Time to dig out your most eccentric outfits and spend the day watching some of the best indie music acts from around the world – Laneway is here again! This year’s Laneway will be held on 30 January at Gardens By The Bay, and there are so many artists to catch, from Singapore’s own Cashew Chemists to The 1975 from the United Kingdom, and Grimes from Canada.
You’ll only get one shot to make the most of Singapore’s best one-day Festival, so here are a few of the best tried and tested tips and tricks from a 5-time Festival veteran to make sure that you get the most out of your once a year indie fest.
This tip can make 30 January 2016 a day you won’t forget. First, take note of where the interview tent is – it tends to be on the left of the stage when facing it face on, and it’s where artists get to the stage from. It can be a bit of a waiting game, but if you’re patient enough to wait near the fence, you’ll have the opportunity to meet your favourite artists when they walk past. They all have to do this to get to the stage or back to the tent after their performance, so your odds look good.
I managed to meet the lead singer of Daughter here one year, and have the Instagram to prove it. Be the envy of all your friends and get your very own post to celebrate meeting your fave artist.
The Laneway Website has a comprehensive list of what you are allowed to bring, and although all are useful, some key pieces are missing. It’s hard to forget money, ID and tickets, but sunscreen and ponchos are 2 extras you must always remember. It says to bring a hat, but only bring one if you’re super sensitive to the sun. Otherwise, it’s just another item to lose in the crowd.
Missing from the list are portable chargers. Snapchatting for hours on end will drain your battery, and finding all your friends on the way out without your phone is a headache you can live without. Other pieces you might also want to think about bringing: a picnic blanket, a battery-operated fan, and sunglasses. Sunglasses make everyone look cooler, and let you fall asleep on your picnic blanket in peace.
Also, although you can’t bring food or drinks, you are allowed to bring in empty, unsealed plastic bottles. This may seem a bit pointless, but when you get your drink and suddenly decide you want to go into the crowd, pouring your drink out of the cup and into the bottle means no spillage, especially important when every drop is both as precious and as expensive as liquid gold.
When it comes to Laneway, the last thing you want to do is forget to eat lunch and not plan the quickest way to get there, only to turn up late, hungry, and missing your favourite band as you’re waiting in the burger queue. To prevent this tragic turn of events, find out when and where your favorite artists are performing, turn up about an hour before they start, and never miss an act again.
Timing is key. Get there too early, you’ll end up hanging around and spending too much money on food and drinks, but arrive too late and you face getting stuck at the back of the crowd and missing your favourite act.
When it’s time to leave, unless the last act is the one that you have waited all day for, it’s best to go about 20 minutes before the end. If you don’t, you’ll get caught up in the exodus of people trying to get home at the same time as you. Quick note: the final song of the final set will always be amazing as the artists try to end with a bang. Just be sure you’re ready to wait that little bit longer for bed.
Festival food, no matter how delicious, is always going to be expensive and since you’re there all day, having to buy food at some point is a guarantee. However, instead of having to buy both lunch and dinner, eat before and come full so you’ll only need a quick burrito or fries.
At Laneway, there are some things you’ll suddenly feel like you need to buy more than anything else in the world. Not food or water – I’m talking stick on glitter tattoos in the shape of birds and flowery headbands. 364 days a year, these won’t be at the top of your list, but being at music festivals does weird things to your spending habits.
The stick on tattoos at Laneway will cost at least 3 times more than if you bought them outside, and although the price might seem worth it at the time, it really isn’t. Think of the Laneway T-shirt you could buy instead. Or even better, think of the extra money for food it will leave you with. Always think of the food.
Spotify is your new best friend. Don’t just get excited about the bands you already know about (cough cough The 1975), look at those you haven’t heard of before and check out their playlists. This is your chance to be the person who saw them before they became super famous and to say “OMG this song is soooo old, I loved them way before they became big.” The bragging rights are endless.
Here’s the official St Jerome’s Laneway 2016 Spotify Playlist, so sit back, listen and get excited about being able to watch all these talented performers right here in Singapore. Plus, make sure you’re familiar with all the acts, so you won’t be pranked like this!
You may be teased at first, but walk with pride in your super practical blast from the past, and it will all be worth it a few hours later when your friends are dancing awkwardly with their handbags and rucksacks. No longer just for hikers and those below 8 years old, the fanny pack is now a must-have for festival goers.
Whether you’re holding a drink in each hand or clambering through the crowd, your bag will always in front of you and in sight. These aren’t readily available in shops such as H&M, but you can take a quick trip to Bugis Street and take your pick.
For the sitters among you, a picnic blanket is an absolute must. White shorts + grass stains = fashion disaster. The picnic basket will also help you to chope your awesome spot while you go for lunch, meaning you won’t have to sit at the back of the crowd when you get back.
However, if you think that you’re more likely to spend most of the day on your feet, there is nothing worse than lugging around your mum’s favourite picnic blanket. Either don’t bring one at all and run free around the festival, or bring a super cheap blanket from IKEA you can “donate” to someone else at the end of the day.
If you’re desperate to get to the front of the crowd and weren’t patient enough to wait for hours beforehand, never just make your way forward from the back. People will glare and get annoyed, and it’s just all a bit awkward. Instead, start from the sides and work your way across.
If you also pretend that you’re trying to get to your imaginary lost group of friends that just so happen to be located in the middle, then the likely success rate of your sneakiness increases even further.
Bring plastic zip lock bags like there’s no tomorrow. Even if it’s a sandwich bag you found at the bottom of a kitchen drawer, it might save your phone if the rain decides to gatecrash the party. Everyone knows that when it rains, it pours, and you don’t want to be caught mid way through Snapchatting your favourite artist in a downpour of Singapore rain, and end up Googling ways to fix a waterlogged phone when you get home.
Laneway is pretty much the Singapore equivalent of Coachella, full of people trying to dress to impress, so look out for Festival favourites that are both practical yet also stylish. To be avoided at all costs: rompers. They look pretty, but think about undressing in a portable toilet you’d rather spend under a minute in, then decide if it’s worth it. Go for things that are comfortable as well as stylish, and that you know you can definitely spend a whole day dancing or sitting cross-legged on the floor in.
Fashion wise, wear whatever you want. Matching top and shorts combo covered in unicorns? Go for it. Want to wear loads of flowers in your hair? Good on you! Come dressed as a Dragon you say? Perfect. It’s a fun opportunity to wear whatever you fancy, but there are always some limitations. Don’t be that girl wearing sky high heels or a massive hat which means everyone behind you in a crowd can’t see. Have fun, but be practical too.
Don’t spend the day only thinking about what is most practical or how to spend your time most efficiently, Laneway is your chance to spend the day with your friends listening to awesome music. You can read all the tip and tricks you’d like, but how your day will go and how you want to spend it is entirely up to you.
Wear what you want, bring what you want, and do what you want. Use these tips where and when you’d like, but mainly focus on yourself and having the best Laneway ever!
Get ready for some wicked whimsy.
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