Hockey Players Performing With Frank Ocean At Coachella Reveal Behind The Scenes Chaos

The aftermath of Frank Ocean's anti-climatic performance at Coachella 2023 keeps getting worse, and now, two former hockey players meant to perform during his set have spoken out about the behind-the-scenes ordeal they faced ahead of the doomed set.

ICYMI: Despite being the most hyped event on the Coachella Week One calendar, Ocean's highly-anticipated return to the stage was marred by the singer and rapper deciding to cancel the live stream of his set on Coachella's YouTube, his performance running late and then being cut short due to curfew.

It was meant to be his return to the stage in his first live performance since 2017, yet many were left with a sour taste in their mouths, and rumours began to swirl on social media as to what lead to the show being such a letdown.

According to Festival Owl, "The stage production was supposed 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 practising for weeks, and were supposed to be skating as part of the production," they said following the show. 

Now, former hockey players Dan and Chris Powers - who were meant to appear on stage with the Pyramids singer alongside several dozens of skaters - have opened up about the drama that went on behind the scenes prior to Ocean's performance, and honestly? It sounds messy as hell.

“We’ve been hanging with Frank. We’ve been hanging with the other skaters. Hanging with these hanging figure skaters. Going through this whole process, it’s this huge ordeal,” Dan explained on the hockey podcast, Empty Netters, adding that the skaters had rehearsed for "nearly a month".

He added that rehearsals for the performance continued until Tuesday prior to Coachella, but when wardrobe and makeup were delayed numerous times, he felt that was the moment when “the wheels started to fall off.”

“We get to this hotel, and we’re told to be there by 12 noon. Then get a text that the runner’s not going to come until 1 pm,” Dan said, as Chris added, “Then it was 2:15 pm. Then 3 pm.”

Dan continued that by the time they arrived to wardrobe, "it was a nightmare."

"At this hotel, we run into the figure skaters. The Olympic figure skaters, mind you, and they have disgruntled looks on their faces. And they mention to us that they’ve been cut from the show,”

“We start to hear rumblings allegedly that Frank has been in an accident that has given him an ankle injury. So, people are saying, Frank’s not in a good head space,’ and they. ‘don’t know what’s going on.’ And we’re sitting there, and it is becoming clear that things are not going well with this show,” Dan continued.

After being told the ice rink had been scrapped and they should get in costume and walk around the stage, the pair responded, “F**k no. No, thank you. I’m out of here.”

Dan went on to say that the show fell apart due to Ocean's lack of enthusiasm to perform, not because of any behind-the-scenes issues, backing up the comments made by Festival Owl.

“It’s not like this fell apart, and he was, ‘Oh no.’ He was actively like, ‘I don’t want to f*cking do this anymore.’ Those figure skaters got cut not because there was an ice issue. Not because something went wrong. There was no malfunction. He was straight up like, ‘F**k this. I’m not doing this anymore.'”