After 14 years, Low Festival is still one of the best musical bets of the summer. The organisation for the buses has gone like a shot, with special buses heading to the Guillermo Amor Sports City in Benidorm and back. Also, to combat the heat, the venue had several hydration stations that, of course, were never empty. However, the good vibes, both from the workers and the attendees, are what have ruled throughout the edition, culminating in a final day that has been pure joy and in which the concerts on the small stages have surpassed the big fish of the day. In 2025, Low Festival will celebrate its 15th anniversary on July 25, 26 and 27.
Crystal FightersLa Casa Azul and Arde Bogotá have been the big names that have headlined the Sunday line-up. The band from ‘Love Natural’, with whom they said goodbye in style, gave the most festive concert I have ever seen at a festival, excuse the redundancy. With that mix of world music, pop and electronic music that borders on the old-fashioned, they managed to maintain a hype that was slowly, but continuously, in crescendo at all levels.
At first, both the music and the voices were extremely low, to the point of being incomprehensible. Still, the songs sounded very easy to memorize and when the volume issue was sorted out this was confirmed. The quality of the songs also increased as the set progressed, to be fair. My skepticism gradually disappeared as I watched the constant and collective dancing of the audience, until I became part of it. Any doubt disappeared with the audience’s response to Sebastian Pringle’s “Crystal!”. After having received rather lukewarm responses throughout the rest of the concert, the final “Fighters!” from the crowd was the most resounding. Proof that it had been a success.
Yesterday, people just wanted to dance and be at peace. After the hippie overdose of Crystal Fighters, Carlos Sadness, who seemed to be the B-side of that concert, and La Casa Azul came in handy. However, all these guidelines had been established earlier in the evening with The Plazuela in one of the best moments of this edition of Low. El Indio, El Nitro and his team did not come out on stage together, as they do in their own shows, but it didn’t matter, because they brought plenty of talent.
A unique concert by nature. Where else are you going to see flamenco, G-funk and a techno session coming out of the same stage? Thus, the duo from Granada honours the name of their album by offering a first part focused on roneo and funk to finish with a DJ set that remixes their most electronic songs. See ‘Tangos de Copera’ or ‘Mira La Niña’. The first section includes songs like ‘La Tarara’, dedicated to the grandmothers of Andalusia, the banger ‘Péiname Juana’, ‘LA PRIMAVERA’, with visuals by Lola índigo, or the peaceful ‘Soulseek’. It was the best time to enjoy the joy that La Plazuela offers, with the sun weak and about to set, but present. It is a dynamic and unpredictable live show for both those who know the group and those who have met them for the first time, seasoned with instrumental moments so good that they will make you make faces without realising it.
Throughout the three days of Low, there was no shortage of guitar groups, from Pixies and Suede to Los Planetas. This continued on its final day. The overlap of The Good Son and Bogota is burning It was like David against Goliath. From the first day, it was clear that the Murcians were going to have the largest audience at the festival for the simple reason that they always do. As soon as Carlos Sadness’ tropical party ended, the huge crowd of people heading to the Vibra Mahou stage confirmed what was suspected. It was a complete sell-out, from the dance floor to the stands.
On the other side of the venue, the die-hard fans of El Buen Hijo ignored the pull of Arde Bogotá on the Radio 3 stage. They were the resistance. And yes, I was able to see both concerts, or at least the important part of each one. ‘Me Lapidaría’ is the first song by the Madrid band, anticipating the fresh stream of generational pop rock and addictive lyrics that they propose. After the presentation of ‘Viene Y Va’, they move on to the “classics” part. ‘El pop es la muerte’ and ‘El Hombre del Tiempo’ stand out for their immediacy and power. One of the most brilliant moments of the show is the version of ‘Niños del Edén’, by La Pandilla, in which Marcos Frías lets go of the guitar for a moment. Precisely, it is the song in which his voice shines the strongest and in which he seems most comfortable. Meanwhile, the shadow of Arde Bogotá looms, with some attendees rightly commenting that, in the breaks between songs, the echoes of the thousands of people crowded on the main stage can be heard.
There is no song that the audience doesn’t sing at the top of their lungs. Especially ‘Virtud Y Castigo’, one of the most chanted songs at any festival. It’s a very simple melody, but it’s experienced as if it were Queen. The best thing about Arde Bogotá is that they are opening the door for other rock groups, possibly more daring, to experience the same success. It can’t be something isolated, right? Or is it that their success lies precisely in the ease for the listener? Arde Bogotá can be many things, but they are not challenging. The most groundbreaking thing they have said is “let’s send the horoscope to hell.” I was very surprised that the vocalist Antonio García referred to his group as a “boy band.” According to him, the “exclusive mission” of Arde Bogotá is “to dance with you.” If this is so, I have nothing more to say.
The big surprise of the night was Barry Bcolleague of some of the most exciting artists on the scene, such as Ralphie Choo, Rusowski and Teo Planell. The first thing you hear is a remix of ABBA’s ‘Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!’ mixed with drill, warning that his sound is going to be difficult to classify. Barry comes on stage with an excess of charisma, ready to release lyrics as beautiful as “between forgetting you and saving every moment before it’s too late” and as full of villainy as “I’ve resorted to maybes again.” “Sunday already, huh?” he suddenly says. In reality it was already Monday, but at 2:30 in the morning it’s normal not to know what day it is.
Barry mixes genres as he pleases. At one point, he sings a new song that is a mix of glitch, trap and hardstyle, inspiring the strangest and most liberating dances I have seen at Low. From the first moment, his handling of the audience is sublime, manipulating it to his liking. It worked out well, because there were more and more people in the front row. One of the best moments was “Yo pensé que me ha tocado Dios” (I thought God had touched me), which JENESAISPOP saw debut at Bilbao BBK Live alongside Diego Ibáñez from Carolina Durante. A huge success. Everyone knew it. The Arandino’s style is so varied that there is something for everyone. Whether it is at 2, 3 or 4 in the morning, Barry B offers a powerful show. The best thing? It can only get better.
