Annie at Summercase
Fresh from The Glade, Annie jets off to the first ever Summercase festival in Barcelona
Spain it may be, but the line up was the hierarchy of British music over the past 20 years, from New Order to Razorlight, Happy Mondays to Dirty Pretty Things, and internationals from Daft Punk to Sigor Ros all set against the post modern back drop of Barcelona.
They’ve got so much space there, they’ll just knock up awe-inspiring series of architectural pieces and invite you to go and play and do your thing right there and then. In sight of the beach and the Olympic Village, huge bright lanterns and scarlet full moons hovered over the music arenas and the sounds bounced off one angular shaped building to the next.
It was all a bit disorientating. Especially as most of the lingering-with-intent area was on a gradual slope. Which caused me to find myself staggering slightly, or looking for something like a ship’s rail to hang on to, I kept feeling I was gradually going to slide away into the sea in the dead of night. Because it had been dark by the time I arrived, I’d not recognised this weird sensation for what it was. Bez seemed to be coping all right, he wasn’t slipping and sliding and swaying like I was. But then he’d played his set and was happy to party. The Chemical Brothers played deep into the night in the dance tent, their unique techno sounding more technoid than ever, even when mixed in with some of the prettier of their greatest hits.
Primal Scream are everywhere right now... On the telly, at Roskilde, in my bathroom, and here again in Barcelona. Bob G was wired with adrenalin, performing his best despite some accident the night before in Madrid, and the rest of the band were more match-fit than in many a time I’ve seen them. What I didn’t realise is that they now have on board the fantastic legendary drum & bass singer Elizabeth Troy, who has joined Primal Scream as part of their current line-up. She’s lovin’ it, they’re all lovin her and co-singer Mary - and we all celebrated our reunion until, well, I couldn’t stand up any longer. Not in ballet shoes nor Birkenstocks. HOW many more festivals this summer...?
Related links:
www.gladefestival.com
www.summercase.com
