The colourful crowd at St Jerome’s Laneway Festival enjoyed a day of musical fun in the sun on Saturday as local and international acts alike descended upon the banks of the Maribyrnong River.
The festival was back in Footscray for its ninth year, confirming its reputation for offering one of the most eclectic line-ups on the crowded festival circuit with acts including The Internet, Mac DeMarco, Anderson Paak, Slowdive and The War on Drugs.
The spiky post-punk of Cable Ties and punk grrrrl of Dream Wife set an early high bar early, before the slacker ‘90s throwback of birthday boy Sandy (Alex G).
Melbourne locals Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever delivered a solid set harking back to quintessentially Australian sound of The Triffids and their ilk while rapper Miss Blanks fired off bawdy rhymes that would have left any passing sailors blushing.
Amy Shark’s polished set and stage presence was a fan-pleaser but Moses Sumney threatened to steal the day with his haunting falsetto and soulful heart.
Wolf Alice brought the day back a welcome growl, perfectly offset by the bewitching gothic idiosyncrasies of New Zealand’s Aldous Harding.
Anderson .Paak and the Free Nationals were inexplicably late but quickly won favour with the restless crowd by getting the party well and truly started, staccato drums and funk-laced bass laying a firm foundation for Paak’s grinning hyperactivity.
Bonobo’s electronic smorgasbord was well fleshed-out by a horn section and the mesmerising guest vocalist Szjerdene.
Slowdive’s shoegaze dreamscapes provided the perfect setting for sunset, layers of swirling sonic delight building with seemingly effortless ease.
The War on Drugs finished off the night in fitting style, offering a driving set of their all-American modern-day classics.
