Coachella 2023

[Bosco]

Guys, I've been avoiding this thread because it pains me so much that I cannot attend Coachella - there is a first for everything. My first time seeing the Chems was at the first Coachella... and this will be my first time missing the Chems at Coachella. Like some of you, logistically it isn't panning out. For so many reasons. With the exception of enjoying the Chems my husband does not particularly care for Coachella, the investment of time and resources, the scene, the parking lot at the end of the day, yadayada. 🤷🏼�♀️I can't disagree! And as there is a first for everything, I would not wish for a first time experience without my husband there (I am codependent, lol).

I know the Chems' triumphant return to Coachella will be nothing short of amazing and I cannot wait to read about it here!!

Makes me sad to read this. Have a lot of respect for you and Jim answering the call every time The Chemical Brothers made the return to Coachella.

One of the reasons I got into OG message board was when you guys shared your experiences back in 2005. You know, back when not everyone had an access to cell phones and meeting strangers off the internet was still sketchy. It was amazing to see and read about fully devoted forum members, who are complete strangers in real life, come from all across continent, to get together at a single event. That was an amazing feat at one time. I know, because it made a huge impression on me and pushed me to participate.

[rynostar]

Guys, I've been avoiding this thread because it pains me so much that I cannot attend Coachella - there is a first for everything. My first time seeing the Chems was at the first Coachella... and this will be my first time missing the Chems at Coachella. Like some of you, logistically it isn't panning out. For so many reasons. With the exception of enjoying the Chems my husband does not particularly care for Coachella, the investment of time and resources, the scene, the parking lot at the end of the day, yadayada. 🤷🏼�♀️I can't disagree! And as there is a first for everything, I would not wish for a first time experience without my husband there (I am codependent, lol).

I know the Chems' triumphant return to Coachella will be nothing short of amazing and I cannot wait to read about it here!!

I'm empathically sad for Whrils and Jim for missing a chems coachella experience.  It's like when I couldn't control Whirls excitement prior to Portola. But now it's flipped and I can't control my sadness.

I hinted at it before in the other thread, but I am now confirming as a cancellation for coachella now that the other shows are happening. Like everyone else, it comes down to cost. I've already sunk the money into the tickets. Hopefully the buyback comes through. Sure, I'm disappointed at missing the chems and other acts in the lineup, but I'll take a regular non-festival live set any day. Plus, with a majority of the board confirming for the SB or Seattle shows (or both), the experience with them already sounds exponentially better. 

Who's left for Coachella...inchem?

[whirlygirl]

Makes me sad to read this. Have a lot of respect for you and Jim answering the call every time The Chemical Brothers made the return to Coachella.

One of the reasons I got into OG message board was when you guys shared your experiences back in 2005. You know, back when not everyone had an access to cell phones and meeting strangers off the internet was still sketchy. It was amazing to see and read about fully devoted forum members, who are complete strangers in real life, come from all across continent, to get together at a single event. That was an amazing feat at one time. I know, because it made a huge impression on me and pushed me to participate.

Those were the days! Coachella leaves me with the best memories of the Chems and the meetups and the shenanigans from over the years! Some of the best weekends of my life happened at Coachella! I love that you have carried that Coachella torch and became active in the Coachella community ❤️

I'm empathically sad for Whrils and Jim for missing a chems coachella experience.  It's like when I couldn't control Whirls excitement prior to Portola. But now it's flipped and I can't control my sadness.

I hinted at it before in the other thread, but I am now confirming as a cancellation for coachella now that the other shows are happening. Like everyone else, it comes down to cost. I've already sunk the money into the tickets. Hopefully the buyback comes through. Sure, I'm disappointed at missing the chems and other acts in the lineup, but I'll take a regular non-festival live set any day. Plus, with a majority of the board confirming for the SB or Seattle shows (or both), the experience with them already sounds exponentially better. 

Who's left for Coachella...inchem?

Aw man, I'm sorry you are taking a seat on Coachella too, but can completely understand! It's an investment not just with money, but with time too!

In my case, for a change it's not so much the finances, but rather the time and logistics for getting 3 days away. Jim and I are my mom's sole caretakers and she cannot be left alone for too long and certainly not left alone overnight. Whereas it was easy peasy to get a grandparent to sit for Connor back in the day... the same cannot be said for my mom. The Santa Barbara show is perfect for us, and Connor is taking one for the team and has agreed to senior-sit so his old mom and dad can go break a hip to the Chems, haha!

[shakermaker]

whirlygirl, have you really seen all of the previous chems coachella appearances? I'd love to hear more about your experiences and perspective. perhaps you have it written up somewhere on the board already?

[Csar]

whirlygirl, have you really seen all of the previous chems coachella appearances? I'd love to hear more about your experiences and perspective. perhaps you have it written up somewhere on the board already?

There's a thread in the archive about the 2011 Coachella

I think reviews start here

[gfa2001]

There's a thread in the archive about the 2011 Coachella

I think reviews start here

Glowruption thing is quite cool never seen that before - very american lol. Possibly wouldn't pass now environment wise!

[Csar]

Haha, I totally forgot about that.

Here's are some vids  I just found. GLOWRUPTION!

Possibly wouldn't pass now environment wise

True. It's also a bit gimmicky. I can't remember if this was either a festival thing or just a crowd thing. Or was it even a Chems thing?

Edit: Seems like it was a festival thing

[Wolkenkrabber]

Back around 2006/07, the term New Rave was coined by the UK music press. A Chemical-related band, Klaxons were at the spearhead.

As Jamie Reynolds of Klaxons says in this Machester Evening News article, "Basically, we had five of our friends bring glowsticks to our first gig because we thought it would be funny and it snowballed from there." ...The whole glowstick manufacturing industry is hinged on the Klaxons. "I'm waiting for a knock on my door and a bouquet of flowers from Mr Glo."

Certainly by the time I saw Klaxons at Shepherds Bush Empire in May 2007, glowsticks were in abundance. I remember huge quantites of glowsticks and beer flying around the venue. People were chucking them from the upstairs section at the downstairs section and vice versa. I had never seen anything like it (and so much wasted beer!).

Sadly by the time Klaxons played Brixton Academy just over a year later, they decided to ban glowsticks from their own gig. I was at that one too, and I remember people being asked to remove their glowstick "necklaces" by door security.

This vice article covers the story of New Rave, including Klaxons discussing the glowstick ban they imposed at that Brixton gig. It also covers other bands who were placed under the "New Rave" genre title by the media, such as The Sunshine Underground (hmm, I wonder where they got their name from?).
The proliferation of glowsticks at that time then transferred to festivals around 2007/08 (and beyond) in the UK. It looks like the US followed suit.

[gfa2001]

Haha, I totally forgot about that.

Here's are some vids  I just found. GLOWRUPTION!

True. It's also a bit gimmicky. I can't remember if this was either a festival thing or just a crowd thing. Or was it even a Chems thing?

Edit: Seems like it was a festival thing

Cheers!

It seemed to me around that time coachella's forums were used to organise these at several acts - saw it for Radiohead and Modeselektor too. Radiohead is a bit of a weird choice, would probably just find it a bit annoying out of place vs for chems or a more dance / party act.

Glowstick ban is quite funny (good for waste though i guess), weird it came from Klaxons too. Good band them

[whirlygirl]

whirlygirl, have you really seen all of the previous chems coachella appearances? I'd love to hear more about your experiences and perspective. perhaps you have it written up somewhere on the board already?

I'm so stoked you asked! 😊😊 Yes, I have seen the Chems at Coachella since 1999. Most of my reviews are buried in the pages of the live threads and archive on this site. I do not have a proper review of their show from 1999 though - I wasn't involved in the Chems community (no mailing list yet - I did not join until til 2000, and there was no forum at that time to rant and rave in). But anyway you sent me on a trip down memory lane searching through old Chems mailing list emails! I had completely forgotten a mailing list user had a site set up where he compiled some reviews and interviews and whatnot from earlier days. A couple of my youthful exploits can be read here (under my real name Mia):

https://lazar.ch/planet-dust/features.htm

[Csar]

Shouldn't we copy your reviews over from there so they can live on here forever? Such a blast from the past!

[shakermaker]

Most of my reviews are buried in the pages of the live threads and archive on this site.

I will do some digging & look forward to reading!

It seemed to me around that time coachella's forums were used to organise these at several acts - saw it for Radiohead and Modeselektor too. Radiohead is a bit of a weird choice, would probably just find it a bit annoying out of place vs for chems or a more dance / party act.

don't forget Orbital. :-) 

feels like people are giving Klaxons a bit too much credit here though. it's not like they invented the glowstick.

[crosscrops]

The glowruption was crazy during The Brothers in 2011. Soon as the bass dropped in Don't Think it rained glow sticks. Props to the organizers and the crowd for not letting any go until that deep into the set. Definitely a moment.

Honorable mention to Underworld for having my second favorite glowruption at Coachella. Absolutely poured down during King of Snake. Karl Hyde looked quite pleased when it happened. 

[Bosco]

Haha, I totally forgot about that.

Here's are some vids  I just found. GLOWRUPTION!

True. It's also a bit gimmicky. I can't remember if this was either a festival thing or just a crowd thing. Or was it even a Chems thing?

Edit: Seems like it was a festival thing

I remember this being organized on the Coachella forum. I thought it was a pretty dumb idea at the time and one which I kinda wanted to avoid, but we were right in the mix of it.

The amount of glow-sticks that were present was pretty amazing, even the videos don't do it justice. I'm not sure how they managed to convince security (which is pretty efficient at Coachella) to allow it, without some heavy scrutiny. 

[Darkstar]

The Glowruption is genuinely one of my favorite life memories ever and the videos do NOT do it justice. I feel so privileged to have shared many epic moments with many of you folks on here and look forward to the next opportunity to do so.

[whirlygirl]

Shouldn't we copy your reviews over from there so they can live on here forever? Such a blast from the past!

Oh, I had not thought of that! I'd be happy to have my reviews from there, over here. Hmmmm

[whirlygirl]

The Glowruption is genuinely one of my favorite life memories ever and the videos do NOT do it justice. I feel so privileged to have shared many epic moments with many of you folks on here and look forward to the next opportunity to do so.

LIKEWISE, my friend! The best moments ❤️

[inchemwetrust]

Ah the Glowruption, a thing of beauty. Not bad for the glowstick mafia to put this together. I got pelted a little but still remains a great memory of past shows.

if any of you read Whirls live show reviews from the planet dust site, let me remind you that she is ONE OF THE FIRST EVER to write a live music review for a band ON THE INTENET when 56k modems were available.

Live show reviews weren't even around that much in the pre-internet days!

I hinted at it before in the other thread, but I am now confirming as a cancellation for coachella now that the other shows are happening. Like everyone else, it comes down to cost. I've already sunk the money into the tickets. Hopefully the buyback comes through. Sure, I'm disappointed at missing the chems and other acts in the lineup, but I'll take a regular non-festival live set any day. Plus, with a majority of the board confirming for the SB or Seattle shows (or both), the experience with them already sounds exponentially better. 

Who's left for Coachella...inchem?

I understand all of your situations and the logistics of getting here. I'm sure T and E will understand. I'm a little sad but I am gonna miss ya guys and girls being here but will see you all in Santa Barbara though.

But for now, as Ed likes to say 'It's on like Donkey Kong'

[crosscrops]

Are we expecting anything special for the Coachella shows? 

This will be largest show of the year for them with the most media attention.

[hstn]

Are we expecting anything special for the Coachella shows?

This will be largest show of the year for them with the most media attention.

I want The Universe Sent Me and Surface To Air damn it !!!!