International Women’s Week (6)
The Warning (Part 1)
“The trio is a special configuration-it has enough voices to do big and complex things, yet still leaves the musicians completely exposed. Mess up and there is no hiding it. It is a common format in classical and jazz, where the bar to be taken seriously as a musician is extremely high to start with. It is not a common format in rock, because basic competence is enough to get you in the game in rock, while not enough to allow you to survive in a trio. For that, you need extraordinarily focused and tireless musicians. My list of great rock trios includes Cream, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, King Crimson (Red edition), Rush, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, and a handful of others. These groups have a few things in common: They have almost telepathic musical chemistry; they are all excellent musicians, and their songs are catchy and memorable.”
– From my 2021 post on rock trios
I saw The Warning live during their spring 2022 tour at a small venue in Berkeley. The place was packed to the rafters — I’m pretty sure some fire codes were broken that night, not least by the band themselves. They put on an old-school clinic on how to rock.
There were no special effects or tricks, just the three of them tearing it up.
When you are nine years old, a few months make a big difference. That is how old Alejandra Villareal was when her father recorded her and her sisters doing a cover of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” and posted it on youtube. That video went viral, partly because it was cute but also because they could actually play. Metallica’s lead guitarist, Kirk Hammett, complimented them on social media, saying the drummer, in particular, “kicked some serious ass.”
Today, that video has over 24 million views (re-uploads and unofficial shares take that to over 70 million views). However, it is most noteworthy as a bit of internet archeology, a look back at three soon-to-be rock stars playing around in their parent’s basement when they were children. That was in 2014.
The Warning are:
- Daniela “Dany” Villarreal Velez: guitars, piano, lead and backing vocals (born Jan. 2000)
- Paulina “Pau” Villarreal Velez: drums, piano, lead and backing vocals (born Feb. 2002)
- Alejandra “Ale” Villarreal Velez: bass, piano, backing vocals (born Dec. 2004)
By 2017 they had released two crowd-funded albums, had done some touring, and played several rock festivals where they opened for or shared the program with bands such as Alice Cooper, Def Leppard, Aerosmith, the Killers, Deep Purple, the Scorpions, and more.
The girls write their own songs. In 2018 they released a concept album, “Queen of the Murder Scene,” written as the internal dialogues of a girl obsessed with someone unattainable. Does it sound like typical teenage lovesickness? Well, the theme rapidly descends into obsession, stalking, murder, remorse, psychosis, multiple personality disorder, and suicide.
Paulina, the middle sister and drummer, sang the girl's role. Daniela, the oldest sister and lead guitarist, sang the character of the Queen, who is actually the girl’s murderous alternate persona. They performed the entire suite live twice and still perform individual songs in their shows.
…….
Here is what seven years will do for you when you are in your prime growth years, and you work tirelessly on your art:
The whole song is mesmerizing, but watch for Pau’s drum fill at 2:08. It is truly exquisite.
Sources:
The Warning, official website https://www.thewarningband.com/biography
Katie Timochenko: “The Warning”, June 2022 in Music Existence https://musicexistence.com/blog/2022/06/20/the-warning-mexicos-hard-rockers-make-canadian-debut/
TimberWolf7.62: “The Warning’s Queen of the Murder Scene” https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1feFBpjnk8Igk1smcqNR80BcvGnVhV0fwct88ncXSdLE/mobilebasic
The Warning Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TheWarningRockBand
…….
Thanks to Alexander Razin; David Acaster; Miss Catherine La Grange, spinster; Zarla Dawn; Jessica Lee McMillan; Jeffrey Harvey; Dan Reich; Charlie Cole; Elizabeth Kaldeck Smith; Nicole Brown; Madeline Dovi; Steve Goldberg; Stephanie Leguichard; Giulia Picciau; Laura Lind; Drew Wardle; Christine Carmichael; Jon Scarborough; Anthony Overs; If Ever You’re Listening; Buddy Gott. And thanks to Kevin Alexander for publishing!
