Cruïlla celebrates its 15th anniversary with a great concert by Alanis Morissette

Barcelona[This report does not include photographs of the Alanis Morissette concert because the Canadian artist did not authorize photojournalists to take them]

Cruïlla was able to celebrate its fifteenth anniversary almost as it had planned, although the weather alert on Saturday conditioned the three to three hours: h instead of 18 h. Finally, 25,000 people filled the Parc del Fòrum on the third day of the festival, and practically all of them followed the performance on the Estrella Damm stage of the headliner, an Alanis Morissette who is also celebrating her birthday, because it is thirty years since the release of the album Jagged little pill (1995), that alternative rock catalogue with memorable choruses with which the Canadian artist expressed feminist discomfort and empowerment.

As Alejandra Palés recalled a few days agoMorissette doesn't forget that "as a person and as a feminist, if you're not angry, maybe you're not paying enough attention." And that message permeated the nearly hour-and-a-half concert; sometimes in an underscored way, as when she accompanied the song Right through you with a video that showed data on the consequences of machismo (and racism), and others with the power of thousands of women singing Ironic and You oughta know. It was an eloquent way to counter the toxic masculinity of two artists who also performed at this Cruïlla: Jared Leto and Mikel Izal.

The albums Jagged little pill and Supposed to form infatuation junkie (1998) provided a good part of the repertoire for a performance in which not all of the songs were played in their entirety. In some cases, he plays fragments that he links to other songs. It can be frustrating, and in fact it is, that Can't not and Sorry to myself are minimized, but it also provides interesting solutions, such as the connection of the rocky rhythm ofAre you still mad with the guitar riff and the harmonica ofAll I really want.

An anti-diva with a peculiar stage charisma (comfortable clothes, unchoreographed moves and circular dances) and leading a very solid side, Alanis Morissette went to work, perhaps too much, because in the first part of the show there were no breaks and it could have seemed that she wanted to celebrate a promise. Evidently, she showed the proverbial mastery of the microphone dynamics and gave herself unconditionally to the rock energy (with organ) of You learn and to the crescendo of Smiling, which ended on her knees and receiving a standing ovation. However, the measure of Morissette's vocal talent came in the acoustic segment that captured the audience's attention, especially from what was between the stage and the sound and lighting console, because further back it was difficult to isolate oneself from the conversations of many spectators. In this more intimate format, the sharp ending of Mary Jean and an exquisite one Perfect They received a spectacular reward from the public, only surpassed by the reaction to Ironic and You oughta know. The first one people started singing, especially the women. It was one of the most anticipated, as evidenced by the way the chorus was called. And with You oughta know, preceded by a fragment of Sympathetic character, enthusiasm overflowed. It could have been a grand finale, but Morissette preferred to close the concert with a less cathartic encore.

A good portion of the Canadian artist's audience marched toward the Occidente stage, where the Murcia-based band Viva Suecia was performing festival-ready indie rock. But some also walked toward the Vallformosa stage, where Quimi Portet was finishing his performance. "You're very kind," the inter-regional star repeated, "one old fogey something handsome", as he defined himself. In this final stretch filled with humor, Portet made Men and women of the right chief After recalling that "in contemporary popular music, there comes a time when the audience is forced to do the gamarús. I don't know if it was invented by Queen, the Rolling Stones, or La Trinca," he added. Progresses adequately, with people clapping and waving their arms, and a magnificent I have a beast inside me They finished the concert before an encore full of electric distortion with Apart from the creatures. Distortion (and the freaks out, as Portet would say) is also an essential element in the music of Minibús Intergaláctico, a highly recommended sextet from Girona, especially live and with undeniable anthems such as All places are far away and National drama"We do rock 'n' roll," they said in the Vichy Catalan tent. Rock 'n' roll was exciting enough and perfect for a double bill with bands like Remei de Ca la Fresca.

Weather alert management

Three minutes before 4 p.m. on Saturday, Cruïlla announced on social media and via email that, "for safety reasons, and following the instructions of Civil Protection," it was postponing the opening of the festival doors until 9:30 p.m. "We are working with the artists to reschedule the performance times. We will constantly monitor the weather and alerts, and will keep you informed of any developments through our channels," the statement read. It was the right decision given that the entire country, except for some Pyrenean regions, was under "level 6/6 weather conditions" due to "violent weather and intense rainfall." The alert was lowered, and at 7:40 p.m. Civil Protection announced that "travel and outdoor activities could be carried out with caution." By then, it was no longer raining, and the wind had also eased at the Parc del Fòrum, the venue where Cruïlla is held. As Cruïlla director Jordi Herreruela explained to ARA, the festival had resolutely prioritized the safety of the public, artists, and workers (and ensuring safe travel), which is necessary when there is an alert of this type.

It is not an easy decision to make, given the economic stakes. Therefore, we must applaud Cruïlla's decision and its communication, offering a reasonable timeframe to get the entire machinery up and running in accordance with Civil Protection and to ensure that when the doors opened, everything would be ready and with the essential workers to keep the festival going: sound tests had to be done, the quartermaster's office opened, the quartermaster's office opened,

Around 6:30 p.m., some people approached the gates of the venue, where workers were reporting on the situation and expressing their hope that the concerts could start before 9:30 p.m. One spectator lamented the fact that she would miss Pau Vallvé, who was scheduled to perform at 7:00 p.m. Others asked what time the performances by Maika Makovski and Hermanos Gutiérrez, which were scheduled to open the Occidente and Vueling stages at 6:30 p.m., would be rescheduled. On the festival's Instagram page, there were pleas for the Alanis Morissette concert, headliner of the final day of this celebration of Cruïlla's fifteenth anniversary, not to be canceled. Finally, at 8:00 p.m., it was confirmed that the gates would open at 9:00 p.m. and that the concerts would begin at 9:30 p.m. The early concerts (Hermanos Gutiérrez, Maika Makovski, Filipín Yess, and Roko Banana) were canceled, as well as the entire comedy and dance program. Most concerts remained on schedule, except for Love of Lesbian & Amics, which moved from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., and Kaiser Chiefs, which was relocated to 4:30 a.m. And so the final day of Cruïlla began at 9:35 p.m. with Pau Vallvé on the Vueling stage and León Benavente on the Occidente stage, while some spectators waited in front of the Estrella Damm stage for Alanis Morissette to appear at 11 p.m. Cruïlla went ahead, and nevertheless, closed a record-breaking edition, with 82,000 attendees: 18,000 on Wednesdays (Gracie Abrams Day), 16,000 Thursday, 23,000 Friday and 25,000 Saturday.