{"id":2036168,"date":"2026-07-09T11:03:24","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T08:03:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2036168"},"modified":"2026-07-09T11:03:24","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T08:03:24","slug":"mad-cool-festival-2026-day-one-hotwax-the-last-dinner-party-wolf-alice-and-the-war-on-drugs-kick-off-the-celebrations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2036168","title":{"rendered":"Mad Cool Festival 2026 Day One: HotWax, The Last Dinner Party, Wolf Alice and The War On Drugs kick off the celebrations"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Mad-cool-last-dinner-party@2000&#215;1270.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"template-id-3332206\" class=\"post-3332206 tdb_templates type-tdb_templates status-publish post\">\n<div id=\"tdi_65\" class=\"tdc-zone\">\n<div class=\"tdc_zone tdi_66  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div id=\"tdi_67\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_1400 td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_68  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_70  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_featured_image tdi_71 tdb-content-horiz-left td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_71\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"696\" height=\"442\" class=\"entry-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Mad-cool-last-dinner-party@2000x1270-696x442.jpg\" alt=\"The Last Dinner Party at Mad Cool 2026. CREDIT: Javier Bragado\" title=\"Mad-cool-last-dinner-party@2000x1270\"><figcaption class=\"tdb-caption-text\">The Last Dinner Party at Mad Cool 2026. CREDIT: Javier Bragado<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_72\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_73  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_75  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_breadcrumbs tdi_76 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-breadcrumbs \" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_76\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span>Reviews<\/span><span>Live Reviews<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_title tdi_77 tdb-single-title td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_77\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Mad Cool Festival 2026 Day One: HotWax, The Last Dinner Party, Wolf Alice and The War On Drugs kick off the celebrations<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_subtitle tdi_78 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_78\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>Behold: Team NME&#8217;s favourite moments from the opening of the Madrid bash&#8217;s scorching 10th anniversary<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_author tdi_80 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_80\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-author-name-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-author-by\">By<\/span> NME<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_date tdi_81 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_81\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><time class=\"entry-date updated td-module-date\" datetime=\"2026-07-09T12:03:24+01:00\">9th July 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_82\" class=\"tdc-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_83  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_85  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_86 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_86\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>Aaaand we\u2019re off \u2013 Mad Cool 2026 got off to a scorching start yesterday (Wednesday July 8), with the Madrid festival throwing one helluva 10th anniversary bash with a little help from Jehnny Beth, Moby, The Vaccines, The Warning, Villanelle and more to set the vibes for the week ahead.<\/p>\n<p>The main event of course for the opening night was Foo Fighters mammoth blast of rock n\u2019 roll camaraderie and good times (check out the full <em>NME<\/em> review here) and you can feast your eyes on the best photos from day one over here. But what have been Team <em>NME<\/em>\u2018s other ultimate highlights so far? Well, let us begin\u2026<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad0 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p><strong>Words<\/strong>: Jordan Bassett, Rhian Daly, Liberty Dunworth, Andrew Trendell<\/p>\n<h2><strong>HotWax (6.35pm, Mahou Cinco Estrellas stage)\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Returning to Mad Cool after playing their first ever European festival set here in 2023, the former <em>NME<\/em> Cover stars HotWax heated things up beyond the sweltering heatwave when they opened the Mahou Cinco Estrellas Stage last night. One of the first to kick off the 2026 edition, the Hastings trio didn\u2019t hold back in setting the bar high for the week and showcasing the same gritty punk and effortlessly-cool grunge elements that first caught our eye three years ago when we dubbed them one of \u201cBritain\u2019s next great guitar bands\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>From Tallulah Sim-Savage\u2019s raucous, adrenaline-filled screams in \u2018Rip It Out\u2019 and \u2018Tell Me Everything\u2019s Alright\u2019 to the striking instrumental melodies in \u2018Strange To Be Here\u2019 and \u2018One More Reason\u2019, HotWax left it all on the stage with fire and vigour in every moment. Ending things with the singer physically clawing her way through the crowd, Lola Sam balancing her bass on her head, and the three of them nonchalantly walking off with a wall of distortion behind them, it\u2019s fair to say that while the set clocked in at less than an hour, it definitely isn\u2019t one we\u2019ll forget anytime soon. <strong>(<em>LD<\/em>)<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3955922\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3955922\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3955922\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/hotwax@2000x1270.jpg\" alt=\"Hotwax at Mad Cool 2026. CREDIT: luiscarbxnell\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1270\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3955922\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hotwax at Mad Cool 2026. CREDIT: luiscarbxnell<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>The Last Dinner Party (7.35pm, Orange Stage)\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>\u201cBuenos noches Mad Cool,\u201d offered The Last Dinner Party frontwoman Abigail Morris. \u201cI hope you\u2019re having a good time. If we haven\u2019t met before, I\u2019d like to introduce you to the band\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad1 id_ad_content-horiz-center\">\n<h5 class=\"taboola-mid-article-title\">Recommended<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<p>There was a welcoming familiarity and warm embrace that befits their name, albeit with a sense that just moments into the starter someone was gonna flip the table over and set it alight. That\u2019s what we got when the unnervingly menacing romance of \u2018Agnus Dei\u2019 erupted into the playful grunge theatrics of \u2018Count The Ways\u2019 and the David Bowie meets Kate Bush operatic glam stomp of \u2018The Feminine Urge\u2019 \u2013 Morris\u2019 ribbon mic twirling aloft as the crowd swayed with almost enough power to create a breeze to beat this heat.<\/p>\n<p>There was so much love for the almighty \u2018Sinner\u2019, dedicated to \u201cthe gays and the theys\u201d of Madrid, and the proggy mini epic of \u2018Lady Of Mercy\u2019 made for the highlight of the set, but it was guitarist Lizzie Mayland taking over lead vocals for the Bad Seeds-esque gothic rumble of \u2018Rifle\u2019 and Morris\u2019 fittingly feral and fearless delivery on the Queens Of The Stone Age heft of new song \u2018Big Dog\u2019 that piqued our curiosity the most. It left fans hungry for more, hopeful that their next course might be somewhat meatier. <em><strong>(AT)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3955982\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3955982\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3955982\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/mad_cool_the_last_dinner_party_Andres_Iglesias.jpg\" alt=\"The Last Dinner Party live at Mad Cool. Credit: Andres Iglesias\" width=\"1334\" height=\"2000\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3955982\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Last Dinner Party live at Mad Cool. Credit: Andres Iglesias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>Wolf Alice (8.20pm, Region Of Madrid stage)<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>If Wolf Alice\u2019s Finsbury Park gig last weekend was a celebration of how far the band have come, their appearance at Mad Cool last night was a chance to flex in a very different way. \u201cI can finally use my GCSE Spanish,\u201d Ellie Rowsell grinned, switching languages before checking she was remembering her chosen phrases correctly.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad2 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p>There were no doubts present in the band\u2019s performance, though \u2013 just total confidence and control radiating through each member as they captivated the audience at the Region Of Madrid stage with songs like \u2018Bloom Baby Bloom\u2019 and \u2018Just Two Girls\u2019. As the set progressed, so too did their sound and energy, shifting from pop-leaning moments to the roaring likes of \u2018Yuk Foo\u2019 and \u2018Play The Greatest Hits\u2019, which allowed Rowsell to show off her best screams. The pendulum soon swung back to something softer, highlighting Wolf Alice\u2019s versatility once more with emotional stunners \u2018The Last Man On Earth\u2019 and \u2018Don\u2019t Delete The Kisses\u2019. There\u2019s no other band quite like them. <strong><em>(RD)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3955975\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3955975\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3955975\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/WOLF_ALICE_MAD_COOL_Andres_Iglesias.jpg\" alt=\"Wolf Alice live at Mad Cool 2026. Credit: Andres Iglesias\" width=\"1334\" height=\"2000\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3955975\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wolf Alice live at Mad Cool 2026. Credit: Andres Iglesias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>The War On Drugs (9pm, Orange stage)\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>\u201cHow you doin\u2019 out there?\u201d asked The War on Drugs frontman Adam Granduciel as the band brought their gentle Americana to the Orange Stage, the Madrid heatwave still beating down upon the Iberdrola Music festival site in the late evening. \u201cTakin\u2019 care of each other?\u201d He also implored Mad Cool punters to pour out water for each other, a sweet gesture that\u2019s indicative of his ragtag group\u2019s homely, homespun sound.<\/p>\n<p>The War on Drugs were made for blissed-out festival moments like this, though they can raise the temperature, too. Take the soaring \u2018I Don\u2019t Live Here Anymore\u2019, which showcases their more muscular, epic sound, as Granduciel not only namechecks Bob Dylan but even imitates the Bard with his sighing, swooning vocal delivery. You have to be\u00a0really\u00a0good to get away with that \u2013 luckily, as he probably well knows, the band\u2019s more than capable of rising to the occasion.\u00a0<strong><em>(JB)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3955979\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3955979\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3955979\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/war_on_drugs_mad_cool_2026_Andres_Iglesias.jpg\" alt=\"The War On Drugs live at Mad Cool 2026. Credit: Andres Iglesias\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1270\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3955979\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The War On Drugs live at Mad Cool 2026. Credit: Andres Iglesias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><em>NME is the official media partner of Mad Cool\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_tags tdi_87 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_87\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<ul class=\"tdb-tags\">\n<li><span>Related Topics<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Hot Wax<\/li>\n<li>HotWax<\/li>\n<li>The Last Dinner Party<\/li>\n<li>The War On Drugs<\/li>\n<li>Wolf Alice<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_88\" class=\"tdc-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_89  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_91  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"vc_row_inner tdi_93  vc_row vc_inner wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column_inner tdi_95  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-inner-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"vc_column-inner\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper td_block_wrap vc_raw_html tdi_97 \">\n<div class=\"td-fix-index\">\n<h3>More Stories<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap td_flex_block_1 tdi_98 td-pb-border-top td_module_flex_1--card td_module_flex_1--card--highlight td_block_template_2 tdc-no-posts td_flex_block\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_98\">\n<div id=\"tdi_98\" class=\"td_block_inner td-mc1-wrap\">\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Gaming Guides<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Does \u2018Black Ops\u2019 and \u2018Black Ops 2\u2019 on PS5 and PS4 have crossplay?<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Gaming Guides<\/p>\n<h3 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class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper td_block_wrap vc_raw_html tdi_104 \">\n<div class=\"td-fix-index\">\n<h3>You May Also Like<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><\/article>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_86 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_86\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>Aaaand we\u2019re off \u2013 Mad Cool 2026 got off to a scorching start yesterday (Wednesday July 8), with the Madrid festival throwing one helluva 10th anniversary bash with a little help from Jehnny Beth, Moby, The Vaccines, The Warning, Villanelle and more to set the vibes for the week ahead.<\/p>\n<p>The main event of course for the opening night was Foo Fighters mammoth blast of rock n\u2019 roll camaraderie and good times (check out the full <em>NME<\/em> review here) and you can feast your eyes on the best photos from day one over here. But what have been Team <em>NME<\/em>\u2018s other ultimate highlights so far? Well, let us begin\u2026<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad0 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p><strong>Words<\/strong>: Jordan Bassett, Rhian Daly, Liberty Dunworth, Andrew Trendell<\/p>\n<h2><strong>HotWax (6.35pm, Mahou Cinco Estrellas stage)\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Returning to Mad Cool after playing their first ever European festival set here in 2023, the former <em>NME<\/em> Cover stars HotWax heated things up beyond the sweltering heatwave when they opened the Mahou Cinco Estrellas Stage last night. One of the first to kick off the 2026 edition, the Hastings trio didn\u2019t hold back in setting the bar high for the week and showcasing the same gritty punk and effortlessly-cool grunge elements that first caught our eye three years ago when we dubbed them one of \u201cBritain\u2019s next great guitar bands\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>From Tallulah Sim-Savage\u2019s raucous, adrenaline-filled screams in \u2018Rip It Out\u2019 and \u2018Tell Me Everything\u2019s Alright\u2019 to the striking instrumental melodies in \u2018Strange To Be Here\u2019 and \u2018One More Reason\u2019, HotWax left it all on the stage with fire and vigour in every moment. Ending things with the singer physically clawing her way through the crowd, Lola Sam balancing her bass on her head, and the three of them nonchalantly walking off with a wall of distortion behind them, it\u2019s fair to say that while the set clocked in at less than an hour, it definitely isn\u2019t one we\u2019ll forget anytime soon. <strong>(<em>LD<\/em>)<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3955922\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3955922\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3955922\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/hotwax@2000x1270.jpg\" alt=\"Hotwax at Mad Cool 2026. CREDIT: luiscarbxnell\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1270\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3955922\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hotwax at Mad Cool 2026. CREDIT: luiscarbxnell<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>The Last Dinner Party (7.35pm, Orange Stage)\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>\u201cBuenos noches Mad Cool,\u201d offered The Last Dinner Party frontwoman Abigail Morris. \u201cI hope you\u2019re having a good time. If we haven\u2019t met before, I\u2019d like to introduce you to the band\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad1 id_ad_content-horiz-center\">\n<h5 class=\"taboola-mid-article-title\">Recommended<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<p>There was a welcoming familiarity and warm embrace that befits their name, albeit with a sense that just moments into the starter someone was gonna flip the table over and set it alight. That\u2019s what we got when the unnervingly menacing romance of \u2018Agnus Dei\u2019 erupted into the playful grunge theatrics of \u2018Count The Ways\u2019 and the David Bowie meets Kate Bush operatic glam stomp of \u2018The Feminine Urge\u2019 \u2013 Morris\u2019 ribbon mic twirling aloft as the crowd swayed with almost enough power to create a breeze to beat this heat.<\/p>\n<p>There was so much love for the almighty \u2018Sinner\u2019, dedicated to \u201cthe gays and the theys\u201d of Madrid, and the proggy mini epic of \u2018Lady Of Mercy\u2019 made for the highlight of the set, but it was guitarist Lizzie Mayland taking over lead vocals for the Bad Seeds-esque gothic rumble of \u2018Rifle\u2019 and Morris\u2019 fittingly feral and fearless delivery on the Queens Of The Stone Age heft of new song \u2018Big Dog\u2019 that piqued our curiosity the most. It left fans hungry for more, hopeful that their next course might be somewhat meatier. <em><strong>(AT)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3955982\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3955982\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3955982\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/mad_cool_the_last_dinner_party_Andres_Iglesias.jpg\" alt=\"The Last Dinner Party live at Mad Cool. Credit: Andres Iglesias\" width=\"1334\" height=\"2000\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3955982\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Last Dinner Party live at Mad Cool. Credit: Andres Iglesias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>Wolf Alice (8.20pm, Region Of Madrid stage)<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>If Wolf Alice\u2019s Finsbury Park gig last weekend was a celebration of how far the band have come, their appearance at Mad Cool last night was a chance to flex in a very different way. \u201cI can finally use my GCSE Spanish,\u201d Ellie Rowsell grinned, switching languages before checking she was remembering her chosen phrases correctly.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad2 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p>There were no doubts present in the band\u2019s performance, though \u2013 just total confidence and control radiating through each member as they captivated the audience at the Region Of Madrid stage with songs like \u2018Bloom Baby Bloom\u2019 and \u2018Just Two Girls\u2019. As the set progressed, so too did their sound and energy, shifting from pop-leaning moments to the roaring likes of \u2018Yuk Foo\u2019 and \u2018Play The Greatest Hits\u2019, which allowed Rowsell to show off her best screams. The pendulum soon swung back to something softer, highlighting Wolf Alice\u2019s versatility once more with emotional stunners \u2018The Last Man On Earth\u2019 and \u2018Don\u2019t Delete The Kisses\u2019. There\u2019s no other band quite like them. <strong><em>(RD)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3955975\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3955975\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3955975\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/WOLF_ALICE_MAD_COOL_Andres_Iglesias.jpg\" alt=\"Wolf Alice live at Mad Cool 2026. Credit: Andres Iglesias\" width=\"1334\" height=\"2000\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3955975\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wolf Alice live at Mad Cool 2026. Credit: Andres Iglesias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>The War On Drugs (9pm, Orange stage)\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>\u201cHow you doin\u2019 out there?\u201d asked The War on Drugs frontman Adam Granduciel as the band brought their gentle Americana to the Orange Stage, the Madrid heatwave still beating down upon the Iberdrola Music festival site in the late evening. \u201cTakin\u2019 care of each other?\u201d He also implored Mad Cool punters to pour out water for each other, a sweet gesture that\u2019s indicative of his ragtag group\u2019s homely, homespun sound.<\/p>\n<p>The War on Drugs were made for blissed-out festival moments like this, though they can raise the temperature, too. Take the soaring \u2018I Don\u2019t Live Here Anymore\u2019, which showcases their more muscular, epic sound, as Granduciel not only namechecks Bob Dylan but even imitates the Bard with his sighing, swooning vocal delivery. You have to be\u00a0really\u00a0good to get away with that \u2013 luckily, as he probably well knows, the band\u2019s more than capable of rising to the occasion.\u00a0<strong><em>(JB)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3955979\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3955979\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3955979\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/war_on_drugs_mad_cool_2026_Andres_Iglesias.jpg\" alt=\"The War On Drugs live at Mad Cool 2026. Credit: Andres Iglesias\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1270\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3955979\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The War On Drugs live at Mad Cool 2026. Credit: Andres Iglesias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><em>NME is the official media partner of Mad Cool\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/reviews\/live\/mad-cool-festival-2026-day-one-hotwax-the-last-dinner-party-wolf-alice-the-war-on-drugs-3955950&#8243;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Mad-cool-last-dinner-party@2000&#215;1270.jpg&#8221;] The Last Dinner Party at Mad Cool 2026. CREDIT: Javier Bragado ReviewsLive Reviews Mad Cool Festival 2026 Day One: HotWax, The Last Dinner Party, Wolf Alice and The War On Drugs kick off the celebrations Behold: Team NME&#8217;s favourite moments from the opening of the Madrid bash&#8217;s scorching 10th anniversary By NME [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,78],"class_list":["post-2036168","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nme-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2036168","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2036168"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2036168\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2036168"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2036168"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2036168"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}