Despite Turbulence, the Inaugural Primavera Sound Madrid Soared: Review

Jonah Krueger

June 12, 2023 at 5:52 PM·8 min read

The post Despite Turbulence, the Inaugural Primavera Sound Madrid Soared: Review appeared first on Consequence.

Primavera Sound has come a long way since debuting in 2001. What started as a modest festival bringing indie music to Barcelona has grown to become a powerhouse of live music and entertainment, one that spans multiple continents, one-off weekenders, and year-round club shows. This past weekend saw the festival expand its flagship event to yet another city: Madrid.

Dubbed “I’ll Be Your Mirror,” Primavera Sound Madrid initially comes across as a one-to-one translation of its Barcelona counterpart. Featuring a nearly identical lineup and taking place only one week apart (tickets for both weekends were even sold as a special package), it wouldn’t be absurd to assume that the only difference between the two festivals is a two-and-a-half-hour train ride. But ask the locals, and they’ll happily explain the nuanced cultural differences between the two cities, especially when it comes to music.

With different tastes and concert etiquette, as well as an entirely different geographical layout for the festival grounds, Primavera Sound Madrid immediately distinguished itself as a uniquely Madridian experience from the week’s first performances.

Of course, despite the palpable excitement of the local and traveling music fans, shit happens. Music festivals of this scale are a wonder of organization and management, and with so many moving pieces, something is bound to give… it’s just a question of what. For Madrid’s first-ever Primavera Sound, it just so happened that it would be something quite substantial – a full day of programming.

And yet, despite the turbulence, Primavera Sound Madrid 2023 soared. Rolling with the punches, Primavera’s Madrid debut proved to be a weekend of genuine musical jubilee, one that sowed the seeds for the success of future editions.

Turbulence

Just over 24 hours before the festival was to open its doors, Primavera Sound Madrid announced the cancellation of their first day (Thursday, June 8th) due to “persistent severe weather” and an “adverse forecast.” To say people were bummed out would be the understatement of the summer. Look no further than the replies below the Twitter announcement to read account after account of people traveling from across the world to see artists like Blur, New Order, Halsey, Turnstile, and Le Tigre only to have their plans ruined with little notice.

Such reactions are understandable, though it’s hard to fault festival organizers for erring on the side of safety. And while the cancellation of its first day would be Primavera Sound Madrid’s most dramatic setback, it wouldn’t be the only one. Depeche Mode’s set would be delayed the following day, and Saturday saw Death Grips pull out due to illness.

But as your mother would say, the only thing you can control in this life is your reaction, and Primavera’s reaction, while certainly unideal, resulted in one of the most memorable moments of the weekend – at least for the few who were able to attend.

A Blur-based Bounce Back

Determined to deliver their acclaimed Brit-pop to Madridians, Blur pivoted to perform a full set at La Riviera, a local venue in downtown Madrid. Thursday and full-weekend ticket holders had the opportunity to nab passes for the show at no extra cost, though, with a capacity of only 2,500 people, tickets went faster than the racing dogs on the cover of Parklife.

Fans lucky enough to make it into the packed hall were graced with a uniquely intimate, highly energetic performance from Damon Albarn and the boys. The band was noticeably excited to be playing in such a small room, which translated into memorable performances and grade-A stage banter. Albarn marched around the stage pounding his chest and throwing water on the crowd while the band flew through hits and fan favorites.

Despite coming across more reserved in their recent output, like on The Ballad of Darren’s lead single “The Narcissist,” Blur are as engaging of a live act as ever. It’s a shame so few were ultimately able to catch their set, but luckily for anyone who missed out, Primavera Sound Madrid had quite a bit more excitement to offer in the coming days.

Opening Day, Take Two

With the disappointment of Thursday’s cancellation still an open wound, anticipation for the festival’s new opening day grew exponentially. Luckily, it would prove to be well worth the tribulations.

After picking up their credentials, attendees were shuttled from downtown to the festival grounds – about a 45-minute trip. After arriving and making it through security, fans entered to greet nine stages, sponsored activations with additional performance spaces, and approximately one hundred million alcohol vendors.

The layout of the venue, La Ciudad del Rock in Arganda del Rey, somehow managed to avoid many of the pitfalls common for events this size. Food and beverage lines were never longer than a few minutes (save for some of the most sought-after food trucks), as were the lines for the bathroom. And while there was the inevitable bleeding of sound from nearby stages, the sound quality of even the smallest of stages was shockingly balanced and clear.

But while the extracurricular experiences of the festival added to the overall enjoyability of the weekend, the music is undeniably where Primavera Sound Madrid shone the brightest.

Weekend for the Weirdos

Primavera has always welcomed a large breadth of underground, alternative, and indie artists, and Madrid’s 2023 edition was no different. Beyond boasting a diverse lineup in terms of genre, gender, and race, the programming was unafraid to get straight-up weird (in the best possible way).

Be it the tiny fonts or the biggest acts, the 2023 lineup seemed to focus on anything and everything left field. From hardcore experimentalists (Julia Holter, Swans, Yves Tumor) to weirdo indie outfits (The Moldy Peaches, The Voidz, Jockstrap) to artsy pop and hip-hop stars (Caroline Polacheck, DOMi & JD BECK, JPEGMAFIA), the weekend was full of unrecognizable sounds, genre-blending, and new takes on popular music.

Checking out the smaller stages, particularly earlier in the day or after the headlining sets, proved to be the most gratifying aspect of the Primavera experience. It’s the perfect space to walk around, beer in hand, and unexpectedly stumble upon your new favorite artist. (Though perhaps we’re biased, as several featured artists are previous Consequence CoSigns or made our 2023 mid-year list.)

…And for the Titans

At the same time, each night’s headliners performed with enough gravity to affect the tides of the Atlantic Ocean. Even before dusk, when second-tier headliners like Four Tet, St Vincent, and Caroline Polachek took to the stage, thousands upon thousands of excited fans rushed to the main stages to ensure they didn’t miss a single song.

Then, when it came time for artists like Kendrick Lamar (who was performing for the first time ever in Madrid) or Skrillex, it seemed as if the world stopped. Nearly every set of eyes was set squarely on the stage – or, more likely depending on when you arrived, the massive screens capturing the stage. It’s almost a shame the headliners were such high-quality heavy hitters, as smaller acts more than worth catching were overshadowed by the big names’ massive star power, artists like Nation of Language, Bad Religion, Unwound, and JPEGMAFIA. Though, such is the plight of having such a deeply stacked lineup.

The winner of the weekend, without a doubt, was the always-stunning Rosalía. Immediately after entering through the festival gates, groups of fans, workers, and fellow artists anticipating the Spanish singer’s set could be heard in every corner. Her highly-choreographed performance drew the biggest crowd of the weekend by far and sent shockwaves far beyond La Ciudad del Rock. Even on my ride home, the taxi driver was buzzing about her appearance.

By the time the final shuttle left the venue, thoughts of “persistent severe weather” and drastic cancellations had long dissipated. Primavera Sound Madrid had, despite a late start, made its grand debut – and, oh, how grand it was.

Photo Gallery – Primavera Sound Madrid 2023 through Friday, to be updated as more photos become available (click to expand and scroll through):