PRIMAVERA - DAY 3
PRIMAVERA - DAY 3
6.15pm - Flawless breeze past security with a belt-load of smuggled contraband (bottle caps, whisky flask etc). We also immediately conduct a fantastic Cup Collection swap with someone and now have two complete collections 2001-2019. The limited edition 2020 cup is being released today and comes with a free ticket to next year's Primavera but we just wanted souvenirs.
6.20pm - Ray-Ban - no better place to start a Primavera day than this gorgeous amphitheatre style stage with great seating, great views and lots of shade. It's often the forum for World Music stuff and today's offering is Dayme Arocena from Cuba. This is a big mama with a huge voice doing salsa and cha cha numbers.
7.15pm - Built to Spill at Primavera. I remember literally nothing about this band. I am assuming it was another dose of "rock normale" and the ever-helpful Primavera Sound souvenir book appears to confirm this: "A day that is still a normal day, a normal career, planned during so many The Normal Years which is, with their usual normalness, what they titled their first compilation."
8.25pm - Shellac at Ray-Ban - Steve Albini is very witty so I'd actually prefer it if he talked more and played less. It's hardcore rock - not really my thing. But Albini is still my hero for being both a bonafide rock star AND a great poker player - he snagged his first WSOP bracelet last year (Event #31, $1,500 Stud) straight after playing Primavera NOS in Porto. Benjo (die hard fan) was beyond gutted he wasn't in Vegas to meet him but Albini did say "hello Benjo" in a winner's interview for Winamax. Albini is performing in the same Cocaine Piss t-shirt he wore at his WSOP bracelet ceremony. Respect. 7/10
9pm ish - break for pizza and poster purchasing.
10.20pm - over to the Beach Club for Lizzo. I had no idea what to expect but there was already a massive crowd in front of the new Lotus stage on the beach. Everyone is chanting "Li-zzo, Li-zzo, Li-zzo" for a full five minutes before she comes on. And wow, what an entrance. Lizzo is huge, and bounced onto stage in some kind of sparkly pink leotard like a giant, twerking telly tubby.
Lizzo is a formidable presence with an outstanding voice. She's warm-hearted, hilarious, irreverent, rude, sassy. She flings her hair around like Miss Piggy and cracks awesome jokes. Spectacular throughout. Amazing tunes, great dancers, great attitude. The audience was the best I've ever seen at Primavera, 100% engaged, doing absolutely anything she asked of us. When she asked who'd like to lick her pussy, practically everyone raised their hands. She also asked us if she should run for President in 2020. Resounding yes. Probably the best gig of PS 2019. 10/10
11.30-midnight - light dancing to techno at the Desperados Cube stage
12.15am - It's Primal Scream time but a very lukewarm Primal Scream. They look like they prepared for the gig by doing the Telegraph crossword. When Gillespie sang "We wanna get loaded and we wanna have a good time", I'm pretty sure what what he really wanted to do was to get back to his hotel room and read his Kindle. Going through the motions. Zero passion/stage presence. 3/10
1.30am - Stereolab - first live show in ten years - simply immaculate, and I get to watch the whole thing all over again at Primavera Porto next weekend. Beautiful notes. gorgeous melodies. This band has it all for me. 10/10
2.45 the Forum underground car park aka Ray-Ban Studios. Benjo and I have tried this place out three times. Day 1 : we couldn't find the DJ at all because there was so much dry ice. It looked like a zombie apocalypse and we lasted three minutes. Day 2, we got past the lasers and dry ice and discovered the DJ is in the MIDDLE. Ah! Day 3, we head back in, and spend most our time dancing in car park space #55. We love Peach who has lots of zombies up on their feet including a club owner from Edinburgh, who says she was playing at his place three weeks ago. 7/10
5am: I am still up. This is a record (never made it past 3am in previous four years). The usual DJ Coco end-of-event slot is now two girls - Rosario and Sama Yax. I plan to chair dance my way through this but Bowie's Let's Dance gets me up and so does Lykke Li. I survive all the way through to sunrise. I give myself 10/10.
6am: Thank you Primavera!!!!!!!!! and huge thanks to Benjo, who curated a wonderful musical journey for me, made me laugh constantly and is just the most perfect companion in every way.
6.15pm - Flawless breeze past security with a belt-load of smuggled contraband (bottle caps, whisky flask etc). We also immediately conduct a fantastic Cup Collection swap with someone and now have two complete collections 2001-2019. The limited edition 2020 cup is being released today and comes with a free ticket to next year's Primavera but we just wanted souvenirs.
6.20pm - Ray-Ban - no better place to start a Primavera day than this gorgeous amphitheatre style stage with great seating, great views and lots of shade. It's often the forum for World Music stuff and today's offering is Dayme Arocena from Cuba. This is a big mama with a huge voice doing salsa and cha cha numbers.
7.15pm - Built to Spill at Primavera. I remember literally nothing about this band. I am assuming it was another dose of "rock normale" and the ever-helpful Primavera Sound souvenir book appears to confirm this: "A day that is still a normal day, a normal career, planned during so many The Normal Years which is, with their usual normalness, what they titled their first compilation."
8.25pm - Shellac at Ray-Ban - Steve Albini is very witty so I'd actually prefer it if he talked more and played less. It's hardcore rock - not really my thing. But Albini is still my hero for being both a bonafide rock star AND a great poker player - he snagged his first WSOP bracelet last year (Event #31, $1,500 Stud) straight after playing Primavera NOS in Porto. Benjo (die hard fan) was beyond gutted he wasn't in Vegas to meet him but Albini did say "hello Benjo" in a winner's interview for Winamax. Albini is performing in the same Cocaine Piss t-shirt he wore at his WSOP bracelet ceremony. Respect. 7/10
 |
| Rock star |
 |
| Bracelet winner |
9pm ish - break for pizza and poster purchasing.
10.20pm - over to the Beach Club for Lizzo. I had no idea what to expect but there was already a massive crowd in front of the new Lotus stage on the beach. Everyone is chanting "Li-zzo, Li-zzo, Li-zzo" for a full five minutes before she comes on. And wow, what an entrance. Lizzo is huge, and bounced onto stage in some kind of sparkly pink leotard like a giant, twerking telly tubby.
Lizzo is a formidable presence with an outstanding voice. She's warm-hearted, hilarious, irreverent, rude, sassy. She flings her hair around like Miss Piggy and cracks awesome jokes. Spectacular throughout. Amazing tunes, great dancers, great attitude. The audience was the best I've ever seen at Primavera, 100% engaged, doing absolutely anything she asked of us. When she asked who'd like to lick her pussy, practically everyone raised their hands. She also asked us if she should run for President in 2020. Resounding yes. Probably the best gig of PS 2019. 10/10
11.30-midnight - light dancing to techno at the Desperados Cube stage
12.15am - It's Primal Scream time but a very lukewarm Primal Scream. They look like they prepared for the gig by doing the Telegraph crossword. When Gillespie sang "We wanna get loaded and we wanna have a good time", I'm pretty sure what what he really wanted to do was to get back to his hotel room and read his Kindle. Going through the motions. Zero passion/stage presence. 3/10
1.30am - Stereolab - first live show in ten years - simply immaculate, and I get to watch the whole thing all over again at Primavera Porto next weekend. Beautiful notes. gorgeous melodies. This band has it all for me. 10/10
2.45 the Forum underground car park aka Ray-Ban Studios. Benjo and I have tried this place out three times. Day 1 : we couldn't find the DJ at all because there was so much dry ice. It looked like a zombie apocalypse and we lasted three minutes. Day 2, we got past the lasers and dry ice and discovered the DJ is in the MIDDLE. Ah! Day 3, we head back in, and spend most our time dancing in car park space #55. We love Peach who has lots of zombies up on their feet including a club owner from Edinburgh, who says she was playing at his place three weeks ago. 7/10
 |
| Car park full of zombies |
 |
| A zombie |
5am: I am still up. This is a record (never made it past 3am in previous four years). The usual DJ Coco end-of-event slot is now two girls - Rosario and Sama Yax. I plan to chair dance my way through this but Bowie's Let's Dance gets me up and so does Lykke Li. I survive all the way through to sunrise. I give myself 10/10.
 |
| Out of focus sunrise |
6am: Thank you Primavera!!!!!!!!! and huge thanks to Benjo, who curated a wonderful musical journey for me, made me laugh constantly and is just the most perfect companion in every way.
 |
| The complete 2001-2019 Primavera Cup Collection x 2 |
posted by madharper @ 4:18 PM
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