Malas Artes 2025 Reportback
Malas Artes is already a classic in Barcelona. After so many years of the festival (previously called MDA), each edition seems more impressive than the previous one, and the imagination and energy behind this huge event has opened new spaces to punk in this city. The fest is organized by a nonprofit association with three punks behind it and lots of people who collaborate in many different ways. This year, all the proceeds were donated to the Palestinian Community of Catalonia, who also were there (and even danced!) during the whole fest.
Thursday, May 8th
The first day of the fest started at Paral·lel 62, an old theater/club that is now run by a cooperative of different music venues. The space is downtown, a bit far away from home, and in an area where normally you wouldn’t find many punks nowadays. The venue is impressive – in past editions of Malas Artes, the show happened onstage, but this year the organization decided to do a floor show, allowing the crowd to nearly surround the bands.
This day started with the local band KIRE, who I missed, and the news that DOMINACIÓN were finally playing the next day. KIRE was followed by one of the acts that I was more excited for: GLAM. They were playing for first time in many years, after they split at some point in the previous decade, spawning several amazing projects (BARCELONA, UNA BÈSTIA INCONTROLABLE...). Their original mix of HELLHAMMER riffs, fast hardcore drums and dark, oppressive lyrics sounded exactly as I was expecting, and their explosion of energy fulfilled all my dreams of seeing them again.
After them, TENTÁCULO from Sevilla took the floor to show how punk has evolved lately in Andalucia – slower and melodic, but addictive, with great hooks and very well-crafted lyrics. They were followed by CŒUR À L’INDEX, who continued with the slower sounds but in a more power pop style, showing the potential of this Brussels band that already visited us last year. After this peaceful time in Paral·lel 62 the drums of war resonated with the first notes of S.H.I.T.
The venue was dark, with only a few lights directed at the band, and the crowd was so packed and wild that it looked like a scene from Fight Club. The energy delivered by this Toronto band is impossible to express with my broken English but it was amazing for those who like the raw energy of punk and the perfect midtempo parts that they have been polishing over the years.
The day finished with one of my favorite group of Mediterranean punks, the acclaimed CHAIN CULT from Athens, Greece – they demonstrated that their post-punk is alive and kicking, with more new rock flavors added to their formula. They are exceptional people and musicians! Sadly, I had to go back home very early and missed part of the set, because I had to wake up very early the next morning.
Friday, May 9th
The next two days of the festival happened in the great Ateneu Popular de 9 Barris, one of the first squatted places of Spain, before squatting was a word here. It was originally an asphalt factory that was built to create the new roads around Barcelona, but the neighbors decided to sabotage the machines and take the space. It is not squatted anymore but it’s one of the most important cultural public spaces of the city.
On Friday I arrived after work, very tired but decided to see the local band DOMINACIÓN, who opened the day and delivered the rawest sounds of the festival. Even playing a bit slower than usual, their wall of sound was unstoppable. After their set, I spent a lot of time at the door, just hanging out with lots of people, especially Italian friends that haven’t seen in ages. Lovely people. It seemed the craft beer in the venue had a weird sweet taste, and the punks went feral around the neighborhood looking for beers. We saw two supermarkets with no beers at all, and of course they didn't understand what was happening.
A couple hours later, the sound of some noise (the kind of noise we like) arrived to my already fucked up ears and I decided to enter the venue to see what was going on. BOMBARDEMENT were playing – one of the finest d-beat acts of Europe, proving that Bordeaux still has something in the water (maybe wine?) that makes their inhabitants create amazing hardcore punk bands. Sadly, the venue was too full and I only saw a bit from far away. Then I missed SEEIN RED, from Amsterdam, and honestly if you don’t know this band you should!! Everyone said they were so good, and now I think I should have gone inside for their set. Lesson learned, no more socializing for me. After them another very anticipated act came: E-150, already-classic local hardcore punk that were reunited for this special occasion. I loved to see them, but the stage of this show was too big and the sound in the back of the venue was not very consistent.
Finally THE MOB (UK) took the stage, and hundreds of people melted into one single entity of love, anarchy and punk. Smiles everywhere, funny dances, hugs, and sing-alongs were the summary of their show. They played a bit slower than in the albums, but it was still amazing. I felt like a child for a couple days, I never thought I was going to be able to see them! An Ulrike Meinhof quote in the back of the show, the Palestinian flag and the flag in support of Blokes Fantasma (a squat in risk of being evicted soon) made the whole scene an even more beautiful memory that I will keep with me forever.
Saturday, May 10th
The fest was ending but we still had a whole day of music and talks. I woke up a bit earlier than I wanted and went downtown with CHAIN CULT to have some tapas. It was super nice, but then we rushed back to the venue where a very special talk was happening: Penny Rimbaud from CRASS who explained the details of the Dial House, shared many thoughts and was so nice trying to answer every question. I wanted to ask him if he still thinks that, after how interesting his life sounds, they still owe him a living (I think they owe me a living for sure). Or if he really found that living a bit later than he was expecting. But I’m too shy. He probably would have answered that of course they owe him a living, and I would seem like an idiot. After a small pause another talk, very different but very interesting: Laura Macaya and A. explained the complex concept of transformative justice. It was very good, I wish there could be more talks around this idea since many things were left out because the shows were starting.
Again, I missed a bunch of bands: BRAGAS PONTE, BOLA DE CRISTAL, BORLA… there were too many people I hadn’t seen in years from all around the world! But I interrupted my socializing in time to see ASTIO, an amazing band from Trento, Italy. Their live set full of effects and energy took me on a trip to a different dimension, I felt like I was seeing a totally psychedelic post-punk show. Again, I missed some more music, but some time later I got to see a few tracks of PIÑÉN, the perfect hardcore duo from Berga (a city close to Barcelona) that destroyed the ears of those who offered them to their raw sounds. After them, TENUE from Galicia played some emo crust that sounded so heavy, but it’s not my kind of band.
There are different stages in Ateneu Popular de 9 Barris, and the big venue opened its doors with SHAKTI, a new local band who surprised me with some anarchopunk beats and sometimes mixing post-punk riffs with faster punk songs. I really liked the drums, and I’m curious to see how these already experienced musicians (BELGRADO, GOOD THROB, etc.) evolve this sound. The day was ending for me – I was too tired (yes, I am a weak punk), but I went to see the last show of the smaller stage: S.H.I.T. were playing again! That was fabulous. I saw all the younger punks dancing to these gritty hardcore songs and I just hope they start more hardcore bands after seeing such a good show. We need bands made by younger people! S.H.I.T. were probably the best band of the fest after GLAM for me.
The fest wasn’t ending but I went back home, I was very tired. I would have loved to see E.V.A and TATXERS if they would have played a bit earlier, but I’m sure we will have time to see them again soon.