Coachella 2009 Day 3: My Bloody Valentine brought much of the fest to a halt

When My Bloody Valentine took the stage at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, the band essentially took over three-fifths of the grounds. As the three-day music extravaganza in the Indio desert was coming to an end, Sunday night's penultimate headliner on the festival's main stage received the reverential treatment -- sort of.

Though there was no other band booked anywhere nearby -- not the relatively close second outdoor stage and not a slightly farther away tent stage -- this decision likely had more to do with the noise My Bloody Valentine would bring rather than pure admiration for the recently reunited U.K. act.

The visuals on the giant screen behind the band imbued the field with a purple haze, and what looked to be a planet took shape in the static displayed behind the band. The imagery worked well with set opener "I Only Said," in which high-pitched guitar tones hovered back and forth like some long-lost interstellar distress call. 

You sometimes need the space of a song to adjust to My Bloody Valentine -- time needed to acclimate to the din of guitars. Once comfortable with the lulling, dense mix, it wasn't always the lighter notes that stood out, as new guitar shades and melodic ebbs would gradually be revealed. It's not really a wall of noise, as the sounds were much more fluid, instruments manipulated into something far more ambient. 

"To Here Knows When" became a mini-orchestra of tones, with Kevin Shields' and Bilinda Butcher's guitars wrapping around each other until it was impossible to tell instrument from instrument. At times in the hourlong set, My Bloody Valentine mimicked the sound of concrete shifting. The band could be abrasive, but more often than not the layers of noise went for something that was rather pretty, at least for those willing to succumb to it.

Make no mistake -- My Bloody Valentine is loud and tested the endurance and patience of many a Coachella attendee. Many fans spent much of the show sitting on the grass covering the ears, and I checked my cellphone routinely because I was sure it was vibrating to alert me of a message.

Those who purchased three-day Coachella passes found that their about $300 ticket got them prime positions in front of giant speakers all weekend. Yet Sunday was the only day earplugs were handed out to attendees, as has become the norm for My Bloody Valentine shows.

They were needed for "You Made Me Realise," a set closer that ultimately engulfed the crowd in noise. And the call for wearing protection shouldn't be ignored, as My Bloody Valentine is less about earsplitting than it is creating a dream.

--Todd Martens

Photo of My Bloody Valentine's Bilinda Butcher by Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times

Update: An earlier version of the post misidentified Bilinda Butcher as MBV's bassist. Many thanks to the commenter who corrected us -- we've updated this post and are blaming the heat.

Comments

[Joe Pomparelli]

Todd,

Seriously, I thought that the Obama Administration banned torture. There is simply no redeeming musical value to that noise and to make an effort to find it is an exercise in pomposity.

Sometimes art isn't art. It's just crap. There should be laws against what they did up there. Maybe there is a drug that you can take to make that rubbish tolerable, but I certainly wasn't on it. Look if you are a fan of that noise then buy a ticket and see them in a sound proof venue. Don't invade my precious Coachella Festival.

[rocco dantona]

Joe Pomparelli sucks. MBV rules. 'nuff said.

[MBV fan]

Bilinda Butcher is the second guitarist, (pictured above) Debbie Googe is the bassist

[Da Maverick]

I wish AT&T had webcast MBV's set. MBV rules, no drugs needed to appreciate them, just a set of ears and a curiosity for sonic soundscapes. But of course if you like your music spoon fed to you, as Joe Pomparelli apparently does, there's always Nickelback.

[Steve]

Wow, Joe, your anger at MBV's existence proves that you're intimidated by the truly creative artists of our time. Would you prefer actual crap like Limp Bizkit or Hanna Montana? Anyway, I had to give my two cents. No one bad-mouths musical geniuses like My Bloody Valentine, who are actually Irish (not British, as the article suggests).

[nikisma]

listen, i love MBV more than anyone, saw them live back in 1992 and again this reunion tour. to truly appreciate their Wall of Noise you need to hear them loud, yes, but not bleeding eardrum loud. i would have LOVED to have been able to take my earplugs out to really hear all the lush fullness of the harmonic spectrum, but i had to keep them in to save my hearing and miss out. seems counterintuitive but if they turned it down JUST A LITTLE we could hear MORE.

[Matinee]

I hope they'll return in the near future to, again, spoil Joe Pomparelli's Coachella.

[patricia]

I remember buying MBV's CD Loveless in '91. First time I listened, I kept thinking my upstairs neighbor was vacuuming -- but a few hits of the pause button confirmed it was all part of the sound -- NOT "noise." Great stuff.

[Red]

Joe,

Coachella is not "your precious". It belongs to all of us, including those who like My Bloody Valentine and understand how seminal they were and how much the sounds of the past two decades owes to their "noise".

Of course, you have already taken preemptive measures against dissent (as self-important bigots usually do) by claiming that anyone who disagrees with you is indulging in "pomposity" but I couldn't care less what you think (yeah, I'm "pompous" like that).

But, speaking of pomposity, let me remind you of something:

Repeat after me: "I, Joe Pomparelli have not been appointed by a higher celestial court as the keeper of Coachella Festival nor have I been given by the gods of music the power to determine what is art and what is crap."

You have your opinion and, however uninformed or prejudiced it may be, it is respectable... just as long as you remember that is is just one man's opinion, worth no more nor less than that of every single one of the thousands upon thousands of attendees at the festival.

MVB was one of the highlights of the Festival for me and many others. It was a historical moment that will be remembered by music lovers for decades.

You can always go back to listening My Chemical Romance or whatever it is that ignorant know-it-alls like you listen to.

[jteixeira]

MBV is just awesome. I saw them at the Warfield Theater in 1991, backstage passes, autographed my CD sleeve. There's a real special place in my heart for Kevin and his awesome sister Ann-Marie.

[thehup]

WOW!! I don't think that my hearing will ever return to normal but I'll gladly get a "miracle ear" 30 years earlier than expected after that set. Yes, they do need to be that loud. To listen to them at anything but would be the same disservice as asking Blur to play Song 2 acoustically. Speaking of, what a great headline for Coachella 2010! Back to MBV......while I went to see a few others, it will be that performance that has turned into the reason I went. Amazing!!!

[Bianca Young]

OH MY BLOODY VALENTINE! I was in the fourth row and had to leave because I thought my heart was going to stop from the pure bliss of being showered in a complete ocean of sonic inhalation. What a total experience. Needless to say, I watched the rest from the grassy area beyond but still was able to enjoy the total experience. And yes, MBV is meant to be experienced loud. Thank you Coachella for making my 2009! By far THE BEST ACT on Sunday!

[Rafael Zuniga]

Unbelievable performance. Pure bliss and a sonic attack that brought me to tears!!! I also had to retreat after being in front. And I dont use or condone drug use.Is that pretentious enough Joe??? Stick to The Killers Mr art critic. Or maybe a repeat engagement of Madonna would keep you happy??? Something for everyone is what Coachella is all about!!!

[dmadd]

My Bloody Valentine; Loveless was a landmark achievement in music history. Incredible album written by self destructive genius, Kevin Shields. Regretted not seeing them when they played the Hollywood Palace in the early 80's. Especially after being named the concert of the year by the L.A. Weekly. Had a ticket, but couldn't go to their reunion gig at the Santa Monica Civic last year. Felt so lucky to be able to see them at Coachella and they did not disappoint. My ears are still ringing, but they echo the sonic bliss that I experienced on Sunday. Bilinda Butcher looked fabulous and sounded spectacular. Her stunning red dress set well with her sparkling red guitar. Colm O'Ciosoig is a brilliant drummer. Deb Googe finger popped her bass relentlessly. Kevin Shields provided the sonic harmony. I hope there will be some video of their performances before they retire again, but nothing can take the place of the live experience. Awesome! I will always remember this. Thank you!

[gregg araki]

ouch. poor joe pomparelli. I hope he has an unlisted phone # as he has rankled the ire of bloody valentine fans everywhere - and given their legendary status in the indie universe thats a lot of angry hipsters! but fyi, I happen to know that "your" Coachella organizers have been asking the Valentines to reunite and play virtually every year of the festival since its inception bc they recognize the bands huge importance & influence in alternative music culture - and this is the first year they actually said yes. If u dont like mbv, there were other places to go or bands to see or beers to drink - just dont condemn a band that many, myself included, have waited seemingly forever to see for whom their show was an unforgettable, life-altering experience. To each his own, thats the joy & beauty of Coachella and what makes it the real happiest place on earth.

[Eduardo]

Joe Pomparelli, he doesnt get it, HE DOES NOT GET IT

[mark haemmerle]

MBV FOOKIN RAWKED

finally after 18 years i got to see one of my fav bands , yeah it was loud and yeah i wore earplugs.

but the people that complained about how loud it was need to stop bad mouthing MBV. wanna be mad at someone find out who the sound guy was, MBV only had control over the sound on stage not the deafening PA that apparently ruined public enemys set on the next stage over.

i stayed for the cure and they were just as loud as MBV but no ones complaining about them
most of the cure fans were just pissed that mbv was taking so long to finish

shoegazer 4 life

[MBVinsider]

In response to showgazer 4 life above - MBV had full control over the PA with their own desks at FOH and monitors. They actually had 2x desks at FOH due to all the channels and guitar feeds. Do you really think a band with that much gear, presenting such a technically oriented, sound-centric experience, would leave it in the hands of a festival soundperson? And BTW, MBV made up time on their changeover after YYY's in order to get the schedule back on track. MBV played the alloted 70 minutes and only finished a few minutes past the scheduled finish time. They barely overlapped Public Enemy. You are an idiot.

[blauphus]

Wow and double WOW to MBV!!! I saw them in Chi-Town last fall, and man did they nail it!
Incredibly beautiful indoors (no earplugs for me, thanks) and the 20 min. 'cleansing' that the 'You Made Me Realise" noise break provided me was well appreciated. But outdoors...in the desert on a beautiful night, in a shared experience with thousands of my fellow hu-monsters, light beams converging in the sky, THAT was nothing short of priceless redemption, and I thank MBV and the people of Coachella Valley for it.
No, you don't need drugs to appreciate MBV, they ARE the drug!!!
I'm also a huuuuge long-time fan of TG who finished up the night in the Mojave Tent, and let me tell you: though I've waited nearly half a lifetime to see them, it was a little anti-climactic after the MBV experience. Again, just...Wow....

[Lindsay Wray]

It was my first time "experiencing" MBV.
I basically walked away, ears plugged with my fingers (where were they handing out ear-plugs?), along with every other person I passed on my way to Public Enemy, wishing I had heard a single word that they were singing. I don't recall hearing a note from anyone's mouth.

Can I qualify it as art? Sure.
Music? No. I think 10 Jetliners circling over the field would have made a comparable sound.