[kj] OT: Coachella 2005 reviewed

[Thomas Kennedy]

oi, Gatheren.......
 
Just got back to the comfortable cool of San Francisco - it was about 95 yesterday there!
 
I would say all previous opinions expressed about the event were valid (overpriced everything!, lame security, THE HEAT), but the music made it worth  it.   BAUHAUS (on Saturday) stole the whole thing and were truly fucking amazing.  They opened up with "Bela Lugosi's Dead" with Peter Murphy coming out onstage hanging upside-down from a wire, and sang the whole song that way!  They proceeded through their singles-oriented set ("Passion of Lovers, She's in Parties," etc....) and blazed "Dark Entries" to finish off......   
 
"Leeds finest" were awesome as well, and played a tight, high-energy set - I'm getting a double shot of GOF tomorrow night at the Fillmore here (Aleph:  Are you going??)
 
NEW ORDER was excellent, it's always good to see God (aka. Peter Hook) on bass, and did not disappoint.   Barney had a "pulled tendon" in his foot from dancing a couple of nights earlier so he "couldn't dance!"   They started out with "Atmosphere" from JOY DIVISION.  Other songs they played in rough order (pardon the pun) were:  Regret, Bizarre Love Triangle, Transmission, Crystal, 4 new ones (including "Krafty"), Love will tear us apart, Blue Monday - which featured a Kylie Minogue "Can't get you out of my head" intro!......(it was fucking hilarious)   Apparently, old lawsuits are never forgotten......
 
NINE INCH NAILS was pretty fucking monster.  Trent's pretty pissed-off on the newer stuff, but the best songs were still the "Downward Spiral" and "Pretty Hate Machine" material.  That said, they looked fucking awesome and rocked like hell (and had the biggest crowd of all the bands, too)
 
I also visited the sets of those new hipsters KASABIAN and, "don't look at me that way-ay!!..." THE BRAVERY.  Both were pretty fucking good, actually.  It was so hot in the aptly named "Sahara" tent, that THE BRAVERY's bass rig kept kicking out - the bass player did what all good bass players do in the face of adversity, and started slamming beers (ha,ha,ha....).   They got through the set and didn't disapoint the kids with ripping out "Honest mistake."
 
I was wearing my "Laugh at your peril" shirt on Sunday and got a few appreciative comments in the beer garden.
 
So, I would say good times overall - I'd go again if the roster was as strong, but the heat, dust, and 7 dollar beer(!) were definite negatives.
 
Tom.
 
 
 
 


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But in the sadness that pierces my heart 
Seeds we sow 
And in the end all we have is each other 
Zennon
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