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Live Coachella 2006 Updates
Keep refreshing this page as we will be posting reviews
and comments live from the Coachella Valley Music and
Arts Festival in Indio California featuring Depeche Mode,
Daft Punk, Franz Ferdinand, Tool, Massive Attack, Madonna and many more.
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The patient, rewarded
Submitted by Adam Blyweiss
On 2006-05-01 03:26:31
Maynard James Keenan suggested Tool's first show in years was to be an intimate affair. So much for that, what with a few thousand Coachella fans begging for a little of the band's cathartic energy and Tool more than willing to oblige with a boxing of the ears. Material from their new album 10,000 Days was dark and crunchy, "Vicarious" and other tracks being chocolate-covered grasshoppers of rock. As if to help knock the rust off, Tool added to their playlist "Stinkfist," "Forty Six & 2," and the title song from Aenima (the latter, with its "Arizona Bay" lyrics, a bit too obvious for the SoCal audience), their first big hit "Sober" (which could have been sung a bit more in tune), and plenty of Lateralus tracks including shockers in "The Patient" and "Spiral." One of the few sets that lived up to the buildup, Tool is a national treasure when it come to rock music. They headline Coachella two times? Tonight proved why they deserved top billing, twice over.
Five Man Army
Submitted by Raymond Flotat
On 2006-05-01 02:04:36
Massive Attack staked claim here as reigning king of all that is Trip Hop. 3D and Daddy G, accompanied by a dream squad of vocalists (Horace Andy, Elizabeth Frazer, Deborah Miller) let loose this attack with all the patience and accuracy one might ever hope for in an electronic group. Electing to use real drums and bass playing instead of sampled ones from the real tracks Massive Attack supplied close to all their best songs. "Karmacoma," "Safe From Harm," "Inertia Creeps," "Man Next Door" and "Risingson" are a paltry few of the cavalcade they served up. The slow BPM and methodical layout of each track was perfect after a weekend of nonstop exertion.
A few songs in particular stood out as knockdown performances. Liz Fraser's subdued performance of the angelic "Teardrop" had the audience singing. Horacy Andy's haunting vocals drilled the seriousness of Mezzanine track "Angel" home. And to finish off the evening, 3D joined Fraser for a rocking finale with the shifting "Group Four." A performance worthy of a festival of such prestige. It was the type of thing you might not normally have a chance to see, and were thankful you had the chance.
Pandemoneum At The Dance Tent
Submitted by Raymond Flotat
On 2006-05-01 02:04:24
After an unexpectedly long delay before Madonna's set at the Sahara Tent there was only time enough for a handful of her new dance-addled songs before heading over to the Coachella Stage for Massive Attack. The crowd took up the entire far corner of the Empire Polo Fields, writhing under the neverending weight of too many fans desperate to get just one inch closer. The trancefied swirls and beats from her recent album Confessions On A Dancefloor were appropriate enough for the setting and (where there was room to do so) dance the fans surely did. Songs such as "Hung Up" and "I Love New York" had a pulse-pounding beat that cold only impress her diehard fans. Madonna also made frequent use of backing dancers onstage, in a manner experientially similar to any of her famous MTV VMA performances.
View from the mezzanine
Submitted by Adam Blyweiss
On 2006-05-01 01:54:27
For a band not on tour in the States in quite a while, Massive Attack sure knows how to handle an American audience. We like our guitars and our reggae and our cool collaborations. 3D, Daddy G, and Neil Davidge pulled out those stops from their collection. It was a somewhat strange song selection: Only "Karmacoma" came from Protection, and their new song was the b-side to "Live with Me," "False Flags." Six songs came from Mezzanine, the rock-tinged album that almost took them away from trip-hop, while parts of the evening's set also featured guests like longtime collaborator Horace Andy and Cocteau Twins vocalist Liz Fraser. Fraser more than made up for the Twins' absence from Coachella 2005; she sounded awfully soft on "Teardrop" but got loud during the blistering finale "Group Four." Massive Attack is not the music of safe choices, and they provided few on this night, but fans starved for good trip-hop and more made the right choice watching this band on this night.
Oakey Dokey
Submitted by Raymond Flotat
On 2006-05-01 01:44:18
With mere minutes to go in Paul Oakenfold's set, there was only time enough to catch the last bit of his show. Oakenfold slammed out huge four-to-the-floor beats coupled with futuristic trance noisework. Shockingly, the area surrounding the Sahara Tent was not entirely overrun at this point with Madonna fans staking their claim. Although, the fans that were there did bump and shake with manic fervor.
Beauty of the beast
Submitted by Adam Blyweiss
On 2006-05-01 00:25:18
Mogwai doesn't make music that goes from soft to loud so much as it goes from small to big. Some fans might consider their '06 release Mr. Beast a bit less intense than prior albums. You couldn't tell from Coachella's Outdoor Theater, where the Scottish quintet alternately lulled listeners with softly tapped guitars and drums, and blew them out of their socks with a three-guitar assault.
Pride of the B-K-L-Y-N
Submitted by Adam Blyweiss
On 2006-04-30 23:34:00
Ten years in the making — does that count Lollapalooza '05 or not? — the Digable Planets joined forces once again to distribute nickel bags of funk. Although their reputation pretty much begins and ends with the Reachin' debut, woman's touch Ladybug Mecca, political Doodlebug, and fearless leader Butterfly spanned both that album and the unheralded Blowout Comb ("9th Wonder," "Jettin") for an enjoyable and skillful set. Their funk-rock backing band dropped dope solos, mimicked the DP's original samples, and played brand new sounds for the trio's rhymes. Their set was punctuated by jazzy offerings such as " It's Good to Be Here" and "Cool Like Dat," difficult arrangements with extra beats to handle, and some awesome revised lyrics primarily from Butterfly. Welcome back, yo, now get in the studio.
A Cure For The Heat
Submitted by Raymond Flotat
On 2006-04-30 22:16:05
Finally the sun is setting.
With a fraction of the crowd one might expect for them (the safe bet is that the majority in attendance are currently watching Bloc Party or waiting for Madonna), Sleater-Kinney banged through 50 minutes of awesome garage-rock. SK's pace never quickens to an overwrought level, instead pulling power from a moderate tempo, staccato chords and snapping drum hits. The band's two singer/guitar players Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker played dueling electric riffs as their drummer pounded out fierce drum rolls.
Too Much Sun To Dance To Reggae
Submitted by Raymond Flotat
On 2006-04-30 22:10:54
Fusing reggae and hip-hop, Matisyahu made for an enjoyable set, despite the merciless sun. Gimmicks aside, Matisyahu has a beautiful singing voice and is capable of delicately articulating his upper register, so much so that it is almost superior to his enunciated reggae voice. His bassist and guitarist weren't slouches either; the bass thickly bounced along as the solos were precisely executed and punchy.
Numerology
Submitted by Raymond Flotat
On 2006-04-30 22:07:27
Back at the Coachella Stage, The Magic Numbers showcased pop music of a much more indie variety. They used the twangier side of the genre to their advantage, while adding in elements of country and folk to boot. Though not entirely unique compared to a multitude of indie bands already on the market, the group was charming because of their flexible delivery.
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