By James Murphy
2023 Laneway Festival in Bonython Park/Tulya Wardli had a distinctly Californian flavour, with San
Fernando Valley sisters Haim, Pasadena emo-folk star Phoebe Bridgers and Billie EIlish’s brother and
collaborator, LA’s FINNEAS at the top of the stacked line-up. Haim and FINNEAS returned for their
second Laneway, having previously graced the stage at Hart’s Mill, a location rich in character, with a
stage by the river. This year’s Laneway migrated to the more centrally located park that has been
home to circuses, Schutzenfests and Soundwaves and that has a tram stop across the road. The loss
of the river breezes was amply replaced by the lush greenery, shady trees and proximity to the CBD.
Joining the returning Haim and Finneas were festival first timers Norway’s Girl In Red, New Zealand
punk rockers The Beths, Australian ear worm crafters Mallrat and Adam Newling, emerging First
Nations stars Sycco and Tasman Keith and Triple J Unearthed winners Jacotene and Adelaide’s
Coldwave.
Under the midday summer sun, Adelaide Triple J Unearthed Laneway winners and feature artists,
Coldwave kicked off the festival. Named after the genre that was born when punk crashed into
Kraftwerk popularised synths, the band is led by front man Harry Evans, whose idiosyncratic vocal
delivery and Ian Curtis moves meld with the six piece’s chaos of sound; a sound that has pundits
excited. Following the nonchalant post-punk ensemble was Triple J Unearthed High winner Jacotene,
a social media savvy 16 year old with a voice like Winehouse, who, in a sign of the times, unfurled a
body sized QR code to connect online with her new fans. In stage attire decorated with liquid paper,
Jacotene has the vocal pipes and stage presence to follow the same path as previous winners like
Montaigne and The Kid Laroi.
In a black leather vest, First Nations hip-hop artist, Tasman Keith, who has recently collaborated with
Oz Rock royalty, Goanna, delivered an energetic afternoon set, though he was frustrated that the
crowd, who were still warming up, did not yet respond with the same energy. The frustrations
continued when Sycco, like Mallrat and Girl in Red to follow, struggled with technical difficulties
caused by heat induced tech meltdowns. This has unfortunately been a Laneway regularity, with sets
by Billie Eilish and Chvrches similarly cooked previously. Sycco and Mallrat both battled on and filled
dead air with anecdotes: Sycco about her psychedelic pants emblazoned with “I love acid”, that
threatened to fall around her ankles at any moment, as they were a size or two too big; Mallrat
introduced the crowd to her collection of stuffed toys. With tight set times, though, tech worries
disrupted the flow. Nothing could stop Girl in Red, though. Dressed in a black vest, white shirt and
black shades, the Norwegian had a face in red as she uncorked her frenetic energy during a late
afternoon set that featured crowd surfing, moshing and a “wall of death”. Rainbow flags waved as
the star related how a fan at an Adelaide restaurant the night before told her that “the lesbians were
making out in the mosh pit at Brisbane Laneway”. With LGBTIQ+ anthems like “I Wanna Be Your
Girlfriend” and “Girls” and mental health confessional “Serotonin”, Girl In Red received one of the
most enthusiastic responses of the day.
Like Girl in Red, FINNEAS, had the stadium ready charisma and confidence; sharing the world’s
biggest stages alongside his global megastar sister Billie was good training; now he’s stepped out of
the shadow. As a pivotal co-songwriter on Eilish’s hits, FINNEAS is accumulating his own, such as
“Let’s Fall In Love For The Night” which he crooned while lounging and standing upon his piano.
Acclaimed indie folk star Phoebe Bridgers, with her band that features Adelaide-born bass player
Emily Restas, interspersed her Elliot Smith-esque ballads to depression and heartache with a
deadpan humour that rivals Aubrey Plaza, while headlining sisters Haim displayed the instrument swapping, audience engaging, all-singing, all-dancing versatility that can only come from being in a
family band since childhood. Both Haim and Bridgers released seminal albums during the pandemic’s
darkest days. The 2023 Laneway was a return but also the beginning of a new age for the festival.
No Comments