Venue: Fort Canning Park, Singapore
Date: 29th January 2011
Promoter: Chugg Entertainment
Special Thanks: Rahul & Sammy and team
Photos: Aloysius Lim, Bryan Soon, and Ryan Chang
Laneway Festival made its debut in the region last month, with Singapore playing host to the diverse line up of Warpaint, Ladyhawke, Beach House, Deerhunter, Holy F***, !!!, Yeasayer, Foals, and The Temper Trap. We were there to witness the madness that went down at the festival and immediately knew right off the bat that it was one to go down in history the moment we set foot at the venue.
Despite the dismal weather, that didn’t seem to dampen the crowd’s spirits as they were thoroughly enjoying themselves throughout the festival (in the rain and mud, no less). All performers were extremely excited to be playing in Singapore, and at the prospect of sharing the stage with their fellow musicians and peers. It was evident at the press conferences where they were constantly seen grooving in the media tent whilst other bands were performing on stage.
Photo Credit: Warpaint by Aloysius Lim & Ladyhawke by Bryan Soon
The Los Angeles all-girl group, Warpaint, were a perfect start to kick off the festival and certainly set the tone for the rest of the day, performing numbers that include “Bees” and “Undertow”. Rarely does one see such a tight live performance, but these girls definitely delivered and rather effortlessly at that. New Zealand native Ladyhawke followed suit, entertaining the eager audience with the likes of crowd favourites “Paris Is Burning” and “My Delirium”. It was a strong performance and a definite must-see in the event she returns for a tour in the future.
Photo Credit: Beach House by Ryan Chang & Deerhunter by Aloysius Lim
Beach House had a slightly more elaborate stage setup, whilst performing staples such as “Norway” and “Used To Be”. A total pleasure to watch, and one can’t help but be mesmerized by Victoria’s vocals that harmoniously intertwined with the music. Atlanta’s Deerhunter was up next, putting on an entertaining yet solid set. We watched as frontman Bradford Cox and the rest of the band played hits that include “Helicopter” and “Never Stops”, keeping the festival’s momentum going.
Photo Credit: Holy F*** by Bryan Soon & Chk Chk Chk by Ryan Chang
Canadians Holy F*** had “energetic” written all over their set, an excellent contrast to the gloomy weather everyone was being subjected to. The quartet’s electronica infused tunes were music to everyone’s ears and they were clearly feeding off the enthusiasm from the concert goers. The lads from !!! (Chk Chk Chk) took it up a notch with their dance-punk songs, taking over where Holy F*** left off. Heck, lead singer Nic Offer was prancing about in shorts and diving into the crowd!
Photo Credit: Yeasayer by Ryan Chang & Foals by Bryan Soon
New Yorkers Yeasayer contributed their flavour of experimental rock, which was very well received. It didn’t matter that the relatively new band only had two records under their belt as that was a non issue; their 45 minute stage time reeked of vibrance and we were left hoping they will announce a full Southeast Asian tour soon for our next fix. Foals, the only British band on the line up, did not disappoint with their infectious numbers and kicked it off with “Blue Blood”. The fans went wild, and Foals were clearly one of the favourite acts of the evening.
Even though a number of the crowd dissipated after Foals’ set, many still stayed put to catch the festival’s headlining act. Australia’s renowned The Temper Trap wrapped up the evening for the concert goers, performing their hits well into the night. Their haunting yet melodic riffs echoed in dark abyss, transporting the listeners into a journey of pure musical bliss.
Photo Credit: The Temper Trap by Aloysius Lim
It was a long and exhausting day, but one to remember and a unique one at that. The experience was incredibly memorable and the elements of a fantastic line up, passionate music fans, massive singalongs, crazy stage antics, crowd interaction, with an ambiance that was just right made it so.
Just as the festival promises its return in 2012 on the booklet, you can bet your bottom dollar that we will too – in true Laneway fashion!