COA-FUCKIN-CHELLA 2005, Part 3
COACHELLA 2005
SUNDAY
I woke up about half an hour later Sunday morning, at around 11, and was still first to wake up. It was slightly awkward waking up then remembering Josh was sleeping on the floor on the other side of the coffee table. After showering and what not, I finished my reading while everyone else got ready. Same sort of stuff as the day before, only Marissa's sister and everyone else left at around 4. For some reason, we didn't leave till 5 - i think it was just miscommunication, we were all just waiting for someone to say "let's go". Richard decided not to go Day 2, so it was just me and Marissa in Josh's car. Driving, driving, getting somewhat lost, taking unnecessary turns, "oh look, a Del Taco", looking for a gas station, got to a gas station, overpriced non-food, actually got to Del Taco. For some reason it took 15 minutes just for me to get two soft tacos and a quesedilla, Marissa and Josh were finished by the time i started eating. Chugging a litre of gatorade so i won't have to buy drinks inside, listening to Gang of Four play my favorite song of theirs, "Damaged Goods" as we were in the ticket line. Search was unusually thorough, making me dump all of the shit out of my bag, examining my camera (which DID have video capabilities, HA!) then finally getting inside. I wanted to see the rest of Gang of Four's set, while Marissa and Josh went to see The Arcade Fire (who i wanted to see too, but they're a young band, so i can see them later if i wanted to). So it was here that i split from the rest of them again and did my own thing.
Gang of Four (Coachella Stage)
In contrast to the very young Arcade Fire, Gang of Four are fuckin' old. Entertainment was released in 1979, at the same time as The Clash's London Calling and Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures and sounds like a healthy mix of both (for those of you still unfamiliar with Gang of Four). The yelping and punk urgency of The Clash, the darkness and pessimism of Joy Division, with disco basslines. Anyway, they were pretty awesome; in an example of how angry this band is, during "Not Great Men", one of the band members repeatedly banged a baseball bat against a microwave. Respect.
During this time, I wanted to eke out a good spot for New Order, but i guess so did everyone else behind me, and I nearly got trampled. So I said fuck this, and rushed out of the crowd. The back is better for the Coachella Stage anyway. I had a good half hour before New Order started, so I started to wander. I bought myself two pairs of sunglasses (to replace the one i lost) 2 for $20 was a pretty good deal. I checked out some of the other merch tents, with the neat, overpriced silkscreened shirts and messenger bags. At this time, i also rushed to take pics of the rest of the other attractions throughout the venue (sculptures, huge scary babies, etc.)
(FUCK. I JUST REMEMBERED MY SISTER SAID BLOC PARTY WERE GONNA BE ON LAST NIGHT AT 10 ON MTV AND SHE EVEN REMINDED ME ABOUT IT TOO BUT OF COURSE I FORGOT. FUCKITY FUCK.)
I made my way back to the Coachella Stage and got a decent spot for New Order
New Order (Coachella Stage)
Arguably the highlight of my night. Actually... there is no arguing, it WAS the highlight of my night. New Order was that band I never thought I'd get a chance to see; they always seemed so inaccessible. That title now and will always belong to The Smiths. I'm still holding out though. Anyway, New Order's first song was a Joy Division song! Wow! I never thought I'd hear Joy Division live (the closest i came was seeing Interpol 3 times; they never conceded to my request to play "Love Will Tear Us Apart") - and now former JD members are playing it for me! "Atmosphere" was just glorious. Shortly afterward they played a block of new songs, which, sadly, i wasn't too impressed with. And then that bassline... "They're playing "Transmission"... Oh my God they played "Transmission". Thats two JD songs! Between songs Bernard asked if anyone had been to Manchester b/c he said it sucked there. Hehe, cute; reminded me of 24 Hour Party People. Then they played "Bizzare Love Triangle" Wowwie. And there it was... that other bassline It was "Love Will Tear Us Apart"!!! I kinda knew they would, they'd have to. But the actualization of it... what was this? i was overcome again, and i cried pretty much throughout the whole song (when i wasn't recording part of it). ahaha. but then they went into "Blue Monday" and... if i'm not mistaken, i think that was their last song. Bernard Sumner sprained his ankle some time before so he was suffering throughout much of the set, but what a trooper. I totally saw New Order!
I visited my cousin Cheska again at the Spin tent. Her friend came back from the URB magazine tent and said they were giving out free stuff (unlike the Spin tent, which didn't have shit). So i went to the URB tent and they were tearing their huge promo posters off the wall and giving them away. Then some little bitch right next to me got the Bloc Party and Carlos D posters. I looked to my right and it was my cousin Cheska! Haha... turns out they had lots more of both posters, so i was happy. They were also giving out free Red Bulls, which i was pretty sure i needed. After that I bought myself a souvenir shirt with the lineup on the back, got some channa masala and rice for $6 (yummy and at a very decent price) then headed back to the Coachella Stage to catch NIN
Nine Inch Nails (Coachella Stage)
I was looking forward to seeing them till Jason, who saw them a few days before, said they were just alright. He was too bothered by the gross ugly fans (you know what i'm talking about) gyrating all up on him. I on the other hand wasn't worried, because the gross ugly fans were mostly toward the front, a place i never planned to be, and the Coachella crowd usually doesn't get very rowdy anyway. So i was chillin' where the crowd began to thin. But their show was good. I'm just a casual fan, but i could tell that in order to really really enjoy the show, you had to be a harcore fan. Trent's still as energetic and raunchy as ever, and he sounded really good too. I half-expected 50Cent to come out for a live mash-up of "Closer In Da Club". That alone would have been worth the $200 coming here. I got movie clips for "Terrible Lie" and left right after "Closer" so i could get a good spot for The Faint.
The Faint (Outdoor Theater)
I knew this was gonna be a fuckin' party, according to what others said. And Lord was it! They tore into "Southern Belles in London Sing" and the energy didn't drop for a second. Fantastic visuals, albeit a little distracting. But it was timed really well to the music; i especially liked "Erection" where they had pseudo-phallic images of flowers and buildings and what not, and "Drop Kick the Punks" where it goes "WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?" They even played "Let The Poison Spill From Your Throat" which apparently, they never play, and they closed with "Worked Up So Sexual", the only song they played from Blank Wave Arcade. Actually, they might have closed with something else but i don't remember with what. Oh well.
I had a bit of a tinkle, then actually found Marissa, who found a spot on the right side of the stage for Bright Eyes. Hehe, even though we went together, this was to be the only show we actually saw together.
Bright Eyes (Outdoor Theater)
Sorry Conor, I wasn't impressed. I'm alright with Bright Eyes, they're good music to ignore but still have something nice in the background, or music you really have to pay attention to because Conor is a clever lyricist, but no one i'd really need to see live. This kinda proved that. I was really only waiting for "Lover I Don't Have To Love" (and so was Marissa!) but they didn't even play it. Their set was mostly stuff from the new album. I guess that weeds the real fans from the ones who just wanted to hear "Lover I Don't Have To Love". Speaking of weed, Conor said something funny: "Umm... so if you guys have anything left in your pockets from over the weekend, i suggest you take it now..."
We met up with the rest of our party again. But before that i scored four more Bloc Party posters from the URB tent, and some back issues. If anyone wants a Bloc Party poster, just tell me. I know my sis wants one, since i was a selfish bitch and didn't get her anything, heh. In the end it was me, Marissa, Matt and his girlfriend walking from the exit to the end of the parking lots, then from the venue to a roundabout which was probably two miles. But it felt like fifty, because i was sore as a mofo. We picked up the cab and got home. I got to sleep in the guest room b/c Marissa's sister had left earlier, and it was really really nice! It felt like being in a hotel in Tahiti (because a vintage Tahiti travel poster hung on the wall). In the morning, we rolled out at around 9:30 and left Indio Valley for good ol' Santa Cruz. Lots more sleep, pee, eat, good music, inward reminiscing. I probably looked insane whenever i started laughing for no apparent reason, but i was probably just thinking of something funny the lead singer of Razorlight did. Or that we spent like two hours watching P!nk in concert in High Def TV, when we could have just left for the venue. We actually made it back to Santa Cruz in time for me to catch the last half hour of my only Monday class; and fortunate too, b/c there was homework we needed to pick up that's due soon.
Still bummed Bloc Party played at the same time as Bauhaus though. I had a few more closings i wanted to say but i forgot them all. I'll just say them later if i remember
Oh, and thanks, if you read any of either of my last couple posts.
And ok... here are the goddamn pictures.
SUNDAY
I woke up about half an hour later Sunday morning, at around 11, and was still first to wake up. It was slightly awkward waking up then remembering Josh was sleeping on the floor on the other side of the coffee table. After showering and what not, I finished my reading while everyone else got ready. Same sort of stuff as the day before, only Marissa's sister and everyone else left at around 4. For some reason, we didn't leave till 5 - i think it was just miscommunication, we were all just waiting for someone to say "let's go". Richard decided not to go Day 2, so it was just me and Marissa in Josh's car. Driving, driving, getting somewhat lost, taking unnecessary turns, "oh look, a Del Taco", looking for a gas station, got to a gas station, overpriced non-food, actually got to Del Taco. For some reason it took 15 minutes just for me to get two soft tacos and a quesedilla, Marissa and Josh were finished by the time i started eating. Chugging a litre of gatorade so i won't have to buy drinks inside, listening to Gang of Four play my favorite song of theirs, "Damaged Goods" as we were in the ticket line. Search was unusually thorough, making me dump all of the shit out of my bag, examining my camera (which DID have video capabilities, HA!) then finally getting inside. I wanted to see the rest of Gang of Four's set, while Marissa and Josh went to see The Arcade Fire (who i wanted to see too, but they're a young band, so i can see them later if i wanted to). So it was here that i split from the rest of them again and did my own thing.
Gang of Four (Coachella Stage)
In contrast to the very young Arcade Fire, Gang of Four are fuckin' old. Entertainment was released in 1979, at the same time as The Clash's London Calling and Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures and sounds like a healthy mix of both (for those of you still unfamiliar with Gang of Four). The yelping and punk urgency of The Clash, the darkness and pessimism of Joy Division, with disco basslines. Anyway, they were pretty awesome; in an example of how angry this band is, during "Not Great Men", one of the band members repeatedly banged a baseball bat against a microwave. Respect.
During this time, I wanted to eke out a good spot for New Order, but i guess so did everyone else behind me, and I nearly got trampled. So I said fuck this, and rushed out of the crowd. The back is better for the Coachella Stage anyway. I had a good half hour before New Order started, so I started to wander. I bought myself two pairs of sunglasses (to replace the one i lost) 2 for $20 was a pretty good deal. I checked out some of the other merch tents, with the neat, overpriced silkscreened shirts and messenger bags. At this time, i also rushed to take pics of the rest of the other attractions throughout the venue (sculptures, huge scary babies, etc.)
(FUCK. I JUST REMEMBERED MY SISTER SAID BLOC PARTY WERE GONNA BE ON LAST NIGHT AT 10 ON MTV AND SHE EVEN REMINDED ME ABOUT IT TOO BUT OF COURSE I FORGOT. FUCKITY FUCK.)
I made my way back to the Coachella Stage and got a decent spot for New Order
New Order (Coachella Stage)
Arguably the highlight of my night. Actually... there is no arguing, it WAS the highlight of my night. New Order was that band I never thought I'd get a chance to see; they always seemed so inaccessible. That title now and will always belong to The Smiths. I'm still holding out though. Anyway, New Order's first song was a Joy Division song! Wow! I never thought I'd hear Joy Division live (the closest i came was seeing Interpol 3 times; they never conceded to my request to play "Love Will Tear Us Apart") - and now former JD members are playing it for me! "Atmosphere" was just glorious. Shortly afterward they played a block of new songs, which, sadly, i wasn't too impressed with. And then that bassline... "They're playing "Transmission"... Oh my God they played "Transmission". Thats two JD songs! Between songs Bernard asked if anyone had been to Manchester b/c he said it sucked there. Hehe, cute; reminded me of 24 Hour Party People. Then they played "Bizzare Love Triangle" Wowwie. And there it was... that other bassline It was "Love Will Tear Us Apart"!!! I kinda knew they would, they'd have to. But the actualization of it... what was this? i was overcome again, and i cried pretty much throughout the whole song (when i wasn't recording part of it). ahaha. but then they went into "Blue Monday" and... if i'm not mistaken, i think that was their last song. Bernard Sumner sprained his ankle some time before so he was suffering throughout much of the set, but what a trooper. I totally saw New Order!
I visited my cousin Cheska again at the Spin tent. Her friend came back from the URB magazine tent and said they were giving out free stuff (unlike the Spin tent, which didn't have shit). So i went to the URB tent and they were tearing their huge promo posters off the wall and giving them away. Then some little bitch right next to me got the Bloc Party and Carlos D posters. I looked to my right and it was my cousin Cheska! Haha... turns out they had lots more of both posters, so i was happy. They were also giving out free Red Bulls, which i was pretty sure i needed. After that I bought myself a souvenir shirt with the lineup on the back, got some channa masala and rice for $6 (yummy and at a very decent price) then headed back to the Coachella Stage to catch NIN
Nine Inch Nails (Coachella Stage)
I was looking forward to seeing them till Jason, who saw them a few days before, said they were just alright. He was too bothered by the gross ugly fans (you know what i'm talking about) gyrating all up on him. I on the other hand wasn't worried, because the gross ugly fans were mostly toward the front, a place i never planned to be, and the Coachella crowd usually doesn't get very rowdy anyway. So i was chillin' where the crowd began to thin. But their show was good. I'm just a casual fan, but i could tell that in order to really really enjoy the show, you had to be a harcore fan. Trent's still as energetic and raunchy as ever, and he sounded really good too. I half-expected 50Cent to come out for a live mash-up of "Closer In Da Club". That alone would have been worth the $200 coming here. I got movie clips for "Terrible Lie" and left right after "Closer" so i could get a good spot for The Faint.
The Faint (Outdoor Theater)
I knew this was gonna be a fuckin' party, according to what others said. And Lord was it! They tore into "Southern Belles in London Sing" and the energy didn't drop for a second. Fantastic visuals, albeit a little distracting. But it was timed really well to the music; i especially liked "Erection" where they had pseudo-phallic images of flowers and buildings and what not, and "Drop Kick the Punks" where it goes "WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?" They even played "Let The Poison Spill From Your Throat" which apparently, they never play, and they closed with "Worked Up So Sexual", the only song they played from Blank Wave Arcade. Actually, they might have closed with something else but i don't remember with what. Oh well.
I had a bit of a tinkle, then actually found Marissa, who found a spot on the right side of the stage for Bright Eyes. Hehe, even though we went together, this was to be the only show we actually saw together.
Bright Eyes (Outdoor Theater)
Sorry Conor, I wasn't impressed. I'm alright with Bright Eyes, they're good music to ignore but still have something nice in the background, or music you really have to pay attention to because Conor is a clever lyricist, but no one i'd really need to see live. This kinda proved that. I was really only waiting for "Lover I Don't Have To Love" (and so was Marissa!) but they didn't even play it. Their set was mostly stuff from the new album. I guess that weeds the real fans from the ones who just wanted to hear "Lover I Don't Have To Love". Speaking of weed, Conor said something funny: "Umm... so if you guys have anything left in your pockets from over the weekend, i suggest you take it now..."
We met up with the rest of our party again. But before that i scored four more Bloc Party posters from the URB tent, and some back issues. If anyone wants a Bloc Party poster, just tell me. I know my sis wants one, since i was a selfish bitch and didn't get her anything, heh. In the end it was me, Marissa, Matt and his girlfriend walking from the exit to the end of the parking lots, then from the venue to a roundabout which was probably two miles. But it felt like fifty, because i was sore as a mofo. We picked up the cab and got home. I got to sleep in the guest room b/c Marissa's sister had left earlier, and it was really really nice! It felt like being in a hotel in Tahiti (because a vintage Tahiti travel poster hung on the wall). In the morning, we rolled out at around 9:30 and left Indio Valley for good ol' Santa Cruz. Lots more sleep, pee, eat, good music, inward reminiscing. I probably looked insane whenever i started laughing for no apparent reason, but i was probably just thinking of something funny the lead singer of Razorlight did. Or that we spent like two hours watching P!nk in concert in High Def TV, when we could have just left for the venue. We actually made it back to Santa Cruz in time for me to catch the last half hour of my only Monday class; and fortunate too, b/c there was homework we needed to pick up that's due soon.
Still bummed Bloc Party played at the same time as Bauhaus though. I had a few more closings i wanted to say but i forgot them all. I'll just say them later if i remember
Oh, and thanks, if you read any of either of my last couple posts.
And ok... here are the goddamn pictures.