Coachella Part 1

The Coachella festival kicked off on Friday April 17 featuring big-name acts such as Paul McCartney, Morrissey, Franz Ferdinand, and many more.

Paul McCartney hushed those who were skeptical about his inclusion in the Coachella line-up, drawing an enormous crowd comprised of people who had been reserving their places on the grass all day, those who liked The Beatles’ music, and others who simply dropped by for the novelty value (or because their parents would kill them if they hadn’t).

For those who bought their Coachella ticket purely to see McCartney the wait proved worth it, as he belted out a set of 33 songs including ‘Hey Jude’, ‘Eleanor Rigby’ and ‘Let It Be’. He also spoke to the crowd between songs, making dedications to late band members John Lennon and George Harrison, as well as to late wife Linda McCartney, who had passed away 11 years ago that day.

McCartney was preceded by Morrissey, former front-man of legendary indie rock group The Smiths, who impressed fans between meat-related tantrums and briefly removing his shirt.

Franz Ferdinand found that Coachella was perhaps not the best festival for audience participation, failing to get the audience singing, despite their clear enthusiasm for the band.

Other notable acts of the day included Girl Talk, The Presets, The Hold Steady, The Ting Tings, Conor Oberst, The Airborne Toxic Event and Leonard Cohen.