Sounds of 2016
Adele, Silvio Rodríguez, Iron Maiden and The Cure top the line-ups this year, with the return of Love of Lesbian
Coldplay, Adele, Bryan Adams, Silvio Rodríguez, Florence + The Machine, Justin Bieber and The Cure are some of the concerts expected in Barcelona in 2016, a year in which promoters again defy the 21% tax on cultural events with an intense calendar of live music.
Adele has only performed in Catalonia once before, in Bikini in 2011, when few people knew who she was apart from a few English residents in the city. Today it is a different matter and tickets for her concerts on May 24 and 25 in Palau Sant Jordi quickly sold out a few weeks ago. Following Adele is another British act, Coldplay, who will perform on May 26 and 27 (the latter being the only concerts for which there are tickets still left) in the Olympic stadium seven years on from their last visit. The concerts by Adele and Coldplay on Montjuïc are the only dates either act will perform in Spain this year.
However, the year truly began on January 30, when veteran rocker Bryan Adams came to Barcelona, performing on Montjuïc, which throughout the year will be a key venue for many acts. The first of note is Eros Ramazzotti, who –somewhat coincidentally given his first name– will be performing on Valentine's Day on February 14. On April 16 it will be the turn of Florence + The Machine, who will be followed on May 20 by Malú, three weeks after her concert in the Fontajau pavilion in Girona. Two days later, Queen with Adam Lambert will perform, followed by Alejandro Sanz on June 8, Amaral on June 11 and, in the autumn, Laura Pausini on October 8 and Estopa on October 15. One of the most highly-anticipated visits to Barcelona this year, by The Cure, will take place in the same venue on November 26. Meanwhile, Palau Sant Jordi (along with its smaller room, Sant Jordi Club) will be the venue for a number of youth idols, including Ellie Goulding on February 5, 5 Seconds of Summer on June 10 and Justin Bieber on November 22.
The return of Silvio
Hosting a very different kind of music, Sant Jordi will also be the venue for the first visit to Spain in nine years by Cuban musician Silvio Rodríguez (April 17). However, before that Sant Jordi will host Aute on February 18, as the opener for the Festival Guitar BCN, while Roger Mas will appear on April 20 as part of the Festival Mil·lenni. In fact, festivals will draw a great deal of musical talent this year, such as the Festival Barnasants, which will feature Víctor Manuel, Marina Rossell, Dominique A, Ismael Serrano and Daniel Viglietti, among others.
As for international pop, rock and indie, there will be a wealth of talent on show during 2016. Following Robert Foster and Foals, who played in January, on February 10, Tallest Man on Earth will perform, followed by Glen Hansard on February 19 and Greg Dulli on February 24. Eagles of Death Metal (the group performing in the Bataclan concert hall on the day of the Paris attack) pick up their tour on March 3 in Apolo, followed by Tricky on March 11, James Bay the next day, Noel Gallagher on April 9, Tindersticks on April 14 and Damien Jurado on May 6.
Motörhead cancelled
As for heavy rock and its varieties, the calendar has a number of big names, including Machine Head on February 12 and Soulfly two days later. With their more ‘industrial' profile, the historic Ministry will give a concert on July 29. However, the Motörhead concert planned for February 4 has been cancelled after the death of lead singer Lemmy, the heart and soul of the band, which may never tour again.
This year also looks to be a good one for world music, with Vieux Farka Touré on March 10, Salif Keita on March 21, Emir Kusturica on the same day, Orquesta Buenavista Social Club on April 4 and Lila Downs on May 21. Meanwhile, other concerts to look out for are Chris Robinson Brotherhood, the psychedelic project of the Black Crowes singer on March 11, and the equally psychedelic Black Mountain on April 1. These are followed by Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott on April 16, The Fairfield Four a day later and the former singer of Soundgarden, Chris Cornell, on April 21.
Eternal classics
In many cases, as part of winter music festivals, the city's theatres will also welcome a number of classic acts, such as Roger Hodgson on February 26, Adamo on March 3 and Johnny Halliday on March 8. In jazz and soul, two names stick out in Maceo Parker on March 9 and Melody Gardot on March 21, who are followed by Marcus Miller on April 13 and Michel Camilo on May 18.
As for domestic acts, following Sopa de Cabra's tour-opening appearance at the Liceu in January is the return of Los Rápidos and Los Burros, on February 26 and 28 in Sala Razzmatazz, a few weeks before Manolo García performs on May 14 in the Fòrum and two days after Quimi Portet presents a new album on May 12 in Barts). Then there will be two concerts from Adrià Puntí in L'Auditori on March 11 and April 15, as well as the three by Love of Lesbian, in Sala Razzmatazz to present their new album, El poeta Halley, on April 28, 29 and 30. And if that wasn't enough, there are yet more acts and dates for the Catalan capital still to be announced. It looks as if 2016 is going to be a really good year for music fans.
Big year for music festivals
With the confidence of continuing to sell tickets without having announced the full line-up, the Primavera Sound festival returns on June 2, 3 and 4 to the Parc del Fòrum with a programme that is still an enigma. Quicker off the mark when it comes to announcing upcoming acts, the Sónar festival has already revealed a large part of its programme for June 16-18. New Order, Fatboy Slim, John Grant and Anohni – a project shared between Oneohtrix Point Never, Hudson Mohawke and Antony & The Johnsons – are some of the headliners.
Meanwhile, the Cruïlla festival, scheduled this year for July 8-10, has so far only announced three domestic acts, albeit significant ones: Bunbury, Love of Lesbian and 091, who have only recently reformed.
A few days earlier, on July 2, the third edition of the new Canet Rock festival takes place with, as usual, Els Catarres, as well as two bands from Valencia – La Raíz and Aspencat. So far, they are the only names to be announced. However, also in July will be the Barcelona Beach Festival (with Alesso, Hardwell and David Guetta on July 16 on the Fòrum beach) and the Rock Fest in Santa Coloma de Gramenet, with big names from the world of heavy metal, such as Iron Maiden, Whitesnake, Twisted Sister, Blind Guardian, Kreator, Overkill, Doro and Loudness.
Finally, in the Girona counties, this year's Strenes festival has confirmed Sopa de Cabra, Marina Rossell, Núria Graham and Quimi Portet for April and, in Salt, the 2016 Black Music festival has recently confirmed the presence of the Stanley Clarke Band (March 11) and Akua Naru (March 4).