Flema

Flema was an argentinian punk rock band, one of the most important and influential of the country, that has managed to find her unique style among other punk bands. The last configuration of the band was: Ricardo Espinosa (vocals and guita

Flema was an argentinian punk rock band, one of the most important and influential of the country, that has managed to find her unique style among other punk bands. The last configuration of the band was: Ricardo Espinosa (vocals and guitar), Fernando Rossi (Bass), Luis Garibaldo (Guitar), and Pepe Carvallo (Drums). Their songs usually talk about loneliness, alcohol and drugs, friends, women, politics, and complains about the tough things in life. Their songs have titles like "borrachos en la esquina" (drunked on the corner), "Semen de buey" (bullock semen), "Blanco cristal" (White cristal, a reference to cocaine). The band leader, Ricardo Espinosa (a.k.a 'Ricky') was a very controversial and loved figure, and the core and spirit of Flema. Always drunk, always on coke, allways in trouble. It was usual that the band could not play on a scheduled date because Ricky and other band members were detained on a local police station.

The band was formed in 1987, in Avellaneda (Buenos Aires) by a group of teenager students. There were a lot of changes in the formation, with Ricky as the only constant member. Allways an underground band, flema launched their first record in the year 1992 ("Pogo, mosh & Slam"), trough an independent record company. The band adquired great success in the argentinian punk scene, not reaching the masses only because of the reputation of troublemakers of their members, specially Ricky. Their shows were marked by chaos, the members usually drunked and doped on the stage, Ricky fighting with the public, sniffing cocaine on the stage, etc. Their songs often featured gutural vomit-like sounds performed by Ricky, that were one of Flema's trademarks. Happy melodies mixed with profound and touching lyrics written by the perturbed Ricky catched up the feelings of many teenagers, that saw their problems reflected in the songs of that band of the suburbs.