Skrillex, Fred Again, Four Tet to close out Coachella
Skrillex, Fred Again.. and Four Tet are teaming up again to close out weekend two of Coachella this Sunday (23 April).
The Goldenvoice-promoted festival took to social media today (21 April) to break the news, confirming that the three Wasserman Music-repped acts will assume the ‘TBA’ slot after Blink 182 on the main stage on Sunday.
All four acts were confirmed for the closing slots after Frank Ocean withdrew from Coachella weekend two on doctor’s orders due to leg fractures sustained by the singer.
The Goldenvoice-promoter festival took to social media today to break the news
Coachella was in a similar position last year when Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) pulled out shortly before the festival’s opening day. Swedish House Mafia, who were already on the bill in a headlining but unlisted time slot, played a tag-team set with the Weeknd in the rapper’s place.
This Sunday’s closing set with Skrillex, Fred Again.. and Four Tet comes after the trio teamed up for a five-hour set at Madison Square Garden (21,000) in New York in February.
Prior to that, they joined forces for a run of three surprise shows in three nights at Camden’s Electric Ballroom (cap. 1,500), Electric Brixton (1,700) and the art deco Troxy (3,100) in London.
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Frank Ocean pulls out of Coachella weekend two
Frank Ocean has pulled out of his headlining slot at Coachella this coming Sunday (April 23) and defended his “chaotic” set during the opening weekend.
Representatives for the US star said a leg injury had prompted last-minute changes to the weekend one show, which included an onstage ice rink being melted.
The divisive concert – Ocean’s first in the US in six years – was ultimately curtailed due to curfew rules after he arrived on stage nearly an hour late.
The performance was pulled from the YouTube livestream and his merchandise was not available to buy at the festival.
“It was chaotic. There is some beauty in chaos. It isn’t what I intended to show but I did enjoy being out there and I’ll see you soon,” said the singer in a statement.
Blink-182 will replace the star on the bill, Variety magazine reported
In another statement, his representatives said he had withdrawn from the coming weekend’s performance on doctor’s orders.
“After suffering an injury to his leg on festival grounds in the week leading up to weekend one, Frank Ocean was unable to perform the intended show but was still intent on performing, and in 72 hours, the show was reworked out of necessity,” they said.
“On doctor’s advice, [Ocean] is not able to perform weekend two due to two fractures and a sprain in his left leg.”
Blink-182 will replace the star on the bill, Variety magazine reported. The band played a 50-minute set on Coachella’s Sahara Tent in a gig announced 48 hours before the event began.
The appearance at the Goldenvoice-promoted festival marked the first show of the reunited group’s comeback tour, which was postponed following an injury to drummer Travis Barker.
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Coachella weekend one: the headlines
The first weekend of Coachella 2023 is in the books, as the world-famous festival made its triumphant return to the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California.
Bad Bunny, Blackpink and Frank Ocean headlined the 125,000-cap Goldenvoice-promoted event, which also featured acts such as Calvin Harris, Gorillaz, Burna Boy, the Chemical Brothers, Blondie, Rosalia, Eric Prydz, The Kid Laroi, Charli XCX and Bjork.
For the first time ever, YouTube is livestreaming performances from all six stages on both weekends of the festival, while Epic Games’ Fortnite launched Coachella Island as a new destination for creator-made music and art experiences, as the festival lived up to its cutting-edge reputation.
Here, we look at some of the biggest headlines from Coachella’s opening weekend…
History-making headliners
The most diverse and inclusive Coachella in history saw Blackpink become its first K-pop headliners, and Bad Bunny installed as its first Latin American and Spanish-language headline act. Frank Ocean, meanwhile, was the first openly gay man to top the bill at the festival. Ocean’s performance – his first show in six years – was pulled from the YouTube livestream and his merchandise was not available to buy at the festival. The singer’s divisive headline set was ultimately curtailed due to curfew rules after he arrived on stage nearly an hour late. Nevertheless, the Los Angeles Times hailed it as “perhaps the most elaborately conceived Coachella performance since Beyoncé’s game-changing set in 2018.”
Surprises galore
Blink 182 played a 50-minute set on Coachella’s Sahara Tent in a gig announced 48 hours before the event began. The appearance marked the first show of the reunited group’s comeback tour, which was postponed following an injury to drummer Travis Barker. As ever, there was an abundance of surprise collaborations to be found across the festival, including Labrinth and Billie Eilish; Boygenius’ Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus, who joined Muna on stage; The Weeknd, Future, 21 Savage, Diddy, Don Toliver, Mike Dean guesting with Metro Boomin; and Gorillaz welcoming the two surviving members of De La Soul. Elsewhere, Bad Bunny’s set featured guests such as Post Malone, Rosalía was joined by her fiancé Rauw Alejandro, and Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding performed Miracle live together for the first time.
The price is right?
General admission weekend tickets for Coachella cost $499 to $599, with VIP tickets priced $1,069 to $1,269. However, a TikTok video complaining about the price of food and drink at the festival went viral. “Just so you all know, these two coffees and two burritos cost us $64. Capitalism really popped off today,” Jackie Tanti told her followers on the platform.
Dancer injured in fall
An acrobatic dancer at Coachella was rushed to a hospital after falling during a performance. NME, via TMZ, reports the dancer was performing while suspended from a cloth during a DJ set when she fell from the height onto the exposed floor. No update has been given on the dancer’s condition, with Coachella yet to comment on the incident.
Better call Paul
Enigmatic electronic music guru Jai Paul made his presence felt at Coachella, choosing one of the world’s biggest festivals to make his live debut. The British producer and songwriter’s “shyness teetered between earnest and too unpolished”, notes a middling review by Variety, which nonetheless concludes that the talent and promise is definitely there”.
Coachella weekend two will be held from 21-23 April. Rostr breaks down the agencies and data behind this year’s line-up here.
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Coachella returns to Fortnite
Coachella is returning to Epic Games’ Fortnite with the official launch of Coachella Island for this weekend’s festival.
The Goldenvoice-promoted festival’s 2023 edition is scheduled for Indio, California from 14-16 and 21-23 April, headlined by Bad Bunny, Blackpink and Frank Ocean.
Starting at 3pm ET tomorrow (14 April), Coachella Island is billed as a new destination for creator-made music and art experiences, marking “a continuation of Fortnite and Coachella’s shared commitment to showcase, empower and reward artists”.
Inspired by the festival’s landscape, the “music-reactive” island has been built by creators from Alliance Studios and features desert mountains, polo fields, palm trees and day to night cycles.
Alongside virtual replicas of Coachella art installations including Spectra, the Coachella Ferris Wheel and balloon chains, the Art Park features two new art installations from Maggie West and Güvenç Özel, reimagined for the virtual world.
“The future of in-game music and art experiences should not mimic the real-world, but reimagine the magic and make it more accessible via a new medium”
Players will be able to explore the park, as well as take part in team vs. team minigames, and purchase 2023 Coachella-inspired Outfits and in-game items from the merch tent, accompanied by a soundscape by Coachella 2023 performer Porter Robinson.
The new Ask Me and Slide Stride Emotes, meanwhile, will feature music by Bad Bunny and Burna Boy. Players can also turn into Icon Radio in-game to enjoy songs from artists featured on Coachella’s 2023 line-up.
“The future of in-game music and art experiences should not mimic the real-world, but reimagine the magic and make it more accessible via a new medium,” says Sam Schoonover, innovation lead for Coachella. “We believe that the best way to do that is to enable and empower artists to show us the way. Just like the festival IRL is a stage for musicians, Coachella Island is now a canvas for gaming creators. Fortnite provides the tools needed to invite creators and fans to participate in this creative process.”
It was recently confirmed that, for the first time ever, YouTube will livestream performances from all six stages at Coachella on both weekends of the festival.
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Coachella to livestream all six stages on YouTube
For the first time ever, YouTube will livestream performances from all six stages at Coachella, on both weekends of the festival.
Bad Bunny, Blackpink and Frank Ocean are to headline the Goldenvoice-promoted festival, which returns to the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in a fortnight.
The 11th exclusive #CoachellaOnYouTube global livestream event sees the platform double the number of live stream feeds in action last year.
YouTube will again be selling exclusive Coachella and artist merchandise during the livestreams
For those who can’t watch live, the festival sets will be on repeat after the night’s final performance until the live show starts again at 16:00 PT/19:00 PM ET the next day. Highlights from many of the weekend’s performances will be made available on demand.
In addition, YouTube will again be selling exclusive Coachella and artist merchandise during the livestreams of this year’s festival.
YouTube Shopping will offer virtual viewers a chance to purchase exclusive merchandise without leaving the feed.
Custom merch from artists including Bad Bunny, Calvin Harris, Gorillaz, Ethel Cain, Fisher, Porter Robinson and YUNGBLUD will be available.
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Goldenvoice unveils new hard rock festival
Goldenvoice has unveiled a new hard rock festival, taking place at the home of Coachella this autumn.
Power Trip will see Guns N’ Roses, Iron Maiden, ACDC, Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica and Tool perform at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, from 6–8 October this year.
The promoter teased the festival yesterday (30 March) with a video that had fans declaring Power Trip ‘the hard rock version of Goldenvoice’s 2016 Desert Trip festival’, which featured Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, the Who and Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters.
Goldenvoice signed a long-term agreement with the Empire Polo Club to stage additional festivals on the site
The new festival comes two years after Goldenvoice signed a long-term agreement with the Empire Polo Club, enabling the promoter to stage additional festivals on the site.
Hotel packages and VIP passes for Power Trip go on sale on 4 April, while general tickets are on sale 6 April. Tickets start from US$599+fees for a three-day GA pass, up to the Pit VIP Package for $3448 including fees. For fans looking to sit in the first third of the auditorium, tickets start at $1524 inc. fees.
When it took place in 2016, each Desert Trip weekend accommodated over 70,000 fans, with around 35,000 on reserved seats. GA tickets were $399 with reserved seats from $699. Power Trip is also offering payment plans allowing fans to put just 50% of the cost down when booking initially.
The 642-plus acre desert oasis has been home to Goldenvoice’s Coachella Valley Arts & Music Festival since its inception in 1999, as well as its country music counterpart, Stagecoach, which first took place on the grounds in 2007.
Goldenvoice is a subsidiary of AEG and one of the world’s biggest promoters. The company produces several festivals, operates 14 mid-sized venues and promotes over 1,800 shows per year.
In the past two years Goldenvoice has launched a number of new festivals including California Vibrations, This Ain’t No Picnic and Portola.
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Head in the Clouds festival exported to NY
Head in the Clouds festival will debut in New York this spring, following successful editions in Los Angeles, Jakarta and Manila.
NIKI, Rich Brian, ITZY, beabadoobee, DPR Live & DPR Ian, MILLI and XG will perform at the two-day event, led by Asian-American music powerhouse 88rising.
The East Coast festival will be produced alongside frequent 88rising collaborator and Southern California promoter Goldenvoice (Coachella, Stagecoach), as well as new partner The Bowery Presents.
The East Coast festival will be produced alongside Goldenvoice and The Bowery Presents
Head in the Clouds NY will take over Forest Hills Stadium in Queens between 20–21 May during, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
This marks the first time the festival has branched out to a new market in North America following a successful run in Los Angeles (2018-19, 2021-22) and 2022 festivals in Jakarta and Manila.
The inaugural NY event also represents a homecoming for 88rising, which was founded in New York City back in 2015.
Masiwei, Atarashii Gakko!, P-Lo, Raveena, Warren Hue and more will also perform at the event.
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Coachella reveals history-making 2023 lineup
Bad Bunny, Blackpink and Frank Ocean have been confirmed as headliners for Coachella’s 2023 edition.
The Goldenvoice-promoted festival will run across two weekends (14–16 and 21–23 April) at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California.
Bad Bunny, the 125,000-cap event’s first Latin American and Spanish-language headliner, is booked by UTA and recently usurped Ed Sheeran as the highest-grossing touring artist in a calendar year. The Puerto Rican rapper generated $435,388,660 for 81 shows in 2022, according to Pollstar data.
Blackpink, who will become the festival’s first K-pop headliners, and Ocean, who was due to headline the cancelled 2020 event, are both represented by Wasserman Music.
General admission weekend tickets cost $499 to $599
Other artists on the bill include Calvin Harris, Gorillaz, Burna Boy, the Chemical Brothers, Blondie, Rosalia, Eric Prydz, The Kid Laroi, Charli XCX and Bjork. Kaytranada, Becky G, Jackson Wang, Pusha T, Yungblud, Alex G, Labrinth, Christine and the Queens, Rae Sremmurd, Boygenius, Suicideboys, Wet Leg, Metro Boomin, Underworld and Porter Robinson are also slated to perform.
General admission weekend tickets cost $499 to $599, with VIP tickets priced $1,069 to 1,269. Other VIP packages are also available priced up to $9,000.
“Very limited” weekend one passes remain, while a presale for weekend two starts on Friday (13 January).
Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, Swedish House Mafia and The Weeknd headlined last year’s festival, which was Coachella’s first in-person event since 2019.
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The New Bosses 2022: James Craigie, Goldenvoice
The 15th edition of IQ Magazine’s New Bosses was published in IQ 114 this month, revealing 20 of the most promising 30-and-unders in the international live music business.
To get to know this year’s cohort a little better, IQ conducted interviews with each one of 2022’s New Bosses, discovering their greatest inspirations and pinpointing the reasons for their success.
Catch up on the previous New Bosess 2022 interview with Grant Hall, director of business services and strategy at ASM Global. The series continues with James Craigie, a promoter for Goldenvoice in the UK.
James Craigie is a promoter for Goldenvoice UK. Having previously worked as head of specialist programming at a popular online radio station and A&R scout for XL Recordings, Craigie brings an especially keen ear for new artist discovery to the promoter role.
Prior to joining Goldenvoice, he co-founded a soft-ticket showcase-style live event/content brand called Lucent, which aims to platform artists with the potential to be culturally important, regardless of any genre tags. Often booking artists for their first shows. Previous success includes booking BBC sound poll winner Pa Salieu for his debut London gig, just a month before Covid hit.
Craigie’s strong grasp of the cultural landscape in the UK and internationally allows him to branch out into all kinds of musical styles and scenes, with his taste encompassing rap, R&B, pop, electronic, jazz, rock, afrobeats, and other alternative styles.
Some artists on his Goldenvoice roseter include: N-Dubz, NSG, Skillibeng, Knucks, Overmono, Alexander 23, Q, Robert Glasper, Omah Lay, Pa Salieu, Montell Fish, Sad Night Dynamite, Sons of Kemet, Joy Orbison, Alewya, BNXN fka Buju and much more.
In addition to working in events, radio, and A&R scouting, Craigie also manages an up-and-coming artist called Mrley.
Your background in A&R must give you an edge in finding new talent. What tips do you give colleagues and friends when it comes to them discovering artists in their specialist genres?
I would say to use all of the tools at your disposal, including regularly checking music publications, playlists, Insta pages, radio shows, YouTube channels etc. If the genre you love is thriving on TikTok, then that’s where you should be looking for new talent. If it’s trawling through BlackBox freestyles, go there. If it’s Sofar Sounds sessions, look there. It’s also important to have friends with good taste in other roles in the industry, like A&Rs, managers, lawyers. People are always down to share a tip, especially if you’ve got a good one for them in return.
What has been the highlight of your career, so far?
I would say successfully being granted Arts Council funding to start my own live and content brand (Lucent) with my friends, whilst I was going through the worst time of my life. This was a time when no one would give me an opportunity to show what I could do. So I created my own opportunity. Lucent is the reason Oscar (Tuttiett) at AEG found me and therefore opened the door for me being there today.
“I think all facets of the live entertainment industry need to stop racially profiling artists and their fans”
As the manager of an emerging artist – Mrley – what has been your biggest challenge in guiding their career in the post-pandemic environment?
Honestly, this is the first time I’ve ever been a manager. So everything in this role is new to me, and there are a lot of challenges. But every challenge is an opportunity to learn and do better next time. If anything, the pandemic allowed us more time to develop his craft and also build our relationship. I really value that I was able to spend that time in the studio with him and our producer Tommy Wallwork in those early days. I only started managing him about a month before Covid hit! Post-pandemic has been about unleashing him into the live world and really honing his skills. He’s still doing his ‘10,000 hours,’ but Mrley and his band are just getting better and better and earning new fans at every gig, which is what it’s about.
As a new boss, what one thing would you change to make the live entertainment industry a better place?
I think all facets of the live entertainment industry need to stop racially profiling artists and their fans. The colour of an artist’s skin or that of their fanbase shouldn’t immediately throw up a red flag that it’s going to be ‘trouble’ and call for stricter measures. It’s entirely unfair and almost always totally unfounded. We should pride ourselves on being a progressive industry and not openly endorse this backwards mentality.
“Make sure to celebrate the wins more, too, even the small ones”
Are there any particular events or shows you are looking forward to this year or next?
I’m really looking forward to the N-Dubz tour. I’m very proud to have played a part in one of the biggest success stories in the industry this year. I grew up listening to their music from the Channel U days, which makes it all the more special. I’m still searching for the perfect Ecko or Akademiks tracksuit to wear to the shows, so if you have a nice one in a size L, shout me. Other than that, I’m really looking forward to Kid Cudi at the O2, Overmono’s tour, BNXN fka Buju at Indigo, and Knucks taking over in 2023.
Who do you turn to for advice or bounce ideas off?
First and foremost my mum and dad. I wouldn’t be who I am without their constant support and advice. William Aspden at XL, who has been such an important mentor figure to me over nearly a decade. He’s offered amazing advice in pretty much everything I’ve done in that time. Oscar Tuttiett who, as I mentioned, is the reason I’m at AEG and has always made time to show me the ropes and helped me out however I need it since day one at the company. Special shout out to Steve Homer, too, for all the support and belief in me. Also special shout-out to Eliza-Jane Oliver for all the help. I feel very blessed to have so many amazing supportive figures in my life.
If you could offer the 18-year-old James one piece of advice, what would it be?
I’d probably offer 18-year-old me the same advice 28-year-old me should follow more: don’t be so hard on yourself. Everything is going to work out in the end. Offer yourself the same level of compassion, patience, and understanding you would offer a friend.
Make sure to celebrate the wins more, too, even the small ones. Not [saying] every day “What do I need to do next,” before even recognising your achievements. Stop finding reasons to belittle your accomplishments. Life is a marathon, not a sprint.
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The New Bosses: Introducing the class of 2022
The 15th edition of IQ Magazine‘s New Bosses can now be revealed, highlighting 20 of the most promising 30-and-unders in the international live music business.
New Bosses 2022 inspired the most engaged voting process to date, with hundreds of people taking the time to submit nominations. The final 20 comprises executives working across agencies, promoters, ticketing companies, charities and venues in 12 different countries.
In no particular order, the New Bosses 2022 are:
Benji Fritzenschaft, DreamHaus (DE).
Clara Cullen, Music Venue Trust (UK).
Dan Rais, CAA (CO).
David Nguyen, Rock The People (CZ).
Daytona Häusermann, Gadget ABC (CH).
Grant Hall, ASM Global (US).
James Craigie, Goldenvoice (UK).
Kathryn Dryburgh, ATC Live (UK).
Resi Scheurmann, Konzertbüro Schoneberg (DE).
Seny Kassaye, Fort Agency (CA).
Agustina Cabo, Move Concerts (AR).
Sönke Schal, Karsten Janke Konzertdirektion (DE).
Steel Hanf, Proxy Agency (US).
Steff James, Live Nation (UK).
Stella Scocco, Södra Teatern (SE).
Vegard Storaas, Live Nation (NO).
Lewis Wilde, DICE (UK).
Zoe Williamson, UTA (US).
Jonathan Hou, Live Nation (US).
Maciej Korczak, Follow The Step (PL).
Subscribers can read shortened profiles of each of the 2022 New Bosses in issue 114 of IQ Magazine, which is out now. Full-length Q&As will appear on IQ in the coming days and weeks.
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