Coachella 2023 Day 1 round-up: Blondie, Blink-182 and Gorillaz take the stage
Yesterday (April 14th) marked the beginning of Coachella Festival, one of the biggest annual music celebrations in the world. Taking place over three days in California’s Coachella Valley, situated in Colorado Valley, the festival has become a staple event for many American music lovers since it was established in 1999.
Known for its eclectic mix of artists, ranging from heavy metal to rap, the festival draws in hundreds of thousands of festival-goers each year.
On Friday, attendees had to pick between two of England’s current most successful bands – the Mercury Prize-winning duo Wet Leg and experimental jazz/psychedelia/electronica outfit The Comet Is Coming. On the Mojave Stage, Wet Leg captivated their audience with their indie singalongs, making them right at home in a festival setting. Meanwhile, The Comet Is Coming cleansed the Outdoor Theater Stage with a blistering and enthusiastic performance after a tepid display from Yungblud.
Fans of the Tik Tok popularised ‘Silk Chiffon’ by MUNA were treated to an energetic performance of the track, with Phoebe Bridgers joining the band to sing her featured lines. However, phones were held up in masses as Bridgers welcomed her Boygenius bandmates, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker, onto the stage for a joyous singalong.
There were other notable moments in the day’s events.
Blondie deliver powerful performance at Coachella 2023
Elsewhere, new wave legends Blondie delivered a giant slice of nostalgia by performing hits such as ‘One Way or Another’, ‘Call Me’, ‘Heart of Glass’ and ‘Atomic’.
As well as Sex Pistols pioneer, Glen Matlock, Nile Rodgers joined the band for ‘Rapture’ and Debbie Harry’s solo track ‘Backfired’. Since Rodgers’ band Chic inspired Blondie to pen ‘Rapture’, and the legendary musician also produced ‘Backfired’, it was only fitting that he joined the band for a crowd-pleasing set.
Blink-182 return to the stage for Coachella 2023
Pop-punk fans were gifted with a late afternoon performance by Blink-182, who reunited with Tom DeLonge for the first time since he departed from the band in 2015.
As a last-minute addition to the line-up, fans were certainly delighted to witness the band back in action in their original form, blasting through hits such as ‘All The Small Things’, ‘I Miss You’ and ‘What’s My Age Again?’. Blink-182 even debuted a few new singles, teasing the release of their upcoming ninth album.
Gorillaz storm Coachella 2023 will all-star set
Following the release of Cracker Island, Damon Albarn’s Gorillaz provided a Friday highlight by performing tracks from the new album alongside classic hits.
Ensuring their set wouldn’t be one to forget, Albarn was joined by plenty of collaborators, including Slowthai, Bootie Brown, Thundercat and De La Soul. Moreover, Del the Funky Homosapien joined for ‘Rock the House’ and set closer, ‘Clint Eastwood’, not before the showstopping ‘Feel Good Inc’, dedicated to the late David Jolicoeur.
It seems as though Coachella started off well, with headliner Bad Bunny providing a celebratory end to day one. Other standouts of the day included an electrifying performance by Yves Tumor and a floor-filling set from The Chemical Brothers.
Today (April 15th), K-pop icons Blackpink will headline the night. Until then, festival-goers and those watching at home (via the Coachella live stream) can enjoy performances from Boygenius, The Breeders, Underworld, Snail Mail, Ethel Cain, Destroy Boys and Charli XCX.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Music Newsletter
All the latest music news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.