The story of California’s legendary music event, from quiet beginnings to incubator of trends
Sun, palm trees, heat (Usna), desert. Indio, in the Coachella Valley, in California’s desolate desert land crossed by the San Andreas Fault, seems the least suitable place to hold a music festival that aims to bring together thousands of people. Instead, for nearly 25 years, it has been the headquarters of Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival One of the most famous American kermesse in the world, which has become an unmissable event for music and fashion lovers, is a magnet for celebrities, with tickets whose prices reach dizzying figures. However, initially musical expression was presented in a different way.
let’s start from the beginning. Name Coachella Comes from the snake symbol of Mexico City. The first edition took place three months later in 1999. Woodstock ’99Destructive festivities aimed at celebrating the 30th anniversary of the iconic 1969 event. thought was Paul Tolet And Rick Van Santencompany owner golden voice, But to discover the location, in 1993, I Pearl Jam, Seattle band, as a gesture of protest ticketmaster and increasing ticket prices, they decided to organize a concert, supported by golden voice, outside the conventional circuit, forEmpire Polo ClubIn which there are polo fields in a total of 600 acres.
Thus we arrived at the first edition of the event in October 1999. thoughts of toilet And van santen, Inspired by major European festivals such as glastonbury And Study, Presenting a line up that ranged from rock to hip hop to electronica. Several big names who took turns on stageEmpire Polo Clubcome on massive attack To Signalcome on rage against the machine As far as chemical BrothersAs far as tool, Garlic a perfect CircleTo Mobi It is on ben harper, Tickets cost $50 – a far cry from today’s $429 -, parking and water bottles were free. Despite this, it was unsuccessful the first time, so much so that the organizers decided to take a one-year break and return in 2001 with a second edition. Iggy Pop, Sigur Rós, i jane’s addictionI blonde redhead Hey Dandy Warhols,
However, it is with the third edition of 2002 that the wheel begins to spin. The date is moved to April, the ticket price goes up and they move to the stage Björk, Siouxsie and the BansheesIFoo FightersI Queens of the Stone Age They the strokes, And the audience and the critics also seem to have great success. Turning Point in 2004: Tickets sold out for the first time on Thanksgiving radio head and 110,000 people come to indio to watch pixiesI TreatmentI muse, mogwaiamong others.
is one of the characteristics of Coachella The reunion of the band that made music history is about to happen. not only the above zen’s addiction, Siouxsie and the Banshees Hey pixiesThe Californian celebration has “brought together” (even if temporarily, in some cases) the past few years. the stooges (Together Iggy Pop), I jesus and mary chainI guns N Roses And this destiny’s Child,
With the passage of time and the emergence of new musical realities, the event’s cast has become increasingly heterogeneous and diverse, to the point of hosting renowned world stars. Lady Gaga, beyonce, Ariana Grande, Amy Winehouse Hey manskin, The key rappers for the 2023 edition, held between April 14 and 16 and April 21 and 23, were bad rabbitk-pop girl band black pink and lyricist Frank Ocean, together with them they lit a fireEmpire Polo Club among others, I Gorillaz, Björk, rosalia, charli xcx And Yungblud, Furthermore, for the first time, the public from around the world was able to attend the demonstrations, albeit remotely: the event was streamed youtube, An international line-up, a fresco of contemporary sounds but also fashion trends,
over the years, in fact, Coachella This has expanded not only to other arts, such as sculpture and installations, but also to fashion, becoming the focus of new, potentially global, trends scrutinized by the great fashion houses. in aprilEmpire Polo Club It also becomes a glamorous open-air catwalk, where celebrities show off their looks and makeup in what has come to be called “Coachella style”: a mix of hippie, boho and cowboy inspirations. Coachella style has become a real aesthetic, so much so that some brands love it H&M have launched capsule collections explicitly dedicated to the festival, with shorts, maxi dresses, fringe everywhere and cowboy hats. There are also a number of parties and collateral initiatives sponsored by the brands: in 2022, for example, there was a temporary shop fiorucci and a branded ferris wheel Levi’s,
CoachellaSo, by now, the Sound of Music as well as the hashtag have taken on a worldwide costume phenomenon, becoming not only a showcase for musical artists, but anyone with an awareness, or delusion, here and there. There has to be a showcase for now. ,
The Box – Coachella Ain’t Rave
in common sense Coachella Festival Rave has become synonymous with party – or nearly so – perhaps because of the location (a boundless area), perhaps because of the number of days, perhaps because of the looks, or perhaps because it has borrowed some aspects of it, but rave is actually There is a separate musical and cultural programme. Originating in Great Britain in the late eighties, then spreading to the rest of Europe and the United States, “free parties”, or raves, are self-managed events, with free access, that are deliberately held outside traditional venues. Concerts are held in abandoned industrial areas or large open spaces, which can vary in duration from one to several days, and which include performances by non-musical artists, often jugglers. Rave is closely related to techno, Goan, acid house, drum and bass, jungle and psy-trance music, which become an expression of a new type of youth aggregation. Basically, the festivals represent the practices of alternative cultures in a historical context of acute economic hardship and growing social disquiet. Thus, subcultures of travelers and squatters were born, reacting to the progressive erosion of the standard of living of the poorest social classes and high rents by adopting a nomadic lifestyle (travelers) or by occupying abandoned buildings (squatters). It is on these notions that the world of waves was born, which gives substance to the need to occupy public space and create a self-managed area, which escapes social control and policies perceived as repressive. The underlying concept Temporarily Autonomous Zone or TAZ (from English Temporary Autonomous Zone) is introduced by the philosopher, author and anarchist. hakeem bay, which describes a socio-political strategy of creating a temporal dimension, separate from institutions, devoid of any hierarchy, in order to assert individual freedom and create a new system of social relations. The phenomenon exploded in the 1990s, when collectively managed sound systems (systems made of loudspeakers, originating in Jamaica in the 1950s) became widespread, bringing together increasing numbers of people who learned to “party”. Flyers”, Flyers (via messaging apps today). Much of the headlines are drawn between raves and drug use, often presented as a prominent aspect of a more complex and multifaceted world. Over the years, the use of the term “rave” has lost much of its political connotation, as well as being applied to more mainstream events.
Box – Legality and Illegality
There are minimum requirements that must be met in order to hold a rave in Europe. However, there is no single regulation, restrictions and prohibitions vary not only from state to state but also from region to region. In the United States, raves are considered concerts and, therefore, are not illegal, provided a business license is presented, an authorization from the city and owner of the venue where it takes place, an insurance policy, ticket tax collection forms, and music rights. Rave is considered illegal when unauthorized occupation of buildings, illegal electrical connections, presence of all types of drugs (except marijuana, where permitted) and quantity is very high. In fact, these are single circumstances that constitute single prosecutable offences. In Italy, the so-called “anti-rave decree” desired by the government has caused much discussion. melonsWhich is punishable by imprisonment of three to 6 years and a fine of 1,000 to 10,000 euros”organizes and promotes an arbitrary invasion of other people’s land or buildings, public and private, for the purpose of arranging a musical meeting or other entertainment” When “With the invasion comes a real threat” Due to failure to comply with drug, safety and sanitary regulations for public health or safety. The decree, which was criticized by many, was actually modified, rewriting the text and changing the numbering of the article, no longer 434 bis but 633 bis, excluding public demonstrations and students.