Bilbao BBK Live 2016: Day One

Festivals come in many shapes and forms these days, but there’s something really rather special about having to hike up to the top of a mountain before beginning your day. It’s not just the location that has made this year’s Bilbao BBK Live a must-go during this year’s festival season: the line-up’s pretty bloody good too.

They may be one of the first acts to grace the stage at this year’s Bilbao BBK Live but the crowd’s gotten here early, ready and eagerly awaitingYears & Years’ main stage appearance. Unsurprisingly, it’s worth it. The trio are as infectious as ever, with Olly Alexander proving yet again that’s he’s one of the most brilliant frontmen in pop music right now.

A vision in pastels, he gleefully leads the trio through a set packed full of hits from their debut, only occasionally apologising for not singing when he’s distracted by the gifts fans throw his way.

Their set’s a refreshing reminder of their incredible rise so far, while signalling that big stages are really where the band deserve to be. Even tackling a cover of Katy Perry’s ‘Dark Horse’ – interspersed with Drake’s ‘Hotline Bling’ for good measure – isn’t much of a challenge for the band, who seem to take everything in their stride.

Chvrches are more than well prepped when it comes to festivals, but their set today shows a band who've upped their game even more. Cutting a striking figure, Lauren Mayberry is a commanding leader, diving headfirst into their set with the ease of a headliner. The songs from their newest record 'Every Open Eye' shine brighter than ever, evidence enough that their incessant touring is constantly paying off.

It's not all high octane electro-pop though: the band are also unafraid to mention the current political climate in the UK. "I feel like we've spent this whole run of European festivals apologising to people," Lauren offers up when pointing out a fan holding a European Union flag, before casually introducing 'Gun', with a brilliant dedication to Boris Johnson.

Oozing confidence and skill, their set shows just how far they've come, and how much higher they have the potential to climb.

While M83's Anthony Gonzalez offers up a taste of his latest album 'Junk' to the Bilbao crowd, Madrid's own Hinds are whipping a storm on the Pepsi Stage. Their set's no holds barred and things sound tighter than ever, as they perform on Spanish soil. While their scrappy playfulness is still there, they're a more confident unit as they blast through slices from their great debut 'Leave Me Alone'.

With ten albums to their name, New Order's set could go in any manner of directions, but this evening, they're predominantly concentrating on the present. Their performance is a high octane one, and their new material - the likes of 'Singularity', 'Tutti Frutti' and 'Academic', all taken from last year's 'Music Complete' - go down a treat with their avid crowd. It's their closing cover of the iconic 'Love Will Tear Us Apart', though, that really grips Bilbao.

This evening's headliners Arcade Fire are nothing short of majestic. While their last record's touring schedule saw them transform their set into a fully-fledged disco, tonight, they're firmly back on grandiose territory. Opening with the anthemic combination of 'Ready To Start', 'The Suburbs' (and its '(continued)' extension) and 'Sprawl II', their offerings soar across the Spanish mountains, leaving the crowd in awe.

Then, they hit the breaks and swerve back into their 'Reflektor' era. Its title track packs in fun in droves, but still manages to be somewhat bittersweet when they cut the song short just as the late, great David Bowie's lines would've usually been called out. Bursting straight into 'Afterlife' immediately after is a tangibly touching moment.

While their headline set may not include any new hints of material, the band spend their time on stage celebrating their brilliant history so far. A band who've managed to turn their hand to just about anything, what comes next is an exciting prospect, but tonight proves that sometimes it's just as fun to relive the past decades too.

If there's any band to end an evening with, it's Hot Chip. By the time that 2am rolls around, the Bilbao crowd are more than up for a dance and, judging by the droves of punters that turn up to watch, they all know it's the perfect way to finish up the first day too. The likes of 'One Life Stand' and 'Over and Over' sound incredible, while frontman Alexis Taylor manages to cut quite the striking figure in his hay bale-esque headwear. Their set's undoubtedly a real highlight of the weekend so far.