PRIMAVERA SOUND FESTIVAL (Parc del Forum Festival, Barcelona, 27/05/10-30/05/10)


(Photo: Stinker (Flickr))

If All Tomorrow’s Parties is Hoxton-on-Holiday, then Primavera is ATP Goes Abroad. The number of familiar faces around Barcelona became slightly disturbing after a while- it’s like being in one of those Eastenders specials where they transport all the regulars to Benidorm, only with a higher quota of plaid. If truth be told, the line-up wasn’t nearly as strong as last year; whilst there were great sets a-plenty, nothing stood out as truly memorable, especially when compared to Ponytail and MBV in '09. But then again, I had much more fun this time round- more booze, more friends and a hell of a lot less stress- so hooray for that.

Anyway, reviews and suchlike:

9/10
Titus Andronicus- I was on the same plane as them! I was very excited by this! Also, their performance was brilliant- not quite as epic as the CAMP show, but the moshing at the front was commendably ferocious.
Owen Pallett- Almost flawless. Premiered an amazing cover of Caribou’s “Odessa,” and “Lewis Takes Off His Shirt“ never fails to send shivers down my spine..
Matt & Kim- Simple, infectious synth pop delivered with boundless enthusiasm. The most joyous set of Primavera.
Japandroids- After thinking they were shit at Pitchfork last year, these guys really impressed me in Barcelona. Such a dynamic, vital performance.
CocoRosie- Not as revelatory as their ATP show, but still a wonderfully original and eccentric band. Beatbox/harp combos should be utilised more regularly.



8/10
Monotonix- Not *quite* as chaotic as their club shows, but the requisite drum-surfing/general insanity remained thankfully intact.
Liquid Liquid- Laid down the funk in sufficient quantities. Many crimes against dancing were committed.
Shellac- Playing an ATP-curated event?! NO FUCKING WAY. Still, it’s easy to forget what a rockin’ live band they are.
Pixies- Quite far back for this so felt somewhat detached, but getting to hear “Debaser” live was wonderful.
The Books- A more experimental Avalanches, complete with some fucking surreal videos. Not really a “live act” as such, but certainly the most intriguing discovery of the weekend.
Pet Shop Boys- Watching thousands of indie kids singing along to Go West: one of the most memorable moments of the festival.
Broken Social Scene- Lacked the overall brilliance of their Heaven gig, but KC Accidental->It’s All Going To Break (w/ Owen Pallett)-> Meet Me In The Basement? Uh, yes please.
Ui- Tortoise minus the glockenspiels.
Mission Of Burma- Better than Pavement.
Low- Beautiful set, worth the hassle of getting into the Auditori.

7/10
The Fall- Decrepit old man slurs incoherently; actually better than I thought it’d be.
Superchunk- Energetic, fun, if not really my bag.
Polvo- Suitably loud, and more engaging than Grizzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzly Bear, who they clashed with.
Yeasayer- Good fun, although sound was dreadful further back. “Invite us back Barcelona- you’re much better than the UK” comment resulted in sadface.



6/10
Pavement- Crossed the entertainingly ramshackle/genuinely slipshod line too often for my liking. A rather phoned-in performance.
A Sunny Day In Glasgow- I can’t remember much about ASDIG, except I enjoyed their performance and some of their members were pretty attractive…
Nana Grizol- Very Jeff Lewis-y. ‘Twas alright.
Cohete- Think a Spanish Reel Big Fish. Make of that what you will.

5/10
Grizzly Bear- Pretty dull. Don’t think they’re really meant for festivals.
Wilco- An anaemic, middle-of-the-road set from a band I know can do much better. Hugely disappointing.
Surfer Blood- Generic zeitgeist band number 1
Ganglians- Generic zeitgeist band number 2
Thee Oh Sees- Generic zeitgeist band number 3

4/10
Van Dyke Parks- Really depressing to watch VDP peddle such dreadful, sub-Randy Newman balladry. Cringeworthy tweeness worthy of a cruise-ship entertainer, not one of the most legendary arrangers in modern musical history.

LOL/10
Marc Almond- I was genuinely creased up in laughter for much of what I saw of the Soft Cell frontman’s solo set; literally the campest thing I’ve ever seen. That said, there’s no denying “Tainted Love”…

(Photos, unless otherwise stated: Nathan Wind (Flickr))