Coachella questions [yes allready]
 

Figured this would be a good place to ask seeing people from this particular forum go and report on how good it is. Me and a friend are considering flying over and attending in 2009. Pretty much becuase all UK festivals seem a bit samey in the lineup and we assume it will be rain free unlike Glastonbury, Leeds, Global Gathering etc where the weather is reported more then performances.

When do tickets usually go on sale and when does a lineup get posted? With people like Prince playing this year gone, I'm hoping that someone big will play if we go over! Is it a friendly festival so to speak? I've been to plenty of fesitvals in the UK where people acting like dickheads through drinking too much spoils it for me. Not that im against having a good time, but being sick so early in a day just isn't my idea of fun.

Re: Coachella questions [yes allready]
 

ok - well.. I've only gone once (this year)

and it was the absolutely best festival/ outdoor 'music event' I've EVER been too

you know how there's always "that guy" at the concert that's way too drunk, shirtless, slobby, and yells for the songs (of other artists) during your favorite song of a particular set? Well, there's no "that guy" at Coachella.

true - there are definite downsides:
1) the heat
2) the heat
3) the sun

seriously, if it wasn't for the hippy friends of my friend... I would've been fucked. B/c I only had my tent and some snacks. I didn't realize you could bring food nor the necessity of bringing a large 'tarp' or whatever to stay in the shade. B/c each night I'd wake up at 8am regardless of when I went to sleep - just b/c of the heat

Re: Coachella questions [yes allready]
 

Line-up is usually announced around Valentine's Day (2/14).

Will post more later. I've been to most Coachellas (1999 [just to see Underworld], 2002-6) and have plenty of stories and advice to give.

bh

Re: Coachella questions [yes allready]
 

i wish i was in san francisco today. i need a fcuking taco.

Re: Coachella questions [yes allready]
 

Haha the heat was something i thought could be an issue, but it would be a novelty to any UK festival goer at a festival. I think i'll start saving the pennies from my pay packets...

Re: Coachella questions [yes allready]
 

The heat can be bad, but as long as drink plenty of water and wear sunscreen, you should be ok. But it is not an excuse to not go. A great festival. Always some new band you will discover and go head over heels for.

If I remember, the tickets might go on sale before the bands are announced?

Jason

Re: Coachella questions [yes allready]
 

I've been a few times and each time has been great. The production value is top notch and you definitely won't deal with rain that's fo sho.

I highly recommend saving up a bit extra and getting a hotel room somewhere so you have a nice place to shower and get away from the heat at the end of the night. I did the camping one year and definitely wouldn't want to go that route again.

If the lineup speaks to you, go for it! I'm a bit picky so I've not always rated it, but in general they bring in top notch acts every year.

Re: Coachella questions [yes allready]
 

The lineup is normally posted at the end of January and tickets go on sale a few days afterward. Bands are added after tickets go on sale and they usually add a couple of pretty nice acts every year.

Last weekend in April is when you should plan on making travel arrangements.

Re: Coachella questions [yes allready]
 

OK, I'm back. I highly suggest you go ahead and get a hotel room now. Indio (where Coachella is held) is in the east part of the valley, Palm Springs in the west. That means most hotels are in the west (30 min drive, after the epic adventure of getting out of the parking lot). So the closer the better, but there's fewer hotels in the east than west. You can always cancel the reservation. I didn't go the last two years but got reservation in Dec for both.

I've only heard bad things about on-site camping, as referenced in other posts here. I need a bed and shower!

I haven't gone since it went to three days. Two days were tough enough, I can't imagine what three days would be like.

And I'll repeat, because I'm pretty confident about this, line-up announced around Valentine's day (2/14).

bh

Re: Coachella questions [yes allready]
 

haha! I live a neighborhood over from the Mission. Best Taquerias ever!

Might have to get me a burrito for dinner tonight!

bh

Re: Coachella questions [yes allready]
 

the camping itself really is not that bad... seriously


having said that - it only worked out for me b/c of the following conditions
• the people I met up with also brought their own food, so it wasn't just the snacks & drinks I had in one cooler, we pooled all our stuff together
• they also had those big... I'm not sure what they're called, but you see them a lot on beaches - where it's like you have a framework and a tarp over it (to shade you from the sun & they also had tapestries draped along the sides, to either inhibit or direct the flow of air
• b/c of the large tarp/frame thing - we were able to have each tent along the sides of the frame (with each tent opening towards the inside) - so we would sleep in the tents, and then when you woke up b/c of the heat, you could stretch out in the shade

the showers themselves weren't that bad, you basically had to wait in line for ~8 - 12 minutes, then you'd get a private stall. I've had to use worse... actually - the worst I've ever had to use was at the Hurricane Festival in Germany a few years back (no private stall, it was cold and dirty).

from what I understand - the parking gets fucked EVERY year. When I went (this year) I ended up having to park in the 'normal' parking about a mile away (carrying all my shit) then had to go back out at something like 1 or 2 in the morning, drive around for 30 minutes, then was able to finally access the camping parking (that I should have been able to access in the beginning but I couldn't)

so basically - if you want to catch the majority of performers and kinda just hang out with everyone -> I'd say camping is a good idea. If you only want to see the later performers... then hit up a hotel (before I got tickets this year ... I tried for a loooong time to get a place anywhere close - there were NONE)

three days is long. On the third day me & my friend left early... we were so burnt out - we couldn't give a fuck about any of the performers and we knew that if we didn't leave early in the day - we wouldn't make it back on sunday at all.

Re: Coachella questions [yes allready]
 

My festival experience is limited to all Coachellas but 2 of them, as well as Austin City Limits, Creamfields, and V Festival.
Coachella outdoes them all on almost every level. Given the fact the lineups are completely subjective to your taste, the experience of Coachella is unlike any of the others. The location is beautiful, largely well-kept and clean, and the people are only an issue when there are a ton of them (i.e. during 2006, this year was nothing by comparison). The weather is usually hot, but it's relative. There is no humidity, so that makes a huge difference. I'm from Texas, and 115F at the first Coachella was nothing compared to 100 in Dallas. Although now that it's held in April, temps range from 88-100 depending on the weather that year, so overall, not too bad.
I'm lucky enough to have a friend who has a vacation house in Palm Springs, so I can't tell you about camping. But after a day on your feet in the heat, a bed and shower are wonderful things. I know a lot of UK and Euro fests have camping, so it's more normal there than here, but I guess it's up to you.
Unlike Creamfields, you'll find no mud. Unlike ACL, it doesn't turn into a dustbowl either. Unlike V Festival, you don't see guys peeing on the fence in full view of everyone. You also aren't walking on a flooring of trash by the end of the day - people actually use the trash cans!
Go to Coachella.