St Jerome’s Laneway Festival is one of the finest and most diverse festivals that Australia has to offer. Whilst previous years have showcased some extraordinary talent, this year’s high calibre of artists and the new Adelaide venue promised to surpass the standards set by its predecessors.
With a spacious set out and industrial vibe, the new venue at Port Adelaide’s Harts Mill immediately struck one as a vast improvement upon Laneway’s former claustrophobic home.
First up on Red Bull’s Future Classic Stage was American electronic artist Autre Ne Veut, with sublime vocals and r n’ b-infused electronica that proved to be an early highlight of the day.
Over on the Dolphin View Stage – which unfortunately didn’t live up to its name – was bedroom artist Youth Lagoon. Playing tracks off Wondrous Bughouse and The Year Of Hibernation, Trevor Powers’ cosmic lo-fi sound translated excellently in the live setting, retaining its blissful quality whilst demonstrating a previously unheard dynamism.
Next up was one of the most anticipated acts of the day: King Krule. Confirming once and for all that looks can be deceiving, Archy Marshall’s gritty, low register, in spite of his skeletal frame, was a powerful force that conjured up a disdainfulness tantamount to that of Morrissey. Set closer ‘Out Getting Ribs’ left the crowd in awe of this ginger wunderkind and proved that his morose, jazz-tinged rock is still an affecting sound even when heard underneath the debilitating sun.
Another 19-year-old wunderkind, Earl Sweatshirt attracted a sizeable crowd to the Future Classic stage. Sweatshirt’s honest lyrics, heavy beats, and humorous banter delighted those uninterested in the Hottest 100 winner/ukulele fanatic, Vance Joy.
After a much-needed food break, Kurt Vile and his longhaired companions, The Violators, blazed through a mellow, reverb-drenched set. Whilst each song was barely distinguishable from the next, their lackadaisical, Springsteen-soaked sound was the perfect greeting for the twilight stage of the day.
Back over at the Dolphin View stage, Brooklyn punks Parquet Courts were one of the few bands to provoke the crowd into forming a functioning mosh pit. Whilst sonically speaking they were a little off the mark, their set was propulsive and rowdy – as every good punk show should be.
As the majority of the crowd flocked to the adjoining main stages in preparation for the much-anticipated female frenzy of Haim, Chvrches, and Lorde, UK trio Daughter provided those waiting with a surprisingly good set. Calling to mind The xx with their minimalist, emotionally charged sound and Elena Tonra’s sensual vocals, Daughter were one of those rare bands capable of holding even the attention of those unfamiliar with their discography.
Decked out in daisy dukes and dresses – which were appropriate given the weather and their Californian heritage – the arrival of Haim roused an unseen enthusiasm in the crowd, setting an optimistic mood for the show ahead.
Whilst eldest Este and youngest Alana amused the punters with their stage theatrics (e.g. Este’s iconic ‘bass face’ and Alana’s engagement with the front row), middle-child Danielle was the lifeblood behind their performance. Simultaneously flaunting her guitar skills and Celine Dion-inspired vocals, Danielle’s proficiency edged the California girls from a rating of ‘great’ to ‘excellent’ in terms of live performances.
Closing with the percussion-driven ‘Let Me Go’, the three sisters’ bubbly presence and blend of pop, r n’ b, and retro rock won the hearts of everyone.
Unfortunately, this streak of brilliant performances was halted by Scottish synth-pop trio Chvrches. After a brief – in the words of singer Lauren Mayberry –“technical fuck up” and a 20 minute wait, a brave festival organiser faced the irritated crowd, informing them that Chvrches’ equipment had been scorched by the heat and that they would attempt to fix the situation.
With 15 minutes left, the trio admirably took to the stage and performed ‘The Mother We Share’, giving the crowd a taste of what they missed out on. Whilst it was a disappointing situation, this small taste and the graceful handling of this crisis helped ease the crowd’s initial dissatisfaction.
Also assisting in this healing process was of course the upcoming set from the girl that everybody is been talking about, 17-year-old Grammy winner Lorde. Prowling eagerly onto the stage in a formal black dress, Lorde, aka Ella Yelich-O’Connor, launched into her opening number ‘Bravado’, prompting a plethora of phones to be raised before the sky in order to capture the extraordinary moment.
Playing a range of songs from The Love Club EP and her debut album Pure Heroine, the singer’s vocal ability and sassy banter regaled the starstruck audience. Whilst ‘Team’ and ‘Royals’ led to enthusiastic singalongs, the most touching moment of her set was the bittersweet ‘Ribs’, which she wrote with the thought of playing Laneway in mind.
Once they had ticked ‘seeing a diamond in the flesh’ (Lorde) off their bucket lists, most punters headed to either Unknown Mortal Orchestra or moved across to Cloud Control. UMO’s hazy, lo-fi rock set however, was no match for Cloud Control’s unanticipated liveliness. Treating the crowd to hits such as ‘Gold Canary’ and ‘Scar’ along with a snippet of Butthole Surfers’ ‘Pepper’, Cloud Control’s set of earworm-dipped psychedelic rock was one of the most enjoyable of the evening.
Closing out the festival on the Dolphin View Stage, female four-piece Warpaint played to the remaining few not suffering from severe sunburn or lethargy. Yet again, the crowd fell deeply in love with another set of talented California girls, whose dreamy, lush sound and hushed vocals provided the exhausted crowd with an excellent ending to an incredible day.
