Sly Stone Gives Sad Performance at Coachella
On April 18, the third and final day of Coachella, Sly Stone was slated to make a 7 p.m. performance although rumors were flying that he wasn’t even present. A few minutes before Sly was supposed to take the stage, someone came out announced that he would perform shortly, but an opening act would take the stage first – Little Boots. Little Boots was originally scheduled to perform after Sly Stone at 8:15 p.m., so mxdwn approached the soundboard man to get an answer as to what exactly was going on. At that point, Sly Stone was yet to be located and we were informed that Sly might take the stage later that night. The soundboard man proved to be correct when later that evening, at the end of Thom Yorke’s set, an announcement was made that Sly Stone would be performing at 10:45 p.m. in the Mojave Tent.
According to Gustavo Turner of LA Weekly, Sly Stone’s performance was a sad one at best. In his blog, Gustavo wrote, “Truly awful on the part of the organizers (if they knew what they were getting), and especially awful on the part of Sly’s current friends and handlers who let him go onstage like a ranting, raving shell of what he used to be. Many people in the crowd were angry, a few were laughing at poor Sly, but most were appalled at the spectacle.” He goes on to explain that Sly would stop songs in the middle of the performance and even went so far as to speak to the crowd at length about his legal problems.
Ben Greenman of The New Yorker witnessed Sly Stone’s disaster of a performance via a live web feed. In his account, Greenman wrote that “Sly thwarted plans to start the first song and addressed the crowd instead, telling them that he was kidnapped and that he has a lawsuit pending against his former manager Jerry Goldstein, who ’stole so much money at the same time I made so much money that I didn’t know I was being stolen from.’ He explained that for the last year he has been living in motels, but that now he can buy new shoes. He showed his shoes. To say that he seemed high was an understatement.”
The accounts of Sly Stone’s performance hint at the question as to why Sly was kept on stage to perform when he seemed to be in such an awful state. His band was just as confused as the audience and didn’t seem sure how to handle is abandonment of practically every song. His performance came to an end with “I Want To Take You Higher” as he walked into the crowd, and then left.
Posted in Top Story
Related Coachella Content:
Features
13 Things to Remember for Coachella 2013
News
The xx – Outdoor Theatre
Feist Announces Additional Summer 2012 Tour Dates
Gorillaz Release “Stylo” Video Starring Bruce Willis
Sleigh Bells – Gobi Tent
The Specials – Coachella Stage
LCD Soundsystem – Coachella Stage
MUTEMATH – Mojave Tent
Coachella 2012 May Face Delay as Indio City Council Delays Signing Festival Contract with Goldenvoice
Radiohead Announces Additional Tour Dates on the U.S. West Coast and the Fuji Rock Festival
Pixies Download: Live From Coachella
Faith No More Declares “Death to Scalpers!” Via Twitter
Perry Farrell vs. Steve Porter – Sahara Tent
The Dillinger Escape Plan – Gobi Tent
La Roux – Gobi Tent
MUTEMATH – Mojave Tent
Phoenix – Outdoor Theatre
Black Sabbath Was Confirmed for Coachella But Had to Back Out
Gorillaz – Coachella Stage
Desert Gold at the Ace Hotel
Sia Kicks Off “The We Meaning You” Tour in April
Wale – Coachella Stage
She & Him – Outdoor Theatre
Band of Skulls – Gobi Tent
Owen Pallett – Outdoor Theatre
Sly Stone – Gobi Tent
13 Things to Remember for Coachella 2013
OFF! To Tour With Trash Talk
Deer Tick – Outdoor Theatre
Street Sweeper Social Club – Coachella Stage
The Dead Weather – Outdoor Theatre
2 Many DJ’s – Sahara Tent
Spoon – Coachella Stage
Thom Yorke (Atoms for Peace) – Outdoor Theatre
Gayngs Kicks off 2011 US Tour
Coachella Dates Announced
Stream The Dead Weather’s Coachella Set
Old Crow Medicine Show – Coachella Stage
The Temper Trap – Outdoor Theatre
Devo – Mojave Tent
B.o.B – Coachella Stage
Orbital – Sahara Tent
Watch: Video of Pulp’s Entire Set From Day 1 of Coachella 2012
Coachella Sells Out, Passes Hit the Web
Dr. Dre To Perform At Coachella
Yeasayer – Mojave Tent
Muse – Coachella Stage
The Gossip – Mojave Tent
Charlotte Gainsbourg – Gobi Tent
MGMT – Outdoor Theatre
Watch: Video of Arctic Monkeys’ Entire Set From Day 1 of Coachella 2012
Animal Collective Tour Dates
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes Announce U.S. Headlining Tour
Deadmau5 – Sahara Tent
The Crooked Vultures – Coachella Stage
Girls – Gobi Tent
Fever Ray – Gobi Tent
Faith No More – Coachella Stage
Goldenvoice Buys 280 Acres of Land Around the Site of the Coachella Festival
Warpaint Paints A Town Near You
Charlotte Gainsbourg Announces First North American Tour
Public Image Limited – Outdoor Theatre
Gill Scott-Heron – Gobi Stage
Vampire Weekend – Outdoor Theatre
De La Soul – Coachella Stage
Reviews
Tokimonsta Live at the Sahara Tent
Hurts Live at the Mojave Tent Coachella
Hurts Live at the Mojave Tent Coachella
The Drums Live at the Mojave Tent Coachella
Magnetic Man Live at the Sahara Tent Coachella
Freelance Whales Live at the Mojave Tent Coachella
fun Live at the Outdoor Theatre Coachella
One Day as a Lion Live at the Mojave Tent Coachella
Fistful of Mercy Live at the Mojave Tent Coachella
Twin Shadow Live at the Mojave Tent Coachella
Hurts Live at the Mojave Tent Coachella
Hurts Live at the Mojave Tent Coachella
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez with Cedric Bixler Zavala Live at the Gobi Tent Coachella
The Black Keys Live at the Coachella Stage
Thao with the Get Down Stay Down Live at the Outdoor Theatre
Delorean Live at the Gobi Tent Coachella
Elbow Live at the Mojave Tent Coachella
Fistful of Mercy Live at the Mojave Tent Coachella
Kanye West Live at the Coachella Stage
Stagecoach Festival 2012 (Brad Paisley, Kenny Rogers, Chris Isaak and More)
Hurts Live at the Mojave Tent Coachella
Hurts Live at the Mojave Tent Coachella
Moving Units Live at the Coachella Stage
Breakage Live at the Oasis Dome Coachella
Trampled By Turtles Live at the Coachella Stage
Arcade Fire Live at the Coachella Stage
The New Pornographers Live at the Outdoor Theatre Coachella
Fistful of Mercy Live at the Mojave Tent Coachella
PJ Harvey Live at the Outdoor Theatre Coachella
Hurts Live at the Mojave Tent Coachella
Hurts Live at the Mojave Tent Coachella
Chk Chk Chk Live at the Outdoor Theatre Coachella
Interpol Live at the Coachella Stage
The Henry Clay People Live at the Mojave Tent Coachella
Jenny and Johnny Live at the Mojave Tent Coachella
HEALTH Live at the Mojave Tent Coachella
Nas and Damian Marley Live at the Coachella Stage
The Strokes Live at the Coachella Stage
Hurts Live at the Mojave Tent Coachella
Hurts Live at the Mojave Tent Coachella
Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears Live at the Mojave Tent Coachella
Lauryn Hill Live at the Coachella Stage
The Chemical Brothers Live at the Coachella Stage
Two Door Cinema Club Live at the Mojave Tent Coachella
Wiz Khalifa Live at the Coachella Stage
The London Suede Live at the Mojave Tent Coachella
Ratatat Live at the Mojave Tent Coachella
Hurts Live at the Mojave Tent Coachella
Hurts Live at the Mojave Tent Coachella
New Pants Live at the Gobi Tent Coachella
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart Live at the Mojave Tent Coachella
Gayngs Live at the Mojave Tent Coachella
Gogol Bordello Live at the Coachella Stage
Thunderball Live at the Oasis Dome Coachella
Animal Collective Live at the Coachella Stage
Duran Duran Live at the Coachella Stage
Hurts Live at the Mojave Tent Coachella
Hurts Live at the Mojave Tent Coachella
Hurts Live at the Mojave Tent Coachella
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti Live at the Gobi Tent Coachella
Robyn Live at the Mojave Tent Coachella
Here We Go Magic Live at the Outdoor Theatre Coachella
OFF Live at Gobi Tent Coachella
The Swell Season Live at the Mojave Tent Coachella
Trentemoller Live at the Mojave Tent Coachella
Hurts Live at the Mojave Tent Coachella
Hurts Live at the Mojave Tent Coachella
Hurts Live at the Mojave Tent Coachella
Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All Live at the Sahara Tent Coachella
Kings of Leon Live at the Coachella Stage
Perry & Etty Vs Chris Cox Live at the Sahara Tent Coachella
OFF Live at Gobi Tent Coachella
Wire Live at the Gobi Tent Coachella
Death From Above 1979 Live at the Coachella Stage
Stagecoach Festival 2012 (Brad Paisley, Kenny Rogers, Chris Isaak and More)
Related Coachella 2010 Content:
News
Sleigh Bells – Gobi Tent
The Dillinger Escape Plan – Gobi Tent
Vampire Weekend – Outdoor Theatre
MUTEMATH – Mojave Tent
The xx – Outdoor Theatre
Coachella Dates Announced
Perry Farrell vs. Steve Porter – Sahara Tent
She & Him – Outdoor Theatre
LCD Soundsystem – Coachella Stage
MUTEMATH – Mojave Tent
Phoenix – Outdoor Theatre
Sly Stone’s Coachella Rant Comes Back to Bite
Wale – Coachella Stage
Street Sweeper Social Club – Coachella Stage
La Roux – Gobi Tent
Owen Pallett – Outdoor Theatre
Sly Stone – Gobi Tent
Gorillaz – Coachella Stage
Deer Tick – Outdoor Theatre
Muse – Coachella Stage
The Dead Weather – Outdoor Theatre
2 Many DJ’s – Sahara Tent
Spoon – Coachella Stage
Coachella Adds Die Antwoord To Lineup, Sells Out
Old Crow Medicine Show – Coachella Stage
The Temper Trap – Outdoor Theatre
The Gossip – Mojave Tent
B.o.B – Coachella Stage
Thom Yorke (Atoms for Peace) – Outdoor Theatre
Julian Casablancas Announces New Round of Tour Dates
Yeasayer – Mojave Tent
The Crooked Vultures – Coachella Stage
Devo – Mojave Tent
Charlotte Gainsbourg – Gobi Tent
Orbital – Sahara Tent
Faith No More Declares “Death to Scalpers!” Via Twitter
Deadmau5 – Sahara Tent
Gill Scott-Heron – Gobi Stage
Band of Skulls – Gobi Tent
Fever Ray – Gobi Tent
MGMT – Outdoor Theatre
Free Dirty Projectors Release Digital 7in
Public Image Limited – Outdoor Theatre
The Specials – Coachella Stage
Girls – Gobi Tent
De La Soul – Coachella Stage
Faith No More – Coachella Stage
Related Sly Stone Content:
News
Sly Stone Living In Van in LA
Steve Bernstein Pays Tribute to Sly in New MTO Album
Sly Stone Pleads Not Guilty
Sly Stone’s Coachella Rant Comes Back to Bite
