Dua Lipa brings the party to a scorching first day at Mad Cool 2024

Taking to the stage in spectacularly flamboyant fashion, Janelle Monáe’s appearance may be relatively early in the evening, but it’s certainly not lacking in bells and whistles. Packing in outfit changes, props and dance breaks, while flanked by a nine-piece band, the multi-hyphenate’s shimmy through her career so far is deliciously tongue-in-cheek fun; from emerging covered in flowers before strutting around in a baby pink one-piece one moment, to cracking out some slick dance moves in introduction to her iconic hit ‘The Way You Make Me Feel’ the next, she's is an entertainer in absolutely every sense of the word.

Claiming that the Spanish are rather enamoured with rock music is somewhat stating the obvious - just cast your eye across the titans of the genre that are appearing across the bill here in Madrid this week - so it’s unsurprising that Scottish icons Garbage are given such a hero’s welcome as they emerge into the sun for their set. Continuing today’s theme of outrageous outfits, the band’s Shirley Manson in a vision in red and peach tulle, looking every bit as cool as you’d expect as she saunters off the stage and into the pit for a sizzling rendition of their 1995 hit ‘Stupid Girl’. Melding together tracks from their barbed, most recent record ‘No Gods No Masters’ with cuts from the early chapters of their discography, their electronic-fused wares are even given even more clout live on stage.

Much like her recent headliner at this year’s Glastonbury, there’s little that’s going to get in the way of Dua Lipa having a good time tonight. Even with the sun beginning to set and the temperature dipping (but only ever so slightly), the sheer motivation and skill that she displays throughout her huge headline set is second to none, with the singer bounding through dance routine after dance routine in a feat that would frankly be a challenge to even the fittest of athletes in this heat. But, even as big, sleek pop shows go, there’s still something wonderfully human about it all; a sense of euphoria when ‘Be The One’ kicks in emanates across the crowd, ‘Levitating’ is a funky delight, and her Elton John collab ‘Cold Heart’ becomes a swoon-worthy affair on this balmy summer night. Granted, tonight the Spanish crowd seems most responsive to tracks from her second album ‘Future Nostalgia’, but the likes of ‘Training Season’ and ‘Illusion’ still pack an almighty punch, while the vocal gymnastics of ‘Happy For You’ are dazzling. It’s a glorious way to kickstart the festival in style.

Set clashes are arguably the most frustrating thing about festival season, but - considering their own love of scuzzy rock - the fact that Crawlers overlap almost entirely with The Smashing Pumpkins’ turn on the Region of Madrid stage feels rather unjust. Regardless, there’s a dedicated throng of fans gathered in the Mahou 0,0 Tostada stage - one of the festival’s two intimate indoor areas - for the Liverpool quartet’s explosive set. Band leader Holly Minto is a fierce and engaging frontperson, repeatedly rousing the crowd, and cuts from their recent debut ‘The Mess We Seem To Make’ sound all the more electrifying on stage. Meanwhile, closing out the festival’s opening day are The Smashing Pumpkins, who - despite having fostered a reputation for being more than a little self-indulgent - have aced the festival setlist, packing in hits from across their formidable career and cutting some of their newer, more noodly offerings. Billy Corgan even looks - whisper it - rather happy. Tracks like ‘Tonight, Tonight’ and ‘Today’ soar gorgeously into the warm night air, and it’s the perfect nostalgic note to end our first day on.

Stay tuned from more reports from Mad Cool Festival , and check out our special Mad Cool 2024 playlist below.

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Tags: Crawlers, Dua Lipa, Garbage, Janelle Monae, Smashing Pumpkins, Mad Cool, Festivals, Reviews, Live Reviews