Having just covered Big Day Out the previous Friday, it was interesting to note the cultural shift, particularly in regards to the number of punters at the event. What’s old is gone and what’s new is Laneway apparently…
To be honest Laneway for me started on Saturday afternoon.
We boys were up from Hamilton on a lads’ weekend away, and for us the party started well before the gates opened on that glorious Auckland Anniversary afternoon.
Without going into the messy details, we were very, very ready by midday Monday, and thanks to Jessie’s big smoke driving skills we zipped from pre-gaming in Mt Eden to downtown in no time. It was going to be a truly awesome rollercoaster of a day.
My first observation of the event was the massively long queue to get in. Having just covered Big Day Out the previous Friday, it was interesting to note the cultural shift, particularly in regards to the number of punters at the event. What’s old is gone and what’s new is Laneway apparently. Thankfully my name was on the door so I got to whistle my way past the throng, straight into the event, and ready for anything and everything.
Gloriously situated at Silo Park, the festival was looking to come together quite happily. The new venue really encapsulated what an inner city cultural event is all about. It was definitely an upgrade from last year’s venue (Aotea Square – still currently Occupied by third-year Arts students and general squatters I believe).
This year’s line up was truly staggering. My day went something along the lines of EMA (it’s indie rock and roll for me!) →Austra (trippy new age electro)→Cults (jingle jangle pop rock)→Girls→Laura Marling (heard but didn’t see due to spending 40 mins in queues to get drinks)→Yuck→Anna Calvi (undeniably sexy)→Washed Out (tripped out highlight)→Twin Shadow→Feist→M83 (a massive rock gig – the first time I have actually moshed since I was a teenager)→and Gotye (by this time I was absolutely stuffed in more ways than one). We danced and danced and danced. I wish you were actually with us.
Toby had an amazing time.
So did Sarah.
This guy was just chilling.
These two were having a moment. I’ll let you imagine what they were saying. Probably things like “Can I use your sunscreen?” or “Who is this band again?”
Yours truly waiting in about my fifth queue for the afternoon. “Need. Beer. Now!”
Twin Shadow has serious musical swagger. Think last year’s hit film “Drive” in a musical live format. Serious swagger.
A band called Girls. I love Girls. They play summer rock and roll and it was just perfect.
I also love Yuck. They play nostalgic grunge from the 90s ala Nirvana, old Foo Fighters etc. Insert ramble about the current state of music’s post-modernity here_______.
Festival highlight Feist truly knows music… and also how to get a crowd to help out during technical difficulties. I’m not sure what the devil horns in the photo are all about – possibly nostalgic straggler from former rock festival, Big Day Out.
Babes with programme. We all got a tan that day due to some strangely normal summer weather (i.e., sun!). Thank you la nina for playing nice, and thank you Laneway for the best festival yet.
All up, it was a well-produced event. The only downsides I could see were the bureaucratically long queues, timetable clashes (I missed personal favourites SBTRKT and Toro y Moi but that’s not really a negative – the line up was simply too awesome for its own good). Killjoy rookie security guards also ruined a few key moments of the day.
Apart from those minors, Laneway 2012 was a splendid job well done. I will have many happy (and slightly fuzzy) memories until this time next year? I’m looking forward to 2013’s event already.
Written by Theo Sangster.
Photo credits: Sam Foster and Hannah Good.
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