LANÇA-CHAMAS RADIO SHOW




"Lança-Chamas... as 7 Vidas do Heavy Metal" (Flamethrower... "The 7th Lives of Heavy Metal")


Lança-Chamas (Flamethrower) was the very 1st Heavy Metal Radio show on Portuguese national radio, Rádio Comercial. It was presented by one of the most charismatic radio broadcasters of all time, the great António Sérgio (R.I.P. 1950-2009). Dedicated to Hard Rock and all variants of Heavy Metal, "Flamethrower" debuted on October 23rd 1983, with only one hour of program. Alignment of the first program:

Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks
Judas Priest - Heading Out To The Highway
Black Sabbath - Disturbing The Priest
Black Sabbath - Mob Rules
Aerosmith - Chiquita
AC/DC - High Voltage
AC/DC - Let There Be Rock
Deep Purple - Black Night
Dio - Stand Up And Shout
Ted Nugent - Free For All
Judas Priest - Pain And Pleasure
Black Sabbath - Trashed


The impressive charisma of António Sérgio, his magnificent "big voice", the scarcity of programs of its kind, the courage to make an unusual program of this nature at the national level, the project ensured immediate success and at the request of the fans, quickly spread to two hours show aorund 1985.The work of António Sérgio influenced not only the formation of a considerable number of bands, fanzines, Metal Fan-Clubs and other related projects, but also the creation of numerous programs in full boom of the pirate radios and also local radios, driving directly and significantly the development of the Portuguese Metal Underground in the 80s.

Listening to the
"Flamethrower" on Saturday afternoon between 16h and 18h was a ritual, a religious act. Waiting to
the first chords of the fabulous "Eruption" (Van Halen) intro! Hear those 1`42m of music shivered us from head to toe, plunges us deep into the wonderful world of Heavy Metal. We entered in another dimension, under the motto "The 7th Lives of Heavy Metal". We recorded the whole program so we could hear it over and over. Obviously we reproduce it to friends, who repeated the ritual ad aeternum, driving the phenomenon of tape-tradding in Portugal at breakneck speed. Every Antonio`s syllable, every sentence was voluptuously assimilated. Listen carefully to that voice almost hypnotic, very powerful, hot, full, surrounding us and given us a sense of power, excitement. It was at the "Flamethrower" that we heard at first-hand the latest albums of the biggest international bands, discovered new and exciting sub-genres, hear the emerging groups, the main novelties of the Eternal Sound.

The "Flamethrower" did not forget the National Underground. With the entry of Paulo "Scorp" Fernandes (lead singer of Cruise, who recorded a 7" single) and Gustavo Vidal (head of the Heavy Metal Zombies Paranoid Fan-Club and the fanzine Renascimento do Metal) on the program team (Antonio Freitas also, as assistant in the late '80s), the headbangers were introduced to the latest Portuguese bands and fanzines, Metal Fan-Clubs, concerts or Sunday matinees at the legendary Rock Rendez Vous (when there were concerts in a few weeks and passage of music with transmission of other clips from MTV).

However, despite enormous success, the direction of the Radio Comercial tries several times to close the program. Outraged, thousands of fans responded en masse with protest letters, keeping the "Flamethrower" in the air. Until the early 90s, the privatization of the station would even spell the end of the program around 1992, which was to be held at Radio Energy for a brief period before close down permanently, leaving a gap impossible to fill in the Metal radio in Portugal.

António Sérgio was director and radio announcer, DJ, led a record label, producer, promoter and music expert. He forever marked the Portuguese radio. Its enormous honesty, broad culture, unmatched charisma, professionalism beyond reproach and genuine passion for music influenced thousands. António Sérgio died of a heart attack, November 1st 2009.

text by Dico






26 comments:

  1. Sérgio was a RADIO GOD.
    How I longed over the weeks for those PRECIOUS Saturday afternoon SHOWS.
    I also tapped the shows - we didnt get most of the records over here.

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    1. Alguma possibilidade de pedir cópias dessas gravações?

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  2. HELL YEAAAAH!! \m/

    This is HISTORY!

    Obrigado António Sérgio.

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  3. Que nostalgia. Tinha 14-15 anos quando ouvia isto. Contava os minutos para as 16h quando finalmente, no deserto português do hard rock/heavy metal se acendia o farol do António Sérgio, o LANÇA-CHAMAS! Obrigado Sérgio por tão bons momentos musicais.

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  4. Boa tarde headbangers do meu pais,que memórias e saudades que eu tinha de ouvir isto,é um regresso a minha juventude e de alguns amigos meus um grande bem haja ao antónio sérgio esteja ele onde estiver,obrigado pelas grandes tardes de sábado que nos destes eu quero o lança chamas de volta á rádio,eu exijo o lança chamas de volta,só há uma pessoa para continuar o legado o ANTONIO FREITAS,ANTÓNIO chega-te á frente amigo, LANÇA CHAMAS E METAL para sempre,um grande abraço a todos os heavys deste pais.

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  5. O tema dos Led Zeppelin, que iniciou o Lança-Chamas foi o enorme, "When the Levee Breaks".Tema original de Memphis Minnie.
    Grandes tardes de sábado.

    João Lourenço

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  6. 2014 - Ainda fã do Lança- Chamas. Obrigada António Sérgio.

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  7. ouvia todos os sabados das 16 ás 18h grande programa, grande antonio sergio e depois havia a feira da ladra :) espaço dedicado ao panorama nacional

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  8. Bons tempos! Poucas rádios a fazer isto mas sempre com qualidade...

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  9. muitas muitas saudades desta grande voz que foi António Sérgio, sábado à tarde não perdia um programa. Tempos áureos estes.

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  10. Como se chamava a musica do flash metálico, o bloco de noticias do lança chamas?

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  11. Como se chamava a musica do flash metálico, o bloco de noticias do lança chamas?

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    Replies
    1. The rattler - Cozy Powell :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ8EZDEdnms

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    2. Cozy Powell - The Rattler

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ8EZDEdnms

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  12. Andei anos à procura da música do flash metálico... e encontrei! Sempre gostei muito da música. parece um exagero, mas estou radiante! Viva António Sérgio!

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    1. não é exagero, também eu que durante anos acompanhei António Sergio e há muito pouco tempo descobri a música....

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  13. ALGUEM TEM GRAVAÇOES DO PROGRAMA QUE FAÇA COPIAS E VENDA?

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  14. Tens aqui uns quantos https://www.mixcloud.com/jon-marx/lan%C3%A7a-chamas-i/

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  15. His Masterly Voice. If ever a Volcano could speak...

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  16. O Lanca Chamas marcoume para sempre junto com mais 1 ou 2 programas de radio dos 80s de metal, foi a nossa escola inicial do hard n heavy. O Antonio Sergio (RIP) foi o nosso John Peel, mas ainda melhor porque o Peel nunca andou pelo metal. Como muitos dizem aqui era uma experiencia religiosa ao sabado a tarde as 4 horas em ponto com o estalar do eruption.

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  17. E o Alvaro Boavida?

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