The fourth day in Mad Cool 2022, brought unforgettable moments to our lives. Acts such as Florence + The Machine, Editors, Kings of Leon, Pixies, Royal Blood, The Struts, Don Broco, The Sherlocks, Band of Youths, Leon Bridges, Tom Grennan, Local Natives, Elure…
LOCAL NATIVES opened the venue yesterday. The indie rock band from Silver Lake, Los Angeles, California, warmed up the main stage 2 (Madrid Is Life) with an extremely beautiful and delicate setlist that left nobody indifferent. Formed in 2005 by Taylor Rice – vocals, guitar; Kelcey Ayer – vocals, keyboards, percussion, guitar; and Ryan Hahn – guitar, keyboards, vocals, Matt Frazier – drums, and Nik Ewing – bass, keyboards, vocals, complete the group.
From Bedford, England, indie pop singer, songwriter TOM GRENNAN, active for almost a decade now, was one of the most expected acts of the day and landed on stage 3 – Region de Madrid. He gathered a huge crowd who were eager to swing and bounce to their hits under Spanish hot weather and Sun. Found What I’ve Been Looking For and Little Bit of Love.
When half an hour later we got back to stage 3, for a second there we thought Weird Al Yankovic (riding a… dinosaur!) was next. We were wrong, he was Taylor Rice, vocals and guitar of DON BROCO. Also from Bedford, England, the alternative rock, pop rock band formed in 2008 by Rice, Kelcey Ayer – vocals, keyboards, percussion, guitar-, and Ryan Hahn – guitar, keyboards, vocals-. Matt Frazier on the drums, and Nik Ewing on the bass, complete the band. Rice was a chatterbox. He told the public how much he likes Madrid (except its weather that urges them to use sun cream and shades) and how he loved the last time they played Mad Cool back in 2019, (before… you know *topic change*). He also noted the coincidence that two bands from Bedford play the same international -huge- festival, the same stage, and the two in a row (‘What are the chances?” – he said). Pretty, Manchester Super Reds No.1 Fan, Uber, Come Out to LA (sung by Matt), Gumshield, Technology, and Action, were the highlights of the gig.
There are not enough adjectives in the world to describe the first act that we witnessed yesterday at stage 6 (Amazon Music stage). THE STRUTS. Not only has the band from Derby, England, conquered Mad Cool 2022 and all of Spain, but also Europe and they are on their way to smash it and nail it on the rest of the planet. Authentic rock heroes of the day were Luke Spiller, lead vocalist; Adam Slack, guitarist; Jed Elliott, bassist; and Gethin Davies, drummer. Formed in 2012, the gang led by Spiller, blasted the sound system from the beginning with Primadonna Like Me, Body Talks and Kiss This. Spiller, had literally the public in his hands and made us echo him (separately left side – right side of the audience), get down, bounce up and down… The show closers Dirty Sexy Money, Put Your Money on Me,I Do It So Well, and Could Have Been Me, were even more glorious. The new icons of glam metal are they, and… we? We will always follow, support and acclaim you, guys. We wish you all of the best in this world!!! You are on your way to make Earth yours!!!