I finally got to finish my date with Lana Del Rey in the early hours of this morning. After the plug was pulled early on our Glastonbury tryst it seemed the chance was gone. But, in contrast with that rendezvous, her performance at this year’s Coachella festival had her punctual, smiling and giggling with her guests Jon Batiste and Billie Eilish.
And, not only are the Coachella performances streamed on YouTube, they are repeated again during, what we people living on the civilised side of the world (I.e. not California), call “the day”. So, as I write a repeat of Lana’s performance is imminent.
The same is true of the other stages too, all this weekend, and then, bizarrely, the same acts do the same thing again in the same order next week (unless you’re Frank Ocean).
Anyway, I thought some of you might like a “heads up”
The link to the main stage is in the comments…
Lana Consummated
by 31 Comments
https://www.youtube.com/live/dYTuZMRFhFY?si=SwmrkPWN8Z3h2Bmp
Ateez, pirate kings of Sahara, broke Coachella!
Also imminent on repeat. Dilemma..
Thanks Sewer. That is pretty impressive. I will try and catch some songs.
I am not at all surprised that I have heard of vey few of these artists. But I’m very pleased to see they’ve booked Blur, Jungle and The Last Dinner Party.
Not everyone is impressed.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/apr/13/lana-del-rey-at-coachella-review-a-disappointingly-lifeless-start-to-the-festival
Ouch
Interesting take from someone who was actually there. I presume he’s right about people drifting away. There were problems with the mics, but a few of the artists had sound issues. (Watching the last few years, I find it never runs as smoothly as Glastonbury). I get the impression the writer just doesn’t like the way she sings; on headphones over the TV she sounded great (or at least her own self). She was certainly up for it and on good form, bouncing off those around her – again, perhaps more obviously so on TV.
And to say that elaborately choreographed show was “unprepared” seems odd. Still, chacon à son goût..
‘But then she opened her mouth’ says it all really.
I think her albums are fantastic (generally), but not all artists are cut out to be dynamic live performers. She seemed lethargic at Glastonbury and showing up late was pretty unforgivable.
@dai I like her albums mostly but she doesn’t come across as a live performer..
I saw Lana live a few years ago at a music festival in Budapest. I think she’s great, but her music doesn’t work live in front of large outdoor audiences. The music isn’t loud enough. I was fairly near the front when I saw her and the sound of the large crowd chatting behind me was louder than the music in front of me.
Having heard all her albums I have to agree with you. As albums, they work very well, but I can’t imagine her songs going down a storm in front of a big, maybe raucous crowd.
She definitely has her own style that has clearly served her well, but more than once I have found myself wishing that some of her albums had a couple of songs that packed a bit more oomph. The laid-back melancholy she does so well is great, but it would be nice to hear her with a rhythm section that really kicks hard, and the occasional guitar lick.
If I was in a festival crowd, I would really want a show with a bit of punch, not her slow, relaxed vibe.
When I listen to her steady paced songs, delivered with her trademark dead eyes, I’ve often wondered what Lana fans do at her gigs. Do they sway around like zombies?
I think steady paced, melancholic songs can be delivered in an emphatic way if the performer has bags of charisma. Thinking of Leonard Cohen for one who blew me away in a 3 hour show when he was almost 80.
There’s a big difference. The Cohen persona cares deeply about everything. He has an inner cauldron of passion. The Del Ray persona doesn’t. Any feelings she has come as a surprise, as much to her as to her audience, they are so suppressed deep in her psyche.
Cohen wanted to be a proper poet but realised he wasn’t very good and turned to pop instead. Lana makes outstanding music but from what I’ve seen isn’t very good live.
But realised there was more money in music, I think you’ll find. Successful poet, by poetry standards. Crap novelist, mind.
True dat, he liked his money (most of which he lost hence coming out of retirement)
I have enjoyed his poetry, and he’s a rare exception to the rule that songwriters make lousy poets and vice versa. That’s because he knew the difference and could do both.
Would disagree re his poetry (a sixth-former trying too hard) but as ever IMHO
What about LDR’s poetry? My comparison was live, in a 3 hr show he read one poem (and it was very good). And his lyrics are mostly superlative which counts I suppose
She no poet, she writes songs
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violet_Bent_Backwards_over_the_Grass
I’m a fool
Fact check confirmed.
I think Cohen can be pretty detached and ironic in his songwriting. He’s seen it all before, he’s not impressed. He’s often quite droll, resigned to the worst in humanity.
I have a friend who has seen her in a small theatre and he said the audience were mesmerised throughout the entire show and the sound was great. Think it is just that large, outdoor environment that isn’t suited to her style of music.
She has a mass of devoted fans who would just be overwhelmed to see her at a festival even if the performance didn’t come across in terms of her singing but they are not too bothered of course. I saw she was signing autographs at the same time as singing. Totally engaged and full of feeling for her followers. It’s just a different kind of event.
Well that’s me told. Rest assured, I’ll be tuning in again later this week to see if I can figure out how I enjoyed something that’s clearly impossible to enjoy.
Electronic dance music, the former favourite of the “I like the records, but this stuff doesn’t work live” category was well represented over the weekend, with Peggy Gou, Bicep and even electrocodgers Orbital stood behind some keyboards knobfiddling. Barry Can’t Swim livened things up by having a lady drummer embellishing his bleeps and providing an exhibition of freaky dancing himself. Two Shell dressed up a bit. I enjoyed Orbital, even if there was a strong element of “same old, sold old” (heaven is still a place on Earth) about their jam, but on TV it looked like they were playing to a very small crowd.
Reports of Damon’s stroppy remark suggest he was narked the U.S. audience weren’t all that pushed about his material. His band mates didn’t seem that excited either. It’s interesting that Tender has become their live showstopper of choice. I guess it just works better live.
Speaking of: The Last Dinner Party were great fun, as I found, for the most part, I enjoyed their songs much more performed than I do on their album. This despite the fact, as they admitted themselves, their music should work better in the dark than in an afternoon slot at a sunny festival.
Jungle were great, and like LDP and Barry Can’t Swim, I look forward to watching them at Glastonbury at a time when I can properly enjoy their vibrant sets (with the bonus of alcoholic augmentation).
That comma before the “and” was a tribute to Vampire Weekend who I didn’t see, but will be looking out for next weekend.
Sabrina Carpenter: Ding Dong!
Tender is certainly my favourite Blur song. (Good Song off Think Tank a close second).
It occurs to me the last four words of my post might come across as a tad sexist, so I might add that Ms Carpenter has a nice voice and I enjoyed her energetic pop, although I don’t think she’s got the songs to compete with Dua Lipa, Zara Larsson etc. Not yet, anyway..