It’s been nearly a week since the Coachella lineup was unveiled, and there’s little elaboration on one of this year’s surprises: the unlikely reunion of the Violent Femmes for the two-weekend California festival this April, something once thought impossible because of the bad blood engendered over a Wendy’s TV commercial.
Bob Geldof will rejoin The Boomtown Rats for the first time since the band split in 1986 to play the U.K.’s Isle of Wight Festival this summer, saying in a statement on the fest’s website, “We were an amazing band and I just feel it’s the right time to re-Rat, to go back to Boomtown for a visit.”
The original lineup of The Stone Roses will makes its U.S. debut at April’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, joining headliners Blur, Phoenix and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, plus a bill that also includes New Order, OMD, both Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and Grinderman, Johnny Marr and more.
Organizers of Barcelona’s Primavera Sound 2013 festival unfurled a mind-bending lineup topped by headliners The Jesus and Mary Chain, Blur, My Bloody Valentine and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, in addition to appearances by Dinosaur Jr, Bob Mould, Dead Can Dance, The Breeders and many more.
The first weekend of Peter Buck’s three-weekend Todos Santos Music Festival in Baja California, Mexico, wrapped up Saturday night with what was essentially a reunion of latter-day R.E.M. minus Michael Stipe as bassist Mike Mills joined Buck and his steadfast R.E.M. sidemen Scott McCaughey and Bill Rieflin onstage.
Peter Murphy will head Down Under early next year for his first-ever tour of Australia — as either a solo artist or as a member of Bauhaus — but not before completing a few more one-off shows in the U.S., including his $500-a-ticket “Halloween Miracula” concert in Los Angeles and newly announced dates in San Diego and Miami.
The Stone Roses reunion will roll into 2013 as the band this week confirmed it will join the five-date, traveling Future Music Festival in Australia next March, performing concerts in Brisbane, Perth, Sydney and Melbourne along with The Prodigy, Dizzee Rascal, Bloc Party and, uh, that “Gangnam Style” guy.
Q&A: Daniel Ash on Love and Rockets’ reunion, his new band — and figuring out how to play “So Alive” 
Q&A: Chris Frantz talks Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club and new book ‘Remain in Love’ 
Q&A: Steve Wynn on The Dream Syndicate’s first new album in nearly 30 years 
Q&A: Bauhaus’ David J on his ‘accidental’ concept album ‘Not Long For This World’ 
Q&A: Peter Murphy on ‘Ninth,’ Bauhaus’ break-up, reuniting Dalis Car 
Q&A: Joey Santiago on Pixies’ ‘Doolittle’ tour, possible ‘Surfer Rosa’ shows, new album talk 
Q&A: Prefab Sprout’s Paddy McAloon on new album, changing the world with music 
Q&A: Peter Hook talks ‘Unknown Pleasures’ tour, re-recording Joy Division 