Making bands happy behind the scenes at Coachella

THE proverbial rock-star treatment can take many forms: penthouse suites, groupie-filled limos, bowls of M&M’s picked clean (per contractual stipulation) of all green candy. At the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, a team of professionals strives to make sure that dressing rooms exceed even over-the-top rocker standards.

Each year since the festival’s launch, decorators enlisted by its promoter, Goldenvoice, have transformed the backstage area — specifically, 45 RVs, shared over three days by 122 scheduled acts — into a temporary rock ‘n’ roll wonderland filled with hand-crafted furniture, original art, personalized memorabilia and eye-catching props.

According to Donna Busch, a club talent buyer for Goldenvoice who co-coordinates Coachella’s backstage décor, such elaborate set dressing represents a “cool” way for the festival to live up to its name and spirit.

“Since it’s a music and arts festival, we wanted to bring the art to the musicians,” she said.

One particularly decked-out double trailer and tent configuration will accommodate the festival’s nightly headlining acts: Björk, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Rage Against the Machine. Each act, however, will encounter a totally redesigned space.

“For Björk, we created a handmade dress out of analog tape from a recording studio and a coffee table with her name spelled out in crystals,” said Mary Anne Campagna, a graphic artist and designer who oversees the decoration. “For the Chili Peppers, we’re paring everything down; we’ve worked with them for a long time and know they like Minimalism.”

Befitting Rage Against the Machine’s militantly progressive political slant, the dressing room will be repainted red and black on Sunday and stocked with artwork created for the band. “We went down to skid row and commissioned homeless people who were artists to make beautiful paintings for them,” she said, adding: “When the performers leave, they’re free to take anything they want.”

At a total cost of about $5,000 — for thrift-store furniture, tchotchkes and art supplies — Busch and Campagna finish most of the backstage decorations over the course of one grueling day with the help of nine assistants. Sometimes, as with Radiohead in 2004, performers will like the rarefied backstage ambience so much they’ll have to be gently urged to leave.

“We try to create a vibe,” Campagna said, “so the artist can go out on stage and be happy. You’re going to perform better if you’re happy.”