As we previewed a couple weeks back, LIAS correspondent Freddi C braves the wilds of Sonar Festival in Barcelona, and lives to tell the tale…
Well, I’ve finally recovered from Sonar and already the weekend here is madness again. It sounds like I’m in the middle of a war zone — loud, and I mean loud, bangs holler through out Barcelona all of today, tonight and tomorrow as swarms of locals flock to the city and the beaches to celebrate Sant Joan (Saint John), marking the official start of summer. But first let me step back to the initial inspiration for my visit. Sonar is truly an urban-styled festival, there are no grass fields or water features here as Sonar Day sits neatly nestled in between large institutes — the CCCB (Centre de Cultura Contemporánia de Barcelona ) and the MACBA (Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona) — smack bang in the center of the Ravel, Barcelona’s old town. On walking to the day part of Sonar you’ll parade though a bunch of anti-Sonar parties that have popped up more aggressively over the past few years. One I stumbled onto was of a courtyard adjacent to Barcelona’s infamous food market, la Boqueria, packed with drunken revelers.
It’s not to hard to find Sonar Day — you can simply stumble behind the parade of sharply attired European electronic music fanatics. I saw no Vikings, but honestly I’m probably better off for it. Despite the urban location, Sonar Day is a lovely respite of chilled out people happily hanging out on a large piece of astroturf in “Sonar Village”; it’s that small and intimate a festival. Beer bars are abundant and if the sun starts to beat a little too strongly you can opt to pop into one of the other areas: Sonar Hall, Sonar Dome, and if you pay a little extra you get the VIP privilege of taking refuge in the Sonar Pro/Press Area. When you’re done with checking out the latest flip-flop and short fashions then its all about la musica! Amazingly, Sonar is still a festival where you will actually get to see emerging artists as well as local breakout talent alongside the US and UK headliners. Highlights for me would clearly be watching Flying Lotus have a heck of a lot of fun playing to an enraptured audience in a tent under the blazing sun. I think I lost 10 pounds dancing with my local friends, dead center front of stage. Following that was US duo Nguzunguzu tag teaming seamlessly as we got damn right down and sweatier. Then came the spectral performance by a most alluring female performer, Nina Kraviz. You can clearly see what all the fuss flying about this lady is all about within the first three minutes. Armed with sexy red booties, sultry motions and vocals, Kraviz prowls about the stage tapping on her synth instruments.
Read more about Sonar Night after the Jump…
“When departing at 11am, Sonar Night ends & the streets turn into a fashionista version of the Day of the Living Dead…”
Above: One of the many so-called “Off Sonar” parties you just happen to stumbled across, almost 24 hours a day…
I am a new fan. I also left Sonar Day adding Copenhagen-based quartet When Saints Go Machine to my music library. On to experience Sonar Night — it’s here you have the headliners and megastar DJs; it’s here that’s hard to get to. But luckily they thought about that and provide uninterrupted buses from Plaça de las Drassanes (at the bottom of the Ramblas) and drop you at the entrance to the festival. However, for some this does prove to be a bit of a challenge when departing at 11am in the morning as Sonar Night ends and the streets turn into a fashionista version of the Day of the Living Dead. Taxis do steadily appear, but most locals like the long walk to their next after party (which are in abundance — no one seems to sleep festival weekend) and a chance to chat with new friends without the booming sound pummeling your ears. Sonar Night inhabits a massive warehouse-type hanger complex that’s divided by stages in individual hangers. As for highlights? I had to do it and what a great place to finally do it: I saw Die Antwood perform for the first time ever, and what a place to pop my Die Antwood cherry. These two mad looking South Africans energetically pranced back and forth slowly disrobing song to song shadowed by their spooky videos in a massive warehouse hanger full of die hard fans. The rest of the night included enjoying the rest of the nights line up, bumper cars and watching the sun rise over the outdoor stage area with friends. All in all a pretty fun festival to attend — I’ll be coming back next year for sure and may have to add Sonar Sao Paulo 2013 to my must-go music festival roster. Wish you were here!