April 19, 2009 9:26

MIA creates colourful dance-party chaos at Coachella

The singer invites massive audience on stage

MIA turned the Coachella main stage into a colourful dance party tonight (April 18), inviting several audience members on stage to dance.

The singer, who recently gave birth to her first child, was accompanied on stage by a team of professional dancers wearing glowing neon outfits, as well as rapper Rye Rye, who danced and sang back-up vocals on several songs.

"Thanks for having me on the main stage," she said. "Last year I only did six songs this year I want seven," she said, referring to her 2008 Coachella performance that was shut down by security when too many people tried to join her on stage.

Dressed casually in jeans, a T-shirt and neon-rimmed glasses, MIA led the charge for during her hour-long set, foraging out into the audience to perform and bringing her adoring fans on stage.

"Can I get some people up on the stage?" she asked. When several people in the audience complied and security attempted to deny them access, MIA repeatedly shouted, "Let 'em on!"

At one point, MIA sang: "They tried to make me do the Oscars, I said no, no, no," to the tune of Amy Winehouse's 'Rehab'.

The guest appearance by Lil Wayne that MIA announced via a Twitter update earlier in the day never materialised, but the crowd didn't seem to notice, dancing vigourously and singing along to several songs including 'Boyz', 'Galang', and finally her mega-hit 'Paper Planes'.

Blog - Lyndsey Parker's top 10 Coachella highlights, including video footage of Franz Ferdinand, The Cure, Leonard Cohen and more.

Photo Gallery - all the action from Coachella 2009.

--By our Los Angeles staff.
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