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‘Cameochella’: Kesha, Angus Young, N.W.A Lead Surprise-Heavy Coachella 2016 Saturday

Author: Yahoo News
April 17, 2016 at 22:16
Day two of Indio, California’s Coachella music festival was basically “Cameochella,” featuring an array of surprise appearances by everyone f-rom a triumphant and defiant Kesha, to a mini-N.W.A reuni-on, to even a virtual Bernie Sanders.

Day two of Indio, California’s Coachella music festival was basically “Cameochella,” featuring an array of surprise appearances by everyone f-rom a triumphant and defiant Kesha, to a mini-N.W.A reuni-on, to even a virtual Bernie Sanders. But perhaps no cameo was as shocking as when schoolboy-suited axeman Angus Young pranced out during Guns N’ Roses’ main stage reuni-on set to perform AC/DC’s “Whole Lotta Rosie” and “Riff Raff” – with GNR’s Axl Rose on impressively screechy lead vocals.

Perhaps this cameo wasn’t all that surprising. In retrospect, a seemingly oddly timed Saturday evening announcementonly three hours before GNR played Coachella, confirming rumors that Rose will be filling in for AC/DC singer Brian Johnson on tour, should have been a tipoff. What was surprising was just how fantastically this collaboration worked. The many skeptics who previously balked at the concept of “Axl/DC” were instantly proven wrong by this thrilling two-song preview.

“Since I can’t run around for you, we’re going to bring out a friend to put a little life into things for us. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Angus Young!” an obviously excited Rose announced, sitting on the throne he famously borrowed Dave Grohl with his still-broken foot propped up in a cast. Suffice to say, even if Rose’s foot isn’t healed by the time he joins AC/DC for the remainder of their Rock or Bust trek starting May 7, this will clearly be a must-see tour. Rose, a longtime massive AC/DC fan, sounded perfect in this role.



The most powerful Coachella cameo, however, was a much quieter and simpler one, by Kesha. Following her harrowing (and ultimately unsuccessful) legal battle with producer and label head Dr. Luke, whom she has accused of sexual and mental abuse, Kesha let the lyrics of Zedd’s “True Colors” convey her message when she joined the superstar DJ on the Outdoor stage. (Earlier this year, Zedd expressed sympathy and support for Kesha on Twitter, and offered to collaborate with her.)

“Something tells me, I know nothing at all/We’ve escaped our capture/Yet we have our masters/And somehow it’s like I’ve waited/All my life, one page at a time/I’ll show you my true colors/No, I won’t apologize for the fire in my eyes/Let me show you my true colors/It ain’t no rainbow,” an emotional, black-clad Kesha belted passionately, while supportive fans wildly cheered her on.

Guns N’ Roses weren’t the only ‘80s legends that reunited at Coachella Saturday, by the way. Fresh off N.W.A’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction last week (whe-re N.W.A did not perform), Ice Cube brought out his seminal group’s members MC Ren and DJ Yella to “give everybody a little history lesson on Ice Cube, N.W.A, Westside Connection, everything I’ve been doing over the years.” Ren and Yella joined Cube for "Straight Outta Compton” and “F— Tha Police” (with thousands of assembled concertgoers raising their middle fingers in unison), after which Cube shouted, “Rest in peace, Eazy-E!”

PHOTOS: Coachella Surprise Guests Over the Years

While N.W.A’s Dr. Dre was missing in action (as was a rumored Eazy-E hologram), the delighted audience didn’t seem to mind. There were more cameos to come, anyway. Cube’s son O’Shea Jackson Jr., who played Cube in the Straight Outta Compton biopic, performed on “Dopeman.” Then Cube’s former rival Common joined in for “Real People,” off the just-released Barbershop soundtrack. (“A long time ago, we used to have a beef, but we got over that s—, like real men do, and now we have nothing but love,” Cube explained.) And finally, Snoop Dogg showed up on a glittery tricycle for "The Next Episode” and “Go to Church,” before a big group finale of “It Was a Good Day.”
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