{"id":2039467,"date":"2026-07-11T10:50:10","date_gmt":"2026-07-11T07:50:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2039467"},"modified":"2026-07-11T10:50:10","modified_gmt":"2026-07-11T07:50:10","slug":"mad-cool-festival-2026-day-three-halsey-pixies-cliffords-and-interpol-rock-madrid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2039467","title":{"rendered":"Mad Cool Festival 2026 Day Three: Halsey, Pixies, Cliffords and Interpol rock Madrid"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/pixies-atmos-mad-cool-credit-javier-bragado.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\/pixies-atmos-mad-cool-credit-javier-bragado-696x442.jpg\" alt=\"Pixies\" title=\"pixies-atmos-mad-cool-credit-javier-bragado\"><figcaption class=\"tdb-caption-text\">Pixies 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 Three: Halsey, Pixies, Cliffords and Interpol rock Madrid<\/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>It\u2019s a riff-tastic line-up on the third day of the Spanish festival \u2013 catch up with Team NME\u2019s best bits from the Friday of Mad Cool 2026 <\/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> Rhian Daly<\/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=\"2026-07-11T11:50:10+01:00\">11th 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>After day two\u2019s pop-leaning bill, the third day of Mad Cool 2026 swung to a more alternative flavour, replete with some absolutely storming performances. Twenty One Pilots closed out the whole day with a set full of death-defying stunts and humongous hooks (read our review of their set here), while they were also joined by artists on different points of the spectrum of rock.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s still one more day of music left for this year\u2019s edition of the festival \u2013 its 10th anniversary \u2013 but until then, check out the photos of all the action from yesterday here, or read on for <em>NME<\/em>\u2019s highlights from day three.<\/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> Rhian Daly, Liberty Dunworth, Andrew Trendell<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Halsey (6.55pm, Region Of Madrid)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Beware not giving your all at a Halsey show \u2013 she will notice, and she will call you out. That\u2019s exactly what happened as they kicked off day three, demanding the audience jump and get low at various points in her set. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, I thought this was the coolest festival in Spain?\u201d she teased them, taking a tough love approach to encouraging everyone to cut loose.<\/p>\n<p>Halsey isn\u2019t an artist who does things by halves, and their Mad Cool set was in keeping with that ethos. During \u2018Dog Years\u2019, she wrestled with a chain around her neck, breaking free from it like a rock star Houdini by the end of the song. As her set began to wrap up, she brought more heat to Madrid with flames licking the front of the stage, and the staircase she\u2019d implanted in the middle of the stage.<\/p>\n<p>The setlist, too, was heavy; filled with her more rock-leaning songs like the punchy \u2018Nightmare\u2019 and the grinding thrills of \u2018I Am Not A Woman, I\u2019m A God\u2019. Songs, meanwhile, that might not typically be in that circle of sound, like Chainsmokers collab \u2018Closer\u2019, were given riff-heavy makeovers. <em>(<\/em><strong><em>RD<\/em><\/strong><em>)<\/em><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Pixies (8.20pm, Region Of Madrid)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Even with a stacked line-up including Kings Of Leon, Twenty One Pilots, Interpol and more, it was pretty hard to miss the impressive number of Pixies t-shirts throughout the crowd at day three of Mad Cool 2026. Back at the site for the first time in four years, the alt-rock legends brought their massive 40 World Tour to the Region of Madrid stage, and did exactly what has made them into festival favourites over the past four decades: strip things back to basics and rattle out raw, gritty performances of fan favourites.<\/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>When they weren\u2019t leaning into the summer atmosphere with mellow renditions of \u2018Monkey Gone To Heaven\u2019, \u2018Here Comes Your Man\u2019 and their version of Peter Ivers &amp; David Lynch\u2019s \u2018In Heaven (Lady in the Radiator Song)\u2019, Black Francis and co. were more than happy to bring the energy with punk tinged \u2018Nimrod\u2019s Son\u2019 and a performance of \u2018Debaser\u2019 that was intense enough to give the headliners a run for their money. (<strong><em>LD<\/em><\/strong>)<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3956376\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3956376\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3956376\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/pixies-mad-cool-javier-bragado.jpg\" alt=\"Pixies\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2914\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3956376\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pixies credit: Javier Bragado<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3><strong>Cliffords (9.45pm, Mahou Cinco Estrellas)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>\u201cThere are so many of you here,\u201d beamed frontwoman Iona Lynch to a packed-out tent. It was an impressive crowd for Cork upstarts Cliffords, especially when you consider they were up against the almighty end of Pixies\u2019 set and Spain beating Belgium in the World Cup on the big screen outside. \u201cI can\u2019t get over this. Are there any Irish people in?\u201d A huge wave of oh-so-Irish cheers responded. \u201cJesus Christ! Ryanair flights are cheap.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Cliffords were worth the airfare alone. \u2018My Favourite Monster\u2019 with a healthy dose of trumpet thrown in offered arena-sized indie-noir worthy of The National, while the closing of the shoegaze grunge gem \u2018Sleeping With Ghosts\u2019 into mini epic \u2018Bittersweet\u2019 proved the walls of this tent can\u2019t hold their ambition. Our attention was most drawn to two newbies: the pained folk of a life torn apart with \u2018Horses And Divorces\u2019 and the furious punk-meets-desert-rock of \u2018Off My Back\u2019.<\/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>Ultimately: the new stuff slapped, Cliffords looked cool as fuck and Lynch was giving future icon. They\u2019re the best new band this writer has seen this year, and you should hop on any plane, train or automobile to see them as soon as you can. (<b><i>AT<\/i><\/b>)<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3956373\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3956373\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3956373\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/cliffords-mad-cool-credit-paco-poyato.jpg\" alt=\"Cliffords\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2836\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3956373\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cliffords credit: Paco Poyato<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3><strong>Interpol (0.45am, Orange Stage)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>\u201cIf I\u2019m going to bother being away from my family and bother doing anything, then I better do it really fucking well and make it really worthwhile,\u201d frontman Paul Banks told NME last month about his approach to band life since recently becoming a father. With all the buzz that surrounds their upcoming eighth album \u2018This Mirror Weighs A Ton\u2019, the excitement from their intimate secret show in town the night before, and the masses of Spanish goths that gathered to see the NYC gloomsters in the wee hours, it certainly felt like Interpol had arrived with a newfound sense of purpose.<\/p>\n<p>From those chilling crystal opening notes of \u2018Untitled\u2019 to the hypnotic dissonance of \u2018The New\u2019 via the pure indie staple bangers of \u2018Evil\u2019, \u2018Slow Hands\u2019 and \u2018No I In Threesome\u2019, Interpol absolutely owned the witching hour, with Matt Barrick of The Walkmen and Banks\u2019 side-project Muzz offering some new flavour as he stepped in on drums. New ones \u2018Wings On Fire\u2019 and \u2018See Out Loud\u2019 leant a new compulsion to that classic Interpol essence, and guitarist Dan Kessler\u2019s fancy footwork on closer \u2018PDA\u2019 sealed it up with style. We couldn\u2019t understand any of Banks\u2019 fluent Spanish crowd banter aside from \u201cfuck yeah\u201d, but we agreed with that sentiment entirely. Mission accomplished. (<b><i>AT<\/i><\/b>)<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3956374\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3956374\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3956374\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/interpol-mad-cool-credit-andres-iglesias.jpg\" alt=\"Interpol\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2999\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3956374\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Interpol credit: Andres Iglesias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><em>NME is the official media partner of Mad Cool\u200b.<\/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>Cliffords<\/li>\n<li>Halsey<\/li>\n<li>Indie<\/li>\n<li>Interpol<\/li>\n<li>Pixies<\/li>\n<li>Pop<\/li>\n<li>Rock<\/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                    Music News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">The Cure announce Simon Gallup\u2019s son, Eden, filling in for him on tour as he\u2019s \u201cnot well enough to play\u201d<\/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                    Music News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Watch Charli XCX debut new \u2018Music, Fashion, Film\u2019 songs at pop-up Brooklyn gig<\/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                    Music News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Jack White offers Twin Temple support slot after duo were dropped from Charley Crockett tour due to \u201cSatanic imagery\u201d<\/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                    Live Reviews<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Twenty One Pilots live at Mad Cool: alt-rock innovators play their hearts out<\/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                    Music News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Watch JENNIE perform epic remix of Tame Impala\u2019s \u2018Dracula\u2019 at Mad Cool 2026<\/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                    Music News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Sam Fender and Olivia Dean\u2019s \u2018Rein Me In\u2019 makes history as longest-running British Number One of all time<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_99\" class=\"tdc-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_100  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_102  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div 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>After day two\u2019s pop-leaning bill, the third day of Mad Cool 2026 swung to a more alternative flavour, replete with some absolutely storming performances. Twenty One Pilots closed out the whole day with a set full of death-defying stunts and humongous hooks (read our review of their set here), while they were also joined by artists on different points of the spectrum of rock.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s still one more day of music left for this year\u2019s edition of the festival \u2013 its 10th anniversary \u2013 but until then, check out the photos of all the action from yesterday here, or read on for <em>NME<\/em>\u2019s highlights from day three.<\/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> Rhian Daly, Liberty Dunworth, Andrew Trendell<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Halsey (6.55pm, Region Of Madrid)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Beware not giving your all at a Halsey show \u2013 she will notice, and she will call you out. That\u2019s exactly what happened as they kicked off day three, demanding the audience jump and get low at various points in her set. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, I thought this was the coolest festival in Spain?\u201d she teased them, taking a tough love approach to encouraging everyone to cut loose.<\/p>\n<p>Halsey isn\u2019t an artist who does things by halves, and their Mad Cool set was in keeping with that ethos. During \u2018Dog Years\u2019, she wrestled with a chain around her neck, breaking free from it like a rock star Houdini by the end of the song. As her set began to wrap up, she brought more heat to Madrid with flames licking the front of the stage, and the staircase she\u2019d implanted in the middle of the stage.<\/p>\n<p>The setlist, too, was heavy; filled with her more rock-leaning songs like the punchy \u2018Nightmare\u2019 and the grinding thrills of \u2018I Am Not A Woman, I\u2019m A God\u2019. Songs, meanwhile, that might not typically be in that circle of sound, like Chainsmokers collab \u2018Closer\u2019, were given riff-heavy makeovers. <em>(<\/em><strong><em>RD<\/em><\/strong><em>)<\/em><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Pixies (8.20pm, Region Of Madrid)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Even with a stacked line-up including Kings Of Leon, Twenty One Pilots, Interpol and more, it was pretty hard to miss the impressive number of Pixies t-shirts throughout the crowd at day three of Mad Cool 2026. Back at the site for the first time in four years, the alt-rock legends brought their massive 40 World Tour to the Region of Madrid stage, and did exactly what has made them into festival favourites over the past four decades: strip things back to basics and rattle out raw, gritty performances of fan favourites.<\/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>When they weren\u2019t leaning into the summer atmosphere with mellow renditions of \u2018Monkey Gone To Heaven\u2019, \u2018Here Comes Your Man\u2019 and their version of Peter Ivers &amp; David Lynch\u2019s \u2018In Heaven (Lady in the Radiator Song)\u2019, Black Francis and co. were more than happy to bring the energy with punk tinged \u2018Nimrod\u2019s Son\u2019 and a performance of \u2018Debaser\u2019 that was intense enough to give the headliners a run for their money. (<strong><em>LD<\/em><\/strong>)<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3956376\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3956376\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3956376\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/pixies-mad-cool-javier-bragado.jpg\" alt=\"Pixies\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2914\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3956376\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pixies credit: Javier Bragado<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3><strong>Cliffords (9.45pm, Mahou Cinco Estrellas)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>\u201cThere are so many of you here,\u201d beamed frontwoman Iona Lynch to a packed-out tent. It was an impressive crowd for Cork upstarts Cliffords, especially when you consider they were up against the almighty end of Pixies\u2019 set and Spain beating Belgium in the World Cup on the big screen outside. \u201cI can\u2019t get over this. Are there any Irish people in?\u201d A huge wave of oh-so-Irish cheers responded. \u201cJesus Christ! Ryanair flights are cheap.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Cliffords were worth the airfare alone. \u2018My Favourite Monster\u2019 with a healthy dose of trumpet thrown in offered arena-sized indie-noir worthy of The National, while the closing of the shoegaze grunge gem \u2018Sleeping With Ghosts\u2019 into mini epic \u2018Bittersweet\u2019 proved the walls of this tent can\u2019t hold their ambition. Our attention was most drawn to two newbies: the pained folk of a life torn apart with \u2018Horses And Divorces\u2019 and the furious punk-meets-desert-rock of \u2018Off My Back\u2019.<\/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>Ultimately: the new stuff slapped, Cliffords looked cool as fuck and Lynch was giving future icon. They\u2019re the best new band this writer has seen this year, and you should hop on any plane, train or automobile to see them as soon as you can. (<b><i>AT<\/i><\/b>)<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3956373\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3956373\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3956373\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/cliffords-mad-cool-credit-paco-poyato.jpg\" alt=\"Cliffords\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2836\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3956373\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cliffords credit: Paco Poyato<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3><strong>Interpol (0.45am, Orange Stage)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>\u201cIf I\u2019m going to bother being away from my family and bother doing anything, then I better do it really fucking well and make it really worthwhile,\u201d frontman Paul Banks told NME last month about his approach to band life since recently becoming a father. With all the buzz that surrounds their upcoming eighth album \u2018This Mirror Weighs A Ton\u2019, the excitement from their intimate secret show in town the night before, and the masses of Spanish goths that gathered to see the NYC gloomsters in the wee hours, it certainly felt like Interpol had arrived with a newfound sense of purpose.<\/p>\n<p>From those chilling crystal opening notes of \u2018Untitled\u2019 to the hypnotic dissonance of \u2018The New\u2019 via the pure indie staple bangers of \u2018Evil\u2019, \u2018Slow Hands\u2019 and \u2018No I In Threesome\u2019, Interpol absolutely owned the witching hour, with Matt Barrick of The Walkmen and Banks\u2019 side-project Muzz offering some new flavour as he stepped in on drums. New ones \u2018Wings On Fire\u2019 and \u2018See Out Loud\u2019 leant a new compulsion to that classic Interpol essence, and guitarist Dan Kessler\u2019s fancy footwork on closer \u2018PDA\u2019 sealed it up with style. We couldn\u2019t understand any of Banks\u2019 fluent Spanish crowd banter aside from \u201cfuck yeah\u201d, but we agreed with that sentiment entirely. Mission accomplished. (<b><i>AT<\/i><\/b>)<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3956374\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3956374\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3956374\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/interpol-mad-cool-credit-andres-iglesias.jpg\" alt=\"Interpol\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2999\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3956374\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Interpol credit: Andres Iglesias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><em>NME is the official media partner of Mad Cool\u200b.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/reviews\/live\/mad-cool-festival-2026-day-three-halsey-pixies-cliffords-and-interpol-rock-madrid-3956364&#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\/pixies-atmos-mad-cool-credit-javier-bragado.jpg&#8221;] Pixies credit: Javier Bragado ReviewsLive Reviews Mad Cool Festival 2026 Day Three: Halsey, Pixies, Cliffords and Interpol rock Madrid It\u2019s a riff-tastic line-up on the third day of the Spanish festival \u2013 catch up with Team NME\u2019s best bits from the Friday of Mad Cool 2026 By Rhian Daly 11th July 2026 [&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-2039467","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\/2039467","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=2039467"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2039467\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2039467"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2039467"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2039467"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}