- There was no denying that some tough decisions were going to be made at this year's edition of St. Jerome's Laneway Festival in Sydney. At most festivals you expect one or two clashes, but how does one choose between M83, SBTRKT, John Talabot and Washed Out? Despite its name, Laneway Festival is no longer held in a laneway in inner city Sydney, having made the move to the historic buildings at Sydney's College of the Arts in Rozelle in 2010. It provides a location like no other in Sydney, away from stadiums and open parklands used by most festivals. It's like stepping back in time to Sydney's colonial days, with stages being separated by beautiful sandstone buildings that once housed a mental hospital.
Jonti started the day, and you can tell why the promoters picked him: He was a character to watch on stage, pushing buttons, jumping around and getting the crowd amped. His single "Firework Spraying Moon" was great live and his cover of J Dilla was surprising. Active Child was a nice way to enjoy the afternoon sun, the packed but relaxed crowd being serenaded by Pat Grossi's incredible voice. The highlight of the set came when he vocalised the harp lines to "Hanging On," which was clearly a crowd favourite.
Twin Shadow took things to the next level with some '80s-styled synth music. The surprising thing about Twin Shadow's live set is that it's much more energetic than their mellow Forget album. They got the crowd moving to tracks like "Castles in the Snow," "Slow" and "When We Were Dancing." Toro Y Moi's synth grooves and blissed out pop went down well, with "Saturday Love," "New Beat" and "Still Sound" obvious highlights.
Then came that hard decision—which headliner to see? I stayed put for Washed Out and the decision wasn't a disappointing one. I was keen to see how singer- songwriter Ernest Greene translated his music on the live front, touring Australia with his live band for the first time. His older songs, like "Belong" and "Feel It All Around" have clearly stood the test of time. Although there weren't too many people dancing throughout the set, the crowd swayed and took in the serenity.
This year's installment of the Laneway Festival proved, once again, why it's considered one of the best indie gigs on the Australian festival calendar. While there were sound problems throughout the day—most of which were quickly resolved—you know it's a good festival when no band on the day disappoints. Add sunny weather and beautiful surrounds, and Laneway even had the hipsters smiling.