Hidden in the hills of one of Spain’s most northern cities, Bilbao BBK Live will once again take to the slopes of Mount Cobras, with the likes of Arcade Fire, Pixies, Foals and Tame Impala in tow.
With over 100,000 attendees, BBK Live is one of Spain’s largest music festivals. As a result it could be quite daunting to attend and would make it very difficult to decide which artists to go and see. As a result, I have drawn up a short, comprehensive list of acts to look at for at this year’s edition of the festival. There are going to be numerous artists new and old to sink your teeth into, and there really is something for everyone here.
2015 was a massive breakthrough year for the British rockers, having released their extremely highly critically acclaimed debut album My Love Is Cool in June, which peaked at number two in the UK album charts. The four-piece were deservedly recognised for their hard work over the year with numerous nominations at prestigious awards ceremonies, including a Mercury Prize nomination for their debut, a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Performance, and a British Breakthrough Act nomination at the Brit Awards. Their work didn’t go unrewarded though, picking up gongs at the NME Awards, iTunes Awards, and UK Festivals Awards.
The group established themselves as one of the best live performers on the UK festival circuit last year, so add another year of live experience and the North Londoners are certainly not a band to miss. Considering how successful Wolf Alice were in 2015, it is safe to assume that they will only be going on to bigger and better things in 2016 and beyond.
The electronica and synthpop trio from Glasgow are another act who experienced a massive increase in popularity during 2015. Their sophomore record Every Open Eye was a top five album in the UK album charts, but also a top ten record on the US Billboard 200. The group were also recognised alongside the aforementioned Wolf Alice in the British Breakthrough Act category at the 2015 Brit Awards.
CHVRCHES may seem like a slightly out-of-place booking at BBK Live considering it is primarily a rock and pop festival, but the Glaswegians are sure to put on a spectacle to please any festival goer, no matter which way their musical tastes are inclined.
One of the lesser known names on the line-up, the indie-pop band from Stockport will not let their inexperience get in their way. Despite only forming a mere few years ago in 2013, Blossoms have gone on to establish themselves as one of the most exciting new bands in the UK. Their live performances have put them firmly on the map, and they were deservedly rewarded with a fourth place finish on the BBC’s Sound of 2016 music list.
The five-piece are seemingly only going from strength to strength, so it would be more than worth catching them on the smaller, more intimate stages this summer before they inevitably move over to the main stages in the next couple of years.
The multi-talented Claire Boucher is better known by the title of her “multimedia project”, Grimes. The singer, songwriter, producer, director, painter and writer was born and raised in Vancouver, Canada and become involved in the underground music scene during her time at McGill University. She began recording her own experimental music, before releasing her debut album Geidi Primes in 2010. The artist has since released three more studio records, with the latest arriving in November of last year in the form of Art Angels, which reached the top 40 in both the UK album charts and on the US Billboard 200.
Her eclectic mix of styles are sure to please festival goers this summer, with her work being likened to that of Björk, Siouxsie Sioux and Enya.
