Spanish guitarist, singer and songwriter Juan José Ezponda Puente (b. 22 June 1961 - d. 16 April 2013) active since the late 1970's in the local scene of Navarra playing with
Tension (1978) and
Neon Provos (1982) among other bands such
Flores Muertas (1986) with
Carlos González on guitar and
Joseba Etxarri on drums, they reached the final Navarra music contest "I Muestra de Pop Rock" and also
Bloodletter (1983-86) as solo project or alias with three demos recorded. He reached cult status in the Spanish underground scene with
Los Bichos between 1988 and 1991. After the demise of the band, he went solo, cutting a LP in 1991 and other album in 1995 as
El Bicho.
Note:
Tensión did not release any record or demo, only live recordings exists. Members: Josecho Ezponda (vocals), Oscar Raúl Pueyo (lead guitar), Carlos Díez (guitar), Manuel “Manolo” Blanca (bass) and José María Solano (drums).
Musical background of Los Bichos:
- October 1978: Josetxo Ezponda sets up
Tension, the first punk group from Pamplona. Their scandalous performances make them well known in the city. They dissolved in the spring of 1980.
- May 1980: Josetxo joins Charly (guitar) and Asio (bass) and together with other members they form
Neon Provos. They dissolved in the fall of 1983.
- January 1984: Josetxo with alias
Bloodletter recorded three demos made by him in the years 1984-1985 and 1986.
- Spring 1986: Josetxo Ezponda Charly puts together
Flores Muertas, a group that is a finalist in the first rock contest of the Government of Navarra.
Biography of Los Bichos:
- Summer 1987: Josetxo, Asio and Charly get together to record a demo and perform in Barcelona. They do not continue performing because they lack a permanent drummer to play with them.
- March 1988: the formation stabilizes with the entry of
Fermín Belloso (ex Fiebre) to the drums.
- May 1988: they recorded their first demo with this group.
- September 1988: they recorded another demo with what would later become several songs from their first LP.
- December 1988: they open for Paul Collins at the Gares nightclub in Puente la Reina (Navarra). They are chosen by the magazine "The Munster Heritage" to be included in the compilation (LP) "Favorites to dance from the Munster Heritage".
- January 1989: they travel to Madrid to play at the Agapo venue, this bar awarded them an award for one of the strongest live bands.
- March 1989: they travel to participate in the first Villa de Bilbao contest, where they win first prize for the most innovative group in the contest. Her first single "Anita latigazo" goes on sale, a song taken from her latest demo.
- May 1989: a promotional flexi is released with the song "Sueño rojo" for a sound company.
- June 1989: the lineup is remodeled with the change of drummer,
Rubén Ruiz (formerly Tijuana in Blue) enters. The LP recorded for Oihuka "Color hits" is released.
-
Jesus Suinaga from
Cancer Moon replaced to Ruben on drums. 2xLP “Bitter Pink” (1991) contained 27 songs (with versions by Serge Gainsbourg, Alex Chilton and Phil Spector) that were suffocating, intense and noisy.
