Festivals are usually judged on five main fundamentals: music, food and drink, the weather, accommodation and the people in attendance.
My first experience of Primavera Sound (and I'm sure many others) was a negative one as the bar system, which was a cashless one run off iPads, collapsed after the gates were opened at the Parc del Fòrum on Thursday.
Staff just had to shrug their shoulders and give rough - and almost without fail inaccurate - predictions of when punters would be able to use their Primavera cards (which could be charged with credit at designated kiosks) to satiate their thirst on what was a sun-kissed evening.
They eventually got up and running at some, but not all, bars. The only problem was that by that juncture massive queues had formed, and it was some time before they were reduced to stress-free levels. According to Primavera regulars who I attended with, this was the third different bar system employed in as many years, with the previous methods also lacking in user-friendliness.
The organisers eventually gave up on the card system and by Saturday they were accepting cash transactions. Unsurprisingly, there were few problems thereafter.
Vernon Coleman once wrote: "Apologising for your mistakes is a sign of maturity and strength. Learning from your mistakes is a sign of true wisdom." There was no mention of the fiasco in the festival organisers' press release on Saturday, which does not augur well for the situation improving in the coming years.
The music itself was a mixed bag of 221 acts, with some marquee names like Pulp, The National and The Flaming Lips propped up by a huge number of emerging independent hopefuls. The aforementioned Pulp and The National hit the spot, as did Grinderman and Interpol.
Less impressive were the likes of The Flaming Lips, Of Montreal and Avi Buffalo. Belle & Sebastian seemed a little under the weather (perhaps their long tour has started to take its toll) but hearing 'If You're Feeling Sinister' with a soft warm breeze coming in off the sea and caressing the crowd was amazing. The one thing that struck was the punctuality of performers. It was remarkable how well the schedule was adhered to.
The Parc del Fòrum venue itself is pretty big. The stages were within reasonable proximity to each other, with the exception of Llevant, which was pretty isolated.
The action tended to kick-off at about 4.30pm with shows continuing on until about 6am the following morning. The late nights needed to be accounted for with lie-ins well into the afternoon.
Nutrition is always very important in terms of maintaining stamina and in this respect Primavera Sound was as good as any festival I've been to. Chicken kebabs and crepes became my staple diet, but there was a good mix of healthy and not so healthy options on offer to suit most palates. It also helped that there were more than enough seats at which to enjoy your fare.
The one major advantage Primavera Sound has over Irish festivals is the weather. The timetable ensures you are spared the stifling midday heat, and the evenings and nights were perfect for wandering around in summer attire. I didn't see any rain in the time I was there, but even if the heavens had opened the mostly concrete landscape would not have lent itself to the mud baths Irish festivals have become at times over the years.
This was my first 'urban' festival and I was keen to find out how it would compare to the likes of Oxegen and Glastonbury. The answer was pretty well. I shared an apartment close to the city's main square (Plaça de Catalunya) and with a metro stop just two minutes away we could be at the gates of the festival in about 20 minutes.
Having an apartment to come back to was a welcome change from life in a tent, and a soft mattress/couch (first come, first served) and air conditioning offered the body the chance to properly recuperate.
The urban setting also offered an alternative to the green field sites I was weaned on. There was one point where I visited the facilities at one of the highest points in the Parc del Fòrum site and found myself flanked by views of the Mediterranean Sea on one side and the city of Barcelona (well half of it) on the other. It's safe to say that I've answered the call of nature in less picturesque spots.
The assembled hacks were afforded the opportunity to take a dip in a swimming area sectioned off in the press area, with towels provided free of charge. It is probably my only regret that I didn't take them up on their offer.
The crowd seemed to be quite international. We encountered more Irish, Italians and Britons than Spanish people, and the American twang could often be overheard in the queues. Even when mass frustration set in at the bar situation, the atmosphere remained good-natured. At the gigs, the audiences definitely played their part in embellishing the performances, particularly at Pulp where absolutely everyone seemed 'up for it', as they say. And Barcelona's win in the Champions League final on Saturday left the locals in a state of euphoria.
On a personal level, my experience was greatly enhanced by the company of Primavera veterans Noel, Jason, Paul, Mick, Ant and Shay. I'm positive my Primavera Sound 2011 would not have been half as memorable without their knowledge, help and humour throughout the four days.
I suppose the ultimate judgment on a festival is whether you would go back again. Roll on next May!
Shea Leonard
