The 2016 Auckland Laneway Festival Went Way Up

“I hope this isn’t some Jimmy Kimmel shit, because I’m literally only here to see Flume” one Scrumpy-ied punter was overhead at one point during the day.

Regardless of who you were there to see, St Jerome’s Laneway Festival delivered on its reputation for bringing international and local indie-authenticity to Auckland. This year’s festival seemed to attract a younger and increasingly diverse crowd to see a lineup that included Baynk, Beach House, Grimes, Metz, Shamir and Vince Staples.

In 2016 Laneway was going way up.

Wellingtonian teen Lontalius opened the day to minimum fanfare but despite some technical difficulties continued trekking through a repertoire of raw emotion. This was no spectacle, just potent lyricism and frankness in songs such as “All I Wanna Say”. Stellar vocals and gangly innocence will forever be a primo combination. 

New York’s DIIV delivered perhaps one of the most mellow and polite set from an indie pop/rock band anyone had seen. Kooky Zachary Cole Smith (in the coolest of Technicolor shirt/dress/coats) thanked the crowd persistently and while each member very clearly had his own distinct style and personality, but musically they brought total cohesion.

It’s rare that a live show captures the intimacy of a garage-band jam, but Scuba Diva’s performance did just that. Fearlessly owning his debut live performance, he circumvented the awkwardness of a drumming front man and had every fanny pack in the vicinity swaying in unison. 

While the Auckland Laneway team usually nailing poplar up an coming artists, this year it was clear even management underestimated the relevance and popularity of confrontational Long Beach rapper Vince Staples. Hitting the inhaler hard pre-“Lift Me Up”, Staples was a bizarrely primo mix of backstreet skate kid and FTP provocateur. “Blue Suede” saw punters spilling out into surrounding areas, climbing walls and/or obscure sculptures to get amongst the action. 

Odd Future’s ramshackle soul band The Internet had everyone from the opening track, “Get Away" and a large contingent were down the front for both the music and the hype surrounding front-woman Syd tha Kyd. 

Seeing Grimes in any context is to fall in love with her. She was everything and more, and her performance of “Scream”, (which was basically just her, well, screaming) had everyone digging on her x1000. 

Battling against bodies and sunburn aside, the day’s lineup delivered the kind of performances that can only come from a real appreciation for what’s good in music. And wow, there was so much good.

Man-of-the-people GoldLink seemed to win the hearts and souls of many a festivalgoer with his post-set banter with fans. His performance lead to the best comment of the day from a largely inebriated art student in a bandana: “Got too turnt at Goldlink and lost all my friends…so I’m just here eating this corn cob.” 

Hey Laneway, thx for the memories. 

Images: Imogen Wilson