Primavera Sound Barcelona kicked off on June 3 with free music across the city. From angsty punk to queer bubblegum pop.
At the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB) ten artists performed throughout the day, while across town the main festival grounds at Parc del Forum opened one of its nine stages a day early for free shows (the rest will be open Thursday – Saturday).
Our day started at the CCCB with Naya Mö. The Indie artist slings angsty lyrics over distorted guitar and roaring drum beats. Her performance broke through the somewhat drowsy plaza (it was peak lunch hour) with vocals that demanded the crowd’s attention. Throughout her set, the young artist played with the border of rock, noise, and punk, all with an energy that, even if you can’t fully relate to the angst, will stay in your head throughout the day.
Directly after Naya was Rakel. A fundamentally different sound, the singer-songwriter used her broad vocal range to lull the audience into a state of attention. Her set featured beautiful vocals over soft guitar riffs. With that said, she lacked stage presence, sitting while playing, and moving directly from one song into another with limited audience engagement.
Opening up the stage at the Parc del Forum was Ouineta. Despite being the opener, this bubblegum pop queen came to party. With backup dancers, two guest artists, an outfit change, and a dance break (announced in Comic Sans on the screen behind), the artist created a performance larger than just her songs. The singer, whose work is in Catalan, performed over electrobeats to create a saccharine experience for the thousands in the crowd. The best part was that the emotions and meaning of her songs could be understood in any language.
Finally, we ended the day with Yard Act. The British hardcore band brought noise rock and distortion from the first moment they stepped on stage. Their songs built upon the strong UK tradition of Punk and Post-Punk, diving into emotional processing that British lads stereotypically rarely do. Just remember to bring your concert headphones as the band gets close to the line of screamo at points throughout its set.
We’re excited for day two and for all nine stages of the main festival to open. Stay tuned for more!
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