Primavera Sound 2018

It's alive! I know, I know... It wasn't obvious, this last year. But like a phoenix raising from the ashes, etc, etc., this blog came back to life. And since to every thing there is a season, let's start again with Primavera Sound, before the 2019 edition begins!

I know sometimes I am a bit harsh with issues related to the price or audience of this festival. If you arrived here by chance, you can easily refer to previous editions to understand what I mean. But the fact is that a festival is - or should be - mostly about the music. And when it comes to music, Primavera Sound rarely disappoints. So let's get to the point!

Day 1

I am surprisingly getting better every year at leaving early on Primavera Thursdays, at least early enough so that I don't miss the beginning of the festivities. Which, for me, is one of the best things of this festival because you get to discover bands that aren't necessarily super famous, with the luxury of not being surrounded by a million people. Yep, you got that last comment right: it's 100% the photographer in me talking! This moment of the festival is when I am still able to get to the front rows with my camera, without disturbing anyone and without being disturbed.

First round of 2018

This year, I got there right on time to catch Nat Simons, a Spanish singer whose style tends more towards Americana. Actually, mentioning that she is Spanish is pretty irrelevant as her music clearly sounds like it was made on the other side of the Ocean! But everyone seems very surprised that a Spanish girl can make music that sounds so, well... not Spanish. Anyway, it was quite nice, I have to say. The kind of music that would surely make a good companion to a road trip and that provides a very nice start for a festival.

Nat Simons

Next concert: Vagabon. I have to admit I didn't really know her but curiosity led me to the first row of her concert. A Cameroon-born girl who discovered guitar indie in New York? Sounded promising! And the concert was quite good. I didn't feel utterly passionate about the music itself but was quite impressed by the heart and intensity Vagabon puts in her songs and on stage in general.

Vagabon

Then first excursion to the Adidas Stage, which had often been the stage of some of my favourite concerts in previous editions, to see British band Yonaka. Well, that was my first real festival crush in this 2018 edition! The band delivers a weird mix of rock, metal and pop that turns out to be quite exhilarating. You can't quite decide whether to dance or go for some serious head-banging but the fact is they're really good on stage and their singer is particularly fiery. Nothing more to add, I had a really good time and would definitely go and see them again for a longer "real" gig!

Yonaka

I then had a quick look at The Twilight Sad on my way to the other end of the venue. These ones are not really new but I had never seen them live. It probably wasn't the most upbeat gig you could see at Primavera Sound that year but I have to say that the rather depressive mood of their music makes for beautiful, emotional moments. I didn't stick around very long, but long enough to think I would like to go and see them again, preferably in a more intimate setting.

The Twilight Sad

But it was time for me to go and see one of the headliners. Well, they might not have been presented as headliners but they definitely were for me. I am of course referring to Warpaint, whom I had seen for the first time some years ago in this same festival, and enjoyed again at Rock en Seine. What can I say? I love these girls! And with a bit of perspective, I think they definitely were one of the highlights of Primavera Sound last year. The beginning of the show might have been a bit difficult, they experienced issues with the sound but starting the gig with Intro and Keep It Healthy was a good move, that clearly set up the pace for this atmospheric dream pop they excel in. And the rest of the concert just went crescendo, with highlights such as Love Is to Die and Undertow. I very much enjoyed seeing them again and only regretted their concert didn't last longer.

Warpaint

On the stage just across this zone that sometimes makes me think of Mordor (especially at night when you have to find your way among the tons of empty beer glasses literally scattered everywhere across the barren ground), other headliners of the early evening were playing: The War on Drugs. I had never seen them before and was quite curious to have a look. I don't know their music very well, honestly, but the few songs I do know are quite efficient, at least to remain in my head for some time! Well, I was a bit disappointed. Honestly, I found the gig a bit boring, with nothing really going on, on stage. I took the opportunity to rest a little and gather my strength, waited till they played Red Eyes 'cause I like this one, then made my way back to my dear Adidas stage!

Just caught one of the guys of PS Graphic

For a moment, I hesitated going back there. If you've ever been to Primavera Sound, you know why. This is not the typical festival where you walk 5 minutes to get from one stage to another. No, no... This is a fucking hike! The other reason I hesitated was that Björk was scheduled right after The War on Drugs. But my musical investigations, prior to the festival, had aroused my curiosity about an artist I didn't know. So hike it was... And my, was it worth it... A real shock was waiting for me there. Anna von Hausswolff just left me completely bewildered and speechless. I don't think I had experienced such an intense concert since Zola Jesus... But it is kind of hard to describe, to be honest... Her magnificent, weird, eerie pop just seems to operate some kind of dark magic. It certainly left me in a daze. Obviously, I already sent her name as a proposal for Cooncert...

With an ecstatic smile on my face, I crawled back to Mordor to catch the second half of Björk's concert. OK, so this one is not going to be easy... First, let me say that I had already seen Björk about four times before, the last being in Barcelona not so long ago. I do not know if it is because Anna von Hausswolff' gig was so incredible or because it was a festival, which entails being surrounded by a certain amount of people who probably didn't care so much about the music, but truth is it did cost me a little to get in... Her voice remains as impressive as ever (which I am not saying lightly, considering that she's not exactly 20 anymore and had, as we all know, some serious problems with her vocal cords) and even though I am fonder of her earliest records, I have always admired her will to explore, investigate, create, renew her un-classifiable kind of music. But I was not entirely moved by this show, contrary to the previous one I had seen. Maybe it is just the festival factor (which is something I will talk about in more details in my review of the second festival of 2018, so in other words: stay tuned!). It mostly made me long to see her again but in a concert of her own.

Björk

Still, I remained in Mordor for a good cause, which I gather you already have guessed. That's right, I'm talking about Nick Cave, aka the master of channeling beauty in the dark. So what can I write about the concert of Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds that hasn't been written already? Not much, probably. I'll just add my voice to the choir, I guess. So yes, it was an amazing concert. Both gloomy and fiery. The opening song kinda set the mood: Jesus Alone, from their heart-breaking last record, so tinged with the personal drama the singer went through. But very soon, Do You Love Me? and From Her to Eternity released the beast... No one still really needs proof that Nick Cave is forever a performer at heart. Few artists can own the stage the way he does, with this peculiar chiaroscuro coming from the striking contrast between gloomy darkness and inexhaustible energy. Of course, few artists can also boast about mastering so well the art of story-telling. The concert went crescendo until a (relative) truce offered by songs from the last record, Girl in Amber and Distant Sky. Time to catch our breath and on to the final part of the concert, which culminated in some sort of exhilarating collective communion with Stagger Lee, during which Nick Cave had some people of the audience climb on stage. The last song, Push the Sky Away, came as a kind of emotional goodbye ceremony, which left me a little stunned and asking "Is it already over?" Well, yes, it was... and so was my first day at Primavera Sound because frankly, I felt that after that, nothing else could really be worth staying.

Conclusion of this first day? A nice, easy start; a very good discovery; a confirmation, if needed, that I really like Warpaint; another discovery that went much, much beyond the "very good"; a slight disappointment, quickly compensated by an extraordinary performance. Not bad for a first day, Primavera Sound, not bad! ;-)

Day 2

The second day started with a bit of a failure. Entirely my fault. I had in mind getting there quite early because I was curious to see Waxahatchee and because I thought it was finally my opportunity to get to see La Bien Querida, who I have always managed to miss. Well, double fail! Couldn't get myself to move on time. I went to see Oumou Sangaré instead, who was on my list anyway. Almost every year, Primavera Sound books an artist that comes from an African country. Usually, they are alone on the line-up, in the middle of a festival that predominantly goes for "electro-pop" stuff. I guess there must be a moment when the organizers look at their line-up and go like "oh, shit, we only have white people on stage... again." Yeah, it is complicated nowadays to find musicians who are not men and/or not white, eh? Oh, wait... OK, I'm being a little harsh. When it comes to female representation at least, Primavera Sound is actually not doing so bad (also an issue that I will surely mention in my review of the second festival I went to, so again: check out for further news!) and considering the line-up they have for 2019, it is safe to say they truly are making an effort. So back to Oumou Sangaré: the concert was super nice! She was extremely impressive with her long white and golden dress and her blue lips. Such an imposing presence on stage, such a warm voice... And her musicians were proof enough that it is not that complicated to promote a minimum of diversity on a stage! In short, a rather vibrant concert, based on very contagious energy, as the jumping, dancing audience exemplified!

Oumou Sangaré

Then back to rock. Not only rock, though... Vintage rock I was listening to in my teenage years! And no, I am not even ashamed of enjoying this kind of regression! This is what getting old(er) is about, I suspect: reminiscing and not feeling sorry for your tastes! Especially as a woman, I have to say, since I've had to listen to guys, pretty much my whole life, explaining to me what music is / should be about, or why I have shitty / amazing taste if I listen to [fill in with name of whatever band]. I guess it was high time I didn't give a shit anymore, right? So anyway, as she too seems to have taken her distance from Frank Black and the Pixies, Kim Deal has been reviving The Breeders, to my greatest joy! I actually saw them in Primavera Sound in 2013 already. Five years and a new record later, this band still seems as cool and relaxed as ever on stage, while combining melancholy and aggressive guitar riffs. The songs from the new record, which I hadn't listened to, sounded quite good. But of course, nothing set the crowd on fire as much as their classics like Cannonball, Divine Hammer and the acclaimed wink at Kim Deal's unforgettable participation in the Pixies with Gigantic. Needless to say the teenager in me was reborn!

The Breeders

I realize I spent quite a lot of time in Mordor during last year's Primavera Sound... But right after The Breeders, Father John Misty was playing on the other stage. I had wanted to see him for a quite a long time but, as it happens sometimes with some artists, your story with them is some kind of never-ending failed rendez-vous... Not this time, though! Long story short: it was a rather beautiful concert. Tillman was accompanied on stage with what almost resembled an orchestra, but that didn't prevent his songs to sound delicate and highlight his rather unique drama-folk-rock. My personal highlight was to be able to finally hear Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings live! Just one of these moments of pure joy :)

I then went to see The National. I'll be honest: I didn't really know anything more than a few songs. Still, I felt curious to see what they could do on a stage. Well, I'm still not sure what to think! It wasn't bad. Actually, their rather melancholic focus can only make me a potential target! Matt Berninger's baritone is also something I can easily enjoy. But somehow, the concert failed to move me. Maybe there was something a bit too smooth to my taste. Some of the songs are great, I wouldn't argue with that. But hearing them live didn't bring any particular interesting dimension, I guess. It all felt a little cold, in the end.

I left Mordor to go and see part of Thundercat's concert and that was much more exhilarating! Not sure I can write anything relevant here, aside from the obvious: there is no denying he is an incredible musician, and that this mixture of funk, soul, jazz, etc., is damn efficient! I regretfully didn't see much of his concert but would definitely repeat the experience.

I was quite curious to go and see Ibeyi. I didn't exactly know what to expect, but certainly not to enjoy the gig that much! Only with their powerful voices, their programming and percussions, the two sisters managed to move me and made me want to dance at the same time. Most of the set list was made of songs from their last record, and the Díaz sisters took time to introduce them. A special mention to No Man Is Big Enough for My Arms, which sounded great and vindictive, with its powerful introduction sampling Michelle Obama's "The measure of any society is how it treats its women and girls." Yes. That. Please! After a rather emotional Deathless, the sisters invited La Mala on stage to sing Me Voy with them, which sounds amazing on the record and didn't disappoint on stage either. Plus, it was quite impacting, moving and fun to see these three strong women on stage together! And of course, the concert came to an end with the beautiful River, sung with the help of the audience. Like I said, I didn't really expect much of this concert, which is probably why I loved it even more! It was powerful, fun, energetic and emotional all at the same time... and definitely too short!

Quite a radical change of style with La Banda Trapera Del Río! Obviously, I couldn't miss the first punk band in Spanish history! It is quite amazing to me that there is always at least one punk band at Primavera Sound... and that all of them are almost always systematically programmed on the Adidas stage (without going too far back, see The Damned's concert in 2017!). Not sure whether as a sponsor, Adidas actually cares about punk, or if it's just because it's kind of the most remote, almost hidden stage of the festival, haha! Anyway, needless to say La Banda Trapera didn't disappoint. With songs both in Catalan and Spanish, they transmitted a healthy social anger (still), in a rather relaxed, fun atmosphere. And they did take a moment to dedicate their song Venid a las Cloacas to Mariano Rajoy, who had just received the result of a motion of no confidence (at last!). A really, really great moment!

Then back to Pitchfork to see The Internet. The sound was not so great and I was quite far, surrounded by people who were clearly more interested in chit-chatting and taking selfies. Not the ideal conditions but I still managed to get a glimpse of the singer's charisma and to enjoy a rather efficient mixture of neo-soul and funk. The singer's warm voice remains my highlight of the concert and I'd definitely like to see them in better live conditions.

I had planned on staying to see Idles and Ty Segall, who I always enjoy seeing live (aaah, the sweet memories of Fuzz at Rock en Seine!). But I guess I paid the price of the professional travel I had done a few days before the festival, so I had to call it a night!

Day 3

The third and last day started with another failure! I wanted to go and see Christina Rosenvinge but it just didn't happen... I got to the venue in time to see Peter Perrett, though. In spite of staying away from a stage in a really long time, I have to say the show of The Only Ones' leader was quite good and I particularly enjoyed hearing How the West Was Won live.

At this stage, I have to mention that this Saturday was the weakest day of the festival for me. With the exception of a couple of names, no one really aroused great interest or enthusiasm on my part, so I went in discovery mode, hoping to come across nice surprises. It wasn't entirely the case, which explains why, in the next posts in which I traditionally publish the gig photos, you will see no pictures of this day! And it also explains why this review will be a bit shorter :)

After Peter Perrett, I spend a couple of hours feeling rather bored... I went to see Lift to Experience. So I actually walked miles through the whole fucking venue to go and see them! The indie/shoe gaze label was attractive but the concert failed to transmit much, to be honest. Again, not bad. Just not fascinating either.

Then I was quite curious to see Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever. And I walked back all the way to the Adidas stage. You can't really accuse me of not putting any efforts into this festival! But again, quite a disappointment. On paper, looked like they had everything to seduce me. But the gig lacked punch, somehow. Or maybe I was just feeling exhausted after so much walking back and forth between stages, haha! So I just went for a beer and made time. And gathered strengths before going back to Mordor... again!

It was worth it, though. I wanted to see Lykke Li again. Actually, I think I already saw her once, quite some years ago at Rock en Seine (quick search on Google allowed me to check it was in 2011, so yes... quite some years!). Probably more electro now than the concert I had seen at Rock en Seine, it was still a good demonstration of the Swedish artist's variety of styles. Maybe the stage was not the most adequate, though. Somehow, I can't help but feel a smaller stage would have suited her elegant, intimate, dreamy pop better. Still, the concert was a rather delicate moment, that gave me a welcome break in this not-so-fascinating-day, in company of the singer's velvet voice.

Lykke Li

Then on to the other end of Mordor, to see Lorde. Well, as for Björk, this one's gonna be hard... Not really sure what to think, to be honest. It was all very promising and I felt genuinely curious to see her live for the first time. The voice was great, although I would have enjoyed something less lost in technological samples, programming, etc, etc. Something a bit more straightforward, in a way, like the Diaz sisters managed to do. The energy was great too and felt rather genuine, benefiting from this juvenile touch of hers. But somehow, and not for the first time in this edition of Primavera Sound, it was a concert that didn't really move me. A bit like I feel before classical ballet: it is beautiful, I admire the technique. But it doesn't really make me feel anything, aside from admiration for the technical execution. Which is fine. But not enough for real artistic emotion. However, I would definitely go and see Lorde again, maybe in a couple of years or so, or simply in a different festival, because I am pretty sure she has a lot to offer and maybe this concert was just not the one for me.

I then had a dilemma: should I stay or should I go?! Deerhunter was like an hour later. It's not much but to be fair, it was the first time I spent three days of festival on my own and I guess I was starting to feel the weight of time passing by. Having to wait another hour at this point felt like a long, long time! I had no interest in seeing Arctic Monkeys. I tried, I really did. Several times. And I always felt a bit bored during their concerts. It's hard to explain why, considering I rather enjoy their music. I guess it's always given me the impression of lacking something genuine in live. There also was Beach House, but even later, and in the memories I have of their concerts, it isn't particularly upbeat, which is not very helpful when you're fighting against the temptation to just go home!

So instead of all the above-mentioned options, I caught the end of Jay Som's concert. I didn't really know them but had read quite a lot of positive reviews of the band's debut album. I have to say the concert was quite nice! I was quite seduced by the singer's voice and the nice mixture of pop melodies, indie rock and guitar riffs. The band had quite a versatile feel, which I'd be interested in following in the next few years.

Then a quick detour by the Adidas stage (what a surprise!) to see Oblivians. And that was another super nice gig, which continued to (re)motivate me after a relatively flat day. The Memphis band delivered a feverish, efficient garage-punk rock, with touches of blues now and then. I couldn't stay long, because of another dilemma...

Oblivians

Once I had decided to stay a bit longer, well, there was an obvious proposal that had caught my attention: Dead Cross, of course! I mean, c'mon... Mike Patton? Already an argument for me to stay longer! Add a few other names, such as Dave Lombardo and Justin Pearson, and you get yourself some kind of surreal super band. So while a majority of people went to see Arctic Monkeys, I sipped a beer, while enjoying harder sounds and feeling quite tempted to go head-banging! If there are two things you can't deny Mike Patton, it is that he too is a performer at heart. The second thing is his seemingly endless versatility. OK, we can all think of Faith No More, fair enough. But beyond Faith No More? I still remember the awesome concert of Tomahawk I saw at Rock en Seine a few years back (and then again, thanks Google: it was 2013, apparently!). And all the collaborations with artists I've admired, Björk and Soulsavers on top of my list... Anyway, back to the concert: it was a very in-your-face moment and it felt pretty good after a rather mixed day. They ended the concert with a cover of Raining Blood (of course), cut short by an amused Mike Patton who ironically waved goodbye.

Dead Cross

This concert brought a huge smile back on my face but even if I am not used to leaving Primavera Sound that early in the night, I felt this was it for this edition. Over the three days, I got to see the main artists I wanted to see, I enjoyed seeing them. I didn't make as many nice discoveries as in other editions but I did discover a couple of artists I would love to see again. Some other bands I knew, but not that well, managed to surprise me, by delivering powerful concerts. A great number of these bands were led by women and I couldn't help but notice and enjoy this progress towards a bit more diversity. And that was it, basically...

Let's see what the 2019 edition has in store!