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April 19, 2006
Retrohump Day - Coachella Resurrections
Coachella organizers have consistently booked established (and/or washed up) acts and scheduled them with plum set times for maximum exposure. Last year Gang of Four, Bauhaus and New Order ushered the old school pioneering sounds that many young up-and-coming bands take a page from. Perhaps it was not just a coincidence that Bloc Party was playing to a packed tent before Gang of Four took to the main stage. All rich fodder for smuggy rock fans to comment on.
Today's Retrohump takes a look at some of the past acts to grace the "oldie but goodie" tag at Coachella.
Nine Inch Nails - "Terrible Lie" Live @ Lollapalooza, 1991 (2005 Festival)
A skinny Trent Reznor joined by freaks onstage sings to to freaks in the crowd at the premier American rock festival of the early 1990s. The traveling musical circus envisioned by Perry Farrell eventually anchored itself in Chicago, but the vision of a diverse multimedia musical happening lives on with Coachella.
New Order - "Transmission" Live @ Festival Les Vielles Charrues - Carhaix, France, 7.22.2005 (2005 Festival)
Joy Division's remnants sounded good last year, and from the looks of it kept it going strong through the European festival circuit.
The Pixies - "Tame" Live in London, 1988 (2004 Festival)
A thinner Frank Black, with hair, a less smiley Kim Deal join Joey and Dave on stage nearly 20 years ago at this UK show. The Pixies would go on to influence a young man named Kurt and proceed to break up shortly thereafter. Sparked by a headline slot at 2004’s festival, they triumphantly returned to adoring audiences the world over while cashing in on a windfall of revenue during subsequent tours.
Iggy Pop - "The Passenger" - Live @ Manchester Apollo, October 1977 (2003 Festival)
Is it ok to have roadies "set up" a limp lead singer next to the mic so he can peform trademark freakouts interspersed with likely drug aided frightening focus? It sure is!
Gang of Four - "To Hell With Poverty" - Live on Old Grey Whistle Test (2005 Festival)
Thank God for You Tube as I not only discovered this gem, but also the Old Grey Whistle Test show that aired on the BBC in the late '70s to early '80s. If you never heard the Gang of Four influences in the Bloc Party sound, this track should change that.
Tags: Retrohump,Pixies, Nine Inch Nails, Gang of Four, Iggy Pop, New Order, Joy Division, Coachella, ld Grey Whistle Test
Posted by Merry Swankster at April 19, 2006 10:30 AM
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