Geese's rock triumphs at a rain-affected Primavera Sound

BarcelonaFrom time to time, rain claims a headline spot at Primavera Sound. It happened a couple of years ago during PJ Harvey's memorable concert and it happened again this Thursday evening, when the Fòrum grounds were already full of a crowd ready to spread out among the different stages. The rain and wind conditioned the first day, and "for safety reasons" performances on the two main stages were temporarily suspended, and later on the rest of the stages. This was the decision diligently made by the festival's management, and communicated in Catalan, Spanish, and English throughout the grounds.

With the progressive retreat of the rain, and at a quarter past ten at night, activity on the secondary stages began to be restored, while the organization worked to get the two main stages ready again, but with no time prediction. It should be remembered that concerts by Massive Attack, Doja Cat, and Bad Gyal are scheduled for the early morning.

Even so, there have been good concerts before and –while there have been open stages– during the rain.

. Geese, who were preceded by the good reception of the album The rain arrived around quarter past seven, timidly at first, precisely when Geese's performance began. The concert justified the anticipation in the central part of the Forum, which was very full. It was the young act of the day. Too bad the apotheosis wasn't total: as the rain and wind intensified, many spectators left to seek shelter. The same happened in other areas of the venue. The crowd that remained in front of the stage was able to enjoy a good concert led by a reserved but magnetic frontman. Brooklyn accent, Adidas tracksuit in the style of Manchester in the 90s, and an intelligent dynamic between vocal melody and guitar and drum riffs. All very connected to the musical history of New York, like the rock of Crusades and the punk-rock of Islands of men. Geese, who came preceded by the good reception of the album Getting killed, have earned the right to return to Primavera Sound to perform on the main stages, if possible on a day without rain.

The early bird alternative was to poke your head out onto the Schwarzkopf stage, "the hairdresser's" according to popular wisdom. Before 5 p.m., South Koreans Hypnosis Therapy were already dishing out daytime rave beats there; in fact, rather than the first concert of the first day of the festival, it seemed like the last one of an after on a Sunday. The audience, grateful by nature, spent their time quite entertained by the sea, and even crouched down when the vocalist shouted for them to do so.

The contrasts are commonplace at the festival. That's why the same stage hosted the magnificent sunset pop of Renaldo & Clara. Clara Viñals from Lleida started with Repartir and

Quines coses de mi, two of the gems from the album L’encant, and continued to serve as a reference for so many artists who infuse pop into danceable proposals. To reach the main stages, sponsored by a bank (Revolut) and "the Ministry of Music" (Estrella Damm), you had to cross the entire venue, passing, for example, through the new Disney ministage or the bars, where beer costs 6 euros, one more than last year.

Once on the marine platform (the green-carpeted Mordor according to the people), Blood Orange, the project of British Devonté Hynes, was delivering a sensitive atmospheric R&B with guitar. However, in the mid-afternoon, the offer of small stages was more stimulating, such as that of the Port, where the British band The New Eves performed: rock dressed in punk with cello, violin, and flute and an undeniable capacity to surprise, recalling the early PJ Harvey, remembering the rhythmic determination of the Riot Grrrls or proposing post-punk electricity spirals. Splendid, of course. And then among the audience at the Geese concert.