Text by Joana Söt
The movement of classic and alternative rock from the 80s and 90s returning to mainstream culture has been happening for some years now. At the Spanish and Portuguese editions of the Primavera Sound 2023 festival, this movement was marked like never before. We were at the Portuguese edition of the event and celebrated great names in music from the late 20th century.
We know that rock and metal giants, especially big names like AC/DC , Metallica , and KISS , continue touring, marking their territory in the vast world of today's music. Now, bands from the late 80s are returning with updated and classic sounds for nostalgic and new fans alike.
This was the case with the British band Blur , who, led by the extremely likeable and interactive performance of Damon Albarn , delivered one of the band's biggest shows in Portugal on Saturday night, the 10th, at Primavera Sound Porto, which celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2023.
Classic bands like Pet Shop Boys and Karate , as well as New Order, also made an appearance at the festival, drawing a more enthusiastic crowd and packed audiences – equivalent to, or even more crowded and lively than, current pop acts (like Rosalía and Halsey ).
This year's festival sought a diverse lineup, but rock truly made its presence felt: OFF , the band led by former Black Flag Keith Morris , surprisingly competed (and very well) with giants New Order in terms of audience share, despite being on a smaller stage. The Mars Volta and Bad Religion were also classic names that, after more than 20 years playing on big stages, returned to major festivals.
Despite this year's edition being mainly dominated by heavy rain and mud, even that made us remember and be even more certain that the spirit of music lives on strongly in festivals. From Glastonbury to Primavera Sound and the new festivals that celebrate both classic and new artists, music will always occupy a nostalgic space almost as important as new memories.