In spite of recent festival implosions, St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival has bucked the trend and thrived in the current music landscape. Thanks to a deft music selection, great venues and a boutique vibe, Laneway has emerged as Australia’s premier summer festival. And what better way to crown yourself with this newly appointed title, than with a classic sunny afternoon for the Sydney edition.
While we were there for the music, we are also devoted people watchers. In particular, our eyes are trained on summer stylings, and nothing is more summer centric than sunglasses. So as part of our review, we gave extra band points for sunglass style.
The Internet were the perfect start to the afternoon. Their jams wafted across the summer space like a big warm RnB hug. Moderately understated sunglass choices but a beautiful vibe to begin the afternoon from a band destined for huge things.
Mid-afternoon, Hermitude whipped the steamy crowd into a frenzy, running through a set riddled with recent hits. These boys are a well-oiled beat machine and also displayed this afternoons first epic sunglasses!
Health pummelled the crowd with some sweaty electronic rock on the Milestone stage. While on mainstage, Grimes tore through her own firey brand of indie electro-pop mayhem. Complete with back-up singers and dancers, this was without a doubt the best sunglass action of the afternoon and easily one of the sets of the day.
Battles did just that, throbbing through their beat-rock stylings at sunset. Unfortunately, Churches are not really my thing, although I am clearly in the minority as they played to a huge and appreciative crowd. I had to dock them points for displaying no sunglasses at all… booo! Closing with Flume guaranteed the crowd wore sunglasses until well after the sunset.
In short, Laneway proved itself to be Australia’s best festival and Grimes proved she’s better than some of the bigger acts. 5 sunglasses out of 5.
Peace out man.
