Mad Cool Day 1

Welcome to the Madness

Mad Cool is back. Madrid’s biggest and boldest music festival has returned for its 9th edition, once again bringing the best of international music to the Spanish capital. The festival has earned a reputation for its ridiculously stacked lineup, affordable prices, and searing summer heat. We travelled in from London to see if Mad Cool could pull it off once again.

As always, I completely underestimated the importance of sleep in a human’s schedule and overall well-being. Who needs eight hours when a two-hour anxiety-induced nap will do? A 6am flight from London means a 2:30am wake-up and a 3am bus to the airport. You’d think a working professional might plan ahead and go to bed early, right? Think again. Being sleep-deprived is when I do my best work, so starting to pack at 9pm and having a mild panic attack in bed at midnight seemed like the perfect preparation.

You’d also think that two working professionals could afford extra luggage on a proper airline. Instead, we found ourselves trying to sneak a laptop, camera gear, and six days’ worth of clothing into Ryanair’s minuscule carry-on allowance. Kris, my photographer, handled the camera bits like a pro while I tackled the rest – layering on three T-shirts, digging out a year-old duty-free bag from a totally different airport (major hack), and draping delicate gear around our necks like pathetic tourists. With a bit of strategic jamming and a lot of hope, we somehow squeezed our bags into the dreaded size bin and were reluctantly waved through to our “spacious” seating where I could finally rest my neck. 

Once we landed in Madrid, things immediately started looking up. The hotel let us check in early, sparing us from the 33°C heat (considered mild for July, apparently) and giving us time to sort our fits. I kept it chill: surf tee, some tight, slightly tragic denim shorts, and my trusty brown leather Docs. Kris, on the other hand, went all in – spending two hours braiding a fresh hairstyle. I mean, it’s Mad Cool. You never know when a statement look might come in handy.

I’d done a bit of prep on Reddit and found a local meet-up group, because festivals are better with company – and tapas with strangers sounded like the perfect warm-up. We waltzed into a bar five minutes from our hotel, only 45 minutes late, which for Kris and me is pretty much right on time. After a merry-go-round of introductions, we ended up next to a rare-species Irishman who doesn’t drink, a devilishly charming Aussie cunt, and a Dutchman somehow sporting a full-blown Irish accent. Somehow, that random little corner of a 15 person table would become our crew for the rest of the weekend.

Now for the fun part: a few drinks at the bar, followed by more on the train as we began the hour-long journey from downtown Madrid to Villaverde. Pro tip: during this trip, it’s highly recommended to have at least two alcoholic beverages and at least three friends to help distract you from the heat and the claustrophobia. Meeting people en route to Mad Cool is always a highlight, and this time was no different. We heard stories from a charming Brazilian gentleman, endured some unexpected botched Botox experience oversharing, and crossed paths with a group of very unimpressed Americans.

Mother Mother

Now properly festival-bound and a few drinks deep, we rolled through the gates just in time for the first act of the day: Canadian indie rock band, Mother Mother. As we hadn’t prepped for them, I found myself relatively unimpressed – they leaned a little too heavily on covers to flesh out their set. Still, they weren’t out of place on the main stage and made for a decent entrée to ease us into the day. The next course, however, was something I’d definitely been looking forward to…

FIDLAR

One of the best things about Mad Cool is how easy it is to catch major acts up close. West Coast surf punks FIDLAR played one of the sweatbox club-style tents to a crowd of maybe 600 people – a surprisingly intimate setup. I walked straight up to the front barrier and found myself making direct eye contact with singer Zac’s toes as he bounced around in his jandals. The band were their usual loose, rugged selves and tore through a classic set in the stifling heat, kicking off with “Cheap Beer” and firing into new album track “Fix Me.” A few brave circle pits broke out but quickly fizzled in the heat. Afterward, one blissed-out fan summed it up perfectly as the  “Best day of my life.”

ROYEL OTIS

We had to duck out of FIDLAR early to catch another must-see on our schedule – Royel Otis. Riding a serious wave right now, the duo pulled a massive crowd to the third stage. They came out to deafening screams, kicking things off with the laid-back “Going Kokomo.” Otis sounded smooth as ever, while Royel gazed down at his strings, fringe in his eyes, channeling full Kurt Cobain energy. I’m always struck by how effortlessly these two crank out infectious, sun-drenched surf rock getting the whole crowd instantly vibing. It was my first time hearing new singles “Moody” and “Car” live, and the closing stretch “Murder on the Dance Floor” into “Linger” into “Oysters in My Pocket” had everyone singing, dancing, and leaving me with the feeling that this set would be the one to beat for the weekend.

Gracie Abrams

Gracie is another artist we had the rare joy of catching on her ascent, playing mid-evening on the main stage, giving fans a chance to get up close without much of a fight. Even after racing over from Royel Otis, we managed to squeeze in close enough to hear her sing a cappella during a now-infamous tech failure. Depending on who you ask (or maybe where you were standing), this was either the worst Gracie set or the best.

She only just got through one major hit “I love you, I’m sorry” before a full power cut wiped the sound and visuals. But what followed was pure magic. When everything went silent mid-“Mess It Up,” the crowd kept singing, and Gracie stepped forward into the crowd, continuing the song as best she could. She then pulled out her acoustic guitar and, using hand signals and her unamplified voice, led the crowd through stripped-back versions of “In Between,” “Us,” and “That’s So True.”

It was raw, unfiltered, and kind of beautiful – a proper “you had to be there” moment. My favourite part was the collective hush that fell over the entire crowd as she softly began “Us,” no mic, no backing. The power came back just in time for a final song, but by then, she’d already turned a technical disaster into something unforgettable.

Iggy Pop

Catching Iggy Pop live is one of those bucket-list moments, a genuine icon whose influence echoes through decades of rock. Even if he wasn’t top of my personal must-see list, the chance to witness the Godfather of Punk in the flesh was unmissable.

Unfortunately, the technical gremlins from Gracie’s set seemed to have made their way over to the second main stage. With no sound coming through but cameras and lights still rolling, Iggy did what only he could: pacing the stage shirtless, rallying the crowd with wordless charisma and sheer presence. For about 15 surreal minutes, he held court in silence – part theatre, part chaos. Eventually, with no clear resolution in sight, I wandered off to explore another stage while Mad Cool worked to regain control.

The Backseat Lovers

We only managed to catch four songs from these American indie rockers, but even in that short time, they left a lasting impression. “Pool House” hit especially hard, with the band’s long hair whipping in the wind as the sun set behind the skyline, the whole scene buzzing with that golden-hour allure. It was one of those sets that made you wish you had more energy to give, but with the beers flowing and the day’s exhaustion creeping in, the details start to blur a little from here on out. Forgive me if things get a bit hazy.

Iggy Pop (round 2)

A Red Bull, another pint, and a quick jog back to the main stage got us there just in time to catch Iggy belting out the classic “Lust for Life”. I can’t decide if Iggy looks great for his age or horrible, my main conclusion is that I simply haven't seen enough naked 78 year olds to make an informed decision. The man is a legend and struts around the stage sounding like the grunting punk he has always been, only now when he wants to interact with the crowd he has a dedicated beefcake roadie to carry him around the set like he’s the man's angry toddler. The highlight was hearing Iggy bark into the mic like it’s 1977, before chugging through the iconic The Stooges song “I Wanna be Your Dog”.

MUSE

Muse always knows how to put on a show: pyrotechnics, lasers, and far heavier riffs and breakdowns than you'd expect from three nerds clearly having the time of their lives. After a brief interlude, the band kicked off with “Hysteria,” igniting the crowd with a wall of sound, stage displays, and lasers. They tore through a tight set, but my heart was set elsewhere. Muse closed the night with a blast of fireworks and an extended encore, ensuring no one missed Kings of Leon.

REFUSED

As one of the most iconic punk bands of all time and on their final tour, I had to drag my entire group to see the Swedish hardcore legends Refused, even though their set clashed with the biggest show of the night. Personally, it was completely worth it – I bounced around while singer Dennis Lyxzén dominated the stage, delivering his trademark poignant political anger. My party was eventually relieved when the intro notes of the legendary punk classic “New Noise” began, signaling a welcome break from the hardcore mayhem. I jumped into the mosh pit, bumped around with fellow Refused faithful, and said goodbye to a truly great band.

WEEZER

Even though Weezer have been around for over 30 years, for me (and many others in the crowd) it was the first time seeing them live. They’ve been blasting out singalong rock anthems since before I was born, so finally joining in with a few pints down and my friends by my side was a real highlight. They kicked things off with “Hash Pipe” and crammed in 21 songs in just 1hour and 20min set, ticking off all the bangers.

After a long day on our feet and hours of music behind us, the show started to blur. We lost some friends, found others, and totally lost our minds screaming “Say It Ain’t So”, followed by the perfect encore: “Buddy Holly”.

With that, it was time to head home, recover, and get ready to do it all again tomorrow. Check back soon for highlights from Day 2, headlining: Benson Boone, Nine Inch Nails, and more.