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The line-up for this year's Coachella festival in Southern California packed a few surprises when it was announced this morning, Australian time. No surprise was as big as the reformation of Southern Californian ska/rock/pop band No Doubt.
The band, led by the iconic Gwen Stefani, played their last show in September 2015 at the Kaboo Festival in the Californian city of Del Mar. This April, they'll make their return about 100 miles north-west of that town when Coachella hits the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California.
The reformation will feature the band's classic line-up of Stefani, bassist Tony Kanal, guitarist Tom Dumont and drummer Adrian Young, all of whom have been in the band since the 1980s.
The prospect of a No Doubt reunion hasn't been out of the question in recent years. Speaking with the Wall Street Journal in 2022, Stefani ruminated on the prospect of the band joining their peers.
"Anything can happen," she said. "I have no idea what's going to happen with No Doubt.
"We haven't really talked about doing anything, but it feels like everyone is, right? All the '90s people — Blink-182 did an eight-month tour that sold out in like five minutes."
Will No Doubt come to Australia?
It's far too early to answer that question at this point.
In a video announcing their reformation, No Doubt very specifically say they're getting together to play "a show", so it's possible that Coachella will be their sole commitment.
It's more likely, however, that this will be the start of a tour that will see the band perform around the United States at the very least.
While the UK, Europe and Japan will undoubtedly be high on the band's list to visit, their enormous success in Australia could help convince them to return to our country.
The band's third album Tragic Kingdom was the sixth highest selling album in Australia in 1997.
They've had six top 10 singles in our country, including Don't Speak, which spent eight weeks in the number one position on the ARIA charts.
No Doubt's last tour of Australia was in 2002, when they played three shows along the east coast of the country.
Who else is on the Coachella line-up?
The Coachella line-up is always a broad and fascinating showcase of music.
This year's headliners are revered singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey, multifaceted hip hop impresario Tyler, The Creator, and chart-topping dynamo Doja Cat.
Some of No Doubt's 90s peers are on board, with Britpop icons Blur and fellow Californian legends Sublime confirmed to appear. The latter has recently had a line up change, with late-frontman Bradley Nowell's son Jakob taking his father's spot in the band.
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Australian acts featuring on the line-up include much-hyped DJ and producer Dom Dolla, who'll play his own set as well as a set with Chicago DJ John Summit as Everything Always.
LA-based Aussies NEIL FRANCES play their first Coachella this year, while Sydney duo Flight Facilities back up their massive Australia decades tour with a trip to the US for the festival.
Australian DJ and producer Skin On Skin, who originally hails from South Sudan, also makes his Coachella debut, while London-based Aussie Mall Grab will play the Fridays of the festival.
Controversy is never far away on Coachella weekend and 2023's event was no different.
One major drawcard for last year's festival was the first live shows in six years from revered alt-R&B singer Frank Ocean.
After a confounding performance on the first weekend, in which plans to have skaters and an onstage ice rink were apparently scrapped at the last minute, the headliner cancelled his appearance on the festival's second weekend.
Coachella happens at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California across two weekends: Friday 12 – Sunday 14 April and Friday 19 – Sunday 21 April. Tickets for the festival tend to sell out immediately, and many of the sets are streamed live on YouTube.