a wave of kids who came up with their own tags, often times including arrows in it, therefore they became known as flecheros; unconsciously creating a unique style of graffiti independent from the bubbly New York style or the gothic LA style. In film Pedro Almodóvar is the best example as his movies explore unconventional family structures and the new sexual freedom in an old Catholic Spain. By the end of 80s the movement got mainstream and lost its edge but inspired a wave a bands that became internationally famous like Locomia, Hombres G or Mecano. Since the 70s there was a large population of lgbtq inhabitants in Chueca with many working in the decaying theater industry around Gran Vía. Chueca went from a marginalized neighborhood with clandestine gay meeting points and cheap bars, to a trendy one with instagreamable restaurants, art galleries and sex shops. As Spain got more liberal, the lgbtq community could get better opportunities and the businesses flourished in the 90- 2000s. Since the 2010s it got even more gentrified by wave of Latin, Arab, and Eastern European lgbtq immigrants who were looking for liberty and a sense of community; but making it more expansive and internationally famous. Now is a tourist destination known for its concept stores, surviving theaters and night life. The tour suggest visiting the Museo Thyssen (which has a huge collection of art from medieval to modern including a vast collection of the bohemian avant- gards) in the morning; the Mercado San Anton, lunch plus art galleries and concept stores in the afternoon; and then checking out sex shops plus bar hoping in Malasaña at night (and don’t forget to tag the streets).