Coachella Tried (and Failed) to Reunite Talking Heads

Talking Heads’ David Byrne, Jerry Harrison, Chris Frantz, and Tina Weymouth reunited this past fall for the first time in 20 years to participate in a Q&A discussion at the Toronto International Film Festival’s screening of Stop Making Sense. Now, we’re learning that some promoters were hoping that the conversation could lead to a wider reunion. Among them were Live Nation and Coachella, who both hoped to book the legendary band for headlining gigs this year, but failed.

The news comes via a report from Billboard, which reveals that festival curator and Goldenvoice president Paul Tollett flew to Toronto for the screening of Stop Making Sense, hoping to discuss the possibility of a reunion at Coachella 2024 with members of the band and their reps. Upon arriving and conducting a vibe check, though, Tollett told Billboard that he “sensed there were no shows happening, so I didn’t make an offer.”

Shortly after Tollett returned home empty-handed, Talking Heads received another offer; this time from Live Nation, who reportedly offered the band $80 million to headline “six to eight festival gigs and headlining slots.” Talking Heads rejected that offer.

According to Billboard, Tollett never brought up the subject of payment with the band, and has yet to disclose how much Coachella would have been willing to pay, though a source claimed that it could’ve been somewhere around $10 million.

Disappointed as Tollett may be that Coachella 2024 missed out on being a “Once in a Lifetime” affair, at least he can take solace in the other major reunions he secured for this year’s festival: No Doubt and Sublime.

Also in the new Billboard report, Tollett described how he was involved in the early discussions around the Sublime reunion, as well as the breakup of Sublime with Rome. He was also the one who initiated conversations about a No Doubt reunion with Gwen Stefani’s manager, Irving Azoff. For those hoping for a wider No Doubt tour, though, don’t give your hopes up — the report also includes a claim from a source that no major tour will follow the Coachella date, as Stefani is hoping to spend the second half of the year promoting new solo music.

Read the full report from Billboard here.

Meanwhile, if you need to get your Talking Heads fix, thankfully the re-released Stop Making Sense has returned to theaters again, and will enjoy “monthly residency screenings” in several cities. As for Coachella 2024, they may not have locked-in Talking Heads, but they still do have a full lineup of acts. Check out our rundown of five takeaways from the festival’s lineup, and if you feel like attending in-person, grab tickets here.