aaamusic | On 29, May 2011

Pending the conclusion of the third major concert day, for which over 40,000 assistants are expected, the eleventh edition of San Miguel Primavera Sound hopes to break a new record and to bring together more than 120,000 spectators at the Parc del Fòrum. On Thursday 26th of May nearly 39,500 people gathered for the musical event, while on Friday 27th the attendance rose up to 43,800.

Caribou’s electronic magic, the classic pop of the Liverpool group Echo & The Bunnymen, the indie pop of Comet Gain and the Japanese roadroller Nisennenmondai were part of the menu of the official opening day on Wednesday 25th of May at the Poble Espanyol, original site of the festival at the beginning, which saw a massive flow of people and hung the “sold out” sign with 5,300 attendees. Tomorrow Sunday, a similar figure is expected for the closing ceremony, which will feature performances by Mercury Rev, BMXBandits, My Teenage Stride and Me and the Bees.

San Miguel Primavera Sound 2011 has offered a lineup formed by 221 bands and leaves for keepsake spectacular concerts of pop and rock-stars like The National, the band led by Nick Cave Grinderman, the Scots Belle & Sebastian or the colourful show of the veterans The Flaming Lips, and awaiting the performances of other heavyweight bands like the British PJ Harvey or the experimental pop magicians Animal Collective.

But surely the key event this weekend has been the comeback of the band Pulp, which struck on Friday with a concert full of hits such as “Babies”, “Disco 2000” and “Common People”, a song that its leader Jarvis Cocker dedicated to the participants of the camp in Plaza Catalunya evicted that morning, and joining himself to the protest by declaring himself “indignado” (outraged).

The classics also shone brightly. Cult groups like The Monochrome Set and Pere Ubu, the post-punk of P.I.L. or John Cale’s performance together with the instrumental group BCN216, playing the entire album “1916” in the Auditori Rockdelux, have shown that seniority is only a degree.

As usual, the festival has been a platform for emerging bands. Friday’s concerts brought us two of the most awaited artists, James Blake and Twin Shadow, and both have proven that they are here to stay. Sonny & The Sunsets, Big Boi, Of Montreal or Spanish bands Lüger and Toundra have been other highlights on the musical days.

Primavera a la Ciutat is starting to be more than a musical appetizer. The great number of performances scheduled in various locations and in unusual formats that have flooded the centre of Barcelona with great music for more than two weeks and has brought together over 5.000 people. The bulk of the programming has been focused on new proposals born in the city, such as Violet Lades, Desmond, Vistalegre and many more, but has also had guests like Darren Hayman and Eli Paperboy Reed.

On the other hand, the music industry encounter PrimaveraPro has brought together more than 1,000 professionals from 36 countries (besides the 1,200 journalists accredited for the festival) attracted by a equally sustained approach in a selection of showcases that aspires to project internationally new bands and in a program of conferences and meetings designed to promote convergence in the current map of independent music.