Coachella Diaries 2013 (Part 4 of 5) - Day 3, Sunday - "Californication"

From the 19th to 21st of April 2013, I attended the Coachella Music Festival in Indio, California, USA. This is part 4 in a series of 5 articles, focusing on the final day of the festival. All photos are my own.

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Coachella is very representative of the Californian experience. There is breathtaking natural beauty and weather, the place is populated by the chic, creative, consumerist, and health-conscious, and the environment is both trend-setting and expensive. If you're not careful, you'll be drawn into the enticing Hollywood lifestyle.

The state of California, home to the Coachella Music Festival

Wandering through the Farmers Market in the campgrounds on Sunday morning was a cautionary financial tale for this writer, who needed sustenance but wanted a little bit of everything from the smorgasbord of appetising food and beverages being served from its tents and stalls.

With breakfast and coffee on the agenda, an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet from Roc's Fire House Grille was a wise choice for satisfying the morning hunger pangs, and an iced cappuccino with horchata (cinnamon and vanilla-infused milk) seemed appropriate for the desert heat.

Window-shopping on a full stomach then made the rest of the ramble through the market easier to manage, passing by delis, dessert stands, smoothie shacks, bakeries, and organic fruit stalls with an ascetic air of contentment.

The Gaslight Anthem performed a stirring set of New Jersey blue-collar balladry on the main Coachella Stage in the early afternoon, with Brian Fallon's growl guiding the gathered masses through a medley of Bruce Springsteen-meets-punk proclamations.

Like The Boss himself, Fallon & Friends trade on earnestness and heartfelt, nostalgia-tinged poetry, with the lyrics of set-opener 'Mae' echoing visions of a distant past ("stay the same, don't ever change, 'cause I'd miss your ways, with your Bette Davis eyes, and your mama's party dress").

Their raw punk roots have been relatively refined over time (unfortunately no tracks from their boisterous 2007 debut Sink Or Swim were included in this set), but a melodic modification to their tightly-constructed sound should not be interpreted as a sacrifice for intensity or a lapse into mediocrity.

Catchy hit single '45' and the title track of 2012's Handwritten kept the band's youth alive and kicking though, as well as set-closer 'The Backseat'. But the band were equally adept at slow-building and serene songs such as 'The Queen Of Lower Chelsea’, which has you humming along to an infectious guitar line, as did the bouncy 'Old White Lincoln'.

Rounding out their varied set were two covers: the obscure ‘Once Upon A Time’ by Robert Bradley’s Blackwater Surprise and “a song we really love from the 90’s” (the more mainstream ‘Interstate Love Song’ by Stone Temple Pilots). The Jersey boys may hold their influences very close to their hearts, but they still produce some good and gritty rock ‘n roll with soul

Later in the afternoon, loud guitar feedback began to emanate from the Outdoor Theatre, and the source of this howling cacophony was Dinosaur Jr., the avant-garde alternative rock ancestors.

Their signature sound is a strange mash-up of styles, combining elements of classic rock, hardcore punk, and noise rock into an intriguing, distorted behemoth that foreshadowed the direction alternative and grunge music would take in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

J Mascis, lead singer and guitarist of Dinosaur Jr.

J Mascis' droning vocals swayed in and out of the maelstrom, overshadowed by his dazzling guitar parts, highlighted during set-opener ‘The Lung’. Bassist Lou Barlow assumed lead vocals on 'Rude,' a punky take on 1950s rock 'n roll, and again on 'Training Ground'; a searing rendition of a song written by him and Mascis while they were in their first band, the now-defunct Deep Wound. Not all their output was designed to rattle the eardrums though, as the comparatively melodic ‘Feel The Pain’ had the crowd bopping along to its mid-tempo verses before the epic chorus kicked in.

Near the end of their set, Mascis sarcastically announced the arrival of The Cure's 'Just Like Heaven' (Dinosaur Jr.’s first UK hit in 1989) with the deadpan drawl of "this is not a Cure song"—a statement only partially true after hearing their live rendition, with the band bringing their trademark weirdness and audacity to the beloved new-wave classic.

One of the festival's highlights was Tame Impala's sprawling, transcendental set at the Outdoor Theatre, where the critically-acclaimed Australian psychedelic rock band (under the direction of mastermind Kevin Parker) demonstrated why they are deserving of such praise in the indie press.

Songs warped and expanded to dizzying depths, best experienced on the reggae-influenced interlude between the swaying swagger of ‘Elephant’ and the dreamy ‘Feels Like We Only Go Backwards’, as Parker dedicated the swampy, dubstep rhythm “to those heading towards a hangover”.

Elsewhere, the tumbling grooves of latest single ‘Mind Mischief’ were stretched to Saturn and back with an extended remix, and fan-favourite ‘Half Glass Full Of Wine’ already had the delirious masses crowd-surfing before its slick, danceable extended finale.

After a sudden dust storm disrupted their performance the previous weekend, the group appeared to be enjoying the sunny surroundings, which were home to a sizable Australian contingent.

This time the audience was only mentally blown away by Parker’s sonically massive performance, where swirling layers of sound camouflaged his introspective and isolationist lyrics (clearly evident on set-opener ‘Solitude Is Bliss’ – the lone track in the set from their 2010 debut Innerspeaker).

For a shy guy Parker sure knows how to connect with a crowd, as well as conduct a well-oiled machine onstage, with his free-floating John Lennon-esque vocals resonating into the stratosphere and beyond.

Coming down from the high of one great act and moving on to another is tantamount to any Coachella tale. Starry-eyed festivalgoers swim from stage to stage, with diehard fans jostling for a spot near the front amongst the throngs of thousands.

Even settling for a cosy corner many rows back from the main Coachella Stage did not diminish the viewing experience of Vampire Weekend.

From a less claustrophobic vantage point, one could appreciate the elaborate and eye-catching stage design, which included large framed mirrors and floating white Roman columns. The chic, preppy indie pop-rock of their first two albums complemented the mood, and the release of tracks from their forthcoming Modern Vampires Of The City revealed a breathtaking shift towards a more varied, epic sound.

The zany rockabilly stomper 'Diane Young' was the first of these, with lead singer Ezra Koenig cleverly using pitch-shifting on his vocals, turning them impossibly deep then high in the space of just a few words.

Another new track, the slow-building ‘Ya Hey’, showcased a more stately electronic side to their sound and the experience became more engrossing with each song; the band slipping between the quirky, perky wit of ‘A-Punk’ and ‘Oxford Comma’, and the percussive power of ‘Giving Up The Gun’. When the Afro-pop influenced ‘Cape Cod Kwassa’ sailed in to close off their memorable set, the crowd had been exposed to a wide spectrum of smartly-crafted pop songs.

The mood dramatically deviated into very dark territory as the gothic gang leader Nick Cave seized control of the main Coachella Stage and held court with his band The Bad Seeds.

A two-time performer over the weekend (his garage rock side project Grinderman also made an appearance on Friday night), Cave’s frightening stage persona was one part rambling preacher, one part demented poet. His deep baritone vocals violently led the Seeds and stunned crowd through six of the band’s best-known hits from their 30-year career, as well as two new songs.

The recent tracks (‘Jubilee Street" and the title song) from 2013's Push The Sky Away showcased a mournful, operatic side to the Bad Seeds sound, and the latter formed part of a glorious finale, which featured backing vocals from a children's choir from Silverlake Music Conservatory.

But what Cave excels at is weaving together twisted tales and equally twisted music, as seen and heard on the profane 'Stagger Lee'.

While second-in-command Warren Ellis (the heavily-bearded violinist) scooted around the stage with villainous glee, Cave took to the audience, getting up close and personal for the tense confessional 'The Mercy Seat' and spooky 'Red Right Hand’. It was a flawless performance from the legendary Australian rocker, drenched in the melodramatics and shock value for which he has become famous.

Coachella’s final day featured talent that had traversed all the way from the East Coast of the USA, and across the seas from Down Under in Australia, but veteran local funk-rockers Red Hot Chili Peppers brought some Californian love to the proceedings, headlining the festival for an incredible third time.

After 30 years together, the band knows how to constantly adapt and evolve, despite a turbulent history of substance abuse and a revolving door of guitarists. When the legendary John Frusciante stepped away in 2009 for the second time in two decades, handing the reigns over to touring guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, it signalled another strange twist in the tale of Chili Peppers’ fascinating career.

While 2011’s I’m With You attempted to rebuild the band’s studio sound from the ashes, incorporating Afrobeat and piano-based influences, the Chili Peppers’ live show has now morphed into a tour de force funk fiesta that few groups can match in terms of experience or skill.

There will always be retreading over past classics when delving into a treasure trove brimming with three decades' worth of hits, but the band has plied their trade long enough to be able to shake things up and provide fresh, exciting interpretations of their material. They were content to feel their way through the moment, with frequent jams and improvisations blurring the lines between songs (such as the exhilarating extended intro to 'Can't Stop').

The set, as expected, was heavily weighted towards their early 90's and early 2000's successes, with only set-opener 'Monarchy Of Roses,' 'Factory Of Faith,' and 'The Adventures Of Rain Dance Maggie' featuring from their most recent album.

Klinghoffer has ably slotted into the fold, having been their touring guitarist since the 2006 Stadium Arcadium Tour, and now brings an elusive, textural approach to the guitar attack (most notably seen on their live staple 'Californication,' twisting the dirge-like music to further match the social commentary).

Flea (bass) and Chad Smith (drums) remain two of the best in their respective fields, with the latter receiving a percussion boost from Mauro Refosco, who adds some heat to the live Chili Pepper party with his assortment of bongos and exotic instruments.

Singer Anthony Kiedis has mellowed somewhat over the years, leaving much of the stage banter on the night to Flea, who remains the group's soul, bursting with passion, silliness, and technical proficiency. After a five-song encore that included a group of lucky fans dressed in UV-painted white jumpsuits joining the band for the rousing set-closer 'Give It Away,' the bassist exclaimed breathlessly, "I love me some California!" before rattling off a few of the state's locales, drawing rapturous applause with each.

When visiting a town or city, it is considered good travel practice to sample the local sights and sounds, as this will hopefully provide an insight into local culture. Despite hosting thousands of artists and fans from all over the world, Coachella remains confidently Californian: a holistic Hollywood haven of music, art, food, and entertainment; a desert retreat revelling in the intensity and excess of the lifestyles of the rich and famous.

But maybe this juxtaposition highlights the success of the phenomenon of vicariousness known as ‘Californication’. Anthony Kiedis said it best in the song of the same name: “Everybody's been there, and I don't mean on vacation”.

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