Sala Villanos

The walls that heard Radiohead

In 1998, Radiohead presented OK Computer at 18 Bernardino Obregón. Before that, Lola Flores had renamed La Navefenix as Sala Caracol, in memory of Manolo Caracol: a flamenco venue founded in 1991 that hosted Paco de Lucía, Ketama, the Flores family, and Juan Habichuela. Over the years, the venue opened up to pop-rock, punk, and heavy metal. Andrés Calamaro, Jarabe de Palo, Placebo, Suede, Morcheeba, The Black Crowes, and a then-not-yet-massive Vetusta Morla played there. El Canto del Loco recorded their live album there, and C. Tangana also graced that stage. In June 2022, a court closed Caracol, and the building went dark for months.

A new name to keep the spot

The organizers of the Villanos del Jazz festival—who have passed through Clamores, Café Berlín, Tempo Audiophile Club, and Las Noches del Botánico—could not keep the brand. On October 19, 2023, the venue reopened as Sala Villanos, managed by Serious Fan Music, following a renovation that redid the soundproofing and almost the entire interior. Antonio Sánchez, programmer and partner, presents it without disguise: a high-demand concert hall, made by music lovers. Jazz is the spearhead, but the criteria is not that of a closed club: flamenco, soul, funk, afro, R&B, and urban music are included if there is quality. The audience can be seated or standing.

Clubbing in the same box, not another venue

From the first year, electronic music slipped into the booth, with nights far from the mainstream circuit. In December 2024, Club Villanos was born, the house's clubbing concept—new image and its own profile—along with the Ciclo Puretas of long sets. Kyle Hall, Tama Sumo, Satoshi Tomiie, Axel Boman, Efdemin, Carista, Session Victim, Marcellus Pittman, and Paquita Gordon have passed through that dance floor. Club Villanos is not another nightclub: it is the electronic night of the same physical venue. DJ sessions usually start at midnight, and access to the club is for those over 18 years old.

Open-plan, street-level, with an immovable piano

In Arganzuela, a step away from Embajadores, the venue is a single volume at street level: a 7.31 by 6.49-meter stage, a Yamaha C7 grand piano that always remains on the boards, a dressing room, and two bars. The PA system is L-Acoustics ARCS WIFO, with specific nightclub reinforcement; the booth is equipped with Pioneer DJM-A9, CDJ 3000, and Technics SL-1200. There is a paid cloakroom and a projection screen. There is no fixed schedule: it opens according to the program, between concerts and dance nights.