Top 5 Best Coachella Moments from 1999 to 2011

[getbetter]

^meh.....








Insert Prince's performance

[bananahambone]

plastikman is dope

[bmack86]

Seriously kids, Throbbing Gristle was the best thing in 09. And yes, I saw all of My Bloody Valentine, and they were spectacular.

[getbetter]

I didnt see enough of Throbbing Gristles.

[CrimesceneCookie]

I didn't follow the rules. This is what I liked every year.

2003 - Fischerspooner closing the Mojave
2004 - Kraftwerk in the Sahara
2005 - Bauhaus on the Main
2006 - This was just the best year. Other than everyone's favorite, Massive Attack on the main
2007 - Spank Rock closing the Gobi (?)
2008 - Kraftwerk/Portishead/Prince
2009 - THROBBING GRISTLE
2010 - Plastikman
2011 - Animal Collective on the Main
2012 - Radiohead fo sho.

[getbetter]

I almost saw spank rock.I dont know why other than someone told me to but I ended up not going.

[Josh_Garrett]

I probably sound like an idiot but who is this? I NEED TO KNOW!

[getbetter]

Fever Ray

[Drewski27]

Did you go weekend two as well? After Karma Police ended, the audience all joined in and kept singing "For a minute there, I lost myself, I lost myself..." and Thom started laughing and just said, "Beautiful!"

It was one of the best moments of my life.

I was at both weekends.
Holy shit, that did happen both weekends. I remember weekend one a bit better though, wasn't as mentally twisted.

[IceyHotshot]

I don't really have any moment i consider very special from 2012.

[nbvcide]

1. Godspeed You! Black Emperor (both weekends/full set), '12
2. Portishead, '08
3. Fever Ray->Public Image Ltd, '10
4. Leonard Cohen->Paul McCartney, '09
5. Roger Waters (performing Dark Side of the Moon + greatest hits), '08
6. the last 20min of My Bloody Valentine, '09
7. Aphex Twin, '08
8. Crookers, '09 (because of the drugs..)
9. Orbital->Plastikman, '10 (despite the drugs..)
10. Scala & Kohency Bros closing out the Gobi to 15 people (during Chem Bros/Boys Noize/Flogging Molly)


i didn't go until '07, but having heard both sets, Rage->Tool in '99 would have made the list, as would Daft Punk in '06.

[Chrysilis]

ohh yeah #3) (2001) Weezer playing Surf Wax USA

[prettylightsrocks]

Let me preface this by saying I've only had the chance to go to Coachella twice now, but it changed my life the moment I set foot on the camp grounds.

1. Waking up on Friday morning at the 2010 Coachella, looking around at the camp sites and people, and feeling like I'd finally come home. (This was my first year.)
2. Radiohead, 2012- weekend 2.
3. After waiting for about 6-7 hours to get to the front for Atoms for Peace in 2010, when Thom Yorke finally came on stage.
4. Finding the the tree of life at the end of lot 5 that saved my life by keeping me shaded during the 106 degree heat during 2012.
5. After waiting for 8-9 hours to get through the car security line in 2010, I waited in the will call line to get my wristband. It was actually my friend's wristband so there I had a slight panic when I realized they may not give it to me, but as soon as they did, the moment I put it on my wrist.

[nuclearstevem]

1. Portishead on the Main Stage in 2008. Only time I've ever been to Coachella when it wasn't sold out and the night crowd at the Main stage was very managable. Incredible, Passion, Beth at her best!
2. Leftfield in 2011 in the Gobi was life changing.
3. Fever Ray closing out the Mojave in 2010. It would take a book to describe all the emotions going on in there.
4. Crawling over to the Gorillaz in 2010 after Thom Yorke put me in the perfect Trance like state.
5. Roger Waters 2008. Whole set was amazing from beginning to end.

[ThatGirl]

Elbow at sunset, 2011.

[pdhow]

1. Common coming on stage to perform Respiration with Black Star in 2005

2. LCD Soundsystem's entire set 2010 (I went to the main stage early to get a good spot for Jay-z, little did I know that I would experience a band I now love)

3. Watching Arcade Fire in 2004 and knowing that a band was having a moment on stage that not only was everyone going to be talking about but that literally blowing up before my eyes (anybody that was there can contest to the fact that the crowd grew and grew as that show went on)

4. Portishead into Prince 2008 (still my hands down favorite for any main stage closers, ever. However ATDI into Dre was pretty spectacular for me especially considering the "opener" before those two for me was Company Flow, a group I've waited forever to see)

5. Entering into Coachella for the first time in 2001 and hearing the beats from the Sahara (it was closer to the entrance that year) and seeing the main stage and knowing the day was going to be pretty special, the Outdoor Theatre in 2004 while Radiohead was playing (hip hop with Eyedea and Abilities, Living Legends, Kool Keith and MF Doom was really just back to back to back to back fun plus hearing Rhymes like Dimes live was pretty dope), Kanye West/Jay-z their respective years

[jamesc2929]

1. Suede in 2011- because it was legendary.
2. Bauhaus in 2005- the upside down hanging Murphy
3. Big Audio Dynamite 2011 - catching a B.A.D.hat they threw in the crowd.
4. X- they were as good as they ever were.
5. Walking onto the field for the first time.

[Eighties Ed]

This was the shortest I could make my list. 7 is close.

Blur in 2003 - My first time seeing my favorite band. Would have been better obviously if Graham was there, but it was still amazing.
Mogwai performing Killing All the Flies in 2004 - Another one of my favorite bands, and also the first time seeing them.
Rage Against the Machine opening with Testify in 2007 - Made me a fan of RATM again.
Portishead performing We Carry On in 2008 - Just gorgeous.
Paul McCartney in 2009 - I teared up a few times. And I was amazed by how energetic he was.
Gorillaz in 2010 - Awesome. Huge sound and really cool visuals.
Elbow performing One Day Like This in 2011 - I felt like the song was written for that performance.

[ThatGirl]

Elbow performing One Day Like This in 2011 - I felt like the song was written for that performance.

Same here. The feeling I got watching that set would be tough to match.

[zircona1]

I was really impressed with that Elbow set. I'm not a fan of them on record (it's the dude's voice), but I thought I'd check them out b/c y'know, "maybe they're better live". Oh, yes. They were.

[Mr. Fuzz]

#1 Paul McCartney

[xanman86]

Did you go weekend two as well? After Karma Police ended, the audience all joined in and kept singing "For a minute there, I lost myself, I lost myself..." and Thom started laughing and just said, "Beautiful!"

It was one of the best moments of my life.

Whoever recorded this must be such a boss.

[involvelemons]

In no particular order

1) In 2010 I realized my buddy Dave Stone was on stage playing guitar for fucking LCD SOUNDSYSTEM. I knew he played with lots of bands, but not with those guys. I sent him a text that night being like "uh, I think that…you're on stage…at Coachella right now wtf?!" He texts me the next morning with "Crazy night, right?" True story. Not even trying to humblebrag, it was just a rad, somehow very Coachella kind of moment.

2) Being in the crowd for Dre, The Next Episode, 2012, and feeling so very Los Angeleno (and realized I was surrounded by neighbors). It was one of the few feelings of collective local pride I felt after growing up in SoCal. Unforgettable.

3) Erase Erratta in 04. They were the first set of the day in the Gobi (or was it the Mojave?), and the first set I ever watched at Coachella in my life. I was a huge fan at the time, and that set the tone for everything else. Such a rad band.

4) Thom Yorke playing Give Up the Ghost, pre KOL, in 2010. I melted like a little girl (the kind of little girl who melts).

5) Yes: the Pyramid. Paft Dunk. I was going through a bit of Coachella girl drama breakup bullshit, but I was like "fuck it, let's go watch that band with those fun songs from the 90s." The robots were in the crowd. Everyone was fucking psyched. I danced. So hard. Girl drama? Gone. Any drama at all? Gone. I had Homework in my headphones for the next month. I started DJing in 07. So did everyone else, it seems. In retrospect, that set was a milestone and undoubtedly began the resurgence of their continuing popularity.

[CiderMouseRules]

For me, all "Coachella Moments" are some lesser version of The Arcade Fire in 2005.

Other greats though... Pavement, MBV, Leonard Cohen, the first time Gogol Bordello played, The National a couple years ago, Refused last year.

[garrett1008]

I've been going since '10 so my experiences are a little bit more limited.

5. Miike Snow "Animal" in the Mojave tent in 2010. Place went absolutely nuts.

4. The Dillinger Escape Plan's entire 2010 set in the Gobi tent. Much more of an intense crowd than I assumed.

3. The XX in 2010 on the Outdoor Theater. Everyone could tell this band was about to blow up after watching their set.

2. Calvin Harris in 2012. His set was just never-ending amount of fun.

1. Arcade Fire headlining in 2011. This was the absolute highlight of all my trips to the desert. You could tell that this performance meant so much to them because they gave it their all.

[Heavyflow79]

1) seeing the pixies an hour before seeing radiohead
2) Interpol in 2007
3) peaches in 2007
4) atdi reunion 2012
5) LCD sound system 2 times (both epic)

[DJPZB]

I have been to every Coachella and picking just 5 is really hard but I will do my best.
1. When I performed at Coachella in 2011 on the Global Inheritance stage. Honestly what could top that for me personally!!
2. Chemical Brothers 1999
3. Daft Punk
4. Radiohead
5. Underworld 2003
Cant wait for this years shenanigans!!!

[involvelemons]

Really wish I could have seen the Chems in '99.