Primal Scream and Anna Calvi headline Deleste festival in Valencia. Primal Scream and Anna Calvi performed at the Deleste festival in Valencia. The Scottish band focused on political themes and classic hits. Other notable acts included Holy Fuck and Billy Nomates.
The second day of the Deleste festival in Valencia has wrapped up, with Primal Scream’s performance as the main highlight. The concert took place at an unusual time for headliners—seven in the evening—but this did not stop the band from delivering a confident show focused on political themes and well-known hits. Frontman Bobby Gillespie once again emphasized the group’s social message: during “Swastika Eyes,” Palestinian symbols were thrown onto the stage, and Gillespie himself expressed support for the people of Palestine.
The tour was originally planned as a tribute to the album XTRMNTR, but after accusations of antisemitism related to the concert visuals in London, the program was changed. As a result, Primal Scream focused on their top tracks from various points in their career, including Jailbird, Shoot Speed/Kill Light, Country Girl, and Rocks. The Jardines de Viveros venue briefly turned into a honky tonk atmosphere, and the audience enjoyed a complete musical celebration.
The second day of Deleste was rock-oriented, in contrast to Friday’s lineup which was dominated by electronic music. Other notable acts included Billy Nomates, who, despite a minimalist set using only backing tracks, managed to make a strong impression, and Holy Fuck, who combined organic and electronic elements. Röyksopp performed a DJ set, while Apparat presented a restrained and precise program which, however, not everyone found convincing.
Particular attention was drawn to Anna Calvi, whose performance became one of the festival’s highlights. She has been compared to PJ Harvey and St. Vincent for her powerful vocals and stage charisma. This is Calvi’s third appearance in Valencia, and this time she looked even more confident and uninhibited. Among other acts, The Molotovs stood out by continuing the style of The Jam, Kerala Dust with their dark electronic pop, and Los Invaders, who ironically play with the formulas of Kasabian and Primal Scream.
The Deleste festival in Valencia is now being held for the 14th time and traditionally brings together both local and international acts. This year, the program was split into two days with different musical focuses. For comparison, another major event was recently discussed in Valencia — a court case involving the former government commissioner on DANA, who denied accusations of diploma forgery. More information about this can be found in the article about the court case in Valencia.
For reference: Primal Scream is one of the most influential British bands, known for blending rock, electronics, and political themes. Anna Calvi is a British singer and guitarist who has performed in Valencia three times. Deleste is considered one of the region’s key urban festivals, attracting fans of contemporary music every year.
