I got a cold last week, and I felt like crap but kept going in. When it came to Friday I decided to call in sick - and go to Coachella. After all, this is the best festival I've been to, and I've been every year - even teh lacklustre attended V1.0 in 1999.

Anyone who's been to a Euro fest; Coachella is easy... but still most people I know here feel its too hard... sure its hot (103 yesterday, 109 today) but its not ankle deep in mud ... in June (like Glastonbury) or pissing down with rain and ankle deep in mud in August (like Reading) ... so apart from the heat it's rad. Great line-up's, influenced by said euro fests, great facilities - and this year - no two hour wait in teh midday sun to get into teh gate - which makes you feel less like shit after teh 30 minute walk in 100 degree heat from lot to gate.

SO, sorry, no toy pics - but everyone is doing that - so check out these pics from the day:

First band of the day for is Kings of Leon in teh aptly named Mojave tent ...err... I mean AMerican Bang - skinny tight jean wearing Southern rockers with huge hint of teh Kings, but a more straight ahead rock thing. Fun, in an unsatisfying way:



Fun in an extremely satisfing way are power pop gods Redd Kross. I have loved these guys since I discovered them via Thrasher mag in 1987 and bought Neurotica. Of all teh bands I see today I'd most like to be them - they look so happy, have cool friends and have been in band since they were 12. Sorry, no pics of the guitarist cos he creeps me out...sorry





After a satisying and chuncky Redd Kross set it was time to visit teh facilities. Avoiding the porta potties lead me to the this oasis of a portable bathroom - check it out - seriously, it's like a 4 star hotel or something...even hours later it was clean....CLEAN!!!!! Wtf? They even have numbered prints on the wall!!!!!!!!!!



Clean bogs begat clean site - check it!




After rushing back form teh oh so clean toilets, teh Gobi tent is RAMMED...cos it's Battles. BATTLES - yeah!!!!



and after the tune fest that wasn't Battles, a girl I meet tells me to check out Jens Lekman...and he and his big entourage are fun - looking like the Auteurs Luke Haines and sounding Swedish (is he, I dunno?). After that I catch Aussie heroes Cut Copy, who bought some of their raucous mates with 'em...they were OK in a New Orderish meets some kind of House (errr...French house?)... way...but so much better than the Klaxons, whom they remind me of as they bop behind keyboards and guitars



Next up I decided to chill outdoors and watched Tegan and Sarah for a while - they were endearingly shambolic between songs, and super pro during songs. I like em. But took no pics for some reason. Most of all tho I like their haircuts - Jane Fonda style Klute cuts rule. i leave early because GOLDFRAPP is here - ALison Goldfrapp is AMAZING - a diva I guess who shouts and swears a bit...but teh set is transcendental...I am DEAFENED by teh crowd screaming and its a sweatbox in teh Mojave tent... amazing



after that I figure most things will be disappointing, but I check out Santogold and see a chubby looking Jack WHite do one last song with teh Raconteurs. As the fans leave I wedge myself in up front for one of teh bands I came for (the others being Battles and Goldfrapp) - yes, after a 10 year wait its time for THE VERVE. I never saw teh Verve tour their last album - teh big one that broke em in teh US, but I saw em maybe 10 times before and after the first album. Will tehy be any good? FUCK YES! The Verve KILL IT! Best reunion show I've seen I think - well, as good as the Pixies, but stunning as I wasn't expecting it to be so good. Usually teh big bands on the Cochella stage bore me - Cure...zzzzz...Siouxie...out of tune....Tool....zzzzz...but teh VERVE...so good...someone next to me said they are lie Oasis, but with soul - I'd agree...theres big feeling there. I hope they stay together. they even played a new song...not my favorite...but showing things are happening:






That was it for me. Awesome. I felt bad for Serge Tankian doing his solo stuff at the Outdoor Theatre, while the kids flooded to see Jack Johnson (???) - so I enjoyed a few poltico songs sungs in the style of SOAD meets musical theater. Good, but I was full from teh main course that was teh Verve. Did I mention all the cold medicine I took? Worked for me, but decided against 109 the next day and headed home...where I now languish online and coughing. WOrth it though.

thats one clean bathroom!

Yes. Yes it is.

You can see Steve McDonald (Redd Kross) in the horribly low budget film Desperate Teenage Lovedolls as the character Johnny Tremaine!

They also contributed to the S/T as well if memory serves me

Carl. You like The Verve but Siouxsie bores you? My eyes are still burning from reading that.

Did you ever see the old movie they were in called "Spirit of '76" I think that's what it was called. Saw ti when I was a kid.

Yes you are correct!

I don't think I've ever seen that, I'll tack it on to my Netflix.

no, the zzzzz was for teh Cure, I love the banshees, but Siouxie was horribly out of tune when she and Banshees played a few years ago - kind of disappointing.