Words: Rafe Llewellyn, Images: Sonar Press
Barry Can’t Swim had finished mere hours ago, but the beauty of Sonar is that it never really sleeps, so before long we were back down the wide road leading to Fira Montjuïc for the final portion of the ‘by day’ edition of Sonar.
This point in the weekend is usually where many ravers get hit with the reminder that festivals are a marathon not a sprint. Could we lie down in the face of greatness though and miss a whole day of festivities, saving ourselves for the closing party at the final Sonar by night? No chance.
Regardless, we weren’t left with much of a choice. After all, yet another day of innovative excellence and musical mastery was lying in tantalising reach. The final moments of a mega Barcelona trip, that began with Primavera last week, awaited.
The familiar sounds of Scottish artist Ewan Mcvicar eased any remaining sleep out of our eyes as the sun beat down on the Estrella Damm Village main stage. A familiar face to those accustomed to British festivals, much like P-rallel the day prior, McVicar was given the task of an early set in the early evening heat.
Ever the adaptable selector – a chameleon of the electronic dance scene, McVicar acclimatised to the Sonar vibe, maintaining devious poise to send the Catalan crowd into a serendipitous spiral.
Headlining Sonar by Day’s end was to be the Welsh wizardry of Overmono. Evidence that family is better together, the two brothers form a duo that’s both had established success in the underground with separate aliases ‘Tessela’ and ‘Truss’, but also have together soared to mainstream international acclaim.
They proceeded to light up a firecracker of a set, euphoria pulsing through our bodies. We grooved and grooved to one of the most engaging setlists ever to be seen. Hits like ‘Freedom 2’ and ‘So U kno’ resounding emphatically through the sound system.
The pair’s chemistry is undeniable, to such an exceptional standard that their timing is impeccable. That is until it comes to adhering to set times. We thought it was all over when ‘Good Lies’ came to an all-too-soon quiet but there was still one more tasty track to be delivered.
It’s funny though, despite leaving the audience in jaw dropping awe, I managed to catch Tom Russel (half of Overmono) post-set. He casually delved into conversation on future Bristol appearances and his recommendation for the rest of the festival, Blawan. The ease that these individuals perform with and the composure of Russel is truly indicative of Overmono’s ability to control chaos.
Chaos the likes of we hoped to see as the night drew in, the darker side of Sonar beckoning. In a swathe of ravers all we could do was obey and follow the crowd, hitting a one way road to Sonar by Night.
