{"id":4679,"date":"2026-07-13T02:39:13","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T21:39:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=4679"},"modified":"2026-07-13T02:39:13","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T21:39:13","slug":"pulp-matt-berninger-david-byrne-ttssfu-and-more-close-another-year-in-style","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=4679","title":{"rendered":"Pulp, Matt Berninger, David Byrne, TTSSFU, and more close another year in style"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/festivals\/mad-cool-festival\">Mad Cool<\/a> going from strength to strength for 10 years is pretty impressive, but to all of those who made it to end of their four-day, legend-packed, sun-baked anniversary bash in Madrid \u2013 we salute you!<\/p>\n<p>Yesterday (July 11) was another one for the books, and you can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/reviews\/live\/nick-cave-the-bad-seeds-mad-cool-2026-report-photos-setlist-3956541\">read about why Nick Cave &amp; The Bad Seeds\u2019 headline set made it so damn special in <em>NME<\/em>\u2018s review over here<\/a>. You can also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/features\/music-features\/mad-cool-festival-2026-day-four-photos-pulp-nick-cave-the-bad-seeds-david-byrne-3956530\">feast your weary eyes on the best photos from Saturday here<\/a>, but why not relive the magic and sink yourself into Team <em>NME<\/em>\u2018s absolute highlights from day four below? You do that, while we go find some shade and have a long overdue nap. See you in 2027.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Words:<\/strong> Jordan Bassett, Rhian Daly, Liberty Dunworth, Andrew Trendell<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Matt Berninger (8.55pm, Orange Stage)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The last time <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/artists\/matt-berninger\">Matt Berninger<\/a> was at Mad Cool was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/reviews\/the-cult-of-the-national-sucks-in-every-man-woman-and-insect-at-mad-cool-2019-2528264\">with The National back in 2019<\/a>. They were headlining that night, but the frontman still brought out all of his most disarming moves as if he was topping the bill for his mid-evening Orange set on the closing Saturday of the Madrid festival this year.<\/p>\n<p>Through the skittering sweet sadness of \u2018No Love\u2019, it only took one song for Berninger to head into the front rows of the crowd like he owns the damn place. He then introduced \u2018Frozen Oranges\u2019 as being \u201cabout Donald Trump\u2019s balls\u201d, but in actual fact <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/features\/music-interviews\/matt-berninger-interview-the-national-get-sunk-art-new-album-3865507\">its capturing of youthful weekend nostalgia<\/a> is pretty spot-on for those still standing for this sweet sunset festival moment.<\/p>\n<p>The treats kept on coming with new song \u2018Martini Me Fatso\u2019 (a swaggering little garage indie number, reminiscent of Berninger\u2019s other, other band El Vy \u2013 one of three new songs being released in the week ahead, we\u2019re told) and the gorgeous \u2018Walking On A String\u2019, sans <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/artists\/phoebe-bridgers\">Phoebe Bridgers<\/a> but still a perfect tender hangover-ready tearjerker. The paranoid breakdown of \u2018Nowhere Special\u2019 cleared the decks in a most deranged fashion before he gave us two sad <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/artists\/the-national\">National<\/a> bangers with \u2018Slow Show\u2019 and \u2018Terrible Love\u2019, this time with Matt invading the crowd as far as mic lead will allow him. He promised that the \u201cbest band ever\u201d are currently \u201ccooking stuff\u201d and we will \u201csee them soon\u201d, but as he closed with his best solo moments \u2018Bonnet Of Pins\u2019 and \u2018Inland Ocean\u2019 from the delightful \u2018Get Sunk\u2019, we were happy to just have him here tonight. (<strong><em>AT<\/em><\/strong>)<\/p>\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_3956561\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3956561\" style=\"width: 2000px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3956561\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/matt-berninger-live-mad-cool-credit-javier-bragado.jpg\" alt=\"Matt Berninger\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1270\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/matt-berninger-live-mad-cool-credit-javier-bragado.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/matt-berninger-live-mad-cool-credit-javier-bragado-400x254.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/matt-berninger-live-mad-cool-credit-javier-bragado-800x508.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/matt-berninger-live-mad-cool-credit-javier-bragado-696x442.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/matt-berninger-live-mad-cool-credit-javier-bragado-1392x884.jpg 1392w, https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/matt-berninger-live-mad-cool-credit-javier-bragado-1068x678.jpg 1068w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3956561\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Matt Berninger credit: Javier Bragado<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<h3><strong>TTSSFU (9.05pm, Mahou Reserva)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/artists\/ttssfu\">TTSSFU<\/a>\u2019s debut performance at Mad Cool was a hit, but it seemed like it could have gone very differently. \u201cEveryone give a round of applause to Luigi for fixing the guitar,\u201d the project\u2019s mastermind Tasmin Stephens told the crowd as that tech saviour handed her her instrument after \u2018California\u2019. \u201cI thought we were only gonna do one song then.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Crisis averted, and it was time for Stephens and her band to show Madrid what they were made of, delivering a set of grungy shoegaze that tapped into raw emotion. Performing barefoot, Stephens led the audience through some of the highlights of her discography so far and gave a nod to the man whose band would close out proceedings on the main stage later. \u201cThis next song is about having a crush,\u201d she told the tent before \u2018Baggage\u2019. \u201cI dedicate it to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/artists\/jarvis-cocker\">Jarvis Cocker<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Later, Stephens upped the ante even during \u2018Studio 54\u2019, clambering off stage and over the barrier, into the crowd, where she danced with audience members and ran through the middle of the tent, turning up the energy. Speaking to <em>NME<\/em> backstage, she promised plenty of \u201cwailing\u201d, but it was two short, sharp screams that brought \u2018I Hope You Die\u2019 and the whole set to a close, before Stephens pegged it offstage, Mad Cool still processing what just hit it. (<strong><em>RD<\/em><\/strong>)<\/p>\n<h3><strong>David Byrne (00.05am, Orange stage)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Of <em>course<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/artists\/david-byrne\">David Byrne<\/a> closed the Orange stage at this year\u2019s Mad Cool: his bonanza of a set sees the art-pop eccentric and his troupe clad entirely in said colour, after all. For more than half a century, he\u2019s been raising an arched eyebrow at the world \u2013 and we sure do need his anarchic sense of humour right now.<\/p>\n<p>The 74-year-old certainly gave us reasons to be cheerful throughout this totally unique performance, though it had a political edge too. As he and his backing musicians moved in formation across the stage, video screens depicted a variety of colourful environs \u2013 waves, a misty forest \u2013 before the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/artists\/talking-heads\">Talking Heads<\/a> track \u2018Life During Wartime\u2019 was accompanied by images of brutal ICE raids.<\/p>\n<p>Elsewhere in the show, the videos were emblazoned with the words: \u201cCONGRATULATIONS HUMANITY YOU\u2019VE MADE IT.\u201d Time marches on, but you can always rely on David Byrne to make sense of the madness. Same as it ever was. (<strong><em>JB<\/em><\/strong>)<\/p>\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_3956546\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3956546\" style=\"width: 2000px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3956546\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/david-byrne-mad-cool-live-credit-andres-iglesias.jpg\" alt=\"David Byrne\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1270\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/david-byrne-mad-cool-live-credit-andres-iglesias.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/david-byrne-mad-cool-live-credit-andres-iglesias-400x254.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/david-byrne-mad-cool-live-credit-andres-iglesias-800x508.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/david-byrne-mad-cool-live-credit-andres-iglesias-696x442.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/david-byrne-mad-cool-live-credit-andres-iglesias-1392x884.jpg 1392w, https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/david-byrne-mad-cool-live-credit-andres-iglesias-1068x678.jpg 1068w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3956546\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">David Byrne credit: Andre Iglesias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Pulp (0.40am, Region Of Madrid)\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>\u201cMadrid, I have a question\u2026 Are you mad for it?\u201d Jarvis Cocker asked us as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/artists\/pulp\">Pulp<\/a> closed out the main stage, before playfully rolling his eyes and quipping: \u201cI know what you\u2019re thinking\u2026 \u2018Yorkshire, yeah?\u2019\u201d Unsurprisingly, that initial question quickly got its answer as the Sheffield indie icons broke out fan favourite \u2018Disco 2000\u2019, leading to one of the biggest sing-alongs of the entire 2026 festival.<\/p>\n<p>Running into the early hours of Sunday morning, their set also saw classics like \u2018Babies\u2019 and \u2018Do You Remember The First Time\u2019 come in thick and fast, as well as a euphoric rendition of newer single \u2018Spike Island\u2019 and an elaborate performance of \u2018Farmer\u2019s Market\u2019 \u2014 which the frontman fittingly introduced by throwing some grapes into the crowd.<\/p>\n<p>Fluttering between intense theatrical performances of deeper cuts and straightforward, feel-good versions of their biggest hits, the closing set was a pure visual spectacle from start to end. The cherry on top of Pulp\u2019s cake? Cocker announcing a positive World Cup update for England fans after breaking into \u2018Common People\u2019\u2026 (<strong><em>LD<\/em><\/strong>)<\/p>\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_3956563\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3956563\" style=\"width: 2000px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3956563\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/pulp-mad-cool-credit-javier-bragado-1.jpg\" alt=\"Pulp Jarvis Cocker\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1270\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/pulp-mad-cool-credit-javier-bragado-1.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/pulp-mad-cool-credit-javier-bragado-1-400x254.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/pulp-mad-cool-credit-javier-bragado-1-800x508.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/pulp-mad-cool-credit-javier-bragado-1-696x442.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/pulp-mad-cool-credit-javier-bragado-1-1392x884.jpg 1392w, https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/pulp-mad-cool-credit-javier-bragado-1-1068x678.jpg 1068w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3956563\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pulp\u2019s Jarvis Cocker credit: Javier Bragado<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p><em>NME is the official media partner of Mad Cool\u200b.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n  fbq('consent', 'revoke');\n  fbq('init', '370979561341328');\n  fbq('track', 'PageView');\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mad Cool going from strength to strength for 10 years is pretty impressive, but to all of those who made it to end of their four-day, legend-packed, sun-baked anniversary bash in Madrid \u2013 we salute you! Yesterday (July 11) was another one for the books, and you can read about why Nick Cave &amp; The&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4680,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/matt-berninger-mad-cool-atmos-credit-andres-iglesias.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4679","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrity-gossip"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4679","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4679"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4679\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4680"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4679"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4679"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4679"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}