LCD Soundsystem Honor Prince With ‘Controversy’ Cover at Coachella
The first day of Coachella‘s second 2016 weekend kicked off what promises to be a weekend-long celebration of Prince‘s legacy as Friday performers like Mavis Staples, Ellie Goulding, Joey Bada$$ and Jack Ü all paid tribute to the artist during their sets. LCD Soundsystem also remembered Prince during their Friday night headlining performance with a joyous yet bittersweet rendition of his “Controversy.”
The cover, which was accompanied by an entirely purple-lit stage, marked the second straight weekend that LCD Soundsystem used the Indio, California stage to honor a music legend: During Coachella’s opening weekend, James Murphy and company performed a faithful take on David Bowie’s “Heroes,” which remained on the setlist for the band’s April 22nd headlining set as well.
Prior to LCD Soundsystem taking the stage, the festival’s three large screens projected footage of Prince’s famed 2008 Coachella gig, including his remarkable version of Radiohead’s “Creep,” to the tens of thousands of festivalgoers in attendance. The video ended with the quote, “From now on, this is Prince’s House,” which the singer himself quipped during his now-legendary performance.
With the hurt of Prince’s unexpected death at the age of 57 still fresh for both Coachella artists and attendees, many of the acts made Prince’s presence felt during their set. Billboard reports that Bada$$ weaved “1999” into his slot while Goulding teased “When Doves Cry.”
Staples, who was once signed to Prince’s Paisley Park Records and contributed to his Graffiti Bridge soundtrack, spoke lovingly about the artist. “Yesterday, I lost a dear friend, my son. I’m talking about Prince. He was my angel,” Staples told the Friday afternoon crowd. After asking for a moment of silence, the soul singer delivered an a cappella take on the “Purple Rain” chorus.
Watch crowd footage of LCD Soundsystem’s “Controversy” cover below: