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The Grammy-winning band has scored several hits over the years, with their infectious anthem “Matador” even appearing on the excellent Grosse Point Blank soundtrack (alongside classics by The Clash, David Bowie, Pete Townshend and more). In 2002, LFC took a break to pursue solo albums and side projects, but now they’re back on track, recording a brand new album and playing a string of select live dates. We caught up with Señor Flavio—straight from the band’s studio—to get the rundown on the next curve in the Cadillacs’ storied career.
So how did the secret show go in Buenos Aires?
We wanted to start this new chapter of LFC in that way—with a surprise show. At first, we thought of doing it in another Argentine city with a closed show. But eventually, we decided to do it in a public place in Buenos Aires.
What’s the secret of working with such a large group?
There are leaders. It couldn’t work otherwise. In all groups, there should be some sort of a leader, but with LFC, there are leaders— not just one. That’s how a rock band should work: as a creative group working together with a common consensus.
It’s great that you’re all back together again, but how did this come about? A lot of talking? A few phone calls? Divine intervention?
We had seen each other a lot, in both public and private, before we started to talk about it. We had also played together recently for an acoustic project on my radio program for an independent rock station called Radio Atomik. It was heard by a lot of people and was downloaded a lot as well. And a couple of years ago, we recorded a song for a tribute album to Andres Calamaro. LFC is and will forever be a band of friends. If we’re good, it works, and if not, it doesn’t. And we’ve been good friends for a very long time!
What was the biggest reason for the reunion?
We had clarified before that we were going to come back. Apart from that, we never did a “farewell tour” or a big “last show.” We just simply stopped playing for a long time because we wanted to do other things with our solo projects—such as my Flavio Mandinga Project, Vicentico’s solo releases, and so on. So it was obvious that this was going to happen.
How does everything feel so far?
Well, there was no moment where we saw each other for the first time after a long while. We had seen each other constantly, sharing the stage in one way or another. We had invited each other to record albums together. LFC never ceases to be—it’s just that we don’t always perform as LFC. It’s a different approach, but we’re making art our own way.
The first concert is in Mexico City, which is where you did your last show. Was it planned that way for some reason?
There’s really no reason, other than the fact that the dates worked well with our schedule. But it is a great coincidence to start in Mexico!
Rumor has it there’s a U.S. tour in the works. How extensive will that be?
We’d like to tour in the U.S. We’ve done so many times, for both Latino and Anglo fans across the country. I don’t have details yet, but hopefully it happens.
How is the recording of the new album going, and what can we expect from the band this time around?
Like I said, we’ve seen each other a lot in recent years, so it’s easy and it’s simple. LFC’s creativity still survives thanks to our years of friendship and of course, because of the band’s talent—so the chemistry is still there. It’s true we’re older now, but the essence and the intensity should still be there, and it definitely is. We have the ability now to go out with new material—many new songs, and new versions of old songs. Our artistic and creative inspiration is on fire, as always.
A decade ago it seemed like Latin bands (yourselves included) looked to infuse their cultural identity with rock ’n’ roll and other forms, but these days it’s very different. Kids with laptops are producing sounds that almost could have been made anywhere in the Spanish-speaking world, or even in the U.S., England or wherever.
I think each is doing what they do best, and most importantly, they’re doing what they want. The sound that you create, in its own way, defines a new generation. We’re mature rockers now, which is another essence altogether, but at the same time, we’re interested in fusing certain aspects of our sound with contemporary elements.
How is the band going to keep things fresh?
Breaking new ground was never too important to us, until it actually became important. But really it’s the song itself that’s always most important. The freshness comes from the essence and intensity of LFC—that’s how it works for us.
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