Festivals in the city of Madrid are always very well received, and Kalorama managed to consolidate itself in its first edition, marking the end of the summer season.
Photo Credit: Sergio Albert / Sharon Lopez
The event presented a solid line-up with iconic bands that balanced nostalgia with avant-garde sounds, a good venue, and three different stages gave the starting signal in a Madrid that surprised all attendees with threats of rain.
Thursday, August 29th
The first date looked promising with artists such as Nation of Language, The Kills, and Folamour. But one(s) of the highlights was the double concert of the bands led by Ben Gibbard: Death Cab For Cutie and The Postal Service, who are currently touring commemorating 20 years of their albums ‘Transatlanticism’ and ‘Give Up’, respectively. A performance that left no one indifferent, with both bands developing powerful live shows, including tracks such as ‘Such Great Heights’ and ‘The District Sleeps Alone Tonight,’ ending with all the musicians covering Depeche Mode’s ‘Enjoy The Silence,’
The night fell and reached its peak, with lightning in the background, when LCD Soundsystem took the stage. Led by James Murphy and a group of dedicated musicians they gave voice to some of their hits such as ‘You Wanted a Hit’ or ‘Daft Punk is Playing At My House,’ making a memorable ending to the evening. The band founded in Brooklyn had not set foot in the city for 17 years, and they promised that it would not be that long before the next time.
Friday, August 30th
The start of the second day seemed promising, and we were not wrong starting with Tristán!, Judeline, and Colectivo Da Silva. Followed by Yard Act, who did not leave their audience indifferent with their post-punk riffs. From there we all moved to the main stage to catch the performance by Gossip, the band led by Beth Ditto who connected with the audience from the first moment. After the synth-rock notable session, the electric storm that had been threatening the city for days arrived, so the festival had to stop for a couple of hours.
Faced with the uncertainty of knowing whether the event would continue or not, Kalorama was quick to announce on its social networks everything that was happening, but the big question was whether or not we would see the main artist of the date, The Prodigy. At the end, the rain slowed down and the band led by Liam Howlett offered an energetic show giving all to their audience. After the “unexpected” storm, we needed an energy boost starting with one of their greatest hits, ‘Breathe’ as well as ‘Voodoo People’, ‘Omen’, and ‘Smack My Bitch Up’, …. closing a very special night under the Madrid skies.
Saturday 31st August
The third day was expected to be the most crowded, with a line-up of big names including Massive Attack, Sam Smith, Jungle, and Peggy Gou. The date was promising.
The day began with Huda and Monobloc, giving way to the energy of Ezra Collective with their UK Jazz, the audience was super-engaged and the musicians even more so, came down from the stage to be among their fans. Olivia Dean with her magical smile told us that it was the first time she was playing in Spain, a very cheerful soul show that will surely be repeated. As a fun fact, Harry Styles was in the VIP tent watching this performance, having been an attendee for the three days of Kalorama.
Massive Attack was the most atmospheric performance of the night, bringing their characteristic dark and enveloping sound to the main stage. The visuals, always as powerful as their music, did not disappoint: political and social messages that accompanied their set like a backdrop absorbed us. From ‘Angel’ to ‘Teardrop,’ each song seemed to resonate even more strongly in the context of our current world. Among their guests was the English hip-hop group, Young Fathers, who also gave the stage a boost of excitment.
It was hard not to be infected by Jungle’s live performance. Hits like ‘Back on 74,’ ‘Busy Earnin,’ and an incredible atmosphere catapulted them to one of the best performances of the festival. In fact, among the audience, you could see Young Fathers giving it their all, just like us.
The last artists were approaching and it was the turn of the British sensation Sam Smith who delighted us with his impressive and deep voice. He went through his entire musical career, singing many of his hits such as ‘Promises’ and ‘Unhloly,’ the night was already in full swing.
For the closing, South Korean DJ Peggy Gou gave an uplifting lesson on house and techno from the booth, showing her sympathy with the Spanish audience.
In its first edition, Kalorama achieved a perfect balance by bringing iconic names that appealed to the nostalgia, of both, the oldest fans and the new listeners.
If Kalorama continues like this, it is not far-fetched to imagine that in a few years, it will be the benchmark in terms of festivals. Madrid deserved it, and the event has shown that there is a new way to close the summer: with good music, a vibrant atmosphere, and that feeling that, for a few hours, you are in the most interesting place in the world.
