Primavera Sound Barcelona 2023

The starting gun was fired on Wednesday by the Pet Shop Boys, they were fantastic and exuberant as always but, did they sound too low? They did, and that insufficient volume was also noticeable in other performances on the same stage. Be that as it may, their songs are already anthems, their visuals wonderful, and the crowd cheered for each song as if there were no tomorrow. We went home eager to start the three days of the festival.

On Thursday, we started with Pusha T, with an energetic and furious performance even at that time of the afternoon, perfect to start the day in the best possible way. If later at New Order you wondered, "But have people under thirty come to this festival?" Well, yes, they were having a great time with Central Cee, the Londoner is one of the hottest names in hip-hop among the young crowd, with two albums already under his belt and another on the way for this year. Alisson Goldfrapp also had some issues with the sound, but by the time Strict Machine came on, the problem was solved, her live presence is always powerful and this time was no exception. Le Tigre took to the same stage twenty years after the release of their last album This Island; for them, it's as if time hasn't passed, their music is as relevant as it was two decades ago but the sound, once again, let them down. And then, the big name of the night for this writer. Blur was special. The last time they came to the festival, there was a lot of wind, rain, and cold, this time, in the early hours but with good weather, they triumphed greatly: Albarn is a guy who connects with people because you can tell he gives himself, he gives it his all, and their eternal hits sounded as great as ever. The band gave us one of the most beautiful moments of the festival with the crowd chanting Tender.

Sparks welcomed us on Friday with So May We Start, the song that opens Léos Carax's Annette, and The Moldy Peaches wrapped us in a blanket of nostalgia and made us feel (very) old. Twenty years ago, a very young Adam Green and Kymia Dawson rocked the house in a historic concert at the dawn of the festival when Primavera Sound had not yet moved to the Fórum and what was called antifolk seemed exciting. But back to the present, those same songs and those costumes only confirmed how poorly certain things age. Still, for what they were and how much they made us enjoy back in the day, eternal love to the Moldy Peaches. The name of the night, in capital letters, with the venue packed and possibly the best sound of the festival, was Depeche Mode. They opened their performance like a whirlwind, dragging us all on a journey as emotional and intense as it was exciting. Dave Gahan remains the stage animal he always was with a voice still powerful, and the duo now defends impeccable and resounding songs, even if they bear the weight of a thousand years. Near the end, World in My Eyes in memory of Andy Fletcher put the most emotional note of the concert and brought a tear or two to our eyes.

And we come to the other obligatory performance of the night. Expectations are always a trap, we know. But seeing what Kendrick Lamar did last year at Glastonbury made our hype completely out of control. And it's because the author of DAMN presented himself with a powerful live performance like his lyrics but restrained in form. Oh, we expected to see the god Lamar and we found the man Kendrick, which is not insignificant. There are his tremendous songs to testify to that. That his is one of the brightest names on the scene is unquestionable, and the absolute full house proves it. A special moment when Baby Keem appeared towards the end, more than a few kids surely almost fainted with excitement. That was also the night of Trueno, one of the essential names in Argentine rap, who this time didn't have all the audience he deserved, probably because it's not the most suitable festival for him (thinking, for example, how packed his concert was at Festival B).

And let's move on to Saturday because this is almost over. Judeline, shy at first but with that enchanting voice, opened the afternoon in the best possible way. Shortly after, on that same stage, which became too small for her, Villano Antillano made it clear that her thing is art and everything else is nonsense. Villana is a whirlwind, an uncontrollable beast on stage, who sings and tells stories, with humor but with all the bitterness in the world, she doesn't mince words, and below we laughed with complicity while shaking our hips. The most fun concert of this Primavera Sound? If you were there, you can bet you'll be saying yes. And for dancing, we had a blast with Sevdaliza. She wanted a party and she sure delivered, with the appearance of Villano Antillano included. Her show was a mix of lyrics and banging DJ set. By the way, people from Madrid, start practicing the choreography she taught us, your TikTok stats will thank you.

St. Vincent has a sweet voice but it can turn wild, she can offer a toast speaking in Spanish about how in love she is with the city, then she becomes a beast unleashing her fury on her guitar. That's Annie Clark for you, being Annie melts your heart and when she lets St Vincent out, she runs you over with her furious and emotional performance. And since we're at it, to the production team, keep the camera on Annie, people will appreciate it.

Calvin Harris was here to play disco bangers and get us ready for the main event of the night, and although dancing as our personal space gets smaller and smaller isn't easy, he certainly made the wait more enjoyable, so yes, mission accomplished. And as mentioned, the show of the night, or of the festival one might say: Rosalía. Without a doubt, her concert attracted the most people in these four days. She was playing at home and that's always noticeable. The one from Sant Esteve Sesrovires recalled how years ago she dreamed of being a headliner at this festival and there she was that night, still in the middle of the Motomami Tour, with a concert very similar to the one we saw at the Palau Sant Jordi last year but with some changes. She added Beso and the version she does of Enrique Iglesias' Héroe to the set. And I have to confess that although as a show the one at the Palau was more special, the sound here was better and some songs like Despechá and CUUUUuuuuuute gained a lot with more powerful bass. So if you ask me if it's better to see Rosalía at a festival or solo, the answer will always be the same: it doesn't matter where you see Rosalía, she's amazing, enjoy and be thankful.