Coachella 2012, 15th April Day 3

The final day of Coachella's first weekend finally brought the expected scorching weather, and it seemed the perfect opportunity to take a ride on the enormous Ferris Wheel.

First Aid Kit 8/10

Once again, Coachella's over zealous security meant that I missed part of an act I was extremely keen to see, but First Aid Kit were as charming as ever, the sisters beautiful harmonies utterly beguiling in the Mohave tent. I was just sad that I'd missed all of Fanfarlo, who had an even earlier slot.

Wild Beasts 7/10

Despite them sharing my nationality, I hadn't heard Wild Beasts before, yet their indie rock was both lively and imaginative. They performed from their 2011 album Smother and Two Dancers, the drum rhythms and electric guitar standing out against the less assertive vocals.

Fitz and the Tantrums 7/10

This soulful sounding music was perfectly suited for relaxing in the afternoon sun; this local group have clearly gained quite a following. Their set was notable for the inclusion of a new song The End from their upcoming second album, and a Eurythmics cover.

Wild Flag 9/10

Wild Flag had already been one of my live highlights of the year, and in the larger scale setting of the Outdoor Stage, they were almost as involving, and just as committed. They're tremendous fun to watch, with leg kicks, guitar interplay, and really tight drumming from Weiss. This type of band is more suited to festivals, than quieter acts more subtle acts; Glass Tambourine was my highlight.

The Weeknd 4/10

Along with Jeff Mangum, I was most excited to see Abel Tesfaye at Coachella, as he's been similarly elusive. Despite not being an R&B specialist, I've enjoyed his three mix tapes, so I'm sorry to report that I found this live set a little disappointing. I suspect it would have been more polished on Weekend 2, but I should have suspected that his appearance was a little premature when he advertised for musicians on Craigslist. The Michael Jackson Cover D.D. near the beginning of the set did make a strong impression, but I found his voice weaker and less assured than I'd hoped.

Gotye 7/10

Gotye drew one of the biggest crowds at the Mojave all weekend, and put in an assured performance. Unfortunately though the exodus after his hit Someone That I Used to Know suggested that some of the audience failed to appreciate that the rest of his material is pretty inspired too. If it wasn't for the clash with The Weeknd I may have got a place closer to the stage and appreciated this even more.

Beirut 8/10

Zach Condon and his band stand out as musicians who've mastered acoustic instruments including ukulele, trumpet, horns, accordion and upright bass. After three days of mainly listening to electric guitars and keyboard I found their virtuosity particularly impressive, and Zach's singing is also passionate. I'm a particular fan of the Rip Tide, the most recent album which has a more stripped down sound, and this worked well in the Mojave.

Florence + The Machine 10/10

You won't find any discussion of Tupac here: Florence provided the uplifting conclusion to my 2012 Coachella. Her performance was remarkably assured from the opening Only If For a Night, and was spectacular visually, as well as musically. When I first listened to Ceremonials at home, I found it too mainstream compared to Lungs, but I've come to reassess it after first hearing it in an arena and now at a festival. It's been conceived for a spectacular live experience, and this was perhaps the closest I came all weekend to being transported to another plane of reality. I'm surprised it was a British pop act who did this and not the revered Radiohead, but I went away feeling ecstatic. I'm optimistic that Florence will have similar effect in the more mundane setting of Reading this summer.