Frank Ocean DROPS OUT of Coachella: Singer, 35, will not perform at second weekend of festival

Frank Ocean has pulled out of Coachella’s second weekend, with Blink-182 set to take his place on the slate.

The 35-year-old musical artist’s reps released a statement confirming that the vocalist would not be taking the stage at the Indio, California music festival’s second frame after suffering a myriad of injuries to his left leg this past weekend.

‘On doctor’s advice, Frank is not able to perform weekend 2 due to two fractures and a sprain in his left leg,’ his reps told TMZ in a statement Wednesday.

The statement continued: ‘After suffering an injury to his leg on festival grounds in the week leading up to weekend 1, Frank Ocean was unable to perform the intended show but was still intent on performing, and in 72 hours, the show was reworked out of necessity.’

Ocean called his set over the weekend, which was panned by fans and critics, ‘chaotic.’

He told the outlet, ‘There is some beauty in chaos. It isn’t what I intended to show but I did enjoy being out there and I’ll see you soon.’

Ocean will be replaced by the resurgent Blink-182, consisting of Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge and Travis Barker. The band behind 90s hits such as Dammit, What’s My Age Again? and Adam’s Song were lauded for their performance at the festival Friday.

Production on Ocean’s Coachella set this past Sunday was altered after the singer sustained a ‘serious ankle injury’ during a bike accident, according to a new report.

Ocean’s performance had been plagued with issues, which included him arriving an hour late to his concert. 

TMZ reported Monday the Novacane singer got into an accident involving a bike used to get around the festival. The injury was not sustained on stage.

However, doctors believed the injury was serious enough to recommend changes to production on his performance.

An ice rink which had been built for the show was ultimately axed, and hockey players hired to skate during the performance were instead used as background dancers.

A source told TMZ that over 100 hockey players were selected to be in the show after the skaters took part in an audition for a paid performance.

Few details were given about the gig at the time, but skaters did see Ocean at the audition and ultimately realized the try-out was for his Coachella performance.  

Details: Ocean called his set over the weekend, which was panned by fans and critics, ‘chaotic’

Pinch hit: Blink-182, featuring Travis Barker, will replace Ocean on the slate for the music festival 

Back at it: The band’s front man Mark Hoppus was pictured onstage this past weekend 

Hitmakers: Tom DeLonge was seen onstage performing for the group, known for hits such as Dammit, What’s My Age Again? and Adam’s Song

Production on Frank Ocean’s Coachella set was altered after Frank Ocean sustained a ‘serious ankle injury’ during a bike accident, according to a new report; pictured 2021

While the skating portion of the show was ultimately nixed, the skaters were still incorporated into the show and were even reportedly given custom Prada. They were seen walking during his performance.  

Ocean’s performance was plagued with problems, which included him arriving 57 minutes late and having to cut his performance short due to the event’s 12 a.m. curfew.

He was slammed by critics and fans alike.  

Variety’s Jeff Miller blasted the showing on Monday morning as he wrote: ‘Ocean’s set — during which he and his musicians were intentionally obscured by a cadre of people walking in a circle around them, only seen on video projected on custom screens even more massive than those that usually flank Coachella’s main stage — was messy, loose, and a near-disaster that will likely go down as one of the most divisive in Coachella history, with flashes of brilliance that only made for a frustrating final outcome: that of disappointment and palpable audience WTF-ness.’

Miller noted that the artist did sound great when he opened with hit Novacane, however, he was barely seen on giant video screens.

He also noted that there were were long ‘what are we doing next?’ pauses which he described as ‘pregnant’ and came frequently between songs even alleging that the setlist felt like ‘mostly a series of of onstage audibles.’

Miller concluded the biting writeup quite the exclamation point as he said: ‘Ocean is beloved partially because of his unpredictable nature, and surely his most devoted fans will claim pure artistry as an excuse. That’s fine: Ocean should have the freedom to explore his creativity however he wants.

‘That said, when it’s in front of 100,000 people who have been clamoring to see you for years, having a plan is more than helpful: it’s necessary. Hopefully, by next weekend, Ocean will actually have one.’

That was not the only lukewarm review as The Guardian’s Adrian Horton wrote: ‘Most confusing and shocking of all, when he walked away after a cover of the Isley Brothers’ At Your Best (You Are Love) and announced, offstage, that he’d been informed he’d hit curfew and the show was over. People stayed put, believing it was maybe a bit even after the lights came on. It wasn’t, to the shock of many.

‘With his first headliner set, Ocean did achieve the rare thrill of true suspense – what was he doing? Where was he going with this? The highs were high; it’s a shame the end felt so bitter.’

Mikael Wood of the Los Angeles Times wrote: ‘Yet the way the show rescaled the dimensions of a headlining festival gig felt like a radical provocation.’

Independent investigative outlet The Festive Owl took to Twitter to give an alleged explanation of what occurred leading to the hour-long delay.

The outlet took to the microblogging site to write that according to their sources: ‘The stage production was suppose to (and did) contain an ice rink that was constructed and ready to go.

‘Frank decided at the last minute that he no longer wanted it at all. All of the people walking around him at the start of the performance were actually ice skaters, had been practicing for weeks, and were supposed to be skating as part of the production. Coachella had to deconstruct the approved stage (that had been planned and signed off on for months in advance) + melt the entire ice rink and then set it up how Frank decided today with no warning. Which is what you ended up seeing, and caused the hour long delay.

‘This all happened when doors had already open for Sunday, and people were securing their spots to see him. If the last minute changes weren’t made he wouldn’t have performed at all — leaving the festival without a closing headliner.

The way the performance actually went was just one of the numerous controversies surrounding the admired R&B singer as he had fans at home struggling to contain their frustration as his performance was pulled from the event’s live stream, meaning they couldn’t tune in.’

Despite it being his first performance in six years, the performer was forced to cut his set short due to local curfew rules.

And taking to Twitter to share their frustration, fans fumed that he would ‘rue the day’ as they demanded new music to make up for it.

It was a long-awaited performance for Frank, real name Christopher Francis Ocean, as it was the first in six years – after he last sang at the Flow Festival in 2017 in Finland.

‘The stage production was suppose to (and did) contain an ice rink that was constructed and ready to go’: Meanwhile Independent investigative outlet The Festive Owl took to Twitter to give an alleged explanation of what occurred leading to the hour-long delay

He was scheduled to play Coachella in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced a cancellation, and the singer was not available to play during the festival’s return last year.

But the comeback was even more delayed on Sunday as he appeared on stage an hour late, with the reason unknown.

Due to Coachella’s usual 12AM curfew on Sunday, he was forced to end the performance early too.

‘Guys, I’m being told it’s curfew, so that’s the end of the show. Thank you so much,’ he said abruptly after a song at the festival.

In addition to being late, the set was dropped from the Coachella live stream which was ongoing via YouTube, where many fans were eagerly waiting for him to come on.

More to come? As speculation circulated on why the set wasn’t live streamed, Frank also cleared up whether it was anything to do with new music coming (pictured in 2012)

Fans took to social media to share the lengths they had gone to so that they could tune in at home, voicing their frustration that the set wasn’t streamed live.

‘I literally did my work since seven in the morning to make time for you Frank Ocean pleaseeeee,’ wrote one.

Another wrote: ‘Frank Ocean… I’m not mad just disappointed’.

‘Started the set late, didn’t let them live stream it, now ending the set early… frank ocean you will rue the day,’ added a third.

Another added: ‘Frank Ocean really went from “I have missed you” to “There’s a curfew, g2g bye”]’

As speculation circulated on why the set wasn’t live streamed, Frank also cleared up whether it was anything to do with new music coming.

He told the crowd: ‘It’s not because of a new album. Not that there’s not a new album, but it’s not right now.’

His last album was 2016’s BLONDE, which gained critical acclaim and UK chart success.

Last but not least: Frank rounded off the first weekend of Coachella as he finished the weekend with his set