Compared to last year's Primavera, the 2023 edition was a smashing success in my mind. They tightened up the grounds a bit and relocated a few stages. The longest walk from stage to stage was probably about 12-15 mins, down from at least 20 mins last year. The crowd was noticeably more manageable. I think last year, being the first year back from lockdown, a lot of people were itching to get out and do something and it showed. Last year was bursting at the seams. This year's crowd wasn't nearly as much of a struggle to navigate. Even the bar staff seemed much more relaxed. I know there were some complaints, but I very much enjoyed the fest this year. If it were more like last year, I think I might not be as tempted to go in 2024 (if it happens, who knows). This year kinda made me feel like 2022 was an anomaly.
Now, onto some of my highlights.
Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. An absolute fucking blast. I don't really care about looking up concert vids that much, so I had no expectations about KPP's live set. So. Much. Fun. She and her two backup singers had massive stage presence and pretty much commanded the crowd. Such a good time.
Depeche Mode. Goddamn, they killed it. The first few songs felt like an introduction, maybe they were feeling themselves out as well as the crowd. But when they hit I Feel You, man, the intensity went through the roof and didn't stop until it was all over.
Ghost. I'd seen them a couple times before, once headlining a small theater and another time opening for Iron Maiden in an arena. This time, I got in nice and close and holy fuck they delivered the goods. Just stellar, fun rock 'n' roll.
Blur. Massive. I saw them for the first time at the Hollywood Bowl when they were touring for The Magic Whip 8 years ago and that was super fun. I'm pretty much a casual fan but this one was off the charts. It just seemed so loose and fun, nobody wanted it to end.
John Cale. Never seen any of the Velvets in any form before. Probably the closest I've come was seeing Laurie Anderson in the 80s (she was married to Lou Reed). I wouldn't have even guessed I'd be seeing John Cale still doing it at 81 years old. Really cool.
Sparks. I got into them late and, weirdly, my first time was seeing them at Primavera 5 or 6 years ago. And now this was my 4th time seeing them. They do not disappoint.
New Order. I've seen them more than a few times and at this point they just seem like they're so comfortable with who they are and their legacy (re: Joy Division). Class band all the way.
Pet Shop Boys. Again, I'm a casual fan but they were just a fucking good time. They opened up the festival on the free night and they closed it out at Sala Apolo, a small-ish club in the city.
Perfume. I had been looking forward to seeing them, but they came on about 20 mins late, plus their set was overlapping with New Order. So I stuck around for 4-5 songs before heading over to the New Order stage. I've seen Perfume 3 or 4 times, it was nice to see the girls and their precision choreography again. That's probably my only complaint is that they started late (dunno the reason) and I wasn't able to see their full set.
So yeah, I'm sure I'm forgetting something but that's about it for now. Hopefully I can make it back next year.