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Danny Elfman delivered what could have been the weirdest Coachella set of all time

It’s been a long, long time since Danny Elfman did something other than create music for TV and film, so when he was added to this year’s Coachella bill, the general reaction was :”Whaaaa?”

But he brought it with some Oingo Boingo hits and his biggest and most familiar composition of all time.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

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2 thoughts on “Danny Elfman delivered what could have been the weirdest Coachella set of all time

  • Thank you for the Danny Elfman Coachella event.

    Reply
  • I have a hate to love relationship with Danny ever since his KROQ interview and subsquent (LIES!!!) err.. shows. I am a Hypocrite with a capital H. I caved. I watched the Coachella livestream. I didn’t give a damn about anything but the Oingo Boingo material. That was all I wanted. Needed. Of course, there was no connection. Of course, I missed the rest of the band. But I loved the strings and the horns and all the backup singers and the amazing band that he played with..he took a VERY long time to warm up. I doubt he did ANY warm up at all before the show. If he did, it didn’t show. For me, it took him about four songs before his voice was even remotely okay. It was not a great show. It was a mediocre show but that could have been the ‘experience’. Although right after we got sent home, I watched The Sounds play to an empty venue in their hometime and they totally rocked so there’s something to be said for attitude. Some people can believably play to NOBODY and their charisma comes out and some people who used to have charisma don’t. Food for thought, Danny-boy.

    Oingo Boingo is/isnot/is my favorite band. Hate to Love. But they are, hands down, the best band to see in concert. Best venue (with Bill alive, of course- we all have to have our dreams) the Warfield in San Francisco. Of course, now that I’m old and I can’t stand for shows, my legs would have to work too. (more dreaming)

    But a world without Oingo Boingo is a world that just shouldn’t exist. The horns, the percussion, the wailing, the charisma from ALL the band members but most especially Danny. Leading us down the wicked little path to….well, debauchery and madness and mayhem..of a sort. He was a god amongst men. He really knew how to work the crowd and the whole band just threw their all into every single show. You were NEVER disappointed. You left on that perfect concert high that lasted hours.

    The livestream..well, not so much but I will take what I can get. All those people that say livestreams are a substitute for concerts truly do not know what a real concert experience is. They are living life second-hand or twice-removed (once is not enough!). I feel sorry for them. Perhaps the camera panned too much and it didn’t work for me. I’ll never know. The one thing that won’t happen is that he won’t get a dime off me. Former Members, yes. Him, no. There’s only so much H in Hypocrite. (to come full circle.

    Long live Oingo Boingo (’cause I hate people who shorten it and I’m not old enough or cool enough to belong to the long, long name club)

    Ruins

    Reply

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