Sunday’s second weekend of the Coachella Music and Arts Festival will not feature Frank Ocean as the headlining act. The musician performed during the inaugural weekend of the California festival, but his disorganized performance left many fans frustrated and perplexed.
A leg injury, according to the star’s representatives, necessitated last-minute adjustments to the performance, including the melting of an ice rink onstage.
According to Variety, Blink-182 will supplant the headlining act.
The last time Ocean performed in the United States was six years ago. He was scheduled to headline the festival in 2020, but those performances were canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Doctor’s orders prompted Ocean’s representatives to withdraw him from the upcoming weekend’s performance, they said in a statement.
“After suffering a leg injury on festival grounds during the week preceding the first weekend, Frank Ocean was unable to perform the planned show but was still determined to perform, and within 72 hours, the show was reworked by necessity.”
Due to two fractures and a sprain in his left leg, [Ocean] is unable to compete on the second weekend, per doctor’s orders.
The months-long rehearsals for his revival were frequently interrupted by stuttering. During the middle of the set, a DJ played remixes of Ocean’s songs, including Slide, Provider, and Lost, while Ocean was obscured by a screen for the majority of the performance.
In a live blog of the performance, the Los Angeles Times wrote,
“Ocean appears to be struggling.” “Nothing has taken off on a true groove yet, and the audience is perplexed. This is so uninteresting as to be confusing.”
A simulcast of the performance was also canceled, and because Ocean arrived on stage nearly an hour late, the concert ended abruptly when he exceeded the festival’s midnight curfew.
Despite the setbacks, there were a few highlights, such as a revised version of White Ferrari and an ethereal performance of Godspeed.
Ocean dedicated the performance to his brother Ryan, who perished at the age of 20 in a car accident three years ago.
“Over the past few years, my life has undergone tremendous change,” he told the audience. “Both my brother and I frequently attended this festival. I feel as though I was brought out here half of the time because I detested the dust, but I always ended up here.
“I’m sure he would have been ecstatic to be here with us all, and I’d like to express my gratitude for the support, ears, and love you’ve shown throughout the years.”
“Sad but crazy”
The performance, which was originally scheduled to feature 120 ice skaters, was rumored to have undergone drastic last-minute changes.
The information was revealed in the hockey podcast Empty Netters, whose presenters Dan and Chris Powers were among the professional skaters who were scheduled to perform.
“We’ve been rehearsing for about a month, hanging out with Frank, the other skaters, and these incredible figure skaters, and going through this entire process – this enormous ordeal,” Dan told the audience.
However, when they arrived at the Colorado Desert festival site, they were informed that Ocean had suffered an ankle injury and that the ice was being dissolved.
Dan continued,
“We’ve been informed that we’ll still be wearing these sequined Prada suits, but that we’ll be walking back and forth on stage for about five minutes instead of skating.”
“And Chris and I, straight up, with Frank Ocean standing right there, simply responded, ‘No, buddy. No thank you.”
Despite the difficulties, the duo was extremely complimentary of the singer.
Chris remarked,
“He had a crystal-clear vision, and although it changed frequently, he was constantly with us, assisting us, and ensuring that everyone achieved what he envisioned in his mind.”
Dan added,
“He was cool with everyone and taught everyone how to sing the songs and the cadence.”
“It seemed as though this was something he cared deeply about and was incredibly excited about, so to see it all fall apart was definitely sad… but also insane.”
In a statement verifying his cancellation, Ocean reflected on the first weekend of the concert.
“There was disorder. There is beauty within the turmoil. “It’s not what I intended to show, but I enjoyed being out there, and I’ll see you soon,” he said.
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