A Swift Kick in the Ash: Volcano Affects Coachella’s Fate

Due to volcanic activity in Iceland, most — if not all — flights to and from Europe have been cancelled.  What does this mean for Coachella?  You guessed it… no European performers.

Acts such as The Cribs, Gary Numann, and Bad Lieutenant have had to cancel, or threaten as much, due to the ash cloud that has consumed much of the sky above Iceland Thursday, April 15.  According to USA Today, the giant plume contained particles [that] could cause aircraft engines to fail and could mar visibility for pilots.”  As such, the enormous cloud could potentially affect travel into next week.

The Cribs shared their early morning tribulations trying to get to L.A., while Gary Numan announced that their best option in arriving to Coachella on time is practically useless.  Bernard Sumner’s outfit, Bad Lieutenant, has also cancelled their pre-Coachella performance in San Francisco, and it is highly doubtful that they, too, will be able to make the event this year.

Coachella 2010

Indio,  CA’s annual music festival, Coachella, has been receiving worldwide attention since 2004, but its 2010 line-up seems ineffectual compared to the buzz of recent years’ performers; let’s hope the confirmed list continues to get longer… er, better. 

Although the list of bands rumored to play 2010′s 3-day festival is longer than the confirmed list, and more impressive, those bands guaranteed to be in attendance are weighty enough for music lovers (in the immediate CA area, at least) to contemplate the $269 for a weekend pass.

Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival
April 16-18, 2010 – Indio, CA (Empire Polo Club)

CONFIRMED
Aeroplane / As Tall as Lions / The Big Pink / Craze & Klever / Devo / El Gran Silencio / Hot Chip / Kevin Devine / Miike Snow / Muse / Phoenix / The xx / Zoé

RUMORED
A Place to Bury Strangers / The Avett Brothers / Bassnectar / Beastie Boys / Citizen Cope / Cornelius / The Cribs / The Dead Weather / Deftones / Dirty Projectors / Echo & the Bunnymen / Faith No More / Gorillaz / Imogen Heap / LCD Soundsystem / Major Lazer / Mew / Pavement / Pretty Lights / The Raveonettes / Smashing Pumpkins / Soundgarden / Tegan & Sara / Tiesto / Vampire Weekend / Yeasayer

But if you’re just dying to have the word Coachella drip out of your mouth during mentions of your future plans, here’s a little of what you should know:

3-Day Festival Pass (required) – $269
Camping Sites Available – from $55
Layaway Tickets Available – click here for more details