Primavera Sound LA 2022 Was a Festival of the Future with Arctic Monkeys, Nine Inch Nails and More: Recap
The post Primavera Sound LA 2022 Was a Festival of the Future with Arctic Monkeys, Nine Inch Nails and More: Recap appeared first on Consequence.
Primavera Sound’s approach to live music has been nothing if not influential; since its inaugural edition in Barcelona back in 2001, Primavera Sound’s lineups have expanded in size and scope, but have never lost the futuristic, progressive edge that have captivated fans and festival organizers alike. The heavily curated, forward-thinking selections of music represent some of the most exciting artists around, whether it be in the pop universe or the fringes of genres.
Twenty years in, Primavera Sound is expanding to the Americas, including three new editions in South America and one Los Angeles festival, which was originally scheduled to mount in 2020 (before the pandemic cancelled both 2020 and 2021’s festivals). Taking place at Los Angeles Historic State Park last weekend (September 16th-18th), the inaugural Primavera Sound LA was a bold, futuristic, international experience, with one of the best festival lineups of the year.
For starters, they knocked it out of the park with headliners. Lorde, Nine Inch Nails, and Arctic Monkeys performed the biggest sets of the weekend, and their unique offerings were ideal for a festival as eclectic as Primavera Sound. But the undercard acts were also highly curated, especially in regards to the headliners.
For fans of Nine Inch Nails were the industrial, synth-heavy stylings of artists like Boy Harsher, Kim Gordon, Jehnny Beth, and Darkside; devotees of Arctic Monkeys’ rambling post-punk were treated to a variety of complimentary rock bands like Fontaines D.C., Dry Cleaning, Squid, and Surf Curse; and lovers of Lorde’s alt pop were given dozens of international selections like PinkPantheress, girl in red, and Bad Gyal, as well as American favorites like Clairo, Mitski, and Faye Webster.
Though the music was unforgettable, not all of Primavera Sound LA got off to such a smooth start; the festival’s odd age policy led to a bit of an impractical layout (but more on that later). Luckily, the festival’s location just east of Downtown Los Angeles — a former location of longtime LA fest FYF — was picturesque and accessible, the weather was absolutely perfect, and the narrow landscape of the park allowed for a more intimate feel.
Primavera Sound LA 2022 Photo Gallery: Arctic Monkeys, Lorde, Nine Inch Nails, and More
Read below for the full breakdown of this year’s inaugural Primavera Sound Los Angeles, and check out our full gallery of photos here.
The Future Has Arrived
Perhaps the most impressive thing about Primavera Sound Los Angeles was the insistence on music that is progressive, futuristic, experimental, and visionary. There was a particularly large emphasis — as there is for each Barcelona edition — on electronic music, and some of the most exciting producers and synth wizards were at the festival this year. Darkside, the project of Nicolas Jaar and Dave Harrington, closed out Friday evening with a wildly experimental set, with dazzling, reflective set pieces, fragmented instrumental passages, and an innovative approach to what an electronic live show can look, sound, and feel like.
Northern Ireland duo Bicep were also a major electronic highlight; their visuals felt particularly high budget, and their effervescent house jams were the perfect way to end Saturday night. Elsewhere were the futuristic stylings of multi-hyphenate Arca, some witchy synth jams from Boy Harsher, hyperspeed drum and bass from SHERELLE, and club-ready hip-hop from Shygirl.
The majority of Primavera Sound’s extensive lineup also came from countries other than the United States, making it one of the most diverse lineups of the year. There were numerous Spanish, South American, and Mexican artists, and standout additions from places like Japan (Chai), Sweden (Drain Gang), and Barcelona (Bad Gyal). The UK was also heavily represented, with multiple artists boasting drum and bass blasts and biting post-punk.
Arca, photo by Debi Del Grande
If You Weren’t 21, This Wasn’t Your Festival
I’ve been to numerous festivals in my day, but never have I seen a festival that did under-21 folks so dirty as this one. The festival carved out the majority of each stage’s field space for attendees that were 21 and older, with the under-21 folks being reserved for a significantly smaller, cornered-off section. It’s unknown whether this was done to keep underage drinking to a minimum, if they genuinely didn’t anticipate many under-21 folks, or if this was just under the vague idea of keeping people safe, but regardless of the festival’s intention, it didn’t work.
The under-21 sections for the festival’s two biggest stages were so small and offered such limited access to closer viewing, that crowd crushing was happening way too often. So much so, that multiple artists — including PinkPantheress, Mitski, and girl in red — took the time to urge people in that section specifically to take steps back and give people more room to breathe. Of course, over in the 21+ section, everything was peachy — but it’s not a great look for the fest to have such an exclusionary practice in place, especially given Primavera’s inclusive and diverse values.
As someone who attended many festivals as a teenager, I was always drawn to the idea of having a better viewing spot for these artists than I would have attending their individual headlining shows; after all, festivals are supposed to be concert experiences that are about the collective as opposed to the individual. So, I can’t help but bring this up, and feel bad for the 19 year olds that bought a ticket to this festival to see Clairo, Mitski, Lorde and Arctic Monkeys up close and personal, only to be isolated from the best spots on the grounds. Thankfully, by the festival’s third day, organizers opened up the under-21 space significantly, showing that they certainly heard the criticism and will likely adjust for next year.
Primavera Sound LA 2022, photo by Debi Del Grande
Speak-Sing Your Truth
This year’s lineup featured multiple trending styles and genres, but one that stuck out was the prevalence of post-punk featuring poetic, spoken word-style vocals, wiry guitars, and a DIY ethos. Perhaps the largest proponent of this style came from South London post-punks Dry Cleaning, who are set to release their sophomore LP Stumpwork in October. Dry Cleaning’s music is emotive, nostalgic, and riveting, but combined with frontwoman Florence Shaw’s expressionistic, absurd lyrics, it makes for an entirely different live experience. There were so many fascinating intellectual ideas being thrown about, line after line, that taking it all in was a dizzying, enchanting task — and luckily, the band’s new songs are lifting off in an even more thought-provoking way.
Also responsible for a brilliant set were Irish punks Fontaines D.C., who are fresh off the release of their best album yet, Skinty Fia. The band’s poised, motorik energy created a sense of momentum that bubbled and burst into shoegaze-y hues, and once again, frontman Grian Chatten’s powerful and inspired poetry made for a particularly engaging set. NYC art rockers Gustaf opened the festival’s final day with their own unique, minimalist concoction of post-punk, with frontwoman Lydia Gamil imbuing energy, drama, and palpable emotion to their raucous set.
But all of these newer post-punk bands culminated in Arctic Monkeys’ headlining set on Sunday night. Considering how many songs Alex Turner rambles within, packing dozens of syllables, bizarre phrases and idioms, and a poetic, languid attitude, it was the perfect compliment to the more anxious rock bands that populated the weekend.
Fontaines DC, photo by Debi Del Grande
’90s Hour
While the majority of Primavera Sound’s lineup centered around what’s happening now in music, there was still a great emphasis on the legends and pioneers of the ’90s. Nine Inch Nails’ triumphant headlining set on Saturday was a powerful reminder of not just Trent Reznor’s songwriting prowess, but his prescient vision of what dark, angsty music can be. Between earlier cuts like “Wish” and the various Downward Spiral tracks to more recent experiments, like the hypnotic “Copy of A” from Hesitation Marks and With Teeth‘s “The Hand That Feeds,” the set felt both nostalgic and timeless at the same time.
But perhaps the most dazzling throwback set came from Stereolab, whose magical pop concoctions blended perfectly with the California sunset. As time has gone by, Stereolab’s legacy has only grown, and their affinity for spacey, atmospheric sounds fit right in with the various vibe-heavy bands that played the festival. Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon also appeared for a wildly dynamic set, with moments of full-throttle rock energy and more meditative, experimental collages of sound.
Nine Inch Nails, photo by Debi Del Grande
Girls To The Front
Friday featured an impressive run of female artists that have broken boundaries, both on and off stage: from the London swagger of Shygirl and PinkPantheress, to the soft-spoken, indie pop majesty of Clairo, to the emotionally riveting work of Mitski, to the sun-kissed catharsis of Lorde’s headlining Solar Power tour. There were, of course, other phenomenal performances from women and trans/non binary folks throughout the weekend, and the festival was certainly a celebration in that regard.
These artists all provided eclectic, inspiring performances, but Mitski’s set in particular was a sight to behold. It’s fascinating seeing how many songs from Mitski’s breakout LP Bury Me at Makeout Creek were represented, as the album’s fiery, post-punk energy feels like a different sonic universe than her most recent album, Laurel Hell. But nevertheless, each song in Mitski’s catalog has the capacity to open up and swallow you whole; her exercises in longing are hauntingly immediate, her anger visceral, her joy radiant. The songs are complimented by Mitski’s deeply inspired performances and choreography, where she’s truly acting every song, letting her body be the conduit to these emotionally rich works of art.
Performance was a big theme throughout Primavera; not just in the sense of “performing music,” but in the very form that music is produced and communicated. The festival featured so many artists with lyrics that are packed with baggage and context — poetry and dramatic text was well represented, especially amongst the more expressionist post-punk bands. Seeing artists embrace choreography and a heightened sense of performance was a brilliant example of how live music at festivals have developed into something ever more present and immediate.
Mitski, photo by Debi Del Grande
Check out actions shots of such artists and more below, courtesy of photographer Debi Del Grande, who was on the ground for Consequence all weekend long.
Él Mató a un Policía Motorizado, photo by Debi Del Grande
Derby Motoreta's Burrito Kachimba, photo by Debi Del Grande
Derby Motoreta's Burrito Kachimba, photo by Debi Del Grande
Machine Girl, photo by Debi Del Grande
Machine Girl, photo by Debi Del Grande
Khruangbin, photo by Debi Del Grande
Georgia, photo by Debi Del Grande
Palomo Mami, photo by Debi Del Grande
Nine Inch Nails, photo by Debi Del Grande
Nine Inch Nails, photo by Debi Del Grande
Mayhem, photo by Debi Del Grande
Khruangbin, photo by Debi Del Grande
Mayhem, photo by Debi Del Grande
Special Interest, photo by Debi Del Grande
Fontaines DC, photo by Debi Del Grande
Wunderhorse, photo by Debi Del Grande
Special Interest, photo by Debi Del Grande
Él Mató a un Policía, photo by Debi Del Grande
Fontaines DC, photo by Debi Del Grande
Wunderhorse, photo by Debi Del Grande
Nine Inch Nails, photo by Debi Del Grande
Warpaint, photo by Debi Del Grande
Tierra Whack, photo by Debi Del Grande
Kim Gordon, photo by Debi Del Grande
Tierra Whack, photo by Debi Del Grande
Kim Gordon, photo by Debi Del Grande
Primavera Sound LA 2022, photo by Debi Del Grande
Amyl and The Sniffers, photo by Debi Del Grande
Boy Harsher, photo by Debi Del Grande
Arctic Monkeys, photo by Debi Del Grande
Primavera Sound LA 2022, photo by Debi Del Grande
Amyl and The Sniffers, photo by Debi Del Grande
Arctic Monkeys, photo by Debi Del Grande
Arctic Monkeys, photo by Debi Del Grande
Girl in Red, photo by Debi Del Grande
Faye Webster, photo by Debi Del Grande
Squid, photo by Debi Del Grande
Squid, photo by Debi Del Grande
Girl in Red, photo by Debi Del Grande
James Blake, photo by Debi Del Grande
Buscabulla, photo by Debi Del Grande
Gustaf, photo by Debi Del Grande
James Blake, photo by Debi Del Grande
Gustaf, photo by Debi Del Grande
Arca, photo by Debi Del Grande
Arca, photo by Debi Del Grande
Nuria Graham, photo by Debi Del Grande
Mitski, photo by Debi Del Grande
Jehnny Beth, photo by Debi Del Grande
Current Joys, photo by Debi Del Grande
Stereolab, photo by Debi Del Grande
Jehnny Beth, photo by Debi Del Grande
Lorde, photo by Debi Del Grande
Pink Pantheress, photo by Debi Del Grande
Lorde, photo by Debi Del Grande
Little Jesus, photo by Debi Del Grande
Darkside, photo by Debi Del Grande
Clairo, photo by Debi Del Grande
Little Jesus, photo by Debi Del Grande
Pink Pantheress, photo by Debi Del Grande
Lorde, photo by Debi Del Grande
Primavera Sound LA 2022, photo by Debi Del Grande
Mitski, photo by Debi Del Grande
Shygirl, photo by Debi Del Grande
Primavera Sound LA 2022, photo by Debi Del Grande
Giveon, photo by Debi Del Grande
Shygirl, photo by Debi Del Grande
Stereolab, photo by Debi Del Grande
Giveon, photo by Debi Del Grande
Clairo, photo by Debi Del Grande
Primavera Sound LA 2022 Was a Festival of the Future with Arctic Monkeys, Nine Inch Nails and More: Recap
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