After the explosion of freedom that led to the return of democracy in 1983, the night in Buenos Aires began to have a series of iconic places, which in the middle and the end of the decade hosted the different new and young tribes of the city. Undoubtedly the most emblematic and largest were palladium and Cemento, as well as small bars such as El Parakultural, Bar Einstein, Nave Jungla and the circuit of traditional discos.
It was there that the punk, dark, glam and rock scene had key meeting pointswhere the youth culture of the time was taking shape.
Next Saturday, the legendary Paladium will open its doors for the last time. It will be a big party that will recreate the decor of the C Art Media Complex, with the aim not only of having fun, feeling a healthy nostalgia and imagining what those years were like, but also of shooting a documentary.
This opening “for one night” of the Paladium will be one of the main elements of the film that director Francisco Novick is preparing with the production of his brother Federico. Shooting will take place with six cameras and in different formats, current and of the time, such as Hi-8 and VHS.
The event will be “performative”, they quickly clarify, “and not a fancy dress party, a retro party or a high-end party”, despite the fact that it is indicated at the entrance that people must dress in 1986 fashion. live band (with several heroes of the eighties), historic DJs and special guests.
“If you’ve lived Paladium, there’s nothing to explain. If you’re too young to know, you have one (last) chance,” reads the advertisement on social media and flyers.
For rock, Paladium is synonymous with album presentation October From Patricio Rey and his Redonditos de Ricotashows of Virus AND Stereotaxisthe recitals of Charly García and Pedro Aznar with the songs of Tangoshows of The rapists in full fury of One-two-ultraviolentand even the filming of city of poor hearts From fit country.
But those concerts were just the tip of the iceberg, because the club itself was also essential, with its DJs and performances.
The documentary and the party
According to Francisco Novick, “The problem we faced for the documentary was that we had practically no audiovisual material, only a few photos. Faced with that, and since we didn’t want it to be a talking head documentary, we said ‘if not there’ is the file, let’s invent it!” Thus was born the idea of setting up the disco again for one night, and being able to recreate the file in a similar place, with the same scenography and the same characters, and filming it with Super-8 and VHS, and then attaching it to the little file available” .
He says they have already interviewed the owner, Juan Lepes, and figures like Lalo Mir. They will also chat with Fito Páez, Renata Schussheim “and many people from that period who were somehow related to the Paladium”. And he adds, “We’ll start editing right after the party.”
Fede Novick says that “At the Paladium there was one person throwing tarot cards, another doing caricatures and other body-painting. The event will have something of that. It was a place with distinctive music and tribes living and danced to the same track. That’s why we want everything to be a performance.”
By the way, anticipate some surprises: the master of ceremonies will be Miguel Zavaleta and Willy Lemos himself will be present, which he will dredge again especially for the occasion. “We are happy and honored to have him,” say the Novicks.
Francisco recounts: “We discovered that in Paladium he was very advanced in his time in terms of accepting dissent. Everyone was accepted. This has a very strong link with my generation, because I was born the year Paladium closed” .
-How was space born?
Frederick: -It was a SEGBA system and it became acoustic. It was born as a chamber stadium and that’s why it was a space with the best acoustics for playing rock and derivatives. The Paladium Dancing nightclub was born later, somewhat by chance.
-It remained in the realm of myth and legend, much less documented than Cement, for example.
Francis: -Yes. He was thrown away and there was nothing left. Today there is a five-star hotel in that place. Luckily Juan Lepes kept the floor plans, posters and all. He opened his boxes and gave us everything.
Frederick: -Other milestones were the night they filled everything with sand and made a beach with palm trees. Or once there was a boxing match! There were also some parallel fiestas held before each holiday, called La Fiesta del Tío. Then there was the opening of Bajo Tierra in 198, and the end of Dancing in 1992, when a year-long Tango Club began. It closed in 1993 and was demolished in 1995.
INFORMATION: “A night at the Paladium” party, Saturday 18 at C Complejo Art Media, Av. Corrientes 6271. Tickets: www.passline.com/events/one-night-at-paladium
Source: Clarin
