Few festivals have had to change their identity as much as Laneway. One of Australia’s premier music festivals, Laneway has changed a lot since the days of the main stage being located in an actual Laneway in Footscray. It has transformed from the slightly alternative to the central force in one day festivals in Australia. While many may harken back to the day of Laneway offering slightly off-kilter line ups and acting as an event of curation and discovery, its evolution has been necessary and ultimately successful.
The Flemington Racecourse is the festivals third different venue in its Melbourne leg. While it lacks the uniqueness of the original Laneway, its size and convenient layout makes it far more accessible. With one day festivals such as Groovin the Moo, Soundwave, Big Day Out and every single Hip Hop festival that attempts to go ahead cancelling or straight up folding, Laneway needed to grow and take its place at the forefront of the one-day experience.
The first act of the day that Couchdog checked out was the dynamic jazz duo Domi & JD Beck. Fresh off their debut album ‘Not Tight, the duo was an excellent choice for an early afternoon set. Despite their apologies for being sloppy due to their lack of sleep, the set was anything but. With a smaller but intimate crowd who hung on at every Keys Solo, Drum break or tempo change. The highlight of the set being their Medley of songs from the legendary MF DOOM and Madlib joint Madvillainy. This set felt closer to Laneways’ origins, a well-known up and coming act who still operates in the alternative having the opportunity to have their work seen by new eyes.
From international upstarts to local legends, the following acts that Couchdog attended were Melbourne/Naarm legends Angie McMahon and Floodlights. Angie was an excellent early main stage choice. Plenty of sing-alongs to warm up the steadily growing crowd with a nice relaxing atmosphere. Capped off with an ABBA cover (the easiest way to get a crowd energized) Angie’s vocals acted as a soothing entry to the main stage for the day.
Couchdog would like to extend their gratitude to the Laneway organizers for making the Dean Turner stage undercover, as the sun was starting to warm up and those of us with pale skin were beginning to feel those UV’s making their mark on us. Being able to relax in the shade watching the Alternative Rock outfit Floodlights was a highlight of the day. Their ability to convey a masterful sense of storytelling in their music while still providing energy makes them an early day festival favorite no matter the line up.
The escape to the shade didn’t last long however, as it the main stage was calling yet again with the promise of seeing a constant festival favorite Confidence Man. There isn’t much we can say about the band that hasn’t been parroted by any Australian Festival goer before. An instant highlight of the day, incredible connection to the crowd and the theatrics of the performance adding an extra element of immersion compared to other Electronic/Dance acts.
From the heavyweights of the main stage to the Jameson stage that showcased a lot of up-and-coming bands. The band that bought us to the corner of the festival to a vey wholesome and homely set up area was the one and only Belair Lip Bombs. Best friends to not only Couchdog but also anyone who loves incredibly creative and emotive Indie Rock. Off their hugely successful debut album Lush Life (which has seen them been invited to play at South by Southwest) their Laneway set drew a nice sized crowd that were obviously familiar with them. Often at festivals there can be a big crowd for an artist who not many attendees are familiar with. At this Lip Bombs set, nearly every single person was aware of not only the lyrics but the various instrumental sections that were sung along too. This set marked the Lip Bombs as a band to look to in the future, I am sure the next time the play Laneway it will be at one of the four main stages.
Finally was our headliner of choice. Apologies to Stormzy (who when I saw in 2016 was one of the best live acts I've seen) because the day was main evented by Unknown Mortal Orchestra. The amazing Psychadelic/Pop/Garage hybrid band headed by songwriting mastermind Ruban Nielson. A favorite of ours for many years who came back to Australia for the first time since 2016. While the energy of the set was definitely lower compared to what was happening over on the mainstage, the more toned down set to end the night was perfect. The crowd singing in harmony to the perfectly selected tracks that spanned across their discography. The translation from studio to a live setting was something of intrigue as their production is integral their unique sound. While a number of tracks did feel different in this setting they were actually overall improved as the live instrumentation provided more momentum and energy in comparison to their more understated recording counterparts. Stand out moments included the infectious and bouncy Hunnybee and the mass crowd sing along their Multi - Love.
While Laneway has changed in terms of the acts they showcase and the spaces they occupy, the consideration of a variety of acts is still there. Fingers still on the pulse of what is current for younger punters as well as the touch of tastemaking that the festival became known for in their early years.
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