Reasons why Laneway 2016 was not overrated

If you are a music junkie and still haven’t been to St Jerome’s Laneway Festival, you ought to kick yourself.

This year’s Laneway rocked Gardens by the Bay again with a strong line-up of acts and a scrumptious feast of hipster grub like sushi rolls and churros.

Here are some reasons why we think Laneway 2016 is, actually, not overrated.

1. The music’s great, as always.

I mean, that is the reason people even go for Laneway, right?

This year’s line-up featured over 20 artists including returning acts Grimes and Chvrches, Manchester alternative-rock band The 1975, and local bands Cashew Chemists, Intriguant, and Riot !n Magenta.

The 1975 was definitely a crowd-puller, as the numbers multiplied as soon as they took over the stage. They impressed the audience by singing ‘Love Me’ from their latest album, I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It, ‘Robbers’, ‘The City’ and ‘Girls’.

2. International acts getting a taste of Singapore’s heat and local flavours

Singapore isn’t known for its gig-friendly weather (our humidity can be a real a party pooper), but we were impressed with the artists for braving the heat.

Grimes, in particular, was panting midway her performance. She stopped for short breaks in between her songs before quickly resuming her singing, infecting the crowd with her energy.

The artists were also candid  in person — some even took up the challenge of tasting local Chinese New Year delicacies. Apparently, the flavour of the pineapple tart seemed too strong for the members of Chvrches.

3. We had access to affordable (hipster) food

$10 for sushi rolls? No problem! I mean, if you can afford to pay for the tickets, you surely can afford the other goodies, no?

Thanks to its curated list of local and international vendors, we managed to feast all day long within the festival grounds (since re-entry is prohibited this year, boo!), allowing us to concentrate on more important things, like shuttling between the four main stages.

4. More local bands are featured on the main stages

If you’re a frequent Laneway attendee, you’ll know that the festival tends to sneak in local acts in its line-up. The 2016 edition is no exception. Local bands Cashew Chemists and Riot !n Magenta had the honour to perform on the two main stages, the Garden Stage and the Bay Stage.

During their brief media session, Singaporean rock band Riot !n Magenta, who kick-started the festivities on the Bay Stage, shared that local bands should aim to perform at Laneway because the festival exposes non-mainstream bands to more music fans.

We second that!

5. You get to pretend that you’re in *coughs* Coachella!!!

If you have Coachella-themed clothes that are too flamboyant for most or any occasions,  welcome to Laneway!

During the 12-hour festival, you will bump into similar-minded folks who won’t judge you for your quirky sartorial picks. You might even leave with a bag of compliments.

6. Three words: The White Room

Having an open-air festival in Singapore only means one thing – you are at the mercy of the sun.

Which is why we welcomed the new addition of an air-conditioned stage, The White Room, with open arms. No more jostling with a sweaty mob of revellers with smelly pits, yasss!

The dark-lit hall provided a perfect place for us to chill while catching local acts like Fauxe and Rah, as well as US-based music producer B Bravo. We really hope this fancy room returns in future Laneway editions!

Laneway 2016 was evidently a hit again, and we are suffering from post-concerts syndrome. We are definitely looking forward to the line-up next year!