Primavera Sound: Day One Report

So our first day at Primavera was suitably shambolic and radical. We saw Viet Cong play some really good wise-ass indie punk, then we saw Ought play some really good wise-ass indie punk, then we got reminded that when it comes to wise-ass indie punk, Brand New have been doing it for 15 years and they’re still the best.

Antony and the Johnsons were staggering, complete with a 40-strong orchestra, while Tyler, The Creator impressed in bursts. Sunn O))) stayed true to form – an hour of mind-warping drone that rearranged perceptions, thinking about music laterally, in terms of minor fluctuations in tone, and then finishing with black metal caterwauling clad in a suit of spikes – if the fact that a thousand or so saw their set though to its 1am end isn’t proof that Primavera attracts one of the most open-minded crowds of any festival in the world, then we don’t know what is.

Jungle were one-dimensional but went down a storm, leaving it to Roman Flügel to address a huge challenge – to see out the first day on the large, outdoor Pitchfork stage. But he played an absolute blinder, balancing wonky techno with oddball diversions to keep the people wired til the wrong side of 5am. Things went well, photo evidence below. See you tomorrow.