At a mass gathering like the COACHELLA MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL, there's pretty much 90,000 people all standing around in a field taking pictures of random things with their camera phones. It's pretty much like Pulp's 1996 single "Sorted For E's & Wizz," except swag out the drugs in favor of iPhones. So I'm not really saying these images, culled over three days in Indio this past weekend, are anything too special -- hell, I didn't have no fancy photo pass. But they sum up my days at Coachella, as well as the time spent at the WFNX Sapporo House, and well, shit, they make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. This was a good time.
Kicking this shit off right up top is a look at REFUSED, during their opening song Saturday night on the Outdoor Stage. One of my favorite images and performances of the weekend.
"And when you're no longer searching / For beauty or love / Just some kind of life / With the edges taken off," sang Jarvis Cocker during "The Fear" Friday night. I saw PULP a handful of times in the '90s, but these two recent shows -- night one at Coachella and Wednesday at New York City's Radio City Music Hall -- saw myself and Cocker as two old dudes quite content with life, meeting up in the year 20(12). Like a friend, buddy, like a friend. Setlist, which was a delight, heavy on Different Class and the mid-'90s troika of that masterpiece and His N Hers + This Is Hardcore: "Do You Remember the First Time?," "MIsshapes," "Babies," "Disco 2000," "Sorted For E's & Wizz," "F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E.," "The Fear," This Is Hardcore," Sunrise," "Common People." Amen.
Ok, shit, no idea who this is, so I'm gonna guess AFROJACK. Nice bright colors!
THE VACCINES dropped by the Sapporo House, talked about a new record and their opening gig for the Stone Roses this June in Manchester. Pretty sure Paul Driscoll only wanted to ask them about the Roses shows.
One of the highlights of the weekend involved a band pretty dear to me, Brooklyn's WE ARE AUGUSTINES. Billy McCarthy and Eric Sanderson were once in a band called Pela, which only put out maybe the finest record of the 2000s in Anytown Graffiti. But the stars did not align for the departed Pela, and now these two lads, as Augustines, with British drummer Rob Allen, played the Main Fucking Stage at Coachella Saturday afternoon. At the end of their set, McCarthy did a victory lap around the stage, and damn, I was feeling it. The next day...
...they swing by the house for an acoustic session and interview, but first, McCarhy cooled off in our very awesome pool. Victory, boys, victory! I'll post my interview with them when it's uploaded, later in the week.
Oh hey, it's Jarvis Cocker again. Sorry, I has excitment.
I know there are mountains in New England, and everywhere else in the world pretty much, but damn, I'm smitted with the sights around Indio / La Quinta, California. Makes me want to sing Manowar songs about, uh, mountains.
I always talk about how SXSW is the fest to find new or unfamiliar acts, where Coachella is the place to cross off artists you've always wanted to see. But I caught wind of MADEON for the first time during his exploding set at the Sahara tent Saturday afternoon, and -- holy shit. The French producer dropped remixes of M83 and the Killers (hey whatever) and people were going batty. Now I'm all up in his Martin Solveig remix.
And speaking of M83, Anthony Gonzalez dropped by the house on Friday to hang and chat. I wanted to ask him WTF was up with that mask from the "Midnight City" artwork but we got sidetracked right after his q&a. Dude is the chillest man ever.
Also at the Sapporo House on Friday were KASABIAN, who chatted a bit after playing a short, two-song srt in the kitchen, closed out by "L.S.F." (video on it's way -- hey, we're backed up). I also showed Tom and Serge, pictured here, some footage of Boston's Dirty Bombs performing as Kasabian during last year's pill Halloween show. I thought they'd take the piss, but it was all smiles on this day.
JAMES <3. Catch video of my interview with Tim Booth here, as well as me recalling the first time I saw James, at Lollapalooza 1997, which Booth gets right into right off the bat. Pretty great video of the Brit veterans performing "Laid" on Friday afternoon, a good day for Anglophiles with Pulp and the Arctic Monkeys all playing within a few hours of each other on the main stage.
Kicking off our WFNX coverage was THE DEAR HUNTER, former Providence project from Casey Crescenzo, now based in Los Angeles. Casey was once in Bay State experimental act Receiving End of Sirens, and that made for some interesting conversation in the van ride to the house.
The longest line at Coachella on Friday? FOR COFFEE!! Well, it was #Coldchella, and even Jarvis Cocker said he brought the gray skies over with him from Sheffield. That bastard. I'd imagine hoodie and coffee sales were through the room this past weekend.
And speaking of Sheffield, it's the ARCTIC MONKEYS! I snapped this pic, yet do not remember them coming to the house. Huh.
Best shirt sold at Coachella? AZEALIA BANKS' lyrical genius up top, there. I could never pull that shit off, but hot damn did I want one. When I was in middle school I saw Faster Pussycat on Long Island and bought a concert t that said Pussy Whipped on the back. Wore it once, and it got "lost" in the wash. Thanks mom. Shoulda bought this and shipped it out for mother's day.
Another look at my girl Ms Banks, who absolutely crushed it during her 25-minute set in the Gobi tent. Pure fire, and you can read my review and watch video of "212" + "Firestarter" by the Prodigy here. Best performance of the weekend that wasn't a Dead Rapper Holla-gram.
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