Primavera review: Strokes and CMAT lead the way on Weekend 2 of Barcelona fest
Julian Casablancas of The Strokes performing at the Primavera Sound Festival in Barcelona, Spain. Picture: Xavi Torrent/WireImage
If Pavement were the obvious throwback band of weekend one of Primavera Sound in Barcelona, there was another hit of nostalgia evident across the second weekend, with seminal noughties guitar bands the Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Interpol spread across three days.
The Strokes had to cancel their appearance on the first weekend, which might explain why their crowd was one of the biggest of the second instalment, due to Julian Casablancas being hit with Covid - one of a number of bands affected on the festival lineup.
While his incessant minutes-long banter between songs included making light of his Covid diagnosis, you can excuse it when the setlist features the likes of Reptilla, Someday, and Juicebox. Only lasting a little over an hour though, they couldn't find room for Last Nite.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs made their first festival appearance in four years on Saturday night. Karen O is still as captivating as ever and while the Strokes felt like they were going through the motions, YYYs looked as if they were remembering just how enjoyable this all is.
As for the Irish contingent, following Fontaines DC's coming of age and stature showing last week, CMAT was of course among the highlights. Debut album If My Wife New I'd Be Dead is one of the records of the year and as she highkicks, twirls, and runs around on stage, it's clear she finds it as much fun as her impressively sized linedancing audience.
Bicep closed the best-looking stage in festivals, the Cupra amphitheatre, with the Mediterranean resplendent behind it, late on Thursday, the Belfast dance duo's light show a sight to behold.
The Murder Capital, featuring two Cork men in singer James McGovern and Damien Tuit from Rosscarbery, played new songs alongside the irresistible force of Green & Blue. It's unlikely they can continue in Fontaines DC's steep trajectory, but they are similarly captivating.
There were two clear standouts on this stacked bill though. The Smile are a new sideproject from Radiohead's Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood and Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner. They followed the Strokes and actually played a longer set than the New York five-piece, with Yorke's vocals melting an overheated crowd as the virtuosic Greenwood played piano and harp simultaneously as well as bass guitar with a bow. A thrill to watch three masters at work. They have no Irish dates lined up yet but the Smile are instantly an essential band.
Another act with no Irish show to come, and who has rarely visited our shores, is Jessie Ware, whose What's Your Pleasure? album provided so much happiness in lockdown. From start to finish, her set is a letting-your-hair-down, putting-your-hands-up joy. She beams at the dance moves thrown from the crowd and while her stage setup is quite minimal, her disco tunes are maximum fun, Save a Kiss the perfect nightcap to a sensational set. Ware alone was worth the trip to Barcelona.
