Los Bichos

Los Bichos formed in Navarra in 1987. Their influences (Television, Richard Hell, Patti Smith, Birthday Party, Scientists, The Velvet Underground, Stooges...) catalyzed into a frantic poetry and a deranged musicality. Coming from Pamplona, ​​they were Josetxo Ezponda (voice and guitar), Carlos González "Charly" (guitar), Alfonso Asio (bass) and Fermín (drums). Josetxo Ezponda came from Tension, the first punk band from Pamplona that started in 1978 and dissolved two years later. He continued with Neon Provos, group in which he coincided with Asio (bass) and Charly (guitar) and dissolved in 1983. 

In December of 1988 they open for Paul Collins in the Gares club of Puente la Reina (Navarra). In January 1989, they traveled to Madrid to play in the Agapo club. In March they participated in the first Villa de Bilbao contest, where they won the first prize to the most innovative group of the contest. The formation suffers again a change in the drums, entering Rubén Ruiz from Tijuana in Blue. Their time came when the Basque label Oihuka gave them the opportunity to release their first single, 'Anita Latigazo'. Next year the first full-length of the band appeared, 'Color Hits' (Oihuka, 1989), collecting very good reviews among the specialized press due to the quality of their compositions. 

A year later, they participated in the Romilar D compilation 'The Worst Around', with Cancer Moon, La Perrera and La Secta. Josetxo was also responsible for the album cover, a very personal design with psychedelic and diabolic atmospheres. In 1991 Rubén left the band and was replaced by Jesus Suinaga of Cancer Moon. 

'In Bitter Pink' was their second album, a double LP with twenty-seven songs, also for Oihuka, with tributes to Serge Gainsbourg, Alex Chilton and Phil Spector. Despite having achieved success, discussions into the group increased, ending up dissolving in January 1992 after a performance in Tarrasa. They would leave their last record in the form of MiniAlbum, but signing as Josetxo, that was entitled 'My Deaf Pink Love' (Munster, 1991). The album picked up own songs and their usual personal versions or tributes, this time to Lee Hazlewood, Suicide, Scientists and Howlin' Wolf. 

After fifteen years, Munster issued 'Los Bichos 1991-1988' in 2006, a CD Book that reviewed the group's trajectory through 36 songs selected by Josetxo himself, who also wrote the history of the band in ten chapters with drawings and unpublished pictures. In April 2013, Josetxo Ezponda passes away.  [SOURCE: GRUPOS NACIONALES NUEVA OLA 80]