Posts by Steven Cox9

I get the feeling there are a hell of a lot fewer people here than last year.🤷

By the way, I don't know if you guys caught today's report in The New York Times—honestly, I have no clue who gives our "distinguished" critics so much space in the biggest papers. Apparently, Mary Kovac's "witty" band gets more coverage than the actual headliners.🙄

I can't tell if I was just too buzzed and caught up in the crowd's delirium—or if I'm just such a massive fan that I couldn't be objective—but The Monkees were absolutely incredible last night.

It was genuinely great. NOFX felt pretty dreary before them, almost like middle-aged punks clinging to childish gags and toilet humor. While that kind of juvenile stuff can work occasionally, what they did was honestly beneath contempt.🙄

The first day, Bloc Party was a total disaster. Iggy Pop was actually really good, though unfortunately the drinks had already hit me pretty hard by then, so I barely remember the setlist or anything else.

Organization on the first day was a mess. They improved things yesterday regarding the billing and logistics, even if they’re still sending people to the wrong stands for food and whatnot. As for the food, it was easily the worst thing I've ever eaten at a festival—a burger with a tiny patty on dry, stale buns with a few drops of ketchup and a leaf of lettuce. The Mexican food was equally terrible. Just absolute garbage.

All these side activities, the tents, and the parties are pretty mediocre; there isn't anything worth mentioning, and staying up late after the second band is really only for the most intoxicated or least demanding people.

It’s truly baffling how many awards this festival has won—honestly, nothing special about it.

The forecast is calling for rain. I guess we’re looking at more muddy shows again.🙄

Jack Morgan2 said:Someone mentioned you get a wristband—I was wondering if you can actually leave the grounds and come back in later?

Well, I guess that’s kind of the whole point of the wristband—you probably don't think they expect you to be trapped inside the Coachella grounds for three days straight, right?

Jesse Ramirez3 said:The state funds Coachella with a ridiculous $90,000—so that doesn't really change much, and those figures you mentioned were probably off anyway... A festival with just one stage is pretty much useless, that's just a fact. The lack of genre variety limits how much Coachella could ever grow, whether they moved to a different state or stayed put... and these articles are bordering on insanity. I was actually quite happy with the Coachella I attended once, but the finances just don't allow for frequent trips. That festival offers a diverse lineup with top-tier talent; honestly, Deluxe is doing more to follow in Coachella's footsteps than Live Nation is.

Coachella has three stages, similar to how Deluxe operates—though back in 2012, everything was basically crammed onto one. That year the lineup was pretty thin, mostly because they slashed Verizon's sponsorship budget quite aggressively. I guess we'll just have to wait and see how they manage the organization this year...

I didn't make it out to Coachella this year, so I can't really speak to the vibe—but looking at the lineup, the electronic influence seems much more pronounced there. It was almost non-existent at Coachella, and even at Terrane, it felt pretty thin, I guess.

Coachella covers a decent spread—indie, rock, pop, punk, trip hop, metal, hip hop—so the variety is fine, I guess. It just feels like they aren't really leaning into the DJ culture or electronic scene, which seems to be a bit of an afterthought.

I guess Deluxe has a better crowd and vibe—most people actually travel from out of town to get there. It’s different from Coachella, where like 70% of the crowd are just locals from NYC who hop on a subway or grab an Uber around 1 or 2 AM just to head home and sleep. Down in San Diego, more people actually bother to camp; it’s summer, after all, and people seem more ready for some adventure or just to let loose. It's peak season, everyone’s cleared their heads of responsibilities, and they're looking to go wild. But then again—the real issue is that at Deluxe, there isn't much to actually go wild about.🤷

The crowd here doesn't exactly follow this music with much passion—everyone seems interested in a little bit of everything, I guess, but nobody actually has a dedicated fanbase. The result is that most bands just get listened to while people sip beer, maybe tap a foot or nod their heads, though mostly they're just scrolling on their phones, chatting, or being generally restless—there’s just no chemistry between the performers and the audience. To be honest, acts like Thievery Corporation, Nouvelle Vague, and The XX aren't really the type to set a crowd on fire. You could book a hundred mediocre indie bands with two albums under their belts, but even with this "premium" lineup, some random Boy is still going to draw the biggest crowd and create the best vibe. Deluxe might bring in a few great smaller acts for the side stages—the kind where you don't expect much and end up pleasantly surprised—but the festival simply lacks at least two heavy-hitting headliners to make it feel energetic or truly interesting. I’ve mentioned this before, and I suppose I'm just repeating myself like a broken record.

There’s really no point comparing Coachella to Terrane—not when you look at the lineups. I mean, you had the Beastie Boys, The Prodigy, Snoop Dogg, Wu-Tang Clan, The Strokes, Madness, Manu Chao, Chemical Brothers, David Guetta, and Guns N' Roses. (And honestly, I can't stand the last two, though they're famous enough to mention.) You have a massive Dance Arena filled with huge names and incredibly cheap drugs. Coachella would never reach that kind of status or draw—where the peak of the festival just ends up being La Roux with one good album and a rather weepier National set.

The logistics, the overall concept, that friendly vibe between crowds—even the security, the food variety, the drink options, those little craft cocktail bars, the timing, the venue, the pricing, even the general sense of fun... I guess Deluxe puts together a much more appealing, engaging, and genuinely likable festival; they just have a better story to tell. In that regard, Lollapalooza was also pretty solid—great location and good people to talk to.

But at the end of the day, what actually makes a music festival a music festival is the lineup—that’s why people show up, I guess. And in that regard, Coachella is probably the strongest option we have in the States, even if it lacks a certain "soul" or those "good vibes" people always talk about.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not exactly out here campaigning for Coachella—honestly, I couldn't care less—and it certainly hasn't earned its spot on the list of the world's greatest festivals. Still, I don't see much point in trashing it when there isn't really anything better to choose from...

Jesse Ramirez3 said:Part one: the keyword is "arriving"... the festival has been pretty mediocre the last couple of years.

Part two: then explain how Coachella manages with that foreign purchasing power.🙄

Last year was genuinely rough—noticeably lower turnout too—but back in 2011 there were maybe 6 or 7 seriously heavy hitters (not to get into subjective tastes or whatever), and from what I saw, it felt better than 2010.

As for Coachella, I haven't a clue, though I suspect the government helps subsidize it; I recall reading somewhere that if the state stops the funding, the whole thing might just fold.

Coachella falls into that middle-tier category—it’s not some massive monster where people are raving until 7 AM, and I suppose I agree with Kevin Chavez3 that it’s weird seeing it on those top lists since things go downhill after 2 AM, but you have to remember how it used to be. There was basically nothing before it, and since 2006, I know that by late June at Central Park, there will be at least 3 or 4 bands playing that I'll likely catch. It’s not that I’m jumping for joy when I hear the word Coachella—it could be much, much better—but in my opinion, it's decent enough, considering I'd probably shell out at least $150$67.

Honestly, it surprises me that as a Mediterranean country constantly bragging about having the most beautiful coastline, we can't host a major festival on the coast during peak season, but instead, it's at some muddy field in Central Park... and there's even a chance we lose that next year too, haha. Absolutely tragic.

swiftmoose20 said:I guess Coachella always seems to book those interesting new bands—the ones that haven't really made an appearance here in the States yet. 🙂

The White Stripes, Arcade Fire, TV on the Radio, The Pharcyde, Amy Winehouse, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Hot Chip, and the Flaming Lips—those were the bands that actually mattered back when they used to play Coachella.

I’ve noticed quite a bit of trash-talking regarding Coachella from the music snobs lately—though, I suppose, it’s still easily the best festival we have going, especially compared to Deluxe when it comes to actual talent. Aside from Billy Idol, who was a total embarrassment, and maybe some Outkast or whatever multicultural nonsense they're playing on the smaller stages, they aren't exactly booking bottom-tier acts. I wasn't thrilled with The Killers, though—I've seen them twice now and I suspect they might just be a relic that won't stand the test of time—and I feel similarly about Metric (maybe I'll change my mind, we'll see), but I guess you get what you pay for.

For about $300, you can catch The Beatles—who I assume are still going strong while recording their fifth album, which will probably feature a few familiar tracks—plus the indestructible Iggy Pop. There might also be some fun Basement Jaxx sets, which is actually decent dance-pop, and maybe even a look at Metric or NOFX... seems like a pretty solid lineup, I guess.

You can't really expect to enjoy Lollapalooza or South by Southwest when you're dealing with American purchasing power.

Just watched this AC/DC cover band on YouTube for the first time and I can't help but wonder... is this some kind of parody?😂🤣😁😲

I didn't even realize these kinds of cliché "rockers" still existed—it's basically what my grandmother probably imagines Rock and Roll sounds like, heaven forbid. I suppose I can only forgive this style from Motörhead or AC/DC since they're actual institutions, but this is just total trash.👎

It actually made me think of a band I’d love to see live—Dub Pistols!

Even if their latest album was just okay, they have a reputation for being one of the best live acts out there, with all those interesting collaborations with Terry Hall and Rodney Jerkins... I suspect they're a hundred times more authentic than these caricatures from Australia. I'd really love to catch them at Coachella or maybe a festival like Lollapalooza. Actually, maybe Lollapalooza would be better...

By the way, word is Coachella might move to a small town in the Midwest next year to take advantage of lower taxes in Canada.👎

The name isn't actually printed on the ticket—it just says it on the discount voucher. You have to show your student ID or some other official ID, and I guess the info on that has to match the voucher exactly. So, if I'm reading this right, you could technically get into the festival with someone else's ticket—provided you can fake the paperwork, anyway.

swiftmoose20 said:The Monkees are headlining that day—that’s pretty much a given.

There are always two big headliners on the main stage—one starts around 9:15 PM, and the second goes on at roughly 11:15 or 11:30. I suppose it’s obvious The Monkees will be playing around midnight, though maybe some other heavy hitter might slip in before them... while Bad Religion ends up on a smaller stage. Looking back at the schedule from two years ago, they had Cypress Hill, TV on the Radio, and Mastodon almost at the same time on the second day. Three different genres, yet all significant acts in their own right. It seems like this main stage is mostly geared toward the mainstream, which means Bad Religion probably doesn't fit the mold—which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Honestly, the smaller stages can feel more rewarding if you're a true fan and want to avoid the casual crowds.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see. I am looking forward to this year, and I have a feeling it might actually be interesting—provided they don't just bring back Kings of Leon, Editors, or Kraftwerk (they're fine, I suppose, but we've seen them enough). I'm crossing my fingers for The Prodigy, Blur, Wu-Tang Clan, or Motörhead to headline the second day.🙂😵🙂

Hopefully, they've fixed last year's disaster and we'll get a third stage back, instead of that karaoke tent and that criminally bad themed party.

Man, this lineup is intense—Iron Maiden, Down, Pro-Pain, H2O, Arctic Monkeys, Dinosaur Jr., Depeche Mode, Roger Waters, Iggy Pop, Less Than Jake, Justice, Sean Price... plus half the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival roster, along with various other US festivals.🙏🙏

swiftmoose20 said:Iggy plays on day zero, while the Arctic Monkeys and NOFX are set for day one—which means there’s probably some other big act missing from the second day lineup.

I suppose we might see something decent for the first day too—though I doubt NOFX belongs on the main stage. If TV on the Radio and The Streets were relegated to the smaller setup, I don't see much reason to put NOFX on the big one, I guess.

$350 until April 15th.

With student or high school discounts $100 (available through February 25th)

I'm guessing by May we’ll be looking at around $400—maybe up to $450 max.

I was checking out what other festivals are charging—Pinkpop is $165 for three days, Lollapalooza is $200 for three, Benicassim is about £160 for four, and Rock am Ring is around $133 for three. And those are all just the early bird rates.🤣

Sure, those are all bigger than In Musica, but whatever... at these prices, there's no way you'd even pull 2,000 people to a festival here in America.

It's honestly ridiculous to complain about things being expensive locally; Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is only about $40 (early bird

Don't bother with a single-day pass—it's honestly not worth the money. If you're going, just grab the full festival pass; otherwise, maybe just sell the wristband to someone else instead.

Besides, if you're only there for one day, I guess you can always find ways to sneak in.

Anyway, $100 the price for a three-day pass is actually ridiculously cheap. I was checking the lineup—Jessie Ware is at 160/$67, Dinosaur Jr. is 120/$47, Sabaton is 160/180, and then there's that damn guy Massimo $42😲

I’m expecting one more big headliner—The Prodigy might leave a gap, or maybe Queens of the Stone Age or The Hives, if I recall correctly... plus some mid-tier band that's somewhat famous but doesn't really matter.

The rest will probably just be filler with all that multicultural nonsense—you know, those desert types or some African act, along with some local "urban" indie bands 😁 playing at 6 PM in 100-degree heat to a crowd of maybe ten people.

vividraven7 said:As far as I'm concerned, the music scene is just going downhill.

After last year's edition (2012), there is no way this can be considered America's premier festival. Not by any stretch of the imagination.

Booking Franz Ferdinand—who haven't put out anything meaningful in years and have lost their edge—is basically a sign of decline. And that’s not even mentioning some of the other names on the bill.

Well, Franz Ferdinand actually had the best set at the festival. Though, to be fair, they weren't exactly facing much competition.

Personally, I went strictly to see New Order since I actually like them, but they just went through the motions—professional, but nothing to write home about.

I think 2012 was the worst year since Coachella started; tiny crowds and a seriously weak lineup.

Comparing it to, say, 2009—which was easily their strongest year for talent—you really have to wonder if it's even the same festival anymore.

But the absolute standout performance in the festival's history was definitely The STREETS 2011.🙏

That guy is a legend; he's unexpectedly powerful live given his genre, and honestly, he was the only reason it was worth heading down to Central Park that year. Considering he was effectively saying goodbye to music, the set felt even more significant—in my opinion, his appearance was the best thing Coachella has pulled off since its inception.

For 2013, they've confirmed Iggy & The Stooges and NOFX, which isn't really my cup of tea (especially NOFX, though I might still check out Iggy). But since it runs for three days this year, I'm hoping for a stronger lineup than last time. I already posted about who's touring this summer in the European festivals thread, and there's plenty of good stuff out there. Maybe something will actually catch my eye, damn it. At least there might be two or three acts worth seeing, so I'm thinking about going again.

Even if you could argue this festival lacks soul, objectively speaking, it's one of the only places (besides Terraneo) where you can see guitar-based music that's actually relevant and popular without breaking the bank. We don't exactly have many options.🤷

I don't quite get how this festival ranks so high on the international charts, though. Once the final act wraps up (around 1 or 2 AM), people just start heading home and the atmosphere turns sour.🙄

It's not like they have a surplus of anything; as someone mentioned, DJs and electronic music aren't even really brought in. But fine, that's just the concept of the festival. Personally, I prefer vocals and instruments, so I'd rather they save their money there instead of on the bands.

My only hope is that we don't get that garbage North American party, which is easily the worst part of the festival. If the organizers think Bijelo Dugme, that hack Bregović, folk music, and a bus with Cyrillic on it counts as "local culture," they can go ahead and lose it.😵