See also:
*Our complete Coachella coverage
*Coachella: Let's Talk About Weed
*Coachella: The Best of Friday, April 20, 2012
Over the past 30 years, alternative Britpop rockers James have been one of the most underrated bands to come from Manchester. Having toured across the globe and played some of the biggest festivals in the world, frontman Tim Booth knows a thing or two about what makes a show great, which is why he loves Coachella. “Some places you play, you just aren't in the zone,” Booth explained. “But not here. It's a great place to get going and play a terrific show.”
Unlike Friday afternoon's show in the over 100-degree heat, James had a horrible experience playing at the final touring version of Lollapalooza. We caught up with Booth who gave us his reasons why Coachella kicks serious ass and why Lollapalooza sucked.
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James – Sometimes (LIVE at Coachella 2012) from pyraylos on Vimeo.
5. Getting respect by the organizers: “We didn't
feel like were the opening act for Korn or Snoop Dogg. There was no
place for James, which is the opposite of this festival.”
4. It's painless: “It's over in two days and we did
the six week Lollapalooza (1997) and it was the tour from hell. I had
ruptured discs in my back and it was terrible. Coachella is one of the
few festivals where you hit the stage and are already in the zone.”
3. Location: “Somewhere out here, you feel like there's the spirit of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin playing golf. I love the desert, even the extremes. Last week, I was wearing thermals and this week, I'm topless for the first time in 30 years.”
2. The audiences are sexier and more open: “Lollapalooza was more tribal. We came who we came to see, and they said 'you can fuck off you English faggots.' After we heard that, we were like that's interesting, so we went out and bought sparkly dresses for the whole band.”
1. Sobriety (for the band): “My fellow bandmembers didn't need drugs to get themselves through the Coachella experience. As a band, we were pretty strung out for a few years after Lollapalooza. It took us a few years to recover from it and everyone was pretty damaged. It was the tour from hell whereas this is a true, beautiful experience.”
Daniel Kohn is a writer based in Southern California. With bylines in an assortment of outlets, Kohn primarily specializes in music with other interests ranging from sports to food. As a transplant, Kohn loves the beautiful weather and is glad he no longer has to deal with brutal winters. If you see him, say hi and of course, he’s always willing to down a beer or two…if you’re paying.