Nailed it.
I imagine there were a lot of nerves leading into the inaugural Auckland City Limits Festival, but let's get this out of the way early. Bloody excellent job everyone. The day was as chilled as any festival I've been to, and even the pre-loaded cash bands, made of a silky, satiny material, seemed to fit with the flow.
Deciding not to run from one act to another, I set a path through the day, that started with Che Fu and the Crates and ended with Kendrick Lamar 9 or so hours later, still feeling surprisingly chipper. My phone tells me I walked 10km during the day, and climbed 22 flights of stairs. That might explain the hip pain I guess.
My set list:
Che Fu and the Crates - great welcome from a home-grown, that kind of set the scene for my largely antipodian day.
Jarryd James - I like this guy, and he has the most photogenic bass player. That is all.
Ladyhawke - Warmed up, and bumped out the classics.
Broods - I've seen the Broods set a few times now, and while their travelling show has polished the act a lot, I'm ready for something new.
Action Bronson - This guy. I don't know, but the kids seem to like him. Eh Danielle?
TNAF - Like Broods, their show is well shiny, and roll on the next album.
The Phoenix Foundation - Such a great way to spend a few moments in the late afternoon, eating an ice-cream biscuit on the lawn.
Fat Freddy's Drop - Festival favourites all over the world. Nice to see them in a large venue at home.
The National - Based in Brooklyn, these guys are still flying the New York flag. I'm not tired of them yet, being a sucker for the deep voice, but I suspect some are getting there.
Kendrick Lamar - Man for the moment. The kids were euphoric. He seemed pretty humble for all that. Smiled at M when she literally bumped into him while we were walking around the site. Oops.
Thanks to the CRS Management team, and hoping this becomes a regular event. It is a worthy replacement to the BDO, and good to have another alternative to the indie kids festivals. :-)
Capture away.
