Coachella Music Festival

[Newcastle Uni]

Following a similar thread from me a few weeks ago, I've found what seems to be a great music festival taking place in Coachella this weekend. There are some very good bands performing this weekend. The schedule is: -

Saturday

Coldplay, Bauhaus, Weezer, The Chemical Brothers, Wilco, Keane, Snow Patrol, Rilo Kiley, Cafe Tacuba, Doves, Sage Francis, Armin Van Buuren, The Ravonettes, Bloc Party, Mercury Rev, Fantomas, Hernan Cattaneo, Spoon, Zap Mama, DJ Peretz, Jamie Cullum, M83, Abulance LTD, Four Tet, MF Doom, Josh Wink, Amp Fiddler, Tiga, The Kills, Donavon Frankenreiter, The Secret Machines, Boom Bip, Swayzak, DJ Marky, Immortal Technique, Jean Grae, Razorlight, Katie Melua, Radio 4, Buck 65, Eisley, The Sexy Magazines, k-os

Razorlight, Coldplay, Keane, Snow Patrol, Doves, Bloc Party and Katy Melua are all people I am very familiar with and they are quite good.

Sunday

Nine Inch Nails, New Order, Bright Eyes, Gang of Four, Prodigy, Black Star, The Faint, Roni Size, The Arcade Fire, Roots Manuva, DJ Krush, Thrice, Junkie XL, M.I.A., British Sea Power, The Dresden Dolls, Miss Kittin, The Fiery Furnaces, Aesop Rock, The Perceptionists, Jem, Autolux, Sixtoo, Tegan and Sara, Stereophonics, The Bravery, Matthew Dear, Diplo, Subtle, Beans, Shout Out Louds, The Futureheads, Sloan, Kasabian, The Blood Brothers, Matmos, Wolf Eyes, Gram Rabbit, Smokestacks, Zion

I'd recommend NewOrder, Stereophonics, The Bravery, The Futureheads and Kasabian from sundays lineup.

I'd like to hear from anyone who has been to this event and can tell me how the bands I highlighted performed or if anyone could tell me anything about some of the bands that i have perhaps not heard of.

 

[Newcastle Uni]

Oh, and the Kills and the Ravonettes are good bands as well. From what I can gather, this event is very cheap indeed. I heard somebody mention that it costs $10 for a day pass - which if it is true is outstanding value considering there is something like 70 bands performing over 5 stages and that would easily cost £100 ($150-$200) for a weekend camping pass in Britain.
Somebody from california let me know what this indie rock event was like - did you have fun/get drunk/lose your car keys down a protable toilet/crowd surf/get invited up on stage/all of the above?! How much did the event set you back. What other festivals you going to this summer?

Stuart

 

[Newcastle Uni]

Any californians here? Hello?

 

[red indian]

Yes indeed!!!!!!...........

....I am happy to confirm I am not from California.

The festival looks like a pile oh shite to me squire!

Paul Calf was right I reckon....."fuckin students, writing out a cheque for a bag of fuckin chips"....ever done that UNI? i bet you have.

 

[Newcastle Uni]

Fair enough about the pile of shite comment, but there are some top bands there none-the-less. I'd buy a ticket to California just to see Coldplay and the Stereophonics

 

[red indian]

Cant stand the bloke.............

....out of cold play. He is a typical "serious artiste" who feels he has the right to bore us all to death with his political views because he has had a hit record or two.

Why does anyone listen to these clowns? If I want some education on political matters I can think of better places to get it than from millionair pop singers.

 

[Newcastle Uni]

If it wasn't for Bono and the lead singer of the Boom Town Rats, oh and that Peter Gabrialle bloke politicsm, would be far less interesting. Sir Bob Geldof as Prime Minister or Michael Howard - i know who i'd chose

 

[red indian]

Not sure who I would pick.........

....neither Geldoff or Howard have any musical talent.

Would you let Bono take your wisdom teeth out for you on the strength of an interesting and exciting pop song that he wrote about dentistry?...er...no.

I know thats an exagerated argument but it underlines my point that these "lovies", pop stars, soap stars, film actors may well be good at their jobs but, why do they feel they are suddenly experts on politics becuase they have had a measure of proffesional success? and why does anyone think them worth listening to on the subject?

 

[Newcastle Uni]

I don't think they are always worth listening to, and I regard their views as oversimplistic and too emotional. But people like celebrity and are willing to listen to these people. A lot of these pop stars also feel some sort of moral obligation to do at least some good - look at how willing so many were to perform at fundraising concerts after the Tsunami disaster and Band/Live Aid was a huge success. (yes ok, a cynic might say that they wanted some free publicity and that tehy needed to practice in front of a crowd anyway)
However, when it gets to the point that NME magazine readers want the lead singer of Coldplay to be the next prime minister because of opposition to the war in Iraq, then its going a bit too far.