ConfidenceMan

Does anyone have any pre-9pm tips for Saturday of weekend 1? I've got Porridge Radio and Mavis Staples and then a bit of a gap. You were very kind in filling my Thursday right up for me, so let's see if we can do the same here!! 😁

It depends on how hidden they want it to be, really.

Are there still no sounds from Deerhunter or Bradford Cox? Just assumed they'd have turned up by now.

Few other thoughts now that I've done being snarky... - that National setlist would be perfect. Well, almost. No Apartment Story. But the rest... Its been a long time since I've seen them so I'm looking forward to that now. - this isn't directed at anyone in particular, but can we just agree to bin off the "just see BAND X the next time they play". A lot of these acts don't play in my country, or at least not regularly - and I'm in the EU, it's gonna be even trickier for people coming from elsewhere. It's not always easy to get tickets, and these things can be pricy. So while I'm all in favour of the optimistic view that we are gonna have a ball regardless, let someone be disappointed if their band has cancelled. You don't know their circumstances. - checked the weather and its looking sweet AF. I can't wait. Its really happening.

Nice bit of perspective/common sense here. You must have misread the vibe around here 😜 The Strokes going would be a big blow for me. So I'm gonna sit and wait for an actual update rather than speculating - for all we know, it could have been a case from ten days ago that simply didn't clear up in time for the two cancelled shows. Either way, even if I'll have a Strokes shaped hole in my Friday (Phoenix, please), I'm still getting very excited now. Time to start checking the weather forecast...

Can we just continue the tradition of Jamie xx filling in for cancellations? Just stick him in as replacement for Nick Valensi. I'm sure we'd hardly notice the difference.

I'm gonna be completely gutted if the Strokes go. Maybe a double act of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Phoenix could soften that blow but they are a bucket list act for me for many years. I'm gonna try remain positive (unlike whichever band member has it... Too soon?) and say they'll know the quarantine and entry rules for Spain. So if they can't make it, they know already and it's really in no one's best interests to keep that under wraps. If they remain ill, they may still have to cancel and that's gonna be sad but here's hoping...

Nothing wrong with them, really. Arena is a big open space with a gravel base (now astro turf I believe) so there's not much character to it, but it's no different to any other festival. Difference is how nice some of the other ones are, really - Cupra (formerly Ray Ban) is a beautiful amphitheatre overlooking the sea, Bits is down on the beach etc, so quite different to most festival stages.

Just to torture myself, I decided to take a look at the original 2020 line up for this festival to see what I would be missing out on. Only major one I can say is lost to me is Chromatics, and since they split, that's not bad going. Few gone from weekend 1 to 2 which is a shame, but the amount of talent added on to my weekend is crazy when you compare the posters. I know it's just a matter of taste, and some people are gonna be disappointed by band x, y or z vanishing but, in my opinion, they've done a super job retaining and building on this line up. That said, I could do with the national moving back to the Thursday to ease my heavy clash Friday!

There's no foolproof way to avoid bottle necks, really. The seaside path behind Ray-Ban/Cupra is usually quiet, but honestly the best way to beat the crowds is to leave an act early. Ive two or three in mind already where I might duck out a song or two before the end because I want to get to the next thing. Not ideal but can be the difference between 5/10 minutes of slowly strolling to your next favourite band! The impact of the bridge closure is going to be interesting - I reckon a lot of people will just skip out on the Bits area late at night. Or stay down there for the whole thing. In terms of other tips - the bars and toilets down by what used be the Pitchfork and Adidas stages (is that Ouija now?) are usually much quieter. It also gets really cold down there at night, just fyi.

I am really liking what I've heard from Myd. I hope I can stay awake that late - I usually crash around 3.

Some good listening ahead this evening so. How the hell did I miss Kim Gordon on the lineup???!! 😂 Hoping to catch the Linda Lindas on Wednesday ahead of Wet Leg, but if not, they might be a good option.

I. Can't. Wait. My first gig is gonna be Sharon van Etten I think. Anyone have anything earlier than her that think is unmissable? I'm open to suggestions.

A few (probably a few hundred) pages back, someone posted a link to the Spanish government's official Covid requirements - can anyone update me on the latest or share the link again? Am I right in thinking it's just an EU Covid cert for flying, and a mask for public transport? I've really put this to the back of my mind so hoping I haven't forgotten anything!

Fffffuuuu... Gorillaz and Beach House was my highlight of the whole fest. That's a real pain.

Exact same boat. Nightmare. We got a second booking sorted - a hotel a little further from the site so not amazing but once it has a bed and a shower, ill be okay. Bank balance wiped though. Thank god for the £20 bar credit. It may be my full budget for the weekend now 😂

Based on nothing other than gut instinct, I'd say most of the Ciutat stuff will be okay, though I'm expecting Beck to be busy on the Sunday of weekend 1 - - big act, plenty of people off work, a lot of the weekend 1 only crowd will still be around (me included), and be clashes with a few other decent names on the day of the festival, so plenty might think they'll take a chance and skip him Saturday and go Sunday instead. Just looking through the rest of it and I've just this second spotted Iceage on the Sunday too. So many acts, so little time! And skimming ahead - Interpol clash with Dry Cleaning in the midweek run which might take away some of the hipster indie crowd who have seen Interpol before? And Jorja Smith and Khruangbin actually. Im gonna say now I'll be surprised if Interpol is totally full. Even Phoenix starts 45 minutes later in a separate venue which could split the interpol audience. All the above is all guesswork of course.

I see new music coming from Daphni. Surely a banker for a secret set if such a thing is happening this year given that Caribou are on the bill?

Trainers. 100%. Days on concrete - make sure they're comfy.

Shite. I guessed a 9m tall bear.

Yes. 100% this chaotic every year. You learn to love it. 🤣

When Heineken ran the bars, they sold Orchard Thieves. Think someone posted a few pages back suggesting that Estrella and Somersby are under the same distribution deal so might be the safest bet?

Anyone reckon we'll still get some anniversary surprises/announcements? I'm not expecting any headline acts or anything, but Los Planetos (as mentioned above) would make sense, or someone like Hinds, or Deerhunter (or just Bradford himself?) would make sense I'd say. I just don't see where they would fit. Not a big deal overall, but just curious as they had made a really big deal about anniversary surprises in the original announcement. I guess they might have just had to abandon the plans because of everything, but just curious for thoughts.

Yeah that makes sense... But there ain't no room for logic here. It's all about conspiracies! Primavera is out to get us...

Yeah, you can get over that hip hop act you like clashing with your hard rock faves as there a bit different but Caribou and Jamie xx, for instance, is a bit mad. National v Warpaint too. Lots more examples above.