In its third year gracing the extended grounds of the Footscray Community Arts Centre, Melbourne’s branch of the Laneway Festival feels like it has finally settled into a comfortable home. Since its inception in 2004, it has been a restless beast, though now the established festival reaches as far as Auckland and Singapore, with nary a laneway to be seen anywhere. The one constant is the high quality of music, with the 2013 edition again boasting an eclectic selection with a focus on new and up-and-coming acts.
I start the day softly, with High Highs at the River Stage. “This is the most beautiful stage we’ve ever played,” says vocalist Jack Milas, treating the lounging punters to a mellow, dreamy start to the day. Over on the Dean Turner Stage, Twerps are enjoying being back on their home turf and deliver a reliably great performance. Down at the Future Classic Stage, a few teething problems make for a wobbly start to Julia Holter’s set and snap you out of the magical place she’s attempting to transport you to. Eventually, it all comes together, but its dark, sinister vibe is an odd match for the sunny surrounds. Likewise, Perfume Genius is a hundred times better in a quiet, dark room; his sideshow a few days back was spellbinding. I catch a couple of his best songs (Dark Parts, Take Me Home), before taking in the bulk of a set from the breezy, charming Real Estate.
Things shift up a gear later in the afternoon with Nite Jewel’s confident, charismatic performance, followed by an invigorating, fist-pumping set from Cloud Nothings (heralding some welcome cloud cover) on the aptly titled Eat Your Own Ears stage. Polica also impress, with dual drums pounding away on their album opener and set closer Amongster, while Channy Leaneagh wriggles about the stage and belts out her soulful vocals.
Around hamburger-and-chips-o’clock, the main stage is catering to those hanging out to sing along to Triple J Hottest 100 hits, with Iceland’s Of Monsters And Men and the Matt Preston-endorsed Alt-J offering solid, conventional performances and being rewarded with rapturous applause. But the real action is at the Eat Your Own Ears stage, where the raucous double-act of Japandroids and the mighty Divine Fits fiercely battle against variable sound and win everyone over. Surprise of the day, for me at least, is a densely layered, full-throttle show from hip-hop dude EL-P, easily one of the day’s highlights.
Then, after catching most sets I was planning to see, I finally get a clash that stumps me: Natasha or Nicolas? After squeezing in amongst a million, squillion people to squint at Flume dutifully playing his records, I opt for a half-portion of Nicolas Jaar, who is teasing the crowd by dropping pounding 4/4 beats into his spooky, abstract soundscape and scooping them out just as suddenly. It’s confounding, intriguing and just the sort of behaviour you’d expect from someone who wears a cape. On the way out I catch the last couple of songs from Bats for Lashes, clad in a rainbow-pleated metallic dress (her, not me). It’s a very different set to the dance-oriented finales from previous years, with Natasha Khan effortlessly luring the masses into her bewitching fantasy world. It’s a classy performance to end to another dizzying, highly satisfying Laneway day.
BY CHRIS GIRDLER
LOVED: Cloud Nothings, EL-P, Nite Jewel, Real Estate, Divine Fits.
HATED: The long distance between the main stage and the EYOE stage.
DRANK: Yes.
