After last year’s edition, with record attendance peaks largely due to its design over two consecutive weekends, Primavera Sound has opted for more contained dimensions for this edition, for different reasons. But it would be convenient to emphasize an issue that has more or less been maintained throughout the history of the festival, and that is the configuration of its poster.
Precisely in the evaluation of this edition offered yesterday by the organization, the director of the cycle, Alfonso Lanza, recognized that since the 2019 edition the programmers are trying to open the stylistic palette to attract a younger audience, have an “intergenerational audience” . And he gave as an example of this variety the type of audience attending the concert offered on Friday night by the Depeche Mode band, where let’s say that the average attendee was veteran-very veteran.
The festival’s communication manager, Joan Pons, also said something to bear in mind, which is that “Primavera Sound is a music festival made by music fans for music fans.” And it is precisely the heterogeneity of the offer that has to be the main claim of a festival of these characteristics, something that to be honest is something that has been present since its inception. It must also be recognized that the openness and variety of genres has been one of the engines since even before 2019, and that this has been a mark of difference with other proposals.
We must therefore welcome this progressive opening in order to maintain at least the average age of attendees, which in the last edition was 29 years. But we must also be aware that this pull towards a somewhat lower average age should never imply the subversion of the identity brand of the appointment, which is none other than this wide offer (in this edition of no less than 317 performances ), which surely attracts fans of such varied tastes like no other call of this size on the Spanish scene.
Of course you have to bet on the increased presence of stars like RosalÃa, Sevdaliza, Caroline Polachek, Yves Tumor or Kendrik Lamar, but it has to be something that coexists with a fundamental part of the programming offered by artists from previous generations. This cohabitation is key: there this year, with undeniable expectation, names like Depeche Mode, Sparks, Bad Religion, Laurie Anderson, Pet Shop Boys, part of The Wedding Present or even fifties Beth Orton. Many of them are headliners (for a reason), and this edition has also had the presence of John Cale, the most universal musical Welshman, with permission of course from the lion Tom Jones.
Yesterday, at around half past seven in the evening, a true myth/legend of music appeared on the Auditori stage. That is what Cale is, the British musician who in his day co-founded the transcendental Velvet Underground together with Lou Reed, which later became a reference for unlabeled, experimental and groundbreaking rock and which fifty years later, that is, a few months ago, gave birth to Mercy, a new album with a high artistic bar.
At 81 years old, with slightly long white hair, fine glasses, dressed in black and in top physical and interpretive shape, Cale offered for an hour and before a fairly large audience of various ages (especially 40-50 years, although also many young people) a sensitive yet intense and energetic session of music today. He reviewed some cuts from the aforementioned new album – which is not only a musical position, we could say contemporary, but also thematic – in front of keyboards and programming and eventually the electric guitar, surrounded by a small band, with a first-rate guitarist. He also played some timeless Velvet classic like I’m waiting for the man, or his very particular version of Elvis Presley’s Heartbreak Hotel as a closing.
Go enjoy… Immediately afterwards, the always unpredictable Laurie Anderson would appear still in top form. And hours later RosalÃa would come: this is Primavera Sound.
