Primavera Sound Festival consolidates Barcelona on indie music circuit
Wilco, Pet Shop Boys and Orbital head a strong line up at the Parc del Fòrum
Barcelona (CNA).- The tenth edition of the Primavera Sound Festival has consolidated the event as one of the most popular on the European indie music circuit. From the 27th to the 29th of May, a record attendance of over 100.000 people packed the Parc del Fòrum and enjoyed more than 240 performances by 194 bands through to the early hours of the morning.
After days of warm-up performances at several venues, Primavera Sound kicked off with performances by The Wave Pictures, The XX, Broken Social Scene, Fuck Buttons, Superchunk or a reunited Pavement, among others. Tortoise and smaller bands like the astonishingly energetic Titus Andronicus or Crocodiles were among other perdormances that delighted fans.
On paper, Friday was the strongest day of the Festival. Scout Niblett, The New Pornographers and Spoon were among the early evening gigs, and Beach House surprised a full house with a captivating performance. The big acts then followed. Wilco conquered the crowd with an engaging performance after some technical problems led frontman Jeff Tweedy to lead the fans in a sing-along of ‘Jesus, Etc.’. Wilco was followed by the eagerly awaited Pixies, who disappointed some with an overly-mechanical performance although the sound quality and the delivery of every hit kept their fans happy. Yeasayer, who played late into the night, were a surprise to many and delighted the audience with their lively experimental music. Later, local band Mujeres gave fans an energy rush that made it impossible not to move.
The third and last day promised to be no less spectacular than the other two, with a lineup that included big names like the Pet Shop Boys, Orbital or The Charlatans. It did not disappoint. The young and promising Florence and the Machine gave a spectacular show on the main stage in the early evening and was followed by Grizzly Bear, The Antlers, The Drums, and So Cow. Later, The Charlatans (performing their 1990 album ‘Some Friendly') and Built to Spill gave the fans effective rock performances, and Sunny Day Real Estate offered one of the big moments of the night. The opening of the Pet Shop Boys’ European tour was as spectacular as expected including changes of costumes, a giant series of square blocks and above all, many, many hits. Electronic duo Orbital closed the festival with a strong last performance.
There were interesting parallel activities such as Minimúsica, with musical gigs and activities for kids. The Parc del Fòrum, an urban park that lies along the Mediterranean sea, was a perfect scenario for Primavera Sound, particularly for the visiting public, and the great early summer weather made it even better. Overall, it was an excellent festival that exceeded expectations, both as regards turnout and the quality of the bands.