Again more than 49,000 people attended Mad Cool this Friday without technical incidents, on a day that could only be paste: the long lines in all food stalls in the long period between the end of Alanis Morissette (21.30 hours) and the principle of Nine Inch Nails (0.25 h). Everything else worked to ask for mouth: bars, bathrooms, tents with actions as picturesque as metal growers Battlesnake… the enclosure is very practical, because being square, all the scenarios are close; Already the city center does not perform much more than half an hour, even if we are talking about Villaverde Alto. Mad Cool has paid for the Metro to open until 3 in the morning, stopping only in Legazpi and Sol, and the organization at the doors and platforms was excellent.
Artistically, having two poster heads such as Nine Inch Nails and Alanis Morissette was a trip to, Ponémamos, 1998, the year in which the first two international albums of the artist had already come out, in which he focused almost exclusively. And also a date on which we already knew many of those that remain the most chanted NIN songs: ‘Head like a Hole’, ‘Closer’ or ‘The Perfect Drug’, the theme of ‘Lost Road’ that continues to excite the respectable, now more than ever.
If you ask a habitual assistant to Mad Cool which has been the best concert in its history, surely many will answer that the one offered by Nine Inch Nails in 2018, when the festival still took place in Valdebebas. This time he did not repeat such a sound splip – although it was excellent – and something of surprise factor was lost, because the philosophy of the set was very similar, but it is still one of the most curved in the world.
A camera follows Trent Reznor and his own on stage, as a sequence plane, and the projection of its restless black and white images like a horror movie. One similar to the sound bands that have written in recent years in parallel and the same one to which the industrial and tremendous classics of the band appeal. Songs that say things like “I want to fuck you like an animal” or “You let me violate you, you let me discard you.” Yes, the group has been tired of explaining that ‘Closer’ is a subject of self -esteem dedicated to oneself, never about lust. Yes, keep impressing.
Reznor maintains an impeccable attitude and voice, has rehearsed its pose to the micro gripped as the most charismatic artists, and the strength that the band gives off during things like ‘March of the Pigs’ is unquestionable. It is true that Nine Inch Nails concerts continue to close in identical form: the hit ‘the hand That feeds’, followed by my favorite ‘Head Like A Hole’, and to finish a minimalist ‘Hurt’, less than more, in which most keep silent. But along the way there are several magical moments, such as the keyboards of ‘Find my way’, the battery of ‘The Perfect Drug’ or those phrases so simple and sound, repeated until he scars, such as “I Don’s Feel Anything” at the end of ‘1,000,000’. Among the projections in vertical format, and the attitude, Nine Inch Nails re -hypnotizes. Sebas E. Alonso.
Alanis Morissette He was one of the great claims of the poster. His music, especially his greatest successes, has a privileged space in the popular imaginary of several generations. Who has not ever shown the chorus of ‘Ionic’? Very aware of his status and almost worship, Alanis, before appearing on stage with his band, began his concert with a projection of several videos of and over it over the years: his interviews, Late Night shows where he appeared, or statements of celebrities (such as Olivia Rodrigo) talking about the importance of his legacy. It is a beautiful introduction, which mixes the nostalgia of the lived with the epic of having managed to get so far, but also a little daring. It may not be telling yourself that you are an icon when you already have thousands of people celebrating almost 6,000 kilometers from where you were born. We forgive it, in any case.
Already on stage with her musicians, the Canadian began with one of the strong dishes of her repertoire, ‘Hand in My Pocket’. During the following, ‘Right Through You’, several data on discrimination and violence appeared on the screen that women continue to face worldwide. And it ended with a question: why are we afraid of female divinity?
Alanis did not insist on this subject again, but throughout the show, the projections that were seen on the screen were the most varied, from psychedelic animations, to his concerts in the 90s. It is precisely the most protagonist of his set, dedicating 7 songs to his 1995 album ‘Jagged Little Pill’, and 5 of ‘Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie’ of 1998. All of them sang them whole, but given the limitations imposed by the festivals’ schedules, it was a success that reviewed even several of the favorites of their fans, such as’ Are You Still Mad? ‘, instead of having to cut some of them in full. In addition, the artist interpreted all of them with a lot of feeling, showing her good voice and printing great rock energy from beginning to end. There are times when he spinned on herself, as at the end of ‘smiling’; or where he threw to the ground and sang on his knees, as in the very felt ‘i remain’.
The public was delighted with each of their movements, and the singer was – not as much verbally, but was seen on his face – excited to be there. Predictably, in ‘Ironic’ it hardly needed or sing, since there was no one who did not core it. Throughout the song, they appeared behind her photos of her with different artists such as Taylor Swift, Avril Lavigne or Demi Lovato. Of course, ‘You Ooughta Know’ also aroused the fury among the attendees.
Finally, the Canadian opted for a beautiful resource. On the screen, tweets appeared in different languages about something that their fans were grateful to have in their lives. It went to the rhythm of ‘Thank you’, a song that rises immensely live and that, while the sun fell, put the gold brooch to an evening soaked from nostalgia and where the singer opened the door to her artistic world. Thanks to you, Alanis.
Around 7 in the afternoon, thousands of people approached the enclosure to see another of the poster heads, Benson Boone. The young American has experienced a meteoric ascent to fame despite not taking too much time in the public eye, being able to congregate an abundant number of attendees in full summer heat of Madrid. His songs already populate the lists of successes and make spectacular numbers wherever he goes.
Speaking sometimes in a macarronic Spanish, the artist was very charlatan and sympathetic with the public since the beginning of his show. In one of his first interactions, to encourage the atmosphere, Boone shouted things like “Heeeleryooo”, “How’re you doooooing”, “Hooooooooula” … and encouraged people to repeat them after him. A great way to bring to red numbers all “cringe” levels. Although after observing among their fans, one realizes that a large percentage of them are children of approximately ten years. It makes sense.
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Boone has a great voice and a worthy presence on stage, but what fails – and loudly – are the songs. As much as the singer tries to pull charisma and strives to entertain staff with various pirouettes and somersaults, he is unable to defend them (no one could). One of them, ‘The Momma Song’ dedicated her to her parents, who were among the public; another, ‘Mr. Electric Blue ‘, only to his father, his great idol and inspiration. Later, he presented what is his favorite song of his entire repertoire, ‘In the Stars’, who wrote after the death of a loved one. In his words, he loves because everyone can empathize with this issue regardless of cultural borders. Boone invited the public to save mobile phones in his pocket and connect directly with him, but not even the easy sentimentality of that ballad managed to contribute a genuine emotion. Finally, “the song that changed his life.” The rooting enclosure and several people approached from behind running to sing with him that great mass phenomenon that is ‘Beautiful Things’, a firm candidate for the worst song of the decade for those who write this.
Also, throughout the day, he gave us time to briefly spend the Tent The Loop, dedicated to electronics, to listen to the British producer Tshaowner of several very fresh and summer pop songs. However, what we could see of his set, was atmospheric and rhythmic, giving a lot of prominence to repetitions and avoiding large drops that unleashed euphoria. At the same time she played the Australian rock band Jetof which we could see a small part. Solvent sounded with their classic rock sound, remembering ACDC at times, whom they versioned with ‘Long way to the top’, a song that they dedicated to their Australian fans.
On the Ouigo stage, the third in importance, appeared Kaiser Chiefswho are totally stagnant, without any complex, in 2005. In fact, their set was mainly dedicated to their ‘Employment’ album of that same year, as indicated by the great employment office that was projected behind them. The concert was part of the tour of the twentieth anniversary of that album that consecrated them, so there were no missing any of its great successes such as ‘Everyday I love you and less and less’, ‘I predict a riot’, ‘Modern way’ or ‘na na naa’. The sound from afar, left a little to be desired, although it was more fault of the space than of the British, who sounded as effective as ever and delighted – also as always – of the Guiri public. Fernando García.
