What happens when the second largest city in Spain isn't hosting Sonar? All sorts of things as it turns out. RA's Lee Smith, alongside four lucky BlackBerry Competition winners, explains the local scene in Barcelona.

Barcelona

BecooL isn't located at Gràcia..., Sant Gervasi - Galvany I would say...

That's been amended now. Thanks!

my fav clubs in Barna are:

Becool
Oshum
raw14

I miss Moog!

i love barcelona, spent over a year there and cant wait to return.
definately loved Ghoa this summer alonside macarena beach bar.
and of course the Rooftop Party series.

I lived for 1 year and a litle more in Barcelona, and i must say in the panorama of electro or house its quite poor. comparing to toher citys like Berlin, Lisbon, London, Hamburg and soo on, where we can feat a real culture of electronic. I would add that the clubs that make more for a eleectornic atmosphere would be Nitsa, And razz, but i think there is still a lot to do for barcelona be considered an reference on it.
Of course many think its a good place for it because of sonar.. but just that weekend mix with the city.

nice report

was playing in BeCool, when joakim was canceled

Barcelona is not a good place for electronic music scene... First, we don't have an own scene who play good music, all the DJs play the same tracks: electro made in David Guetta or Tech-Tribal-No-sense-House made in Berlin. Chicago or Detroit don't exist. Second: is too difficult that an amateur DJ has a chance to show that he/she knows. Three: we don't have a government who spend money on music culture like Paris or Berlin for example. Barcelona has a hard-restricted schedule and laws for clubs or after-hours.

In my personal case I've tried... but I'm tired listening "NO" and nowadays I prefer do my own parties with my friends at home and play the music we like (and drink is cheaper haha). Music is my life but nowadays I have other worries.

Sorry for my english.

Ps.: but, if you come, I recommend you visit BeCool or Macarena. Lovely clubs, booth.

Totally agree with this. Barcelona must be a reference in music scene, but seems like a Sims game. Poor music culture, poor clubs and mainstream radio DJ around.
Check it out Moog and La Macarena, the only places when you can breath "Culture Club"

I live here in BCN, yes, and I admit that the last really good party I've been to was during Sonar's week...4 months ago!
Ghoa Beach is a large and nice venue but has always the same crowd and same music.
The Loft hosts always the same djs too.
BeCool is the only one that makes something different but people don't get there or it's not sure to find, whenever you go, the good vibes which a club like this should have.

Funk D'Void was running a monthly gig on Wednsday nights at Moog until April but unfortunately he decided to stop. Those nights were eclectic and was possible to breathe the real club atmosphere.

Barcelona needs more..

I lived in Barcelona for 6 months, and I could see a lot of my favorite artists, sometimes having to choose between several in the same weekend. However as some have pointed out, I couldn't identify any "local" electronic scene and the clubs were not amazing in terms of sound quality or design. So I think the wide musical offer is just a consequence of the "party tourism" that Barcelona has been promoting for years.

I love Barcelona...

strange they don't speak in their article about the 2 crazy and big afterhours in Villadecans, Souvenir (mostly tech house) and Merci open until 8pm on sundays!

anyway my best clubs imo there are

the loft
raw14
nitsa
la madam on sunday night

also moog and macarena are must see!!!

NITSA have the best Sound System in BCN....
Becool bring good Djs....
Also Club4 in City Hall bring good Djs...
Ghoa Beach was too much house...
Loft SUCKS!!!

you should have a look at moog and macarena...

Unfortunately Barcelona is TOO EXPENSIVE and have a hard-restricted schedule and laws for clubs or after-hours... at 6h they close ALL CLUBS!!!! WTF????


If you really want to feel and enjoy Electronic Music BERLIN is the best city!!!

Souvenir & Merci?...

Not sure if the bar mentioned here as Betty Ford should be actually called Zentraus in Rambla de Raval (http://www.zentraus.com/). Betty Ford is a nice bar also in Raval, but I dont remember many DJs playing there... Barcelona needs a few more places like this for the younger, up and coming DJs to play..

Barcelona is definitely a difficult scene because so many Catalans are really into the whole "alternative" rock/reggae thing more than electronic music which for many is a little bit "pijo" or posh in terms of style and place etc. I think this is a difficult cultural shift to break as it has so much to do with Catalan politics and tradition as much as anything.

Shame to see the scene suffering a lot though with all the local record stores like La Ruta Natural struggling for customers.

Karlitoo, Barcelona has 2 amazing afterhours, you need to go to viladecans (Souvenir and Merci) they open @ 6-7am

I agree with you Berlin is by far the best city but I think that Barcelona is one of the best city of Europe to party in good clubs (of course not so much tech mnnl music )

wip was dope.

Iron House was amazing too!

If you Matinee and no-sense music, yes, is the best city.

Mhmmm, I think you guys summed it up well, but without NITSA none of this is actually possible. This is the place were you can really feel the vibe and enjoy the music.
Macarena Mar served well in the Summer, and some other small spots like Zentraus do a good job also.

In all and all, AMAZING CITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@minimalzz I KNOW this 2 non-sence-comercial-house music afterhours in viladecans!!
You think they are amazing??? ok for sure u LOVE MATINEE....

@tvs WIP WAS DOPE!!! They brought really good BERLIN Djs to Bcn!!!
...and because of BECOOL Staff and Catalunya policia and politics they had to leave Bcn...
Guess where they are making somethin??? BERLIN of course....


@Castaneo I Said NITSA have the best sound system in BCN!!! And you said that you can really feel the vibe and enjoy the music. THATS Absolutely TRUE!!!
NITSA is the best place to party here in Bcn.... unfortunately in the past there was Better Djs playing there...

Lets hope they start to bring Better/Different djs again....

Saludos a todos

Great feature. I will look back to this when its time to head to Sonar.

I play next saturday night in Zentraus but I don't know anything about a bar called Betty Ford. Where is located?.

Everyone is invited to come to Zentraus next 16th saturday night.. techminimal until 03:00am
all the best

@karlitoo , I like a few djs of Matinee, especially Matinee parties back in the days @ space ibiza! best parties with cocoon and dc10.

But of course , I would prefer if these afterhours would play techno music but except in Germany, I havn't seen places like that in Europe!!!! (of course the tech-house might be commercial, but for a sunday, it brings good vibes imo)

Have been living in Barcelona for almost 10 years, been djing in many clubs like City Hall, Lolita, BeCool, Mondo etc. etc...

Barcelona is an overrated city regarding clubbing as, except for Sonar, Primaverasound, the rest is quite "sad" and flat. Once it was different, quite different I'd say...the last 4years have seen the city's nightlife offer getting less and less surprising....

The main problems of the city are "structural", others simply went worse and worse with the years....

-political: city council of the city (strangely, leftwings!!) have been pushing and sustaining a radical change in the image of the city: once maybe "dirty", filthy, in some aspects "outlaw" or "super-liberal", the authorities have focused on re-targetting the city image in order to be a top destination for US-over60-retired "cruise tourists". Results: city after-hours, dozens of bars and clubs have been closed or sound-control measure have been applied (La Terrazza, City Hall, Zentraus etc etc.).
- Promoters: promoters culture in Spain is focused mainly on "money" and to raise as much as possible giving away "less as possible". Just check the general conditions of clubs (the underground ones, forget Oshum, Opium & Co): no one has an top-class soundsystem like Berghain or Fabric nor something getting closer to that....the impression I had working with some of the clubs in town, is simply that there's no passion in the people working in it...they just do this as they could be doing any other job....rarely, few exceptions like the Jurassic Park at Mirabé have really shown that few simple basic rules (location, crowd, djs, sound..and PASSION of course) can produce great events.
-culture: as someone pointed out, electronic music is not so widespread in the younger society as one might think for a city hosting the Top Electronic festival in the whole world....alternative rock, (sadly) commercial house (Guetta, Tiesto & Co), hip-hop, spanish pop, flamenco, latin etc all have their own clubs and micro-environment and followers, so underground electronic lovers are really a minority. In Berlin, for instance, this proportion is just the opposite way.

Resume: clubbing in Barcelona is overrated, with really a languish average level of events and promoters....line-up in clubs is pretty good and solid throughout the year, but if there's no crowd, club and the right environment for it, everything gets a bit predictable, sad and grey.

@mdelvai05 - I agree absolutely! and.... can someone change this?? Its sad but i dont think so....

Im from Paris but living in Barcelona for more than 2 years now.
Yes, It is obvious that Barcelona do not worth London or Berlin for music and restrictions.
The city is less populated and economic anyway.

I think Barcelona clubbing is a good mix between all styles, even they are not the best in Europe :
-Nitsa is a amazing confirmed artist scene club, I like the visuals there too.
-BeCool a good experimental DJ scene, but I much prefer the sound in the Macarena (DJ and soundsystem more accurate)... and the Macarena Mar free sessions were really nice to hear (Kompakt).
-Moog is one of the best place for the soundsystem and music, but reaaaally overcrowded (too small like Macarena).
-Razz Loft is still a good classic for me, artists and visuals are quite good and it is nice to have a club that huge with different rooms (still happy to hear indie rock getting in and out the club). Soundsystem is quite bad however and the place too commercial/known. The city would need another big electronic only place to satisfy the more passionated. But would it be a success ??
-Raum/Ghoa/The One/La Terraza, I personally found it too superficial and tech-house oriented, but places was nice and music acceptable.
-City Hall : the most versatile programming style, and really inconstant. Unexploited potential.

However, Paris for example has a lot of restrictions, is more expensive and selective !!
You could not believe the face of my friends when they see how easily you get in here, compared to France.
I dont even talk of the police repression that is horrible, and the fact there is no subway during all night.
The electronic scene is well represented, but Hip-Hop or RnB are significantly more present in the clubs.

It is just my point of view, but Barcelona is not that bad.

... and still, Barcelona is miles better than the depressing, hellish, suicidal nights in Madrid

is Madrid not good for clubbing then?
i havnt been to madrid only barcelona ..

I think there is a fair few negatives with cities around the world when it comes to EDM. If only there were a lot more places where the government or councils supported Music.

Hopefully plan t make it over to Barcelona next year. Looking forward to a beautiful city and some great music!

hi guys, a friend of me is going to barcelona for monday, tuesday and wednesday night and asking me about the bars, or clubs with good music open during the week..

I guess the best choice is moog or macarena??

Monday + Tuesday I would say Macarena yes
But on wednesday there is ALAN OLDHAM at the Moog

mdelvai05

I agree with everything that you have said.

I would also add that people here are reluctant to accept something until lots of people have confirmed that it is cool.

Many Catalans feel superior to the rest of Spain but inferior to other parts of the world. This can result in a strange relationship with foreigners and 'their' music. Basically a giant chip on their shoulders.

- (in my opinion) individualism and originality are not appreciated here.

Unfortunately i agree also with the majority of this post. I love Barcelona, it can be a magical city but also because life is so easy here and relaxed this stops people from pushing new things and taking risks. This is only within electronic music though, barcelona in terms of other things like new restaurants, art gallerys etc, Barcelona seems to be really pushing it. There are alot of creative people here, the electronic scene here just needs a kick up the arse.

I am wanting to do a party in the next couple of months in celebration of my blog's first birthday in Barcelona (just an excuse to do another party really ha) i didn't realize until reading this post that so many people from barcelona are on Resident Advisor. If anybody wants to get involved get in touch.. DJs, VJs, promoters… Theres no point moaning about a local scene when you can create one!!

If anybody wants to meet up, or just get in touch email through bambambcn@gmail.com

We are going over there in a week - I realise this article is a few years old now, are there any other new places worth checking out? We'll be at Primavera so there are a few acts there and will probably consume our nights at the weekend, but if there is anything else, particularly midweek, let me know otherwise we'll probably try out macarena/moog

Cheers