Coachella vs. the Volcano, Round 1

BY Scott TavenerPublished Apr 16, 2010

Nothing hampers a Californian music festival like an active Icelandic volcano. It's an age-old problem. This year's edition of huge desert fete, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, had an anglophile friendly bill that took a hit on today (April 16) thanks to a North Atlantic natural disaster.

As previously reported, Coachella experienced a number of ash-related casualties as volcano, Eyjafjallajökull - try saying that, at all - cluttered airspace with debris and caused the en masse cancellation of transatlantic flights.

The eruption claimed UK rockers - and late period Johnny Marr cohorts - the Cribs, who gave up their Friday afternoon set. Via MySpace, the band lamented, "Unfortunately, despite a Herculean effort we won't be able to play at Coachella this year. We are pretty gutted to be frank, currently languishing in the grimmest ferry port after waiting for good news about free airspace that never came."

Similarly, Scotch folk rockers Frightened Rabbit, Mancunian blip-ers Delphic, and New Order front-man Bernard Sumner's new outfit, Bad Lieutenant, also cancelled. Additionally, a number of other acts are still on the fence, notably Welsh combo Los Campesinos! and Gary Numan.

Overall, the current score is Volcano: 3, Coachella: 0 (based on current festival/natural disaster guidelines).

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