El Fraguel, Palma's most legendary heavy metal bar

PalmFraguel Rock was open for 23 years. It closed in a disastrous 2018, at the height of the decline of the party scene in Gomila, but for two decades it remained Palma's legendary heavy metal bar. Thundering music, walls painted with skulls and scythes, sticky floors, and a family atmosphere. Every heavy metal band that was needed played on its stage. "Anyone who didn't play didn't want to," says José Miguel Flores. the Beard, who with Marisa Márquez were the owners of the premises.

Flores explains that they had a good time, but after the City Council ordered the closure of most of the venues in the area, things got worse. "We held on for many years after the municipal closure order, but the last few years were already full of problems." "We couldn't hold concerts, and many people had gotten older and didn't go out like they used to," he says.

Juan Cardell, one of the bartenders at Fraguel, agrees: "Habits were changing; young people were more into drinking, and the surrounding environment was more hostile." Juan describes the pub's atmosphere as "being in your room, listening to the music you like, but at full volume and surrounded by friends." He remembers José and Marisa as very close people: "They were the typical friends you would go out partying with, to have a good time with, even though it was their business."

For many, this temple of metal was the end of a route that could have started at Valhalla—a Norse mythology-themed brewery where mead was served from horns—or at Lorien, the historic brewery-cum-longueteria on Calle de las Caputxines, which is still open. "Then we'd go to Gomila, and Fraguel was the place where you'd end up at night... in the early hours," says Juan, who after frequenting the stall for years ended up working as David's replacement. the Toad, Eveth's guitarist.

True metal institutions passed through the Fraguel bar, both front and back.Mallorcan and true believers of heavy metal, like Manu Carvajal, from the program The Phantom of the Opera, and Miko Heikkila, from Fool's Kin, among many others. Jaume Vilanova, from War Pigs; Pedro Sánchez (Golgotha, Battlehorn, Ancient Realm), Edu Segovia (In War), Xenxo (Mythshine), Alex Irongirl from La Poza (del Meh) and Will Adrift (Helevorno, Hyde XXI, Cine Nightmare) are some of the names that They remembered Fraguel in a publication in La Poza on the occasion of its closure in January 2018. Alex wrote: "At Fraguel the music was awesome; the service, fucking great; the beer, cold, and the rum and glue made by my partner and friend José contained a maximum of 3% Coca-Cola, so everything was fine!"

Barbas recalls that within heavy metal, they played a little bit of everything, and also whatever was requested (if they had it). The top-tier music they played was Europe and Bon Jovi, and from there, through the whole spectrum of heavy metal, they reached the most extreme metal, like Cannibal Corpse. Fear of the Dark, by Iron Maiden, it was a classic and there were never a couple of missing hits of Metallica and Nightmare, of Avenged Sevenfold. Just as other bars in the area adapted to the market, the Fraguel always remained faithful to the true metalMany of his followers still remember the end of the party when the song began to play over the loudspeakers. Painkiller, by Judas Priest, with Rob Halford singing "Faster than a bullet / terrifying scream", and the whole place, moving their necks in unison, chanted the well-known verse: "He is the painkillerFor many, Fraguel is what it really was: a place where you could forget the problems of the outside world for a few hours, where you could be at home, in a safe, familiar environment where pain could be quelled with a riff.

The bar responds

What music used to play?

— Heavy metalin the broad sense of the term.

What drink was most requested by customers?

— Beer, calimocho and liters of whiskey.

What would you say was the brand of the bar?

— People went for the music and the good atmosphere.

Any anecdote that makes you laugh when you remember it?

— Concerts, Sergio's corner boss.