Chris Lake's Coachella campground dance party boosts morale of road-weary festgoers on Day Zero
Minutes before he's set to perform at Coachella's campgrounds, the British DJ sat in the front seat of a Jeep Wagoneer, uploading music to several USBs. He spent the day mulling over which direction he wanted to take this first-of-its-kind Coachella set. Before the festival gates officially open on Friday, Lake's Thursday night performance marked the first year a musician played the campground for 'Day Zero' festivities.
'If I go up and it's s—, then it's my own fault,' Lake joked. 'I literally don't know what I'm walking into out there. There are so many different ways it can go. I like to eyeball the crowd and then decide what to do.'
Previously, 'Day Zero' has always been an extra day for campers to get settled and get a head start on partying. But when Lake was announced to perform on the new Desert Sky stage, the festival's pregame became a bit more official.
Under the circus-like tent, trains of fist-pumping fans began to congregate in the circular space. Inflatable flamingos and waving flags whizzed by and clouds of marijuana smoke thickened. Within the crowd, some seized the opportunity to debut their first festival look — wearing trendy, crochet tops and headscarves. Others had taken a more casual, camping approach, dressed in what seemed to be pajamas. In the middle of the camping hub (that consisted of a general store and several lounge spaces), there were even some listeners, hair wet from the communal showers and toiletries in hand, who stopped by to hear Lake's blend of heavy bass and pop music.
Beyond the dust, a palpable sense of excitement filled the air. Longtime Lake fan James Guerrero was not shocked to see the 'Beggin'' DJ make an appearance at the festival.
'I've gone to the last five [Coachellas], and he always seems to show up. Whatever sounds Chris Lake wants to give me, I'll accept. He's a pioneer in what he does. He's like LeBron [James],' said Guerrero. ' It's going to be an absolutely phenomenal time.'
Before getting into the campgrounds that morning, many festival-goers were faced with prolonged wait times. While waiting for the DJ to start spinning, many campers shared similar stories of waiting between six and eight total hours before getting into the grounds. Many of them had also taken to social media to express their complaints — commenting 'We've been in line to get in for 8+ freaking hours, this is outrageous!!' and 'This is the absolute WORST I've ever seen this line in all my years of camping. This is terrible to have people on the streets for hours with no access to bathrooms. Extremely unsafe conditions,' on Coachella's Instagram.
Liz Hernandez, who has camped eight times, arrived late Wednesday night in hopes of getting an optimal camping spot. In the past, she was able to get into the campgrounds in three or four hours, but this year she had to wait over 12 hours to get into the area.
'We were so prepared to wait, but this time around it was excessive. I literally told [my partner] in the car, 'Tomorrow, this won't matter. We're going to get in there and we're going to forget about it,'' said Hernandez. 'And we did.'
It also took Guerrero, who was coming from Orange County, around six hours to get into the campsite. He shares a similar sentiment, 'That doesn't take away from this. That's in the past. We're about to see the G.O.A.T. and we're living in the present now. It's all right.'
With every bass drop Lake offered to the crowd, he was met with a sea of synchronized hand movements. From the people crowded around the barricade to those in the far back, almost everyone raised their arms up and down to coincide with the fluctuating beat. Lake says he was prepared for this level of enthusiasm from the camper-only crowd.
'At the end of the day, if you're camping, you're fully submitting to the complete experience of the festival. I can already tell, just by driving around, how much energy there is amongst the people,' said Lake. 'These are the type of people that you want to be playing for.'
Settling into an electronic sweet spot — where he debuted music from his upcoming album 'Chemistry' and mixed tracks like 'Messy' by Lola Young and Bell Biv DeVoe's 'Poison' — Lake had ignited a new sense of energy in the Coachella campsite. And it wasn't even Day 1 yet.
'There's a huge part of me that's selfish, and I would like this to be the best part of everyone's weekend,' said Lake. 'By the end of the weekend, they're absolutely exhausted and I plan to contribute to that heavily.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
30-year-old escape plan! Family's pet snapping turtle escapes from home
Hilarious footage from Yongsheng County, China, captured an escape that was 30 years in the making: a family's pet alligator snapping turtle made a break for freedom on August 6, straying into the road just outside the home. The family had raised the reptile for over 30 years after rescuing it from Chenghai Lake.
New York Post
12 hours ago
- New York Post
Inside Terence Stamp's high-profile trysts, links to Princess Diana and Michael Caine — and why he never became a true Hollywood star
He put his stamp on it. 'Superman' actor Terence Stamp, who died at age 87 on Sunday, had a life that was even more colorful behind the scenes than it was onscreen. Born in London in 1938, the late actor grew up with a working-class background. He rose to the spotlight in the 1960s, and had several claims to fame, including a friendship with Princess Diana, being roommates with Michael Caine, and rumored trysts with many of the era's iconic beauties, including Brigitte Bardot, Julie Christie and Jean Shrimpton. 14 Terence Stamp on December 6, 2012 in Marrakech, Morocco. WireImage About rooming with Caine when the two young actors were looking for their big break, Stamp told The Guardian in 2015, 'Caine gave me all my early values, like making sure you were doing good stuff, waiting for the right things.' He didn't mince words when he noted, 'as soon as he got away he did exactly the opposite. Went from one movie to another.' 14 Terence Stamp in 1965. Getty Images Perhaps unsurprisingly, Stamp and Caine's friendship wasn't lifelong. Stamp explained, 'We just went different ways. I can understand it: in many ways he was much more mature than me.' The Oscar-nominated actor had been rumored to be romantically linked to Princess Diana. However, in a 2012 interview with Daily Mail, he said he regretted that piece of gossip. 'We were just really good chums, yet I still get asked questions alluding to something more. She was a lot of fun – we used to have lunch at San Lorenzo and her company was heaven.' 14 Michael Caine on the set of 'Going In Style' in Williamsburg, Brooklyn , in 2015. Paul Martinka 14 Princess Diana on vacation in Majorca, Spain on August 10, 1987. Getty Images In his 2017 memoir, 'Ocean Fell Into The Drop,' Stamp said they met through a mutual friend, art dealer Oliver Hoare. 'We got on amazingly well… I saw the sadness in her because she'd gone into a marriage believing – she was a believer in marriage. And it didn't turn out the way she expected it to.' He insisted there were no sparks. 'It wasn't like that. I thought that was the last thing she needed really. She just wanted somebody to talk to that was a guy, who would give her objective opinions. And because of that we just kind of opened up to each other. It wasn't a formal thing, we'd just meet up for a cup of tea, or sometimes we'd have a long chat for an hour.' 14 Princess Diana at a dinner at the British Embassy in Washington DC in 1985. Getty Images 14 Terence Stamp in 1980's 'Superman II.' ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection During his 2015 interview with The Guardian, Stamp recalled that his relationship with Julie Christie, 85, happened before they both rose to fame. The pair starred in the 1967 film 'Far From The Madding Crowd' together. 'We met, and we had a romance. That was it. When I got my first movie, I knew it was my destiny to be a film actor, so that became my motivation in life.' He insisted that while filming the movie, the fact that she was his girlfriend 'never came up.' 'I saw her as Bathsheba, the character she was playing, who all the men in the film fell in love with. It wasn't hard, with somebody like Julie.' 14 Terence Stamp and Julie Christie in 1967's 'Far from The Maddening Crowd.' Courtesy Everett Collection 14 Terence Stamp in 2008's 'Get Smart.' He told Daily Mail in 2012 that supermodel Jean Shrimpton, 82, was 'the love' of his life. 'It was in Hollywood in 1964. Just to lay eyes on her was a joy. We were together for three years,' Stamp recalled. In his memoir, he said, 'She left me because she saw I was a lunatic. I wasn't ready for a twin-soul relationship.' 14 Jean Shrimpton, and actor Terence Stamp, arrive at Essendon Airport in Melbourne, October 30 1965. Fairfax Media via Getty Images 14 Jean Shrimpton with Terence Stamp in 1965. Getty Images Despite his colorful array of romances and friends, and his impressive resume, which also included 1962's 'Billy Budd,' the role that earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor, Stamp never became a huge star, and all but vanished from the spotlight in the '70s. He was his own worst enemy, reportedly missing out on the opportunity to replace Sean Connery as James Bond. Reflecting on that period, he told The Guardian, 'It's a mystery to me. I was in my prime. When the 1960s ended, I just ended with it.' 14 Terence Stamp in 'Superman II' in 1980. ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection Stamp recalled that his agent told him that movies were 'all looking for a young Terrance Stamp.' And I thought: 'I am young.' I was 31, 32. I couldn't believe it.' He added, 'It was tough to wake up in the morning, and the phone not ringing. I thought: this can't be happening now, it's only just started. The day-to-day thing was awful, and I couldn't live with it. So I bought a round-the-world ticket and left.' Stamp went on an extended trip to India, where he got involved in yoga, vegetarianism, and living at an ashram. He told the outlet how, in the '60s, his friend Federico Fellini introduced him to the Indian mystic Krishnamurti, which sparked his interest. 14 Italian actress Monica Vitti and Terence Stamp during the filming of 'Modesty Blaise' in 1965. Getty Images Stamp's career bounced back in 1978 when he played General Zod in 'Superman,' opposite Christopher Reeve, a role he would reprise in the 1980 sequel. His final movie was in the trendy 2021 thriller 'Last Night in Soho.' Although his career continued after his hiatus, it never saw the highs that his early years promised. 'During that time away from the screen, I had transmuted myself,' he told The Guardian. 'I no longer saw myself as a leading man. What had happened inside of me enabled me to take the role, and not feel embarrassed or depressed about playing the villain,' he said, referring to 'Superman.' 14 Terence Stamp in the 1968 film 'Teorema.' Sunset Boulevard He explained, 'I just decided I was a character actor now and I can do anything.' Stamp also had some eccentric habits. He didn't own a home because he was living the 'stroller player life' as he called it. 'Where I came from, to own a house was something unreal – so when I had money, I gave houses to everyone: my parents, my aunt. But I never felt I needed to own one,' he said. 14 Julie Christie and Terence Stamp in 1967's 'Far from the Maddening Crowd.' Courtesy Everett Collection Despite his high-profile relationships, he married just once, to Australian pharmacist Elizabeth O'Rourke, from 2002 to their 2008 divorce, and had no children. At the time of their marriage, she was 29 and he was 64. His roles didn't seem to indicate a career strategy, as he played a villain in 'Superman,' a drag queen in 'The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert,' and a grandfather in later films. 'I don't have any ambitions,' he said. 'I'm always amazed there's another job, I'm always very happy. I've had bad experiences and things that didn't work out; my love for film sometimes diminishes but then it just resurrects itself,' he told the Guardian. 'I never have to gee myself up, or demand a huge wage to get out of bed in the morning.'
Elle
12 hours ago
- Elle
Why Princess Anne Is Fall 2025's Most Unexpected Fashion Icon
The British royal family has long influenced fashion. From Queen Victoria's white wedding dress to Kate Middleton's, Princess of Wales's, mid-length dresses and sleek suiting, what the members of the Windsor family choose to wear often trickles down into our own wardrobes to define eras and make lasting impacts. And while it's easy to consider members of the family like Diana, Princess of Wales and Princess Margaret style icons of their time, there are others whose sartorial influence goes a little more under the radar. Consider Princess Anne, the Princess Royal. In recent years, King Charles's sister has become something of an unlikely trendsetter. The Olympian unintentionally captured the attention of hypebeasts thanks to her love of Oakley sunglasses, which, when paired with her smart-casual outfits for engagements, sits at that perfect push-and-pull contrast that fashion fans so often enjoy. Or, there's her unfussy approach to rewearing outfits. The Princess often pulls out looks that have sat in her wardrobe since the 1970s. It's no wonder then that the internet often crowns her a 'sustainable queen.' While her influence isn't as plain to observe—in comparison to someone like Kate Middleton, who often has the ability to instantly sell out items—the Princess Anne effect is a little more stealth. This season, plenty of her signature styling subtly appeared on the catwalks, from Miu Miu to Burberry and Hermès. As she turned 75 on August 15, ELLE explores the influence of Princess Anne on the fall 2025 runways with the seven style takeaways to incorporate into your wardrobe now. Like her late mother before her, the Princess has long enjoyed wearing a skirt suit. While Queen Elizabeth was known for solid brights, Anne is more willing to choose those in colored tweeds and prints. The Miu Miu fall 2025 collection had a series of the two-piece sets reminiscent of the Princess Royal's go-tos. Here, the classic silhouette was mixed with lace-up leather shoes and sparkly socks. A tartan kilt is a royal wardrobe essential, especially when they're spending time at Balmoral Castle. Anne's dark plaid choice, worn here with contrasting accessories, is worth noting for its neat knee-length hem. It might have been her elder brother King Charles to whom Daniel Lee most recently paid homage with the Highgrove x Burberry collection, but when it came to the fall 2025 runway, Anne's influence was plain to see, from the kilts to the brooches. When she's not in a tiara or a riding hat, the Princess can often be found wearing a silk scarf to keep her signature bouffant hairstyle in place. The same styling trick was used at Gucci, but this time the foulards were placed over sporty baseball caps for added athletic flair. Princess Anne has become an accidental eyewear influencer over the last few years as her preferred sports-style specs have gone viral. For this season, however, it's her embrace of retro aviator styles that cut through. At Chloé, the silhouette made a triumphant return. As Anne and the runways prove, you don't need to be a pilot to sport this style. The Princess often decorates her shoulder with a stealthy brooch. It adds not only a decorative touch, but speaks of family heritage and access to the world's best jewelry collection. For so long, brooches felt like an underrated accessory of the past. This season, however, there's an encouragement for us all to pin one to our pieces. Copy the decree seen at Tory Burch and decorate your favorite black dress with a singular sparkle on the shoulder. With all eyes on a royal's face, and the jewelry that surrounds it, a contrast collar like this one worn by Anne is a smart sartorial choice. At Patou, a similar look was seen, with the white collar breaking up the classic all-black combination. A keen equestrian who competed in the 1976 Olympic Games, Princess Anne has a wardrobe filled with riding garb, from knee-high boots to wax jackets. Tucked-in trousers are back for fall 2025 and it was, of course, Hermès who returned them to the catwalk this season in a nod to the house's own long-standing equestrian tradition.
