LCD Soundsystem, Ellie Goulding and Joey Bada$$ were among the acts at Coachella Festival who paid tribute to the late music icon Prince.
The Brooklyn electro-band were Friday’s headliner, and frontman James Murphy drove the crowd wild with a version of the musician’s 1981 hit Controversy.
The festival’s trademark palm trees, which are usually lit with different colours throughout the weekend, glowed purple on Friday evening, as did the floodlights across the venue at Empire Polo Club in Indio, California.
Before LCD Soundsystem took to the stage, three screens on the main stage played Prince’s cover of Radiohead’s 1993 hit Creep, which he initially debuted during his headline performance at Coachella in 2008.
After the screening ended, a quote from the Purple Rain hitmaker appeared on stage – “From now on This is Prince’s House.”
Hip-hop star Joey Bada$$ played some of 1999 during his set, dance duo Jack U finished their set with a montage of Prince moments, and Brit singer Ellie Goulding teased When Doves Cry.
Meanwhile, soul singer Mavis Staples moved the crowd to tears earlier on Friday as she recounted a story about meeting Prince for the first time at his Paisley Park label. She then asked for a moment of silence, and then performed an a cappella version of the chorus of Purple Rain.
Prince died on Thursday, just one day before the second weekend of Coachella kicked off. Guns N’ Roses are due to headline on Saturday, while Calvin Harris will close the festival on Sunday night.
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