The best sound of the Rock

James Morrison, Melon Diesel and Hard-Fi performed on the first day of the Gibraltar Music Festival: Summer Sessions at the Europa Sports Arena. 

James Morrison brought a calm and melodic sound to the stage, giving the audience a more relaxed start to the evening. His performance was well received, while local artists also drew strong support from the crowd. 

Hard-Fi then brought a sharper indie rock sound from London to the festival. The band, from Staines, is fronted by Richard Archer and draws on influences from bands so powerful as The Clash, The Smiths and The Jam. 

Local singer-songwriter Nikolai Celecia also performed, bringing a more intimate sound to the evening. 

Celecia is part of Gibraltar’s emerging indie folk and country scene, with music combining personal storytelling and acoustic sounds while drawing on his Mediterranean roots and wider American musical traditions.  

His songs bring together a warm Americana sound with the storytelling tradition at the heart of his music. 

The mood changed with Melon Diesel, as the audience was ready to dance and sing along to their best songs. The Gibraltarian band received the usual enthusiastic reception, with the crowd joining in with songs they had heard many times before. 

DJ Wayne brought the first evening to a close, providing a final change of pace with his DJ set and keeping the festival crowd engaged through the closing performance. 

The combination of local and international artists gave the opening night a varied musical line-up for this renewed GMF. 

Gallery by Johnny Bugeja: