What’s it like to stand behind a star on-stage at one of the most prolific music festivals on planet earth? Historically there have only a handful of people who can attest to experiencing that feeling, but after today, expect it to skyrocket.
Yup, the makers of a new documentary celebrating 20 years of the iconic Californian festival Coachella have just made the call to put the entire documentary, produced by YouTube Originals, online for free. Shot last year, but composed of archive footage throughout the festival’s two decade history, it features live excerpts and interviews with everybody from Billie Eilish and Beyoncé to Madonna and even Rage Against the Machine.
Directed by Chris Perkel, an American filmmaker known for his music documentaries, Coachella: 20 Years in the Desert gives us an unfiltered perspective on the festival from both behind the scenes and the outside world, where it’s become so internationally revered that most artists treat it as a rite of passage in their careers. You’ll get exclusive insight into Beychella’s creative direction, the much-talked about Tupac hologram performance and Kanye West’s slew of Sunday Service ceremonies that took over the festival back in 2019.
If you’re experiencing Corona-instigated festival FOMO for 2020, then this right here is one hell of a gift, and the closest thing you’re going to get to being in a field with a bunch of your mates any time soon. So for the time being, sit back on a shite Mountain Warehouse deck chair, open a tinnie or two, and press play on this. It’ll almost feel like exactly the same thing.