Sonar 2009 Review

Grace Jones, La Roux and Animal Collective play the Barcelona festival...

17:11, Tuesday, 23 June 2009

If there’s one thing you can depend on, it’s the Great British Summer. First sighting of a Glastonbury roadsign and it usually starts to rain. So, if you’re up for less mudbath and more sun/sauce/Spanglish, you’ll kick yourself for missing out on the hedonistic midsummer day and night’s dream that is Barcelona’s Sonar Festival.

Jack Penate has described Glasto as medieval, like people going to war. Well, Sonar is more tribal, like people going to dance, make love and then eat. Thousands of revellers descend on the city’s 3 day electronic music mecca with the same idea – to discover new sounds and lose their minds.

European fashionistas wearing Ray Bans flock to ‘Sonar by Day’. It’s a collective of venues in the city centre, all surrounding an astroturf-covered courtyard. After a siesta (for the weak), it’s onto ‘Sonar by Night’ - an epic former aircraft hangar with a roof that opens to the heavens as daylight hits.

But the best bit is (wait for it)… there’s no passing out frying in tents. It’s apartments/ hotels all the whole way. And then there’s the beach. And the tapas. And the stunning Spaniards.

All that’s before I even get to the line-up. Ever seen a 61 year old Amazonian, once muse to Andy Warhol, hula-hoop in a thong swimsuit? Thanks to Sonar and the scariest lady on the planet - Grace Jones, I have.

I’ve also fought to front of stage through a media scrum so I could mouth every word to hit singles from UK electro-poppers Little Boots, La Roux and Ebony Bones. I’ve experienced Orbital’s beats turn an air hangar into a field just outside the M25 in ’89. And the olive on top of the tapas, I’ve witnessed an angry Crystal Castles’ Alice throw punches and the drum kit at festival techies.

Tearworthy track of the fest? Baltimore's Animal Collective opening with ‘My Girls’ (also Erol Alkan’s festival fave).

All that’s left when it’s all over is to find a spot on the beach between the beautiful people and show off some fantastically dehydrated British bikini-unready flesh. And then, to sleep…

Thanks to the utterly original Chic and Basic Born Hotel www.chicandbasic.com.

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