For music lovers, summer usually signifies the start of festival season. If you’re lucky enough to get a ticket to your music festival choice it means a summer of having the setlists of artists on repeat, if not, it typically means scrutinising line-ups and salvaging any clips from shows you can get. The 2024 festival season has been somewhat of a bumpy road with many festival goers disappointed with the line-ups on offer, big names in summer music festivals such as Glastonbury, Sziget and even our homegrown Electric Picnic have been met with the harsh criticism that the line-ups are poor. The one festival that somehow miraculously grabbed some major headliners like SZA, Lana Del Ray and Mitski was Primavera Sound Barcelona, a festival I was very lucky to find myself with a ticket to. The stellar line-up was no surprise as Primavera Sound prides itself as being purely about the music. Where other festivals offer good food, cultural experiences, funfair rides and more; Primavera Sound offers only its performances as an experience. It is a festival that wants you to simply listen to the music. It is because of this that I found myself at wits end to review the festival, so instead I have taken Primavera’s advice and ranked my top five performances of the three day festival.
5. Voxtrot
Even those who fancy themselves massive music nerds may find themselves saying “who the hell are Voxtrot”, its a valid question considering the indie pop unit from Texas released two EPs in 2006 and disbanded in 2010, never even touring outside of the United States. However, after a renewed interest following one of their songs being used in 2017’s Call Me By Your Name, the band decided to reunite this year. This set the stage on the very first day for a performance that felt special. What once seemed like a by-gone relic would be reunited on stage before me. As soon as the nerdy-looking, middle-aged men picked up their instruments and started playing “Another Fire” it became clear this performance was as important for them as it was for us. They offered very little beyond a slightly bouncy frontman in Ramesh Srivastava in terms of presentation, instead focusing on simply playing their songs together again, almost 20 years after they were written and a decade after it seemed they had been abandoned. By the time they were finishing up, playing their iconic “Start of Something” a wave of emotion hit me. There was no theatrics, no fancy lights or stage decor (apart from a single white rose on each instrument) but there was so much heart, so much emotion in the performance that it was difficult to not feel moved by the whole ordeal. Voxtrot were given a chance not many bands get, to return to something that clearly means so much to each member; being at the barricade to witness it felt like a privilege, a chance to revel in the beauty of the band’s return and in the beauty of the music that started it all.
4. Pulp
What is there to say about Pulp that hasn’t been said before, the band are legends in terms of live performance and perfectly slip into any festival lineup. Hearing classic tunes such as Disco 2000 and Common People may justify a stellar performance in itself but it is seeing a seasoned veteran of a performer like Jarvis Cocker that makes the music so much more special. Cocker has been performing since the 90s and the experience shows. From how the setlist is crafted perfectly (never allowing a lull), to the comedic engagement with audiences to Cocker’s swagger that oozes out of him with every hip movement. Cocker is someone who knows how to play a crowd so well that he has developed a confidence in himself, a certain comfort on the stage that allows him to truly be himself and take the gig wherever he feels it needs to go (at one stage he stopped the gig to inform us that Trump had just been found guilty on all charges). Naturally a band of the calibre and standing of Pulp will float to the top of the ranks at any festival, but seeing them perform was a true and honest treat. An exceptional experience where the band has the entire crowd in the palm of their hand at any given moment.
3. The Lemon Twigs
If there is anything more fun than seeing a legacy act like Pulp at a festival it is getting to see a rising star perform and find their feet. The Lemon Twigs provided this in heaps as twin brothers Brian and Michael D’Addario took the main stage. The band launched onto the scene in 2016 with their album “Do Hollywood” and since have dedicated their music to homaging rock’n’roll with a wide array of smooth sounding arrangements and perfect harmonies enacted by the twins (both of whom sing and play guitar). Their most recent album “A Dream is All We Know” released earlier this summer very clearly paying homage to a softer and sunnier kind of rock; often feeling reminiscent of The Beach Boys (the band actually closed off the set with a cover of “Good Vibrations”). This softer sound played effortlessly by the band matched with some of the most beautiful harmonies I have ever heard, leads to a performance that sets itself apart from any other live performances occurring not just at Primavera but worldwide. The Lemon Twigs in just under a tightly-crammed hour set cemented them as one of the most important bands releasing music today. The music was easy listening while still being technically complex and whether it be Michael or Brian, the leading voices were angelic to hear and overall left me searching on DoneDeal for a refurbished Volkswagen Camper.
2. Troye Sivan
Nobody is as surprised as me to see the ex-Youtuber Troye Sivan so high on this list but every moment of his performance proved that he is deserving of riddance from that title. He is a performer through and through, the entire show emanating with raw sexual energy that I have never experienced. Sivan makes a strong effort to maintain a bouncy club vibe that is dripping with the seediness and pumped up sexual tension that can be found in any of the world’s nightclubs . The music constantly booms through your ears and vibrates through your body forcing even the worst dancers (i.e me) to move their body to the beat. Whether it be the topless dancers, pretending the mic is one of said dancer’s penis or, making out with said dancer between songs Sivan is adamant that this is who he is and this is what his music will be. It is beyond difficult to not admire him for that and his commitment to the energy is beyond infectious. The songs ripple through the crowd one after one cementing his music as ultimately iconic for this generation. This left me with one conclusion; this is what live music is really all about. Infectious music, raw sexuality, strobe lights and a crowd that cannot get enough of it. Troye Sivan left nothing for the imagination, strutting around the stage as nothing but himself and his music, and we loved him all the more for that.
- Mitski
The sunny and warm festival changed on its last day; 30 minutes before the legendary Mitski was set to take the stage the heavens opened leaving the concert goers drenched. As Mistki sang out to her soaking wet fans her stage was lit up by immense strikes of lightning hailing from above yet, as she left the stage the clouds opened up again to allow the sun to shine. The atmosphere was a once in a lifetime experience, the entire performance was nothing more than spiritual. Where other artists at the festival in many ways beg to be adored with their performance Mitski wants nothing more to be respected as an artist. How Mitski presents herself on stage is unlike any other artist, she stands on a raised stage alone with her band circling below her as she matches each song with an intricate dance. Each song feels special in its own right with Mistki’s movement matching the aura and lyrical importance every time (even getting on her knees and crawling around during “I Bet On Losing Dogs”). At every possible moment Mistki gives the audience an aura, an atmosphere to bask in. There was not a second of her act that could pull my eyes off the stage. Mistki creates an act full of moments and makes every single moment feel special in its own right. She proved herself as a true and true artist at the top of her game that never allows a moment of her performance to feel like anything you have experienced before.
For a festival that in many ways prides itself on being all about the music Primavera delivers on every level. Sure, the novelties that flood any other festival such as ferris wheels or street acts are absent but the quality of the production and tight organisation more than make up for it. Primavera isn’t shy about what it offers; a chance to stand and embrace some of the biggest rising names in music on massive stages with astounding sound production. That in of itself is an experience worth seeing. The acts I have discussed here are just the top five of over fifty acts I saw perform over the three days. Just walking around the grounds there is distinct and interesting music pouring out of every stage. There is not a moment of this festival where one would be starved of seeing a musical performance unlike something they had ever seen before. Primavera offers every one of its guests a chance to see first hand what music is all about, the performance, the instruments and the sound. It is special in that it is solely focused on providing that opportunity for everybody and it delivers on every single count.
