An Interview With the Owner of 'La Rambla' – Primavera Sound's Unofficial Bar

This article was originally published on VICE Spain

Named after Barcelona's Rambla de Prim avenue, the La Rambla has been the default meeting point and food provider for hundreds of tired Primavera Sound attendees because of it's proximity to the festival grounds. Chances are that anyone who has attended the Primavera Sound has at some point ended up chugging a couple of beers at the bar's tables.

Primavera Sound took place this past weekend so I sat down with La Rambla owner Javier Eskenazi to find out more about the bar that's come to define Barcelona's major music event.

VICE: Hi Javier. How long have you owner La Rambla?
It's been a little longer than a decade now.

Have you ever attended Primavera?
I have not, but some of my colleagues have. Things are too crazy at the bar, I can't just leave for a few hours.

How many people drop by La Rambla on a daily basis during the festival weekend?
We are exceptionally busy during the festival – we have people constantly coming in from 11:30AM till closing time. I actually have to hire more staff during that period. It's the event that attracts the most customers and it's definitely been a big help in the years of the financial crisis.

How would you describe the people that come in during Primavera Sound?There is a little of everything but we mostly get very nice people that maybe had one too many, but have a good vibe. We often also have artists pop by as well as everyone else involved in the festival – organisers, security, police and people from the music industry in general. And everybody orders beer and sandwiches.

Do they ever cause trouble?
Not really. I would go as far as to say that this is the most polite event of all the season.

How do the locals co-exist with these new but temporary clients?
With some difficulties. This is a small bar and we're mostly used to serving casual clients. The Primavera weekend always feels like a rollercoaster ride.

Those who attend the festival usually feel a sort of existential sadness when it's over. They dread the thought of going back to their routines. Do you also suffer that post-festival syndrome?
When it's all over, we're all craving a relaxing foot massage. That doesn't mean I don't also enjoy it – the festival attracts nice, laid-back people from all over the world. Nobody is in a rush to get in or to drink. Everyone will always be welcomed back.

Thanks, Javi!