So what’s more important? The music or the scene?

I’ve been to a fair few festivals in my time but never one aboard – until my birthday this year. Making the leap over into my late 30s (eek!) I decided to treat myself. And maybe prove you’ve never too old for a ‘first time’ – or indeed a party with 100,000 people.

Primavera Sound is one of Spain’s largest music festivals and happens every summer in sunny Barcelona. One of the draws is the very eclectic and alternative line-up, everything from indie, folk, metal and jazz – to pop, electronic, hip hop, and dance. Plus a vast array of experimental music and independent and newly established acts.

It’s held within the Parc del Fòrum leisure site, not far out the city and right on the coastline. Being next to a Mediterranean beach I was looking forward to not lugging around copious stuff for every weather eventuality: raincoats, umbrella, coats, wellies etc – but apart from the fact it tipped it down I found myself missing the green, green grass of home.

The park is an outstanding example of modern architecture and has amazing views of the Balearic Sea, plus the sunsets were beautiful – but the entire place was concrete and there wasn’t a patch of green to be found anywhere. And where were the hay bales and camp fires – after all keeping warm and sitting down occasionally are two things most of us girls enjoy right? The dancing kept me warm but my feet certainly suffered from three days of standing up.

And, something I missed even more were the random interactions with passing strangers and conversations that put the world to rights, if only for a night. Hay bales and camp fires are good for instigating these.

Although, saying all this, the music was without doubt phenomenal. I discovered a lot of bands new to me, if not to the music world, and whom I’m now going to seek out again. Here are just a few of my highlights:

!!! (Chk Chk Chk), a dance-punk band, were formed back way when I was choosing which University to go to but you’d have guessed they’d been around this long. Their electronic music was electric and they put on a fun and fiery gig which ensured everyone was dancing. To top it off their lead singer, Nic Offer, has got to be one of the most charismatic frontmen I’ve ever witnessed.

Another band that got me dancing was Antibalas, a truly funky afrobeat band which incorporates jazz, funk, dub, hip hop and traditional South America and African drumming. They’ve got eleven core members but that night at Primavera their horn section had at least seven players, four of which were on the saxophones. They were worth watching just for this sight alone.

Another favourite, and again very different band, was Black Lips. This band relived me on the final night of the festival – I was seriously flagging with very swollen feet – but was able to rock out for a full hour with these guys playing. They’re a punk-rock band who manage to weave garage across indie, punk, rock and psychedelic – yet have the air of an unruly country band.

It was also good to see the ladies out in force in Barcelona. Another personal highlight was Factory Floor, an electronic band who Primavera describe as the child LCD Soundsystem and Hot Chip never had. Nik Cold Void, the band’s guitarist, vocalist and stage-right electronics manipulator, was absolutely mesmerising – and inspiring. The set was a heady post-industrial mix of electronic, rock, tech and house.

I also caught all girl (& all sister) band Haim. These rock chicks have been setting the world on fire recently and earned a top ranking in BBC’s Sound of 2013 poll, plus the accolade of ‘Most promising band in 2013′. Part of their appeal is the wide spectrum their sound covers; mixing pop, rock and even R&B to create seventies pop, sixties sounds and nineties folk. Wow, what a music smorgasbord indeed!

But for me – while I love good music especially discovering new acts – it’s definitely the scene that makes a festival experience. I‘m off to Beacons and End of the Road festivals next – Yorkshire and Dorset respectively – and will definitely be sticking to the sunny fields of England next year. And guess what Black Lips are playing at End of the Road – I can’t wait!

If you fancy planning the rest of this year’s or next year’s festival season check out e-festivals – a fab website where you can search for festivals by location or the dates you want to go.

Hope to see you all around a camp fire very soon.

 

 

 

Image sources

Image of Parc Del Forum – Primavera Sound: Antonia Hayes for Trespass Magazine

Image of Nik Cold Void, Factory Floor: Imeh Akpanudosen for Zimbo

Image of Antibalas: Popmontreal

Happy Birthday Debbie Harry: Seven Lessons of Awesomeness from the Queen of Punk-Pop

 

July marks the birthday of one of my all time favourite women – front woman, feminist and fashion icon Debbie Harry, who turns 69 on July 1st.
Harry shot to fame in 1976 as the lead singer of new wave punk-pop band Blondie. With her cool sexuality, streetwise attitude and platinum blonde steeze, Harry pioneered a punk-inspired idea of feminism and empowerment and combined punk, disco, pop-rock and rap to forge a new sound. Her deliberately transgressive, sexy-yet-androgynous style, bold attitude and colorful flair for life inspired generations of women to be both raw and feminine at the same time, and continues to do so even today.

So big and wide is Harry’s influence both in the realms of music and fashion that in February she became the second woman to scoop NME’s prestigious Godlike Genius award.

Whether she’s channeling a silver tin-foil jacket, putting her middle finger up to the establishment or doing philanthropic work on top of a fully-fledged music career, you won’t find many like Debbie Harry. For that, she’s the ultimate awesome woman.

So as the original new-wave chick approaches her seventh decade, let’s celebrate by taking a look at seven lessons of awesomeness that we can take from the queen of punk herself.

Lesson 1: You don’t have to spend a fortune to look fabulous

In fact when Harry first started her career, despite having fashion stylists to hand, she chose to source most of her outfits from second hand stores, or made them herself.

Lesson 2: Feminism is sexy

Harry is famed for championing punk-inspired feminism. Sick of being pigeonholed, she challenged the ‘good girl’ image in what was then a heavily male dominated industry, without compromising on her sexiness. As Harry herself said, “’How can one be a woman and not be a feminist? That’s my question.”

Navigating her way around an industry dominated by men, especially back in the 70s, she refused to conform to gender stereotypes; “I’m comfortable being around guys. I’m comfortable around certain types of women, but I’m kind of bold. I have other sides to my nature but I don’t necessarily live within the rules of feminine behaviour.”

Lesson 3: Take whatever inspires you, and wear it

Like this Zebra print pillowcase, which Harry found in the garbage and turned into a top, proving that you don’t have to pay a fortune (or anything at all) to create an amazing outfit and look fabulous.

Lesson 4: Don’t be afraid to be yourself

Back at the start of her career, and even now, Debbie Harry is not afraid to say what’s on her mind, despite what others may think, or how hard it may be. Lester Bangs wrote of Harry: “She may be there all high and mighty on TV, but everybody knows that underneath all that fashion plating she’s just a piece of meat like the rest of them.”

Harry didn’t let this deter her. Choosing to be herself was, as she said “at times, very uncomfortable… There were some girls doing music, but not a lot, and the record industry certainly wasn’t geared for it the way they are now.”

 

As she explained to Sunday Time Style Magazine in 2013: “I was dead sick and tired of all of these songs by the R&B girls, the trios and stuff. They were all victimised by love. I was sick of it. I didn’t want to portray myself or women as victims.”

Lesson 5: It’s never too late for a comeback

Fifteen years after the band split, after Harry had done a stint in rehab for drug addiction, Blondie started working together again.

Proving it’s never too late to relinquish your career, in 1999, with Harry age 54, Blondie’s comeback single Maria topped the UK charts at number one. And with a spot on this year’s Glastonbury bill, Blondie is still going strong with Harry at the helm.

Lesson 6: Charity starts at home

Shortly after Blondie split, Harry’s then long term partner and ex-band member Chris Stein become ill with Pemphigus Vulgaris. Unable to look after himself he was cared for by Harry, who put her solo career on hold to do so. As Harry said at the time, “being sick on your own is no fun”. True words.

Lesson 7: You are never too old to dress like a Humbug. Ever.

 

Happy birthday Debbie Harry, you rock.

 

 

 

 

 

Image source:

Debbie in black and white

Blondie Poster

Lesson 1 – Debbie Harry

Debbie in zebra print

Debbie, don’t be afraid to be yourself

Debbie, charity starts at home

Band shot with Debbie in stripes