Spanish session guitarist Pablo Tato has toured with some of the biggest names on the planet, including Adele, Lana Del Rey and Sophie Ellis-Bextor. He’s also a fiercely proud Cosmics customer, currently sporting a brand-new pair of our C8As.
We caught up with the guitar legend to talk everything from teenage rebellion and life-on-the-road survival tips, to his obsession with padel, and why his recent upgrade to the C8As has completely blown him away.
What was the first album you bought with your own money?
It was a tape cassette of a Spanish indie singer called Christina y los Subterraneos, soon followed by another tape by Roxette. Let’s say my musical taste was evolving.
Who was your biggest musical hero growing up, and have you ever had the chance to meet them?
I was a big prog head in my teens, and the records of King Crimson shaped my musical personality enormously. I listened to them compulsively for years and years. I had the chance to attend one of Robert Fripp’s Crafty Guitarists Courses many years ago and spent a few days with him and another 40-50 Crimson freaks playing augmented scales in semiquavers and counting polyrhythms. Absolute fun.
Think back to your first ever gig – where was it, what did you play and how did it go?
It was a school concert, I was probably 12 or 13, and I had my first band called Alalba – three or four kids with nylon string guitars singing Spanish pop/rock covers. The very conservative head teacher of our school told us not to play one song that included mildly explicit lyrics (the fabulous Sin Documentos by Los Rodriguez), but being pre-teen rebels, OF COURSE we played it at the gig, so we all ended up in detention.
Was there a specific moment or gig that made you realise you wanted to do this for a living?
Visiting my older brother David, rehearsing with his rock band when I was around 10. It was total chaos, and they probably weren’t very good, but hearing the guitarist playing power chords just a few feet away from me made something click in my brain. I knew I needed to do that in life; it was a proper calling!
Aside from your instrument or your Cosmics, what is the one non-musical item you absolutely cannot tour without?
My padel racket! I have become obsessed with the sport and have been playing constantly for the past year. Over time, I have managed to convince several members of the band and crew to try it, and many of us are hooked. So much so that the first thing we do when arriving in a new city for a gig or festival is check if there are any padel courts around.
What is the best piece of advice another musician or audio professional has ever given you about surviving life on the road?
Be nice, be clean, be on time. There will always be tons of better musicians than you, but not that many people are easy to be around.
If you could jump into a time machine and play a gig in any decade from the 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s, or the 10s, which would you choose and why?
The 70s always have a place in my heart. And it’d be the perfect excuse to wear a cape and platform boots.
You're a long-term fan of Cosmic Ears – what made you try the brand in the first place, and why have you stayed with us for 7 years?
When touring The Song Diaries Tour with Sophie Ellis-Bextor in 2019, there was a full orchestra onstage, and the stage needed to be as silent as possible. It was time to ditch monitors and get everyone on IEMs. All my life, I had played with loud amps behind my back and loud monitors in front of me, so I was very reluctant to jump into in-ears – especially since I had only tried crappy generic ones with very little sealing and a nonexistent bottom end.
I had a few colleagues who were already using Cosmics and were really pleased with them, so I thought I would try buying my first C6As. Since then, I have been so very happy with them in any kind of situation, from studio recordings to small gigs to stadium or arena-type venues. The sound I get every night is so consistent and well-defined. Plus, I don’t want to jinx it, but I haven’t had to do a single repair in 7 years; they seem to be built like tanks!
How have you found the sound has evolved – you've been on the C6As for years and recently upgraded to the C8As, how is the upgrade?
I literally have just started trying my new C8As for the first time at a festival this past weekend, and I have to say I am blown away. I knew they would be a step up, but the difference is outstanding. Such a level of clarity, definition, and warmth covering pretty much all ranges of frequencies – from thick, warm bass to rich mids and smooth, crisp, and lovely highs. I swear I was able to hear little notes and frequencies when performing this weekend that I couldn’t hear before! Really, really, really happy.
How has using Custom Hearing Protection or in-ears changed the way you perform night after night?
Relaxation! Having the ability to control the volume from your pack while still retaining sound definition and clarity makes playing your instrument much more relaxed and focused. It helps so much with how you perform and how much you enjoy your job!
If you had to describe the sound profile of your Cosmics in just three words, what would they be?
Crisp. Spacial. Stellar.
You’re curating your ultimate dream festival. Which three artists (dead or alive) are headlining the main stage?
This is going to be the most middle-aged millennial dad answer ever, but they would have to be The Beatles, Pink Floyd and Radiohead. Unoriginal but proud.
Which band or artist would you most like to write the soundtrack to your biopic / who would play you in the biopic?
Haha, if I could choose, I would get Rosalía to score my biopic and Pedro Pascal to play me, just so I can meet them both at the Premiere. Pablo Tato’s Day Off for a working title?
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