Coachella is California's Glastonbury. This year the desert festival boasted some much-vaunted performances, in particular from reformed legends Rage Against The Machine, Crowded House and Jesus & Mary Chain (who were joined by Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson for Just Like Honey).
Meanwhile, Happy Mondays debuted their first new material for 15 years, showcasing tracks such as In The Blood and Deviants from their forthcoming album. Frontman Shaun Ryder was on typically lairy form, following a shambolic performance of Kinky Afro with the grumpy pronouncement, "That doesn't fucking deserve a clap, that one."
It wasn't all about the elder statesmen, though. One of the highlights of the weekend was Arctic Monkeys' storming Friday afternoon set, performed beneath a punishing sun. Sheffield's favourite sons haven't received quite the same adulation Stateside as in the UK - new album Favourite Worst Nightmare got a non-committal 3-star review in Spin magazine, for example - but this set saw them win a sceptical crowd over with the sheer energy and well-drilled slickness of their delivery.
DUETS Metallica headline our On The Road special; plus Flight Of The Conchords,The
Raconteurs and and a very candid Boy George ... all in the new issue