The energy within a festival is inevitably high octane, as music lovers unite to worship their favourite acts. Combine this intensity with the blistering heat of Australia Day, and it is safe to say that Laneway Festival was not for the faint hearted. Nevertheless, the stellar line up proved to be as exceptional as it initially looked upon its announcement, with heavyweights Tame Impala and Glass Animals complementing up and coming acts such as Gang of Youths and D.D Dumbo. In fact, part of Laneway’s appeal to me personally is the festival’s knack for selecting a diverse line up of independent albeit brilliant acts with the assured excellence of the headliners. I caught several acts across the day, however the following were particular standouts:
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
As a late addition to the line up, the announcement of King Gizz was an exciting one as they have fascinated me for some time now. The immense wall of sound they produce is matched by the band’s significant seven-man operation, as their chaotic psychedelic rock fuelled the crowd. Relying primarily on their most recent record, Nonagon Infinity; a psych metal rollercoaster from start to finish, the opening Gamma Knife immediately set the vibe for the rest of the set as its screeching chorus sent the crowd into a frenzy. The metal infused sound of Nonagon was complemented by cuts from their breakout record, I’m in Your Mind Fuzz, a noticeably more laidback set with mesmerising jams. As the band went back and forth between the aforementioned records, the set was peppered with material from their forthcoming LP Microtonal Flying Bananas, one of five albums the band is set to release in 2017 alone. I truly implore everyone to see this act if the chance arises, for their relentless set proved to be one of the most exciting I’ve ever witnessed.
Gang of Youths
On the basis of their 2015 LP The Positions, one can expect Gang of Youth’s live set to be thunderous to say the least. This expectation was at first met then exceeded, for their rumbling discography was only enhanced live. The band’s unique ballads echoed throughout the afternoon, with front man Dave Le’aupepe roaring crowd favourite Magnolia a particular standout. Whilst the majority of songs built up to a final climax, this formula never tired and in fact fitted exceptionally with the live atmosphere. Simply, Gang of Youths truly maximise the potential of a live space with their elongated anthems, and thus solidify themselves as the one the best acts of the festival.
Tame Impala
Having been blown away by Tame Impala’s live prowess at their 2015 Currents Tour, it was safe to say that I was heading into their headline show with unbridled excitement. Whilst my expectations were met, I’ll go on the record to say that an hour long festival set cannot do this band justice. With several songs exceeding the sixth minute, Tame Impala’s sprawling jams are naturally suited to a ninety-minute set. Nevertheless, Kevin Parker and company provided the most invigorating set of the festival in my eyes, pulling out crowd favourites Elephant and Less I Know the Better with some relatively lesser known gems like Endors Toi and The Moment. Whilst I was pleased with the set list, the most notable omission was not a track but rather an entire album! This set lacked any songs from the band’s debut record Innerspeaker, a mesmerising album that renders the closest comparisons to the psychedelic scene of the sixties to early seventies. If anything, a single track from the album would’ve quenched my thirst, for my love of the seminal Why Won’t You Make Up Your Mind or Alter Ego is too strong to disregard on the set list. It goes without saying that Tame Impala are taking the world by storm, and provided a fantastic conclusion to Laneway 2017.