Primavera 2018

[Noeliam]

1 hour ago, daveje said:

This is perhaps the key point about Primavara - it's all about the music, and nothing else. (Ok, maybe also sex and drugs.)

And in spite of my reservations about lineup trends, bought my tickets for next year, and going VIP.

I always loved Sziget because there was so much more to do. But it's the case because they can't compete lineup wise.

I'll try Primavera next year if I don't get Glasto tickets

[Swanmob]

19 hours ago, OneLittleFish said:

Loved my time at my first Primavera - stayed out in the Horta district which meant it was an hour to get back on the 5am metro but still a nice place to stay.

 

Thought the festival had waaaay too much advertising which annoyed me a little but the stalls selling prints of gigs posters were very cool. 

 

Going to rate the acts I saw (probably missed a few but so be it).

 

Starcrawler - 6/10. Found them a bit try hard for my liking.

Spiritualized - 9/10. Fantastic gig and loved the venue.

Belle & Sebastian - 8.5/10.

 

Hinds - 8/10

The Twilight Sad - 9/10. Difficult to watch in places, James Graham is clearly still struggling with the passing of his friend but it was a set with a lot of beauty in it too, in particular the Frightened Rabbit cover.

The War on Drugs - 8.5/10

Bjork - 9.5/10. Thought she was absolutely brilliant, that version of 'Human Behaviour' is awesome.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - 8/10. Thought I'd enjoy it more but think I was a bit fatigued from Bjork's set which wasn't the easiest in the world to get into.

Nils Frahm - 8/10

 

Waxahatchee - 7.5/10

The Breeders - 6.5/10. I love the Breeders but they're always a bit shambolic live somehow.

Father John Misty - 9/10

Mogwai - 8.5/10

Ibeyi - 9/10. My real discovery of the festival, they were great.

La Banda Trapera Del Rio - 8/10. A bit of a punk throwback but a lot of fun :-)

Charlotte Gainsbourg - 7/10

Idles - 10/10. One of the very best things I've seen live with a raucous crowd. 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' was a laugh out loud moment.

Ty Segall - 8/10

The Black Madonna - 8.5/10

 

Car Seat Headrest - 9/10

Ariel Pink - 3/10. Absolute bollocks of the highest order.

Slowdive - 8/10

Lorde - 6/10. A bit flat

Arctic Monkeys - 9.5/10. Once the people expecting the first album in full had left it was perfect, Alex Turner has become a brilliantly charismatic frontman and the new material is great.

Public Service Broadcasting - 8/10.

Very nice review sir! Everything is always better with an on ten rating. Agree with it for the ones I've seen. 

[Albinoss]

Secured my ticket for 2019. This is the first time that I bought the early bird. They will send the wristband at home, so no queues at the entrance this time. Will be my seventh PS and the sixth on a row. Very happy! 

[Mexuta]

Okay guys, this might be already a late review of Primavera Festival, but just like y’all, I’ve been excited and lift to experience what it’s like in Barcelona. And because it’s a late call for hot impressions, I’m going to be specific  and perhaps I might name my favorites in a ranking, though it’s not a must for me, but admit to be enough challenging. This is the first big festival I attended and there were a few I wanted to see but lots I didn’t know and it’s nice to discover live music.

·         PERFECT PLACES

For Parc del Forum which has the big, very big advantage of being situated near the sea and having the slope at the Primavera stage and a large beach like area between Mango and Seat stages, also stands and the amphitheater (Ray-Ban stage) and more isolated stages such as Adidas and Night Pro, I think Primavera Sound couldn’t have been more offering. So focusing a bit on the location, I can say Primavera stage hosted more pop and electronic beats, it’s been quite dancey during the nights and more rocky during sunsets and gained hard with the slope there at the right distance. Primavera stage was among the big stages, along with the biggest two, Seat and Mango. Ray-Ban stage was quite a spectacle with the amphitheater ‘move’ and that was the jelly, hosted more varied musical performances but talk about this later. Night Pro was maybe thought as a more quiet, hidden stage behind that reed along the alley, targeted a limited crowd but exactly its position there made it more mystic like wanting to discover it as soon as you heard noise and buzzing sounds coming from the bushes. Adidas stage … well, besides being among the small stages, placing it there, more isolated, was one of the highlights of Primavera. The sea in its proximity made possible strategic concerts such as the one given by Anna von Hausswolff … you could barely see her face, but you could be glad only to distinguish her foggy figure with her golden hair and listen to her bent voice in the sounds of murmuring water in half obscurity. Haunting voice to remark, like of a nymph in the deep. You could watch the darkness of the sea and just listen to her screams, for a more quivering experience.

Pitchfork stage was probably the most misleading, incomprehensible stage, with no great strengths but believe Public Service Broadcasting did the finest job with very dance engaging instrumentals, even though I knew nothing about their music.

A bonus Like for the chill Baccardi area, which was like a rest for the eyes with the small beach and greenery and palm trees.

·         DESIRE LINES

Regarding the beer tents, think this is a minor minus of Primavera Sound, but people have already detailed this enough, so well, it’s just another of my shareable thoughts.

And per total, organizers did a satisfying job coordinating the crowds, the entrance, the sound checks and all the staff involved. The merchandise area was okay, but I was hoping to see better designs on t-shirts from the official stores. The Primavera Sound moving logo was entrancing. Good food.

 

·         EVEREST

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – FANTASTIC guys! can’t be more thrilled to place them on the peak, I was waiting for a concert like that. ‘Stagger Lee’, ‘Red Right Hand’ and ‘The Mercy Seat’ …massively worthy performances… I went to Nick Cave not knowing him well and expected a lighter concert, quieter and more grim, more for connoisseurs let’s say. He had that special connection to the crowd and I was completely taken with him. He looked like a god and held the realest concert of Primavera. You should see the fans silencing people during softer songs. That’s proof enough.

Spiritualized – inside Auditori Rockdelux hall… I’m so glad I was a ticket holder. The setting almost did it all and it was different. An experience like this was needed, it was very soothing to listen to with those special sounds. I understand better now why there were so many rows of people forming a serpentine tail to buy tickets.

The National – watching them live for the first time, knowing and liking their songs was a spicy experience for me. Didn’t have the same vibe as at Nick Cave’s concert, but was waiting to see The National and I had mixed feelings during the concert, but I’m more pro about their performance on stage than against. I was waiting to listen to a few of my favorite songs which they didn’t play, but they did introduce some of the other songs I liked such as ‘Day I die’, ‘Graceless’, ‘Bloodbuzz Ohio’ and ‘Demons’ (guess ‘I need my girl’ too). Glad they played Fake Empire and ‘The System only dreams in total darkness’ and I had the impression there were short monotonous moments.

Confidence Man – HA-HA-HA!! Excellent energy on Ray-Ban stage and response from the audience! They played late but it was just what I expected to see. Being super tired, I’ve waited long for them and never regret it.  Not even headliners such as Arctic Monkeys had a dancing crowd alike, though it was rumored to be a split view among attendees. Laser effects, catchy lyrics, funny dancing, energy released, change of outfits… Being with low energy it’s a big regret, but having seen them compensates well.

Warpaint – these girls sound better live than their songs :)) I listened to some of their music before and wasn’t convinced. Seat stage was appropriate for them and permitted a more intimate connection with the crowd. I can situate Warpaint as good as Father John Misty who was completely new to me and seemed perfect for the sleeping sun of the afternoon with that melodiously entertaining effect.

War on drugs – hm.. I enjoyed Warpaint more right before them, even though I generally like War on drugs much. I captured a video with a long guitar & bass intro which seemed so vibrant when I watched it and then I caught a short fragment from ‘Pain’. Mango stage was right for them in the beating of a still awake sunset. The airy locks of the lead singer gave a breezy vibe to the crowd and his voice had something of Bryan Adams in it. Fairly linear but a good concert.

Lorde – her semi mermaid, semi jellyfish outfit and watery make-up fitted in the atmosphere of a night concert. She seemed both fluffy and ethereal and I liked the few dance syncs she did, especially on ‘Magnets’. It’s good when you’re quite close to the stage, in the crowded crowd, I can’t imagine ‘Green light’ live otherwise.

Slowdive – I think they were just as good as Lorde, if not a little better. ‘Star roving’ was staggering, as well as ‘No longer making time’. I missed ‘Sugar for the pill’ because I rushed to Lorde, but I enjoyed it really much though.

Lift to experience – didn’t expect to like them that much, but laying down on the slope and watching the sky while listening to those indie rock instrumentals during a bright sunset was exactly the best rest. Liked the singer’s Texas hat and the countryside feeling.

The O’o – great hypnotizing & tribal sounds on Night Pro. I can’t find many songs from them on youtube, so an extra reason to feel lucky I have seen them live.

Nothing of Cesare Basile? I found one of his songs creepy when listening to him at home but live on Adidas Originals was colorful, very much alive and a good folk.

Charlotte Gainsburg – enjoyed it quite as much as Belle and Sebastian, the stage was explosive with light syncs on that dream pop beats. So yes, better than expected.

Some of my half disappointments were Cigarettes after sex (too quiet for Ray-Ban and delivering the same studio effect, it was almost like listening to a recorded tape) and Beach House on Primavera stage, but maybe because I had greater expectations from them.

Deerhunter – I chose them to the detriment of Arctic Monkeys even though I knew no more than 2 songs from them. I can say now I want to discover more of their songs. Very charismatic singer, with a seemingly frail silhouette. A very good and lively rock overall. I loved ‘Helicopter’ now that I remember and a few others but believe it was demanding to stay and watch the full concert for a meaty impression.

Vagabon – very new to me… and not bad at all! To consider.

I simply don’t know what to say about Bjork, but I’m glad I stayed outside the crowd.  

Missed Mogwai, Idles, The Black Madonna, Migos, Haim, Grizzly Bear.

A last thought: Primavera Sound – you bug (in the nicest way)!

 

[Mexuta]

Okay guys, this might be already a late review of Primavera Festival, but just like y’all, I’ve been excited and lift to experience what it’s like in Barcelona. And because it’s a late call for hot impressions, I’m going to be specific  and perhaps I might name my favorites in a ranking, though it’s not a must for me, but admit to be enough challenging. This is the first big festival I attended and there were a few I wanted to see but lots I didn’t know and it’s nice to discover live music.

 

·         PERFECT PLACES

For Parc del Forum which has the big, very big advantage of being situated near the sea and having the slope at the Primavera stage and a large beach like area between Mango and Seat stages, also stands and the amphitheater (Ray-Ban stage) and more isolated stages such as Adidas and Night Pro, I think Primavera Sound couldn’t have been more offering. So focusing a bit on the location, I can say Primavera stage hosted more pop and electronic beats, it’s been quite dancey during the nights and more rocky during sunsets and gained hard with the slope there at the right distance. Primavera stage was among the big stages, along with the biggest two, Seat and Mango. Ray-Ban stage was quite a spectacle with the amphitheater ‘move’ and that was the jelly, hosted more varied musical performances but talk about this later. Night Pro was maybe thought as a more quiet, hidden stage behind that reed along the alley, targeted a limited crowd but exactly its position there made it more mystic like wanting to discover it as soon as you heard noise and buzzing sounds coming from the bushes. Adidas stage … well, besides being among the small stages, placing it there, more isolated, was one of the highlights of Primavera. The sea in its proximity made possible strategic concerts such as the one given by Anna von Hausswolff … you could barely see her face, but you could be glad only to distinguish her foggy figure with her golden hair and listen to her bent voice in the sounds of murmuring water in half obscurity. Haunting voice to remark, like of a nymph in the deep. You could watch the darkness of the sea and just listen to her screams, for a more quivering experience.

 

Pitchfork stage was probably the most misleading, incomprehensible stage, with no great strengths but believe Public Service Broadcasting did the finest job with very dance engaging instrumentals, even though I knew nothing about their music.

A bonus Like for the chill Bacardi area, which was like a rest for the eyes with the small beach and greenery and palm trees.

·         DESIRE LINES

Regarding the beer tents, think this is a minor minus of Primavera Sound, but people have already detailed this enough, so well, it’s just another of my shareable thoughts.

And per total, organizers did a satisfying job coordinating the crowds, the entrance, the sound checks and all the staff involved. The merchandise area was okay, but I was hoping to see better designs on t-shirts from the official stores. The Primavera Sound moving logo was entrancing. Good food.

 

·         EVEREST

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – FANTASTIC guys! can’t be more thrilled to place them on the peak, I was waiting for a concert like that. ‘Stagger Lee’, ‘Red Right Hand’ and ‘The Mercy Seat’ …massively worthy performances… I went to Nick Cave not knowing him well and expected a lighter concert, quieter and more grim, more for connoisseurs let’s say. He had that special connection to the crowd and I was completely taken with him. He looked like a god and held the realest concert of Primavera. You should see the fans silencing people during softer songs. That’s proof enough.

Spiritualized – inside Auditori Rockdelux hall… I’m so glad I was a ticket holder. The setting almost did it all and it was different. An experience like this was needed, it was very soothing to listen to with those special sounds. I understand better now why there were so many rows of people forming a serpentine tail to buy tickets.

 

The National – watching them live for the first time, knowing and liking their songs was a spicy experience for me. Didn’t have the same vibe as at Nick Cave’s concert, but was waiting to see The National and I had mixed feelings during the concert, but I’m more pro about their performance on stage than against. I was waiting to listen to a few of my favorite songs which they didn’t play, but they did introduce some of the other songs I liked such as ‘Day I die’, ‘Graceless’, ‘Bloodbuzz Ohio’ and ‘Demons’ (guess ‘I need my girl’ too). Glad they played Fake Empire and ‘The System only dreams in total darkness’ and I had the impression there were short monotonous moments.

Confidence Man – HA-HA-HA!! Excellent energy on Ray-Ban stage and response from the audience! They played late but it was just what I expected to see. Being super tired, I’ve waited long for them and never regret it.  Not even headliners such as Arctic Monkeys had a dancing crowd alike, though it was rumored to be a split view among attendees. Laser effects, catchy lyrics, funny dancing, energy released, change of outfits… Being with low energy it’s a big regret, but having seen them compensates well.

Warpaint – these girls sound better live than their songs :)) I listened to some of their music before and wasn’t convinced. Seat stage was appropriate for them and permitted a more intimate connection with the crowd. I can situate Warpaint as good as Father John Misty who was completely new to me and seemed perfect for the sleeping sun of the afternoon with that melodiously entertaining effect.

 

War on drugs – hm.. I enjoyed Warpaint more right before them, even though I generally like War on drugs much. I captured a video with a long guitar & bass intro which seemed so vibrant when I watched it and then I caught a short fragment from ‘Pain’. Mango stage was right for them in the beating of a still awake sunset. The airy locks of the lead singer gave a breezy vibe to the crowd and his voice had something of Bryan Adams in it. Fairly linear but a good concert.

 

Lorde – her semi mermaid, semi jellyfish outfit and watery make-up fitted in the atmosphere of a night concert. She seemed both fluffy and ethereal and I liked the few dance syncs she did, especially on ‘Magnets’. It’s good when you’re quite close to the stage, in the crowded crowd, I can’t imagine ‘Green light’ live otherwise.

 

Slowdive – I think they were just as good as Lorde, if not a little better. ‘Star roving’ was staggering, as well as ‘No longer making time’. I missed ‘Sugar for the pill’ because I rushed to Lorde, but I enjoyed it really much though.

 

Lift to experience – didn’t expect to like them that much, but laying down on the slope and watching the sky while listening to those indie rock instrumentals during a bright sunset was exactly the best rest. Liked the singer’s Texas hat and the countryside feeling.

 

The O’o – great hypnotizing & tribal sounds on Night Pro. I can’t find many songs from them on youtube, so an extra reason to feel lucky I have seen them live.

 

Nothing of Cesare Basile? I found one of his songs creepy when listening to him at home but live on Adidas Originals was colorful, very much alive and a good folk.

Charlotte Gainsburg – enjoyed it quite as much as Belle and Sebastian, the stage was explosive with light syncs on that dream pop beats. So yes, better than expected.

Some of my half disappointments were Cigarettes after sex (too quiet for Ray-Ban and delivering the same studio effect, it was almost like listening to a recorded tape) and Beach House on Primavera stage, but maybe because I had greater expectations from them.

Deerhunter – I chose them to the detriment of Arctic Monkeys even though I knew no more than 2 songs from them. I can say now I want to discover more of their songs. Very charismatic singer, with a seemingly frail silhouette. A very good and lively rock overall. I loved ‘Helicopter’ now that I remember and a few others but believe it was demanding to stay and watch the full concert for a meaty impression.

Vagabon – very new to me… and not bad at all! To consider.

I simply don’t know what to say about Bjork, but I’m glad I stayed outside the crowd.  

Missed Mogwai, Idles, The Black Madonna, Migos, Haim, Grizzly Bear.

A last thought: Primavera Sound – you bug (in the nicest way)!

 

[puckno]

4 hours ago, Mexuta said:

·         PERFECT PLACES
·         DESIRE LINES
·         EVEREST

13th song in Lordes setlist, the eight song in Deerhunters setlist, and the last song in Public Service Broadcasting setlist. Nicely done!  It is good your summary did not finish with Lordes 6th song, Hard Feelings, or Deerhunters 7th song, Death In Midsummer (though it is not midsummer yet, technically speaking). I guess you may return to Primavera again!

[Mexuta]

39 minutes ago, puckno said:

13th song in Lordes setlist, the eight song in Deerhunters setlist, and the last song in Public Service Broadcasting setlist. Nicely done!  It is good your summary did not finish with Lordes 6th song, Hard Feelings, or Deerhunters 7th song, Death In Midsummer (though it is not midsummer yet, technically speaking). I guess you may return to Primavera again!

 Yeah, it's my festival spirit doing that.. No hard feelings after all of course, being the first event of this kind for me, Primavera made me consider a return and also other big festivals to go to. Think the best experiences belong to the enthusiasts who know songs and to the fans, but music lovers who go and discover more music at the festivals are to appreciate. I'm a biiig music lover and certain performances moved me, I'm open to a lot of music and being a fan of nobody but having my own list of favourites helped me focus and enjoy the concerts in a comprehensive manner.

[seantizz]

FWiW - my review is now added to the eFestival site.. 

Sevdaliza, Fermin Muguruza, Idles and Jane Birkin were my top top highlights amongst many highlights.. 

https://www.efestivals.co.uk/festivals/primavera/2018/review.shtml

Sean

[Johndenis]

On ‎6‎/‎7‎/‎2018 at 1:19 AM, red90 said:

O. Let Love In is probably my favorite Nick Cave album and the one I asked him to sign for me when he miraculously approached me after getting off the stage ❤️ 

Great review thank you - how were you approached if you were stuck back in the crowd post-Bjork?  I am jealous!

[Guy Incognito]

not gonna watch any of the sets that they've uploaded but this is a nice watch. Briefly met Bradford on the day they were playing an he was charming even in that brief instance.

 

[red90]

8 hours ago, Johndenis said:

Great review thank you - how were you approached if you were stuck back in the crowd post-Bjork?  I am jealous!

I did get to the very front, only to far left, where I couldn’t really see the stage and mostly watched the show on the screen. I noticed the fence around the stage was really close to the stairs Nick would use. When he was saying his goodbyes to the crowd I ran to the side with another fan. The guard was getting ready to let Nick’s car out and opened the gate, telling us to stay away. I saw Nick walking off the stage, called his name and waved the booklet above the fence so he would notice me. They were trying to get him into a car, but he waved the guard away and came to the gate, where I thanked him for the show. He signed my booklet and said thank you, too. The poor girl that was with me had nothing to sign and Nick refused to take any pictures (he was in a hurry) but she was over the moon anyway because he was so sweet. I told him “See you in Berlin”, he smiled and that was it, they took him away in a van before the rest of the band got off stage. A moment later I tried the same trick with Warren but to no avail  It was an awesome little moment, so lovely of Nick to make one fan happy after giving it all in front of thousands!

[Steph U]

Isn't it time to create a new thread for Primavera 2019? Woop woop, excited already.

[The Martini Police]

16 hours ago, Steph U said:

Isn't it time to create a new thread for Primavera 2019? Woop woop, excited already.

There is one 

 

[xxialac]

On 12/15/2017 at 9:53 AM, xxialac said:

Mad Cool is nowhere near even the weakest PV lineup of the last 7 years. Crap like Snow Control doesn't help, less diversity as JtH said and a  relatively weak undercard. Madrid is also far too hot that time of year and the fest has had organisational problems, by all accounts. The new site looks pretty charmless too.

For all that, undoubtedly a big improvement on last year with some good acts and it will surely cannibalise Primavera's potential audience

 

Turns out Mad Cool is an absolute shitshow this year. Two hour queues, massive queues for drinks, site inaccessible and stuff not working.

 

[kingcrawler]

5 minutes ago, xxialac said:

Turns out Mad Cool is an absolute shitshow this year. Two hour queues, massive queues for drinks, site inaccessible and stuff not working.

 

Yeah, as much as Primavera has big wristband queues on Thursdays and was very busy on the Saturday this year it's never been too bad for me, certainly nowhere near as bad as Mad Cool sounds. The VIP section looks a bit bigger than the one at Primavera too.

[xxialac]

3 minutes ago, kingcrawler said:

Yeah, as much as Primavera has big wristband queues on Thursdays and was very busy on the Saturday this year it's never been too bad for me, certainly nowhere near as bad as Mad Cool sounds. The VIP section looks a bit bigger than the one at Primavera too.

Yeah and at least on most of the main stages at Primavera (Rayban, Primavera, Seat) anyone can get right to the front whereas there you're going to be guaranteed to be miles back.

It looks like Coachella. It looks an absolute joke. Long live Primavera.

[MatheauWillis]

On 7/12/2018 at 10:29 PM, xxialac said:

Yeah and at least on most of the main stages at Primavera (Rayban, Primavera, Seat) anyone can get right to the front whereas there you're going to be guaranteed to be miles back.

It looks like Coachella. It looks an absolute joke. Long live Primavera.

Still have my email notifications on so seen some stuff on this about Mad Cool and thought it only fair to share my experience as somebody who attended the festival....

I went to both festivals with regular non vip tickets this year and the queuing at Primavera for drinks and/or the foot traffic on site every day was 10x more frustrating than anything I experienced at Mad Cool. Granted there was a really ridiculous queue to get in on the first day of Mad Cool (luckily I managed to beat it however my friends had to stay in it for 2 hours and missed Fleet Foxes, I can imagine that if I had missed them or Tame Impala I would have been absolutely furious) but apart from that it wasn't a problem for me personally.

I literally experienced 0 queuing for drinks all weekend, I imagine anyone who did have bother probably flocked to the biggest bar in the centre of the site rather than venture to any of the multiple different ones spread out all over. There was even a bar that gave out free Mahou beer! You had to queue for about 15 minutes and then you were given a token and led in to a maze/tower that had loads of random stuff like swings, dance mats, phone chargers etc (all free to use), once you got to the top of the tower you were greeted by a roof top bar with a neat view of the festival and free half pints, it was absolutely bizarre.

One of the biggest negatives was that the VIP areas were slightly bigger on the main stages and in most cases generally empty which pissed off a lot of the acts. Tame Impala, Fleet Foxes and QOTSA all paused their sets to demand that people get let in (the security did eventually oblige). However that being said as a fan you could still turn up 5 minutes before and still get right to the front with no bother. Another big downer was Massive Attack cancelling their set because apparently there was too much bleed from another stage, I couldn't hear anything and I've since read that they've done this quite a few times at other festivals. That being said I was nowhere near as gutted as losing Frank Ocean and Migos!

MC had absolutely humongous screens on the two main stages, similar to that of Panorama or Coachella which were really cool. Especially for the light show of Tame Impala which was absolutely ridiculous, was so happy about this as I felt underwhelmed at their Prima set which was the last time I had the chance to see them.

Prima has an undeniably better line up (every year) and a more interesting festival layout, as well as a rich history which will never be matched by any festival (apart from probably Glastonbury). I think if more bands start crossing over between the two it won't take long for them to start actively requesting to play Prima, for example Robin Peckenfold of FF posted on instagram that he felt really out of place at MC. That being said I definitely had a much more enjoyable time this year at MC as the crowd were much friendlier, so many tears, hugging, kissing, dancing etc, the vibe felt a lot more communal like Glastonbury. 

Everyone I was with LOVED the astro turf as it was comfortable and clean to sit on as well as easy going on the feet, where as although I agreed with the aforementioned points it felt a bit weird being on a completely artificial surface. Prima has the ocean + beach, most others have woodlands or mountains, where as MC felt maybe too clean? I don't know if that sounds absolutely ridiculous as it didn't seem to bother anyone else.

So with all that being said I don't understand why people have to be so elitist about these sorts of things, if you love Primavera then why does it matter about other festivals lol? Surely it's just great that there's such a wide selection of places to go on offer so that everyone has the opportunity to go where's best for them! For sure it's interesting to discuss how other festivals are but to make it some sort of rivalry or competition is a bit cringe imo. If anything maybe Primavera could be more enjoyable in the future with a louder/rowdier generally rock based crowd choosing Mad Cool to go to instead? Both sold out and I imagine will continue to exist side by side for years to come. I'll be at Prima next year 100% as 2016 + 17 were the best festival experiences I've ever had and I feel like it deserves another chance because of this. I'd potentially do Mad Cool again (line up dependent).

Have a day off folks and see you next year!!!

[xxialac]

Good for you that your queueing was good but you are a sample of one and you mentioned that your queuing experience wasn't typical. Most people clearly had a nightmare on the first day. A nightmare. A wave of articles and general media generated on the back of this.

"The queuing at Primavera for drinks and/or the foot traffic on site every day was 10x more frustrating than anything I experienced at Mad Cool" Again your expeirience  Lots of people complaining about the number of people on site on forums, social media. Your drink queues were 10x worse at Primavera than MC comment I can't take seriously. 10x? 

Massive Attack cancelling their set because apparently there was too much bleed from another stage, I couldn't hear anything and I've since read that they've done this quite a few times at other festivals. - this is simply untrue.

For what it's worth and for fairness, the screens, sound etc do get a universally good writeup and MC does generally get a good write up. This isn't about making it a competition but pointing out the differences. And Primavera did free beers every day for VIP this year by the way.

[MatheauWillis]

1 hour ago, xxialac said:

"The queuing at Primavera for drinks and/or the foot traffic on site every day was 10x more frustrating than anything I experienced at Mad Cool" Again your expeirience  Lots of people complaining about the number of people on site on forums, social media. Your drink queues were 10x worse at Primavera than MC comment I can't take seriously. 10x? 

Massive Attack cancelling their set because apparently there was too much bleed from another stage, I couldn't hear anything and I've since read that they've done this quite a few times at other festivals. - this is simply untrue.

For what it's worth and for fairness, the screens, sound etc do get a universally good writeup and MC does generally get a good write up. This isn't about making it a competition but pointing out the differences. And Primavera did free beers every day for VIP this year by the way.

Well if queuing wasn't even mildly frustrating at MC and it was really frustrating at Primavera then yeah, I'll lower my completely subjective personal score to 9.75x worse if that'll get your sign off? 

https://elpais.com/elpais/2018/07/16/inenglish/1531739617_522079.html They seem like a bunch of pretentious nerds!

I wasn't VIP so that's redundant for me, I don't really think I agree with it. 

[xxialac]

7 hours ago, MatheauWillis said:

Well if queuing wasn't even mildly frustrating at MC and it was really frustrating at Primavera then yeah, I'll lower my completely subjective personal score to 9.75x worse if that'll get your sign off? 

https://elpais.com/elpais/2018/07/16/inenglish/1531739617_522079.html They seem like a bunch of pretentious nerds!

I wasn't VIP so that's redundant for me, I don't really think I agree with it. 

Let's just sign off that you are completely blinkered.

The queues to get into Primavera Sound got no attention this year.

The queues to get into Mad Cool created a large number of very angry people (the facebook went into meltdown) and articles written about it. 

The queues for Primavera for drinks got bad around Grizzly Bear at Rayban I agree otherwise not bad (lots of people complaining about the bar queues on twitter/forums around Mad Cool, not so Primavera) and you have to be joking about the foot traffic on site (at risk of repeating myself lots of people complaining about the bar queues on twitter/forums around Mad Cool, not so Primavera)

Lots of people saying the event was oversold, no space to move.

And that Massive Attack article is written from the Mad Cool perspective.  I hope you don't ever do jury service. Sounds like you would hear the prosecution case and see no need to hear the defence - just jump straight to a conviction...

 

[seantizz]

I’ve been lucky enough to review both Primavera and Mad Cool this year for eFestivals. 

Trust me - there is no comparison. I’m almost wondering if these Mad Cool apologists went to the same festival that I did. 

Beer queues at Primavera were insignificant and minuscule compared to those at Mad Cool. 

It’s not a competition between festivals but if it were I’d rank them like this so far this summer. 

(1) Vida festival - boutique and all sorts of astonishing. 

(2) Primavera - Solid, dependable, excellent organisation.

(3) Alicante Live - a lovely surprise. Worth exploring. 

(4) We are Murcia (WARM) - Alt J and Kasabian saved this big cat park of a gig. Lots of top notch Spanish bands though. 

(5) Mad Cool - Graat line up, shambolic organisation. At times dangerous in terms of numbers. 

Happy to debate.. 

 

 

[xxialac]

12 minutes ago, seantizz said:

I’ve been lucky enough to review both Primavera and Mad Cool this year for eFestivals. 

Trust me - there is no comparison. I’m almost wondering if these Mad Cool apologists went to the same festival that I did. 

Beer queues at Primavera were insignificant and minuscule compared to those at Mad Cool. 

It’s not a competition between festivals but if it were I’d rank them like this so far this summer. 

(1) Vida festival - boutique and all sorts of astonishing. 

(2) Primavera - Solid, dependable, excellent organisation.

(3) Alicante Live - a lovely surprise. Worth exploring. 

(4) We are Murcia (WARM) - Alt J and Kasabian saved this big cat park of a gig. Lots of top notch Spanish bands though. 

(5) Mad Cool - Graat line up, shambolic organisation. At times dangerous in terms of numbers. 

Happy to debate.. 

 

 

What a unique experience you’ve had this summer. Had no idea Vida was such a gem of a festival and you’ve inspired me to go check it out.

Primavera is dependable - that’s a great word for it. Never had a year I’ve regretted going.

Edited July 18, 2018 by xxialac

[MichaelsBeard]

Having also done both I agree it’s not even comparable. In my experience Mad Cool just felt like utter hard work a lot of the time. I put this down to teething problems at the new site as things generally did get better as the weekend progressed. 

I would be willing to give MC one more chance if the lineup was as solid as this year but I left Prima feeling absolutely elated and had nowhere near as good a time at MC. 

[MatheauWillis]

9 hours ago, seantizz said:

I’ve been lucky enough to review both Primavera and Mad Cool this year for eFestivals. 

Trust me - there is no comparison. I’m almost wondering if these Mad Cool apologists went to the same festival that I did. 

Beer queues at Primavera were insignificant and minuscule compared to those at Mad Cool. 

 

Haha! I'm not an apologist, I simply wasn't effected by any issues (I'm not denying they were there for other people) therefore why would I be crying about them? Primavera is my favourite festival in the world and I was left incredibly disappointed by it this year, I'm sure a huge part of that would have been due to the high expectations I have for it after previous years but I DID encounter numerous problems with queuing/overcrowding/lack of staffing as did many other people on this thread if you only cast yourself back a month or so!

My main point in writing my experience of Mad Cool was to point out how ridiculous it was people (who didn't even attend) celebrating any perceived failures to create some sort of rivalry against Primavera - which was hardly a glowing example of the festival experience this year (in mine and a lot of others opinions).

People have different experiences at festivals as they do in life, folks!

[ghostdancer1]

wasn't at MC, and don't really care about it.

was at Primavera, and the bars weren't great at all. no particularly big queues (max I queued was 10mins), but the organisation was quite bad. no order to queues, pints being pulled to order.

why they can't the organise them like almost every other festival does? some barriers so that there's a line and and order to who gets served first, with bar staff continually pulling pints, and others continually just serving/taking payment? the Primavera bars were more like in a nightclub, just lots of people crowded around trying to catch the bar person's eye and get served, often ahead of people who had been waiting several minutes. then they had to wait while that bar person waited for the drink to be ready. very slow, and poor from a customer's side.

 

e: after reading the MC thread just now, seems like similar issues there. maybe shit service is just endemic at these festivals.

Edited July 20, 2018 by ghostdancer1