A week ago, local online radio station and bar, Soundpond.net, teamed up with The Adelaidian and sent us to St Jerome’s Laneway Festival to write a review and take photographs for their website and Facebook page. Throughout the day, we had an absolute blast and here’s just some of the reasons why:
1. The weather was sunny and warm.
The weather started off great – almost perfect weather for a music festival, in fact. Sure, the heat got a little intense at points, but we made it work by retreating to the shade every now and then. And drinking a lot of alcohol.
The evening and night settled into a perfect, overcast warmth, allowing the festival-goers to party on till late in the night. And to top it all off, the sunset was absolutely amazing. Transitioning from day to night, there were colours of bright blue, red, orange and yellow scattered throughout sky in amongst fluffy clouds. It was such a shame that the best points of the sunset occurred just before and during FKA Twigs’ set… because really, who could bring themselves to tear their eyes away from that goddess!
2. There were some wicked food stalls.
Who doesn’t love festival food. Not sure if the food on offer is genuinely amazing or everyone is just that munted that no one really gives a damn, but the point still stands. Festival food is love, festival food is life.
3. There were also some wicked fashion stalls.
That’s right – fashion stalls for both women AND men. For women: vintage stalls with plenty of alternative wear and cute, summery clothing for a warm day. Cowboy boots, plaid shirts, floral dresses etc. And like any festival ever, there were your typical fabulous flower crowns, all hanging up in a row. For men: a wicked stall featuring garments from local alternative brand, Triple Six. There were plenty of basketball jerseys, colourful flat caps and some of the great, hand-printed Triple Six tees up for grabs. Get this – there was even a ‘men’s haircut’ stall where guys could freshen their locks. At a festival. What sort of phenomenon is this and why was there not one for us women?
4. The setting was uniqe and something new.
Set in the historical site down at Harts Mill in Port Adelaide, Laneway’s location had a different feel to festivals held in the usual Bonython Park or Adelaide Showgrounds such as Soundwave, Stereosonic or Future Music Festival. With stages located conveniently by the port, the location was actually quite scenic by the water and the big ships. But the port wasn’t only a pretty piece of eye candy; it actually provided canoe-ers with the chance to hop on their water vehicles and travel out into the water, right by one of the stages where they could sit and listen to the music on a calm drift. Together, they travelled out in a big group with eskies and alcohol aboard – what else could you possibly need! Won’t even need to buy a ticket next year, will probably just learn to paddle a canoe… (Just kidding, I recommend buying the ticket. It’s worth every cent).
5. The music was downright amazing.
Of course, what we were really all there for in the end: the music. We heard from the likes of Adelaide local Tkay Maidza, Aussie favourites Pond, Courtney Barnett and Flight Facilities, artists from the US including Future Islands, Banks and Vic Mensa, and a mix of wicked UK artists such as Jungle, Eagulls and the gorgeous, unforgettable FKA Twigs. If you want to read more about the music at Laneway, we definitely recommend checking out the article on Soundpond.net, just follow the link posted here: http://soundpond.net/laneway-festival-2015/.
Thanks for reading guys, we can’t wait for next year’s Laneway Festival!
