01-12/06/2022

Primavera Sound Festival 2022

Parc del Forum, Barcelona

by Claudio Lancia

And so the most troubled edition of Barcelona's Primavera Sound Festival, the 20th anniversary one, has finally come to pass. A double postponement in 2020 due to Covid (first to June, then to August), a further shift the following year, and then the announcement that 2022 would bring a doubling of the offering: no longer a long weekend, but for the first time the addition of a second one, turning an already overflowing event into a full twelve consecutive days of all-consuming musical ecstasy. In the now-familiar setting of the Parc del Fòrum, just a couple of kilometres north of Barceloneta, the twentieth edition kicked off on Wednesday 1 June. To mark the anniversary in the best possible way, the organisers chose to open proceedings with a warm-up at what was the original home of Primavera Sound, the enchanting Plaza Mayor of Poble Espanyol, the village built on the hill of Montjuïc where, amid an atmosphere full of long hugs between friends reunited at last, things got going with the driving punk-rock of young Californians Linda Lindas and the chart-topping indie-pop of Wet Leg.

It wasn't only the pandemic that caused headaches. Compared to the line-up announced two and a half years ago, on the strength of which the festival sold out without much trouble, there have since been many painful defections, some of them major, for all sorts of reasons. Among the headliners, after months spent digesting the cancellation of Massive Attack, the most recent blow was the withdrawal of The Strokes, following a positive Covid case within the band. A sword of Damocles that would hang continuously over the integrity of the line-up, even during the days of the performances themselves. Further problems, with no shortage of controversy, came to a head on Thursday 2 June, when the unexpectedly overwhelming crowds at the Parc del Fòrum made it clear that - in order to recoup two years of losses - at least 10,000-15,000 extra passes had been sold, making the whole experience far less comfortable. On top of that came a series of logistical hiccups affecting what had by now become untouchable traditions, including the baffling layout of some of the premium ticket-holder areas and the decision to place the two Main Stages side by side (rather than facing each other as in previous years).

But once the music starts, everything else fades into the background, and by the evening of Friday 3 June any lingering discontent seems to have been miraculously swept away: the festival goes back to flowing like one big party, every day, from the scorching heat of mid-afternoon through to the first light of dawn. The crowd settles back into the easy rhythm of the shows, ranging from the most extreme heavy metal to avant-garde electronics, with everyone charting their own ideal path, deciding each time whether to stick with a full set or hop from stage to stage, mixing big names with intriguing new discoveries.

In the many groups set up on social media, people swap tips, advice and opinions, and in the hours away from the festival they (re)discover the wonders of Barcelona, a city that never fails to deliver, between spectacular monuments, excellent food and sun-drenched beaches. Because Primavera Sound is without doubt a marathon, at times even an exhausting one, but at the same time it's an unforgettable holiday to spend in one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.

If we have to single out the key shows of the festival's first week, it's impossible not to start with the two bands everyone wanted to see this year, the undisputed stars of the new post-punk wave. Well, Fontaines D.C. and Idles, each in their own distinctive way, delivered sets that lived up to the audience's sky-high expectations. The band fronted by Grian Chatten, hosted on the main arena, drew tens of thousands of spectators for what felt like their definitive international coronation. Idles, for their part, staged a furious, nuclear-powered performance, and with cries of "Fuck The Queen!" erased any doubt about their real artistic substance. Two bands still tucked within their own niche, yet perfectly capable of holding a stadium-sized crowd without breaking a sweat. It's as if the Parc del Fòrum - and the same could be said of Glastonbury - sends a jolt through every musician that pushes them to give that little bit extra. From Nick Cave (with all the sheer weight he carries with him) to Gorillaz, from The National (who slipped two unreleased songs into their set) to Einstürzende Neubauten, from the hugely anticipated return of Pavement to Caribou, from Beck to Tyler, The Creator, on the two Main Stages, named "Estrella" and "Pull & Bear", not one of the headline names fell short of excellence.

Then, true to tradition, it was confirmed once again that Primavera Sound's real strength lies in the extraordinary quality and variety of its "second tier" acts. Many of the best moments unfolded on the smaller stages, starting with a well-deserved mention for Sharon Van Etten, currently touring one of her finest albums with a flawless band behind her. But it's impossible not to highlight the magical, dreamlike atmosphere conjured up by the beloved Beach House, the urban rhythms of Little Simz and King Krule, the dark nostalgia of Bauhaus, the wild psychedelic trip of King Gizzard, the irrepressible, hilarious rogues Les Savy Fav, the hyper-technical Black Midi, the ever-reliable Mogwai, the surprising Tropical Fuck Storm, a renewed Black Country New Road, and the furious Shame, to name just a few of the acts who stood out most over the first weekend.

A separate mention goes to the shows hosted at the Auditori, an indoor venue with limited capacity reserved for more intimate events, the ones that demand a higher level of attention, the ones to be savoured with devotion, in reverent silence. The sets delivered by Kim Gordon, Low and Mavis Staples each stood out on their respective day, and will undoubtedly be remembered by fans for a long time to come.

Few Italian acts made the bill, but all of them were well worth their place, starting with a trio that, for whatever reason, ended up scheduled almost on top of each other: Iosonouncane, Lorenzo Senni and Lory D kept the spotlight firmly on what's happening back home, holding their own against much bigger international names.

On the other side of the bridge built to cross over the small marina, Primavera Bits returns again this year, essentially a festival within the festival, a kind of miniature Sónar staged right on the beach, with crowd-pulling DJ sets and a few names drawn from outside the electronic circuit (this year Bits also welcomed Slowthai and Mabel).

For once, Sunday dawn doesn't mark the final stretch: this edition of Primavera Sound carries on for another full week, with a second weekend and a packed midweek schedule of events (both outdoor and indoor) scattered across the city - the so-called "Primavera a la Ciutat" - which unfortunately looks set to be tricky to enjoy, given the tiny, low-capacity venues involved.

The 2022 edition was the most crowded yet, but it also marked the long-awaited restart after two years of postponements and cancellations. Just three months ago, no one could have guaranteed the festival would even go ahead as planned, so everything that came out of it should be treated as a precious gift, to be held close to the heart until next year's edition. The groundwork is already underway, and before long talk will turn once again to the "Early Birds" (passes sold blind at a discounted price) and to speculation over next year's line-up. Because by now, in this community, it's Primavera all year round...

Ride the wave of great music

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This article is an English translation of the original Italian text by Claudio Lancia, published on OndaRock.it. It was translated with the help of artificial intelligence, under the editorial responsibility of OndaRock's editor-in-chief, Claudio Fabretti.

Read the original in Italian · About the English edition

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