Posted by Icky (209.162.41.54) on May 04, 2002 at 17:21:50:
GREETINGS,PROGRAMS! Sorry I've been gone so long. I actually wrote a message to y'all about a week ago but for some strange and annoying reason, it never made it on here. I will try to remember what exactly I wrote, but.... By the way, I just went to the Coachella Music and Arts festival this past weekend, and man, did I have a good time! For those outside of California, The Coachella festival is an annual music festival put on by Goldenvoice promotions out at the beautiful Empire polo grounds in Indio, California, just southeast of Palm Springs. Just imagine a festival without any dust, mud, crowding, or ninety-thousand-mile walks to your car. The place is just gorgeous, with manicured, bermuda grass under your feet and giant date palms surrounding the perimeter. Beyond that, looms a mountain range. When the sun goes down, the place cools off (it got up to the high 80's - the desert, you know?), and it is absolutely breathtaking. The polo field is so sprawling and gigantic, that at any given time, you have about fifty ti eighty feet of completely open space around you. This is especially great when viewing the bands (which, I'll get to shortly). You have the choice of either standing or sitting at the back of the crowd watching the band (which only seemed to be MAYBE a thousand people!), or you could brave squeezing up to the front, which, as I attempted later in the evening, wasn't as tough or claustrophobic as one would imagine. And with two stages and two giant tents, you could just cruise around from stage to stage (or tent to tent) and sample the wares at your leisure. It reminded me of the festivals We Played in Europe, namely "Pukkelpop" just outside of Belgium, and the Lowlands Festival in the Netherlands; very relaxed, very hip, very mellow as opposed to the crazed, sweaty, filthy, violent "Mosh-fests" we have here usually. It was just awesome! If you're ever in California for the month of April, I stongly reccomend coming out for the show. It's worth it.
O.K.. The music. Let's see, there were so many bands playing that weekend, but thanks to smartly planned scheduling, not too many choice acts overlapped each other. One of my favorite things about Coachella Festval is that besides many top rock acts on the bill, they always seem to have the cream of the crop when it comes to Electronic music acts. Though some may be surprised that I am an "Electronica" fan, I have been for some time now. Actually, I think what got me into it, was hearing the song "Firestarter" by Prodigy while on tour with I.D. in Europe. I remember hearing the song all over the place while we were there and it really got it's hook into me. A year later the song was released here in the states, and Prodigy became International superstars.
This year actually marked the third year I came to Coachella. The first year I saw Beck headline (with "Mr. Roger" on the keys, of course). This time around the artists that I found most noteworthy were, the Chemical Brothers (who have played the festival every year and always put on an awesome show), Mos Def (Awesome), Bjork (that VOICE! - unbelievable!), Siouxie & the Banshees (disapointing - didn't play any of their good songs!), Foo fighters (Excellent show - with an impromptu set by Tenacious D -!), Mix Master Mike and Cut Chemist (amazing scratch D.J.'s!), Queens of the Stone age (with Dave Grohl on drums!), Groove Armada, The Strokes (O.K., I don't see what the big deal is. Good? yes. The second coming of Rock? I dunno...), Dilated Peoples (yes, I like SOME Hip-hop!), Jurassic Five, and others I'm forgetting right now. The group that rocked me the hardest though, was (O.K., don't laugh)... The PRODIGY! Alright, I don't know what you all think of them, but let me just tell you, they kicked so much ass up there on that stage, that I honestly have to rank them up there with Kiss and Cheap trick as one of the best concerts I have ever seen! It was like a Heavy-Metal-techno-Big-Beat-Punk-Rock H-bomb going off in your face. I'm seriously, you guys! They fuck-ing rock! The rest of the entire crowd seemed to think so, as well. That was actually the first time in my life that I was in one of those seas of people that jump up and down to the beat like some giant, pogoing mass. Awesome! Forgive me for being such a dork, but I had the time of my life. And only slightly ironic (don'tcha think?) that it was the very band that got me into electronic music... .
Okey Cokey, Pig-in-a-pokey! Well, job-seekers, I also wanted to applaud some of you for figuring out the sample from "Man in the moon", It was in fact "The Prisoner" that that bit of drivel came from ("...tonight, when the moon rises, the whole world will turn to silver!", as well as the woman counting at the end). The one that still seems to be eluding everyone though, is the sample that starts the record and introduces the song "Spyder". That is actually taken from an Australian T.V. show from days gone by called "Pot luck", which bore a certain resemblance to an American show called "The Gong show", in which a celebrity panel would "Gong" a contestant as they did their sometimes bizarre, talent-show-type act on National T.V.. However, on the "Pot luck" show, there sadly was no gong. There was, however, a guest "Judge" by the name of Bernard (or, "BEH-nahd", as it was pronounced) who would dole out harsh, caustic criticisms to contestants, some of whom would stand there ruefully smiling, their chests still heaving from having just previously belted out some standard, or hoofing their little feet off. One of our favorites was aimed at a teenage girl who had just crooned her way painfully (to the watcher as well) through some Whitney Houston song, or something. Bernard chimed in, as always in his holier-than-thou bluster,"Dahling, if your friends ever tell you that you're good, don't listen to them,'cos they're lying. This isn't a Discotheque, dahling, this is the Theatre of the stahs!". A legend was born. The "They call it '"laid-back"', it's a sordid term, but that's how it's used" quote is good 'ol Bernard as well.
One more thing (Is he STILL talking?! - yes I am, so siddown, Goddamnit!).The other line that has caused a certain amount of debate on this site is regarding the line at the end of "Playboy Afterdark". The electronic voice heard mumbling,"This is my happening, and it freaks me out-?", is Eric Dover quoting one of our favorite films of the 60's entitled,"Beyond the valley of the dolls" by the legendary Director and fan of Bodacious Ta-Ta's himself, Russ Myer. It was written by noneother than Roger Ebert, the grey-haired movie critic here in Hollywood. The line is uttered by the film's "Teenage Music Mogul" Ronnie"Z-Man"Barzell at what looks like the coolest, swingin'est Hollywood party of the entire 1960's. If you weren't sleeping during Mike Myer's (No relation) first "Austin Powers" movie, you would've caught him paying homage to this campy film gem.
Well, kids, it's been fun. I can only hope that after taking the time to type this post that gave me Carpal-tunnel syndrome, it will actually make it onto this site thie time. If not, don't expect me to post for some time, as I will have taken this computer and thrown it out the window, onto the pavement. Of course, if it doesn't post you won't know any of this had happened, and will probably assume me dead. Probably just as well.
Thank you for watching, and Good Night.
-Always,
ICKY.