Nostalgia takes over Primavera Sound with Blur and New Order

The London group Blur, led by Damon Albarn, who was already the headliner in the 2013 edition, was returning to the festival when their new album is about to be released, The ballad of Darren, which will go on sale on July 21. Shortly before, on the 8th and 9th, the group will bathe the masses in two concerts at Wembley Stadium.

What was their first concert of the European tour was opened with a new, yet unpublished song, St Charles Squareto then go back to their first album Leisure with the brit-pop pill of accurate guitar riff There’s no other way. Then came the turn of a single not included in any album, popscene, sugar cane and rocker to the max. The forcefulness of guitarist Graham Coxson was a constant.

Blur starts its European tour at Primavera Sound

The first dive into his great classic album park life comes with Tracy Jacks. next sounds beetleboomthe lead single from their fifth album blur, which narrates the experience with Albarn’s heroine and has a strong Beatles aroma, falsetto included. The next, trim work, begins in a calm and acoustic way to end in a psychedelic ‘despiporre’. They butt her up with a Villa Rosie in which the tension of rock reigns at ease, without losing the mischief of pop in the melody. From there to Coffee & TV, short-circuited by the high voltage guitar of Coxon, who also acts as soloist, in counterpoint with Albarn’s vocal harmonies. The influence of Paul Weller is noticeable in End of a centuryprelude to the tavern country house and the great explosion of jubilation that park lifeclimax of the concert together with the abrasive and punk song 2 and the glorious girls&boys, the most emblematic theme of the group. The new single was also saved for the encore The narcissistin a party finale culminated by universal to put the brit-pop finishing touch to the first night of Primavera Sound.

For their part, New Order, the emblematic group from Manchester, performed as a quintet, after the departure of original bassist Peter Cook. His replacement is the competent Tom Chapman and the group is now completed with Phil Cunningham on second guitar. The rest of the members are the original Bernand Sumner on vocals and guitar, Stephen Morris on drums and his partner Gillian Gilbert on keyboards. With more than four decades of career behind them, the band does not miss the opportunity to remember that before they were part of the mythical group Joy División, a champion of post-punk of which they cover the legendary song at the end of the concert Love will tear us apart. And although they did not do justice to the original, the memory of the ill-fated singer Ian Curtis, who appeared on the screen with his sad and penetrating eyes, was the most emotional moment of a concert in which it was clear that time has not passed in bucket for the group. Especially for Bernard Sumner, who at 67 no longer has the voice or bearing of the group’s glory days.

The suicide of Ian Curtis motivated them to reinvent themselves as the New Order, little by little leaving aside the tormented and sinister sounds to get closer to electronic pop and dance music. From his seminal album Power, corruption & lies (1983) recover Age of consent and from that time there is no lack of the determinant single blue monday, true emblem of the EMB (Electronic Body Music); of lowlife (1985) rescue sub culture; of Brotherhood (1986) The Indispensable Bizarre love triangle. Another seminal single is True Faith (1987), a vaporous and danceable melody at the same time that enthroned them as standard bearers of alternative synth-pop. And to link up with Joy Division, nothing better than rescuing the classic as well temptation (1982), a single with a vigorous bass line and an inflamed melody that was highly celebrated by the public.

In addition to nostalgic moments, it was also possible to enjoy highly topical proposals, such as that of the Korean Red Velvet, a K-pop sensation who delighted with their sugary pop and their choreographies, served in a repertoire in which there was no shortage of hymns. Psycho, feel my rhythm, peek a boo, bad boy, Zimzalabim or a wobble that has nothing to do with Gipsy Kings. The Nigerian Rema, an Afro-pop star who came to present his debut album “Rave & Roses”, also took advantage of the opportunity. An effective mix of hip hop rhymes, silky pop and African rhythms, which he serves accompanied by a trio and colorful visual elements, in a concert that culminated in his great success calm downwhich has elevated him internationally thanks to the remix with Selena Gómez.