Suede enthusiasm in Cruïlla's tribute to the 90s

BarcelonaBarcelona's major festivals are children of the nineties of the 20th century. So is Cruïlla, even though its first edition took place in the 21st century. Its director, Jordi Herreruela, lived through the most impetuous period of his youth precisely in that era. Therefore, it is not surprising that Cruïlla's programming reserves space for the music of those years, as happens with Primavera Sound and Sónar. Every generation has the right to build its own nostalgia, but in Barcelona's macro-festivals, the memory of the nineties seems to carry more weight than others. The programming for Cruïlla's second day, with Suede, Pixies, and Garbage on the main stages of the Parc del Fòrum, can be interpreted as a tribute to the generation that has already passed fifty.

Many people were eager for Suede, and half an hour before the concert, they were already taking positions at the Occident stage. At a quarter to nine, the relentless afternoon sun had yielded to the sultry heat. However, this did not seem to affect the elegant glamour of the British performer Brett Anderson, who kicked off the performance with Disintegrate, one of the three songs from the album Antidepressants (2025) that he usually plays on this tour. These are sober pieces that dignify the band's present, Disintegrate with vigorous guitars and a chorus that plays in the league of epic pop. That said, the concert generously revisited the albums from the nineties. Soon, Trash and Animal nitrate were played. For the former, he only needed to launch into the melody and place his foot on the monitor for the audience to overflow with enthusiasm and sing, “Just trash, me and you / It's in everything we do”. With Animal nitrate, he placed the concert in the realm of legends. The delivery was reciprocal, like the happy reunion of two lovers who have long since overcome the stage of recriminations. Anderson sang close to the edge of the stage, and for The drowners, he decided he wanted to go down and sing among the audience. All this within the first fifteen minutes. The romanticism of The 2 of us appeased the effervescence, but the song's final crescendo lifted the night again. Always with sonic forcefulness and tones of vocal and stage charisma, they brought out Filmstar, Can’t get enough... and Suede led the repertoire towards gems that continue to shine thirty years later, such as So young and Beautiful ones. Pixies, at the time of closing this report, did not have an easy task to surpass Suede's performance.

A short while earlier, the Americans Garbage appeared on the Estrella Damm stage in strict black, with the exception of Shirley Manson's red boots, a gothic aesthetic that was quite a challenge considering how hot it was. They kicked off with some of their recent tracks, such as There’s no future in optimism and Empty, but they soon made a concession to nostalgia by playing I think I’m paranoid, one of the most popular songs in their discography. Despite being a rock goddess, Manson also proved human when she admitted that the heat was unbearable and thanked the audience for accompanying them despite the "horrible" weather. She even predicted that in the future festivals like Cruïlla would have to be held in closed (and air-conditioned) venues to avoid the harshest consequences of the climate emergency.

“You are very strong,” she said shortly before professing her love for Barcelona. “This morning I pulled back the curtains in my room and saw the wonderful Sagrada Familia, in a very different state than the last time I saw it. It is a great testament to what humanity can achieve if it dedicates its efforts to beautiful things,” she remarked. And if The Cure was the protagonist of Primavera Sound, through Garbage, Cruïlla has also been partially, as the band paid tribute to Robert Smith's group with a cover of Lovesong. Other highlights of the concert included Special and Cherry lips’ (go baby go!), although the former didn't sound quite polished. Manson dedicated one of the band's classics, When I grow up, to their devoted fans, without whom they wouldn't have had a long career. “We wrote this song thirty years ago. We've been through a lot together and it's been a privilege to watch you grow. Fans think bands don't pay attention to them, but in our case, that's not true,” said Manson, who at some points during the concert was on the verge of tears.

The empire of the sun

“Don't stop making plans”, said Enric Montefusco just before closing the concert of the Barcelona band Standstill at the Estrella Damm Stage with the song Adelante Bonaparte. It was half past six in the afternoon and there was only one plan: to take refuge in the shade. That's what the audience did, taking advantage of the shade cast by the stage. Where the shade ended and the sun reigned, only a few daredevils ventured to reach the bars. Unlike other festivals, the price of drinks remains the same as last year: 4.50 euros for 400 cc of beer. Montefusco thanked the audience for their presence, of course, and announced that there will be a new Standstill album.

Immediately after, on the Occident stage, the sun exerted imperial power. The Mishima audience positioned themselves in the shade in front of the stage or in a shady concrete triangle on one side. Between the two spaces, an emptiness. The five members of Mishima, dressed in black as befits sophisticated rhyme lovers, displayed skill and sensitivity, with David Carabén pronouncing each stress of La vella ferida with intention and sharing the miniature Cert, clar i breu with the audience. Curiously, or inexplicably, it was the first time Mishima had played at Cruïlla. Perhaps this was an extra incentive. The fact is that they gave a very good concert, and the audience responded by raising classics like La forma d’un sentit, Menteix la primavera, Guspira, estel o carícia, Qui n’ha begut, Tot torna a començar (the culmination of the concert with everyone howling) and others like El temple, with that ending of vocal harmonies, mandolin, and keyboard with an organ-like sound. Nostalgia for the 2000s and 2010s, of course, activated by a solid band that maintains a very high level of artistic commitment. Not doing so would be to damage an extraordinary legacy. “I'm reviewing faces and you're all here. The whole history of Mishima. There are faces from 2003, from 2025… We've been bothering you for many years,” said Carabén, grateful and looking at the audience before announcing that they are preparing a new album.

At the same time as Mishima, the sun distributed the audience of the Mallorcan Maika Makovski on the Vueling stage: in the shade of the stands and sheltered from the sound desk. The most resilient followed the concert up close to not miss any of the details she was presenting in an octet formation, including a violinist and brass. Later, in the Imagin tent, the Barcelonians Alosa, the youngest of the day, confirmed their drawing power since they released the album the album El primer cant del matí (2025). Despite the sauna-like atmosphere of the venue, many people wanted to celebrate the folkloric freshness of Giulietta Vidal and Irene Romo. Square frame drum, cello, and two-part harmonies rule, and bass and guitar give body to a repertoire that deserves better climatic conditions. Climate emergency also affects the enjoyment of live music…