As genre becomes more and more blended in the era of playlisting and TikTok, more and more mainstream artists are being influenced and inspired by alternative music. There is a surprising amount of fan crossover for artists such as Joji, girl in red, 100 Gecs or Phoebe Bridgers. All of which just so happened to be at Laneway Festival this past weekend - so naturally so were we.
The atmosphere was colourful and energetic. I think people are still just buzzing that festivals exist again. The first artist I was lucky enough to catch was in fact girl in red and I fit right in with my other queer emo girlies. Especially when the set ended with a surprisingly large wall of death - which if that didn’t prove my point about genre blending - then how about we fast forward to Phoebe Bridgers who walked on stage with a flaming background, metal font and HEAVY soundtrack of 'Down With The Sickness'. Her set felt like nothing short of a religious experience. 'Scott Street' being a personal highlight of mine. The crowd softly cried as they sang along, the sound echoing through what seemed to be a repurposed aircraft hanger, Phoebe's ethereal voice and a haunting instrumental all culminated in the stand-out set of the night.
It’s worth mentioning hardcore heroes Turnstile were also meant to be playing but were too busy getting nominated for Grammys and slaying the red carpet. We will be covering them later this week though so look out for that gallery!
Personally, seeing alternative influences in a festival as large as Laneway is really exciting. I’m very keen to see what the festival organisers have in store for the future.
Review by Bree Vane.
Laneway Festival continues this weekend in Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth.
Laneway Festival 2023
