Xavier Font, founder of Locomía, will arrive in Peru with the new members of the group to make their fans dance with an unmissable concert that will take place on March 16 at the Cultural Center of Spain. The creative soul of this electropop band from the 80s spoke exclusively with The Republic and told unpublished details of the strict clauses that were in a contract they signed when they were successful. Likewise, he talked about the upcoming release of the film on Netflix, the idea of including fans to the group's aesthetics and the most emotional memory of him with his former partner. Francesc Picaswho passed away a few months ago.
YOU CAN SEE: Francesc Picas, former member of Locomía, dies at 53
—Was Locomía ahead of its time?
—We were very advanced in everything because we made electronic pop, which did not exist 40 years ago, and also because of the aesthetics. We arrived in Peru, Chile, Venezuela, Colombia, and we were like alienssince we had our own way of dressing and a particular musical form performed by four quite attractive and elegant men.
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—Is it true that in the midst of their success they were made to sign a contract with severe clauses?
—When you are in that maelstrom of success, you don't even have time to react. Locomía was the second in Spain after the song 'Lambada', that's when this one came strict contract with clauses stating that you couldn't wear more makeup than necessary, you couldn't go out at night to a gay club, we couldn't kiss publicly with any of the members or with a third external man.
This contract was out of place with conditions that did not apply to us. In addition, it is specified that any of the clauses that someone violates, the production company will change it. We were like soldiers.
—There is a controversy with the music producer José Luis Gil, do you give him the credit that he led Locomía to success?
—The producer José Luis Gil was lucky enough to find it all done by us and it was very easy for him to put music to it. At first, I said: 'Let's see what happens with the adventure of music.' It worked, until finally things change. When there was fame, he became very egocentric and I was always very anarchic and I had to leave the group. That was my mistake, I should never have left Locomía.
—What inspired you to create Locomía?
—At 17 I had my own way of dressing. Furthermore, alternative artists of that time caught my attention, such as David Bowie, Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, who had their personal stamp. This inspired me to create the pointe shoe of Locomía, which I saw in a museum, and the popular fans.
After getting rid of military serviceI settled in Ibiza and, although at the beginning I did not have a plan to create a musical group with a brand, then it happened and I managed to register the name of Locomía.
—How did the idea of including fans within the Locomía aesthetic come about?
—It wasn't planned. I once went to a nightclub in Sitges (Spain) and saw a gay couple with a small, conventional fan, and they were waving it, which I found very comical and visual. The next day, I took all the sheets from my mother's bed and started cutting out and making an idea of a fan, I got the nine rods and glued them to the sheet.
The first fans I made were heavy because they were handmade, but then I adapted them for myself. In a nightclub, I danced with this accessory and it caught everyone's attention. That's how it all started, very organic.
—Do you plan to create in the future a group similar to Locomía?
—Locomía is not over; Even on the day I am missing or die, I want it to continue (…). If I started from scratch with a group, I think it would be something very prefabricated and what I want is to have the continuity of these 40 years and for people to understand that Locomía is a serious thing and not marketing.
—What news related to Locomía are coming for 2024?
—Although there has already been a series of Locomía that is on Movistar Plus+, the April 19, 2024 the premiere movie through Netflix and Atresmedia Television. In this film there will be actors from the series 'Elite' such as Jaime Lorente. You can find this information on our website: www.locomia.com.
—How do you remember Francesc Picas, your friend and former teammate from Locomía, who died recently?
—Francesc Picas was a crazy person, artist, writer, poet, painter (…). I love him, I love him and he was a great Locomía (…). I once wanted to give Francesc a ring and he told me that he couldn't accept it and that he didn't want to make our relationship official. ANDo I never understood anything and once he told me: 'Do you know why I didn't accept the ring from you? Because I love you for eternity.' It's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me in my life.
