I have just come back from Mad Cool in Madrid, a four-day festival that turned ten this year. I went two years ago too and saw Pearl Jam, and part of the reason I keep going is Madrid itself. To me it’s the most beautiful Ankara in the world, so imagine an Ankara as beautiful as it could possibly be.
It’s also not an overpriced city, and since it’s so hot, the festival starts late. So you sleep until noon and head over around 7 or 8. The venue is a 20-minute walk from the metro, which was fine for me but not for my friend, who skipped the second and third days.
The first day was the star day, with Foo Fighters and Moby headlining two different stages (I’m a bit sad I missed Moby). It was my second Foo Fighters show, and I’ll go whenever they’re anywhere near. That’s because if a band has more fun than the crowd and passes it on, you can’t have a bad night.
Dave Grohl is a total stage animal, and his band is part of that energy too. During the band intros, every member played a song from their old bands, like Pat Smear with the Germs. So of course everyone was waiting for Nirvana, but Foo Fighters rarely play Nirvana, and they didn’t.
The second day had a different energy, and I later realized it felt like a pride day, with a very colorful crowd. Zara Larsson’s crowd especially had a great time. Then Florence and the Machine closed it, filling the whole stage in a way that reminded me of Adele. Still, it wasn’t a day that blew my mind.
The third day had Pixies, Kings of Leon, A Perfect Circle and Interpol, which was my actual plan. Pixies and Kings of Leon were fine, neither good nor bad. A Perfect Circle was loud, and Maynard kept his distance from the crowd.
Then, while waiting for Interpol, I stopped by Twenty One Pilots for a few songs. I didn’t know a single one, and I watched the whole thing with my mouth open. They’re a duo, a bit like the White Stripes, and the drummer even climbed a seven or eight meter platform to play a drum on top.
The singer plays bass and piano, raps, goes into the crowd again and again, and I really can’t put a genre on it. Actually, I hadn’t come across music this original and rock-based in a long time. I’ve been listening to them nonstop since, which is the beauty of festivals for someone who keeps circling the same stuff.
The last day was more average, but Nick Cave was something else. He’s close to 70, came out like he walked off Peaky Blinders and tore the place apart for two hours. After Kasabian, Pulp closed the festival with Common People, and the whole field sang it together.
So for me, the lineup was a bit weak this year. I went for Foo Fighters, and the biggest win was Twenty One Pilots, whose merch sold out before I could get a t-shirt. Next time either of them plays anywhere close, I’m going, and I’d see Nick Cave again too.