By DONNA BALANCIA
INDIO – Marilyn Manson surprised the Coachella crowd with a special appearance Saturday night, joining Yoshiki and X Japan on a cover of the Eurythmics song, “Sweet Dreams.”
Manson’s appearance was a not-so-secret weapon for X Japan, which was scheduled for a seemingly impossible task: To play a night-ending performance on the Mojave stage opposite headliner Beyonce.
X Japan fans were out in droves and they got a boost from Manson, who was happy to support his friend X Japan band leader Yoshiki. Manson made his presence known around midnight on the Mojave stage.
After screaming out the name of Marilyn Manson, X Japan band leader, Yoshiki, sat down at an elaborate crystal piano situated on a platform atop a set of stairs. Manson stood beside Yoshiki above the crowd and crooned out his unique and slow take on the song while Yoshiki played an elegant piano accompaniment.
“Sweet Dreams” has special significance for Manson: He recorded the cover for the 1995 album, Smells Like Children, produced by Trent Reznor.
After the performance, which received thunderous applause, Manson thanked the audience for supporting his friend and said Coachella would now be dubbed “Yochella.”
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Other performers hitting the stage with X Japan were Wes Borland of Limp Bizkit — without the makeup — and Richard Fortus of Guns ‘N’ Roses.
The performance by X Japan also included several of the bands big hits including “Born to be Free.” The devoted fans cried, laughed and crossed arms, making the “X” symbol.
X Japan has survived a rough road of ups and downs, including the deaths of band members who were eulogized in hologram form Saturday night.
“Thank you so much for coming,” Yoshiki told the audience. “We have had a lot of ups and downs. But nothing is impossible. X means infinite possibility.”
