There’s nothing like the sound of a famished crowd. But just what is it that they’ve been so hungry for? INTERNATIONAL MUSIC.
The end of May saw the return of international artists back on Aotearoa soil. And boy was it magic. Though our local scene is incredible, there is another element of magic to the shared connection between fans who discover the same treasure abroad. And lucky for Auckland, the ever-so-golden LANY were the treasure of the night.
If they say that a band is nothing without a good crowd, then the fans at Shed 10 provided enough excitement to power a month-long festival. The energy across the crowd from the moment Paul Klein jumped onstage was magnetic.
The band opened with ‘get away’ from their latest album ‘gg bb xx’. It was one of those reminders of how impactful music is. Looking across the crowd, all we wanted to do was bottle up the joy and keep it for tough times. Die-hard LANY fan or simple new-music-searchers, the excitement was contagious. You’d have to be a freak to not smile a little.
It may sound cheesy but honestly, love felt like it was in the air. There’s a reason why Paul Klein kept shouting “Auckland, this is so special.” You could feel the love for music in the air, whether it was between new couples, old ones, best friends or even the few Mums in the audience.
More importantly, it was the love between the fans and the artist. Old classics like ‘pink skies’, ‘Super Far’ and ‘13’ helped achieve this warm glow. Nothing more freeing than shouting the lyrics of a classic, right?
On the other end of the love spectrum, ‘cowboy in LA’ was a surprising highlight of the night. It’s one of those songs which just simply sound a million times better live. Oh, and also, made me weep. The sadgirl (but so happy) hours continued with bangers from 2018’s Malibu Nights. It was an honour to be able to experience the opening beat of Thru These Tears live. That’s perhaps LANY’s greatest strength. Their ability to get you dancing even if you are well… Quite literally unable to see the stage through your tears — that’s a special shoutout to ‘ex i never had’.
Let’s not forget of course, the surge of the crowd as Paul Klein jumped in to get amongst it. That surge was stronger than my attempt at looking as cool as he did with his dad-dance moves. The crowd surf is a tour tradition and a damn good one at that.
Having previously seen LANY at The Powerstation two years ago, their return at Shed 10 felt unique and sentimental. It’s clear that Covid and closed borders has been nothing on their relationship with their Kiwi fans. Truly a relationship that gets through Thick and Thin.
Thus, nothing could’ve felt more perfect than the night ending with ‘ILYSB’. Hearing the audience scream that chorus back felt like a movie. One which you could keep re-watching again and again…
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