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ip-hop, rock, pop, reggae, funk, soul, folk, rap, R & B, electronic, African rhythms, brasileiros, varied fusions… whatever former Talking Heads David Byrne does these days. More than a festival lineup, Cruïlla Barcelona 2018 seemed like a catalog of musical trends. Variety to the point of eclecticism, always far from the easy path and with proposals unusual in our country. These are some of the main hallmarks of the programming of an event that has already become essential in the Catalan musical summer.
This lineup design, along with an express desire to avoid the inconveniences of overcrowding, gives Cruïlla a particular atmosphere, which is welcoming even for families with small children (in this case, the essential accessory is ear protection in the style of construction worker earmuffs, child size). In general, it is not a festival full of band t-shirts or die-hard fans of a specific band or DJ, but rather the stylistic variety attracts an audience of a fairly wide age range -from early twenties to late forties-, mostly female and, yes, very eager to be seen and let loose to music that encourages dancing.
Because -let's not kid ourselves- being seen and looking at others, both live and on Instagram, is one of the unconfessable goals of every festival-goer. And Cruïlla is also an unbeatable showcase for trendspotters. The most successful outfits are, among boys, Hawaiian-style printed shirts, combined with a nascent and worrying trend of socks up to below the knee. For girls, the must are swimsuit-tops that make the bra a totally optional piece, not to mention that it gets in the way. But hey, despite the visual dominance of modernity -tattoos are starting to be essential-, the most casual looks are perfectly acceptable. Much more than the abuse of italicized Anglicisms, forgive me but modernity ends up sticking.
David Byrne, with a live energy and daring that belie his 66 years, appeared on stage barefoot and with a brain in his hand, as if out of a scene from Twin Peaks.And in the midst of all this atmosphere of hedonism and fun, which numerous local VIPs also enjoyed, such as actors Leticia Dolera, Miki Esparbé, Carlos Cuevas or Nuria Gago, musicians Dani Macaco, Fermín Muguruza, Axel Pi and Rosalía, model Verónica Blume or mayor Ada Colau, the music. Six stages of different sizes host about fifty artists over three days. The rock force with rootsbluesy(it's the last one, really) by Jack White, on Thursday, gave way to the hip-hop rhythms of Pharrell Williams, fronting N.E.R.D., which few could resist dancing to. There was even a small tribute to White himself in the form of the anthem 'Seven Nation Army' by the longed-for The White Stripes, before giving way to another of the most anticipated groups, Prophets of Rage. The rap-metal supergroup formed by ex-members of Rage Against The Machine, Cypress Hill, and Public Enemy got everyone jumping and ended their set with the unforgettable 'Killing in the Name'. Saturday, more hip-hop with The Roots and their acrobatic tuba, which disoriented more than one with their version of Guns N'Roses' Sweet Child O'Mine, who had visited Barcelona just two weeks prior. But, Saturday night, with the permission of the sound wall of Justice, and the much-anticipated Ramon Mirabet and Izal, belonged to the unclassifiable David Byrne. With a live energy and daring that belie his 66 years, he appeared on stage barefoot and with a brain in his hand, as if from a scene ofTwin PeaksFrom there, he didn't look back, in a performance that combined Talking Heads' greatest hits with new songs, without standing still for an instant, in a constant choreography with his musicians, who carried their instruments on their backs and without cables.
This is a small tour of the headliners, but the appeal of a festival like Cruïlla also lies in everything that happens away from the biggest stages, when the inevitable overlaps of performances allow it. Surprising moments like those experienced on the Radio 3 stage, the furthest away, when the singer of Elefantes claimed that José Luis Perales "is super cool," before covering him; when Albert Hammond Jr jumped into the middle of the audience, emulating Jim Morrison or Iggy Pop, during his energetic concert - an oasis of good rock'n'roll within the festival; or when rapper Bugzy Malone inexplicably decided to ignore his fans and cancel his concert five minutes before it started.
As it could not be otherwise, given the bands involved and the world we live in, political messages were also heard at Cruïlla. "Fuck Trump" and "Catalunya lliure," the always combative Tom Morello, from the Prophets, wrote on the back of his guitar, while Byrne encouraged the public not to stay home and to vote whenever they had the opportunity. The festival itself also championed #noesno with the #nocallem campaign, with messages against sexual harassment and support for potential victims.
The Cruïlla lowered the curtain, well into Sunday morning, on an edition that, despite some specific problems such as Malone's scare or sound pollution problems during Ben Howard's performance, for example, set the bar very high. The festival maintained the 57,000 attendees of the previous year and once again showed that the commitment to avoid the overcrowding suffered by other festivals such as Primavera Sound or Sónar is a success, as it allows much greater fluidity of movement and a more relaxed and familiar atmosphere to enjoy the experience and good music. The contrast with the organizational disaster of Mad Cool in Madrid, which was held the same weekend with headliners as powerful as Pearl Jam, Massive Attack and Depeche Mode, and an estimated audience of 80,000 daily spectators, could not be more eloquent. I'll stick with the eclecticism and modernity of Cruïlla, call me trendy if you want.
Featured images: In order of appearance: Cruïlla atmosphere, The Roots, David Byrne, Ben Howard and Justice. Photos courtesy of the festival organization. © Xavi Torrent