Mad Cool is so hot right now. No, really. Madrid is in the middle of a heatwave and everyone at the Spanish festival is sweltering in “the Devil’s f***ing frying pan”, as rapper Machine Gun Kelly calls it. “You guys live like this?” he asks the nonetheless energetic crowd, sun beating down on his face. “What planet are you guys from?” A melting one; temperatures in Europe are only going to rise in the coming years, meaning Mad Cool, as with many festivals, must adapt to survive. Mad Cool has taken this sentiment to heart, not only decamping to a new location in the city’s breezier Villaverde District (which is closer to the city centre) but also cutting its five-day duration to just three. There are undeniably teething problems, but this new iteration has the makings of an excellent festival that will last.
Now in its sixth year, Mad Cool has something for everyone. Rock fans make up the largest contingency of attendees, and headliners Queens of the Stone Age, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, The Black Keys, and The Prodigy more than satisfy their cravings. Britpop devotees are treated not only to a Liam Gallagher-led drunken “Wonderwall” sing-along on Saturday, but his old mate Robbie Williams also covers “Don’t Look Back With Anger” on Thursday night. He can slag off Take That and talk about getting high with Oasis at Glastonbury all he likes, but by the time Williams closes out his set with a warbling rendition of “Angels” (as all the s***tiest hometown clubs do), it’s hard to trust his rock credentials.
