Auckland City Limits
3rd March 2018
Western Springs, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Doug Peters.
Round two, the sophomore edition. Having debuted in 2016 – filling a gaping hole that was left by the eventual death of the Big Day Out – Auckland City Limits had certainly impressed the many, so when the official announcements declared they would indeed be back in 2018, they were met with much elation.
Que the Auckland weather gods taking mercy on the thousands making their way to and around the venue, and the day was the perfect mix of sun, cloud and just the right amount of breeze to kiss the skin after pressing in close to the barriers. With four stages (two major, two minor) as well as the Golden Dawn stage and ‘Kiddie Limits’ (Auckland City Limits being family friendly to those of the smaller human persuasion) there was certainly a wealth of choice upon which to dine.
From the culturally rooted thrash metal of kiwi teens Alien Weaponry, to the flame spitting Jess B and the good-time Stoneyhunga locals SWIDT, the day began with some top of the line New Zealand music; Booga Beazley and the HLAH boys also teaching the crowd how it’s done on the Spark 1 stage while over on the Aroha stage up and comers Drax Project brought summery Saturday vibes. Taking the opportunity to explore the site, punters were greeted with easy to traverse spaces and an array of tantalizing vendors offering a range of food from the staple hot chips with lashings of tom sauce through to wonderfully generous mussel or whitebait fritters served on a thick slice of white bread. Running on the AWOP cashless wristband system, bar lines were kept moving at a swift pace, their standard offerings being spiced up a little by a particularly cheeky Vodka cocktail topped with a wedge of pineapple. Using a recyclable cup system, Auckland City Limits also did their bit for the environment and it was great not to see the fields covered in thousands of single use beakers of plastic at the end of the day.
As the afternoon simmered Norwegian singer and songwriter Sigrid built up a large crowd in front of the Aroha stage, while the reggae tones of Katchafire over on Spark 1 had the crowd singing in unison to a soul filled cover of the late great Bob Marley’s ‘Everything’s Gonna Be Alright’; Aaradhna kicking off her set at the hour of three with a stylish cover of the 1971 Bill Withers classic ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’. By now thousands of people were moving throughout the lush green grounds, map checkpoints dotted around the site assisting people to quickly navigate. Chill out zones and an amusement ride that looked over a stunning full sized red sequined concrete mixer (affectionately nicknamed a ‘disco mixer’ by a passing fan) providing an alternative to musical entertainment.
The balmy late afternoon ushered in more international drawcards, American indie band Car Seat Headrest lead by the magnetic Will Toledo a huge pull for many. With a voice that was like a hybrid of Julian Casablancas (The Strokes) and Pelle Almqvist (The Hives), Toledo, dressed in a black and white tshirt that declared ‘Virginia is for Music Lovers’ his playfully shaggy black fringe brushing the top of his glasses, held the audience captive as they took to the stage with ‘Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales’, their indie sound dipped in just the right amount of lo-fi pop to give them that raw edge. Avoiding small talk for most of their set their performance certainly impressed their fans, Car Seat Headrest leaving them with the parting gift of ‘Nervous Young Inhumans’ from their latest album Twin Fantasy (Face to Face) released just last month.
The joy of having four stages set up in two sets of pairs is that within minutes (sometimes less!) the next artist is up and running, audiences never left waiting for their next fix of musical goodness; The Head and The Heart providing plenty of that with a killer set that filled the surrounding atmosphere with overtones of more American Indie music but this time with a decidedly folksy thread. The six piece certainly filled the stage well as they opened with the wonderful ‘All We Ever Knew’ from their Signs of Light Album while ‘City of Angels’ gave the audience a chance to really appreciate the talented Charity Rose Thielen who moved between violin, guitar, and keys swiftly. Although truth be told it was during their final track of the day, the cleverly layered ‘Rivers And Roads’ that Thielen truly shone, her voice soaring through the air and prompting cheers of adoration from the fans down front. “Hope to see you all soon!” Thielen told the audience as they left the stage, a sentiment that the fans wholeheartedly agreed with.
The Libertines were for some a curiosity, the tumultuous Pete Doherty well known for many of his escapades in the late 90’s, his behaviour often cited as the cause for the original break-up of the band. But this afternoon, they were in fine form, the fans clambering at the barriers in worship of the intoxicating relationship between Doherty and fellow vocalist Carl Barât. Dressed in a simple sleeveless shirt and hat Doherty looks far healthier these days and he sounded just as good, tracks such as ‘Delaney’ framed by hypnotic animations on the screen behind them. As Barât and Doherty shared vocals duties, often coming together over one microphone (much to the delight of the audience, many of whom would never have dreamed of seeing the band live after their break-up in 2004) the amusing cartoons morphed into slightly unnerving animated instructional videos on how to remove body parts as the band sang ‘What Katy Did’. Needless to say, The Libertines impressed, their set leaving their fans happily sated.
The last minute cancellation of Young Thug due to visa issues saw the slot filled by local duo P-Money and Scribe (an inspired decision, as Scribe absolutely slayed and brought the fire to an already stifling afternoon), but it was the deliciously baritone vocals of George Ezra down on the Aroha stage that had the crowd dancing. At only twenty-four the English singer cut quite the handsome figure in black, his eight piece band which included a two piece brass section mirroring his classic look. Appearing for the first time in New Zealand he greeted the crowd with a huge smile before declaring that it was nice to see Auckland “My name is George Ezra and this is my band and we are going to play some songs … for you!” While the audience were treated to new tracks such as ‘Paradise’ and ‘Hold My Girl’ it was songs such as ‘Pretty Shining People’ – something that Ezra wrote when he realised that nobody really has a clue what they are doing in life – and ‘Listen To The Man’ that saw the good vibes multiply. Ezra it turns out is also quite the chatterbox, often pausing to share a short anecdote with the fans, his fascination with the New Zealand term ‘GC’ a source of much amusement amongst the audience as he asked if it would be ok for him to use as terminology for everyone present. Finishing on the sought after ‘Budapest’, Ezra was certainly an unexpected highlight for those not already familiar with his body of work.
But now it was time for a healthy dose of dirty Rock n Roll, the revving of the engines of over a dozen classic cars lined up along the back of the field across from the Tamaki stage ushering in the arrival of the mighty The D4. Against the gigantic ‘Rock n Roll Motherfuckers’ backdrop – the very same one that hung along the side of The Kings Arms during her final days (may she forever rest in peace) – the four piece stood dressed in black (a definite clothing theme of the day) facing the audience with steely glares. Grabbing a can of white spray paint Dion Lunadon [Palmer] quickly painted ‘The D4’ across a speaker behind him before hurling it towards the back of the stage and exploding into a frenzy of guitar, ‘Come On’ an exceptional opening track for a band of this calibre. From here it was just an overdose of goodness as Jimmy Christmas and the boys smacked the audience in the face with hit after hit, ‘Exit To The City’ and the hellishly addictive ‘What I Want’ seeing their fans punching the air with their fists as they sang at the tops of their lungs, The D4 feeding off their energy and pushing themselves harder and faster.
Back over on Spark 2 the supremely talented loopologist Tash Sultana once again had fans in awe of her skills. A regular visitor to New Zealand shorelines, the Melbourne based artist often sells out her shows, so for many it was finally a chance to see what all the hype is about. Against a stunning backdrop of a blood moon, Sultana proved just why she is so sought after as she played her guitar with the skills of a virtuoso, her almost beat-box stylings on the pan flute a sight to be seen. Upon the conclusion of her set, major drawcard Future arrived on the opposing stage, but due to some technical issues was overpowered vocally by his fans for the first few tracks. Dressed in a red sequin jacket, Future certainly represented on the hip-hop front, but his set failed to really take it to that next level, despite tracks such as ‘Freak Hoe’ and ‘Real Sisters’ getting his fans bouncing . A shout out to his three hype men/dancers however, who dressed in black t-shirts and beige pants brought some much needed vitality to the set, their dance moves and general antics of the highest energy.
As darkness settled over Western Springs, droves of people descended upon the Tamaki stage, jostling for the perfect viewing spot in anticipation of the one and only Grace Jones. Following rave reviews from her Queenstown show, this was for many the only opportunity they would have to witness her in the flesh. Throughout the day, sets had been running to time, crowds never left waiting for more than a few minutes before the next artist appeared. But almost fifteen minutes had passed and still no Miss Jones.
Suddenly movement on stage sent ripples across the field of fans, large black and white flags bearing the face of the Queen herself moving into place. Queen is the only word that can be used to appropriately describe Grace Jones, the Jamaican icon an entity like no other. As she appeared atop a podium, her corseted body adorned with white paint, a gold skull mask shielding her face the crowd collectively took a sharp intake of breath. Here was a deity that moved in such a primal way that it completely belied her sixty-nine years of age. Unfortunately for those towards the back of the crowd the lack of big screens meant that the details of her elaborate outfits were sadly lost.
‘Nightclubbing’ and ‘This Is Life’ were early stand outs to the set, each song seeing Jones don a different costume piece over the top of her painted body, from silver feathered headdresses to an 80’s style red plastic avant-garde hat, every inch of her spelled style with a capital ‘S’. As she stalked her way along the front of the stage her eyes pierced the crowd, the look one of animalistic intentions framed by a Cheshire Cat grin. When she spoke it was with the richness of treacle, her laugh one of pure delight as she asked the crowd if raves were still a thing “Is madness still a thing, Jesus I hope so” she purred. From ‘Warm Leatherette’ to ‘Private Life’ Jones set fire to the stage and danced in its ashes, the heady combination of her flawless vocals and live band – featuring two stunning backup singers one dressed in red and the other a deep blue and sporting the fiercest hair of the day – along with her resplendent costume pieces that took her from primordial creature to nightclub diva ensured that the crowd remained transfixed throughout her entire set. Jones asked for a “little fatty” before singing ‘My Jamaican Guy’ (later apologizing for stretching the track out – not that anyone was complaining!) telling everyone how much she loved the groove before she took the audience to church with ‘Amazing Grace’. Even a cover of the Roxy Music track ‘Love Is The Drug’ was turned into something that oozed Jones on every level.
But without a doubt, as she once again stood before the audience – this time in a white headdress that screamed goddess – ‘Pull Up To The Bumper’ was the ultimate showstopper. A body painted male pole dancer, curled his frame around the rod of steel as Jones looked across the front row with a smile that was utter deviance; her voice unbelievably became even more powerful as she sang the chorus, the audience singing right along with her. Those in the front row were almost beside themselves however as Jones stepped down from the stage and onto the shoulders of a male assistant who then walked her the length of the barrier while she high-fived the dozens of hands that desperately reached out for her. Returning to stage she bid all salutations of love, and with that she was gone, leaving the band to play the song out with a flourish of sound.
Auckland City Limits was coming to its conclusion, and while Peking Duk exploded with a wave of House Music on the Aroha Stage, over on Spark 2 the French electronic due of Justice were blowing the minds of their fans both aurally and visually, killer track ‘We Are Your Friends’ seeing thousands of people fully give their bodies over to the sonic waves. Standing atop dozens of boxes, Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay faced across from each other as an enormous white cross glowed on screen behind them. Fans were in awe as their light show saw what almost looked like fireflies move across the screen; changing from red to white they gave the illusion of being trapped inside the very boxes the duo stood perched upon. As Justice completed their set on a high, jumping down to the pit to hug and shake hands with fans, a crowd quickly gathered in front of the opposite stage ready and waiting for the headline act of Beck.
Having not visited New Zealand for a number of years, fans both young and old gathered together, conversations of favourite albums being murmured in pockets as all waited for the man himself to emerge. When he did it was to a cacophony of voices, every single one of them declaring their adoration for the American singer who has brought the musical world some of the most iconic tracks ever written. Ensuring that the set got off to a flying start, Beck dropped ‘Devils Haircut’ on his fans, who simultaneously lost their collective minds upon hearing the opening bars. Dressed in a wide-brimmed hat and black leather jacket, Beck appears to have been sipping from the fountain of youth, the now forty-seven year old looking as if hasn’t aged a day since he first released the track in 1996. Supported by a seven (yes seven!) piece band and on screen visuals that were full of colour and hidden wolves, Beck took his fans on an eighty minute journey of melodic genius. From ‘Black Tambourine’ to ‘The New Pollution’ the crowd matched him in both energy and vocals, their overwhelming joy at witnessing this mastermind at work obvious to all.
Sadly over on the Tamaki stage, the French four piece Phoenix were also playing, Beck often pausing throughout his set to acknowledge the fact that they were. Phoenix having been influenced by Beck (you can read more about that here in our interview with them) has meant that over the years they have become friends, one quickly getting the impression that while Beck was being very polite in his comments he was not particularly happy that Phoenix was having to play at the same time as himself, his respect for the band abundantly clear. Surprising all with a cover of the Prince track ‘Raspberry Beret’, Beck orchestrated the crowd as they sang the chorus back to him acapella style before declaring “Ok, back to the regular programme” with a lopsided grin. ‘Loser’ was most likely heard a few kilometers away as the audience sang the chorus with gusto, the more hardcore fans displaying their prowess by rapping the verses; Beck then delivering them a visual overload in the form of ‘Wow’.
His set was polished, the sound crisp and clear, Beck appearing genuinely appreciative of the vigor of the fans. Telling the audience again that he felt sorry for Phoenix, he requested all to join him as he and his band “jammed with Phoenix”, Beck’s impromptu rap proving once again why this man has such a cult following. Brand new track ‘I’m So Free’ brought a healthy dose of balls out rock to the set before ‘Where It’s At’ ushered in a unique experience for fans as Beck asked if he could have a little alone time with them, introducing each of his band members in the most loving and simultaneously amusing of ways, each member regaling the audience with snippets of well-known songs that Beck then morphed into something inimitable; guitarist Jason Faulkner’s rendition of ‘Miss You’ by The Rolling Stones a particular highlight.
Finishing his set with a reprise of ‘Where It’s At’, Beck invited the majority of band down to the front of the stage where they performed slide dance moves that entertained the crowd no end. Having ditched his jacket, Beck began to slowly unbutton his shirt, the only man in the world that can do so to reveal a plain black tshirt underneath and yet still ooze sex appeal! Bidding all a goodnight, the crowd waited in anticipation of an encore that disappointingly never came, the council curfew kicking in and seeing the ‘house lights’ across the entire venue come on in full force, the mass exodus of people encouraged by security, it was a regrettably abrupt end to an exceptional day, perhaps a little exit music played quietly over the PA system would have been a much kinder way to see the attendees out.
But never the less, judging by the happy faces and inundation of joyful Facebook posts, Auckland City Limits will indeed be welcomed back for a third time with open arms.
Were you there at Western Springs for this epic music festival? Or have you been to Auckland City Limits on a different year? Tell us about it in the comments below!
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