Guessing the Coachella lineup has become somewhat of a spectator sport in recent years, with faux flyers popping up on the Net months before the dates are announced (April 15, 16 and 17 this year), each more fantastical than the next.
Naturally, this year’s rumor mill is no different, and while the West Coast’s premiere music festival has traditionally offered a mash-up of rock, hip-hop and electronic acts, it looks as if Saturday’s bill is shaping up to have a distinct ’80s theme.
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Sources said Duran Duran is a lock for Night 2, a booking that makes sense considering Depeche Mode, the Cure and Crowded House have all held that slot in years past. And it doesn’t hurt that Duran’s latest album, “All You Need Is Now” — produced by Mark Ronson, who hailed it as the band’s return to “Rio” — has been well-received by fans and critics alike.
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Also believed to be on the lineup? OMD, which, 25 years after releasing “Pretty in Pink,” has been touring in support of their well-received new album, 2010’s “History of Modern,” as well as Gary Numan, who was scheduled to perform last year but was forced to cancel the performance when volcanic ash grounded much of the air travel out of Europe.
Numan is expected to reclaim his slot this year, which would have made rumored Saturday headliners Daft Punk another perfect fit seeing as the French DJ duo are among the latest in an electronic lineage he helped forge. However, a source tells The Hollywood Reporter that, like a much ballyhooed appearance at a Spanish festival (allegedly under the name the Third Twin), Coachella is not on the schedule.
On the rock end of things, sources tell THR that the Strokes will be on the bill. The band’s new as-yet-untitled album, their first in nearly five years, is due out March 22.
Meanwhile, marquee names being bandied about for the fest’s opening and closing nights include everyone from David Bowie to the Rolling Stones to Coldplay to Arcade Fire.
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So far, the only “confirmed” acts are ones whose videos have been featured on the fest’s website. They include indie newcomers Tame Impala and Fanfarlo. Typically, the lineup is revealed around this week, and L.A. radio station KROQ has been teasing that the announcement is coming soon. Indeed, says a source, expect to hear the official full list of bands “any day now.”