My favourite Laneway moments (sob)

We're going to have to find something else to do today...

• It’s Auckland Anniversary Day, which usually means it’s time to head into town and soak up the sun and sounds at Laneway. Unfortunately, thanks to you know what, this year’s festival has been axed. Over the past 11 years I’ve become quite fond of Laneway, so I thought I’d share a few favourite memories. Let’s go…

I love sitting in the grass at Albert Park watching bands play. I love all of the food trucks. I love running into random friends. I love seeing the show’s headliners standing in the crowd next to you. I love the weird configuration of the Rotunda Stage.

I love discovering new acts you’d never heard of that suddenly become your new favourites after you randomly walk past their show and then can’t leave.

I once got talking to someone backstage at Laneway, exchanged banter for 10 minutes, then excused myself so I could take in New York rap brats Ratking. The guy I was just talking to got up on stage. He was Wiki, one of my favourite rappers, and I’d just met him without even realising it.

Laneway is that kind of festival, but it isn’t being held today. Covid-19 has made it impossible to hold an event determined to bring dozens of new, fresh, exciting artists to New Zealand.

Instead, we’re all going to have to find something else to do with our day. So I thought we could celebrate like we did with the Big Day Out last week and remember some of the festival’s best moments from the past 11 years.

Let’s hope we get to create more of them in 2022…

FKA Twigs (2015)

FKA Twigs came out in full daylight for her performance in 2015, which is not the best time to see the Brit’s glitchy contortions. Turned out she’d timed everything perfectly - as the sun went down, Twigs’ set got darker, gloomier, and better. She was supposed to be embarking on a world tour when Covid-19 hit, so hopefully we’ll get to see her do it all again soon.

Purity Ring (2016)

I still get chills thinking about this one. Canadian act Purity Ring closed the festival’s smaller stage when it was down at Silo Park, singer Megan James dressed in a white gown and singing their throbbing, bruised songs in front of a curtain of lights. I remember barely being able to stand after a long day in the sun, but unable to leave.

Anderson .Paak (2018)

The crowd crush was insane. Nearly every other stage was empty as fans crammed in and around the Rotunda Stage to take in Anderson .Paak’s first New Zealand performance. Holy wow he did not disappoint. When I got back to the office, I breathlessly smashed out a story headlined: Has Anderson Paak delivered the best Laneway set yet? Even now, I think the answer might be: Hell Yeah.

JessB (2020)

She played for two hours. Two hours. Let’s put that in perspective. Halfway through JessB’s mesmerizing performance, which was half hits and half a globe-trotting dance party, I got hungry and departed to find some food. I grabbed a burger, wandered around the festival, then returned, and JessB was still smashing it out of the park. It was such an impressive display of stamina it inspired me to write this.

Peaches Hot Chicken (2019)

I spent at least 15 minutes standing in the queue for a fried chicken burger in 2019. Once I’d finished it, I got back in the queue and did it all over again. No one goes to Laneway just for the bands - the food options are incredible, and Peaches is my fave. They have a shop out in Panmure now, and it gets queues just as long as those at Laneway. It’s totally worth the trek.

Marlon Williams (2020)

He was a last-minute replacement playing last on the stage set in the middle of Albert Park. Honestly, it was late, I’d gone hard all day, and I had one eye on the exit. Marlon Williams wouldn’t let me leave. I climbed a tree, perched myself on a branch and watched the Kiwi troubadour absolutely smash it out of the park. Maybe it was because it didn’t matter, and nothing was resting on his performance, but this is the best I’ve seen Marlon Williams play. A great show, at a great festival. Can’t wait for it to happen again.