Laneway, A Day in Footscray

Words: Adrian Cosstick

“It’s a bad day for wearing black,” said Romy from The xx, who is dressed head-to-toe in a black ensemble and an assortment of chunky bling. The hyped threesome from London are playing a resolute set. Not only do they have to contend with stifling heat but the sound balance is out as well. Band-mate, Jamie Smith, drops the opening bars of ‘Fantasy’ to an unusual reaction from the crowd – the fans start to cover their ears. The bass is up too high and it pulsates through the crowd, causing countless Wayfarers to tremble on the faces of those in the front rows.

The xx mark the mid-way point of Melbourne’s Laneway festival. Despite the difficulties, the band’s furtive pop, characterised by the sultry vocals of Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim, enthuses the heat-weary crowd. Oliver reassures the fans that his first time in Melbourne has been fun, “We’re having a great time.” Dripping with sweat, it’s an unintentionally funny comment, as he looks to be battling in the heat. The band still deliver a terrific set, gliding through tracks like ‘Basic Space’, ‘Islands’ and ‘Crystalised’.

This year marks a change of venue for St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival. The festival began in 2004 when Jerome Borazio and Danny Rogers had the idea to spice up Melbourne’s summer by nestling live music between the city’s laneways. After last year’s debacle, which saw overcrowding and poor views, it has moved to the Footscray Community Arts Centre on the Maribyrnong River.

For festival goer Adam Jones, the new location retains the laneway vibe, “It’s still a unique setting because it’s not in a big open space like other summer festivals,” he said. “The stages are set in between the factories, the carpark down the back, and the docks, so there’s still a laneway feel. The festival has built itself up as a brand. But I think it’s more important to protect the festival’s reputation for unique and diverse music, rather than its location.”

“They’re digging our graves,” sings Kid Sam at the River Stage. He’s in the middle of a great rendition of ‘Down to the Cemetery’ as a security guard trudges up the hill again. From the look on the guard’s face there are a few people he would like to put in graves. He heads toward a group who has found relief from the heat in a roped off area. After asking the revellers to leave, he ambles back down to his position only to look up and find that more people have taken up spots in the forbidden zone. He pursists doggedly for another half hour. Eventually the crowd prevails under weight of numbers and a cleverly devised plan to shrink the area by subtly moving the rope.

Later that afternoon Scottish rockers, Frightened Rabbit, play to a small crowd at the Carpark Stage. Even the allure of the song ‘Good Arms vs Bad Arms’, which appeared in Grey’s Anatomy and One Tree Hill, isn’t enough to pinch sizeable numbers away from Mumford & Sons who are performing on the Moreland St Stage. It’s the Mumford crowd’s loss. While Mumford & Sons battle sound trouble, Frightened Rabbit put on an energetic show.

The band’s second album ‘The Midnight Organ Fight’ has received critical praise overseas and it’s easy to see why. The song ‘Keep Yourself Warm’ with its tender harmonies and swelling finale is well received by the onlookers. Judging by how much lead vocalist Scott Hutchison is sweltering, he’s not holding back on the performance. It’s good to see, considering the band would probably command a large audience back home. His only problem is with the comically small towel provided, “This isn’t big enough to wipe my balls.”

Dusk begins to descend as Warren Ellis whips up an atmospheric storm with his band The Dirty Three. The shaggy haired, gypsy-like enigma provides an interlude between the young and trendy perfomers that dominate the lineup. The experimental and rambling performance isn’t for everyone but with songs like the brilliant ‘Everything is Fucked’, it provides essential listening for the crowd at the Moreland St Stage.

“I think they’ve put me on at night to save me from the sun,” quips Florence Welch. It’s hard to argue with the pale, ginger haired performer from London. There are a couple of sniggers from the audience but her performance was no laughing matter. Florence and her backing band ‘The Machine’ tore through their debut album, Lungs, with a skill and tenacity that was unmatched on the day.

For a moment it seemed the crowd might get a shortened performance, as a couple of renegade partiers threatened to ruin the set. Perched way above the action on an adjacent factory roof, two people stand waving their hands and mobile phones at the crowd. The attempt to be Youtube ‘legends’ backfires. The organizers have to get Florence to coax the individuals down from the edge before the police close the event. The aggressive boos from the crowd force the couple to duck swiftly out of sight. “Florence and the Machine: Enforcing the law!” adds Florence, impressed with her newfound authority.

Even if your musical tastes are reluctant to accommodate Florence and The Machine’s soul inspired indie rock, she is worth seeing for the vocal performance. Songs like ‘Between Two Lungs’ are a showcase for her golden pipes. The song has an erratic arrangement that leaps between folk-style croons and the ‘big notes’ of a soul-diva. The glittery and free spirited ‘Dog Days Are Over’ sends the large crowd into a frenzy, much to the delight of the band who dig the energy of the revellers. ‘Kiss with a Fist’ is two minutes of pop-rock blitz, and closer, ‘Rabbit Heart’, leaves the crowd with a genuine festival-sized anthem. A fitting finale to the day in Foot-a-scray.