Photos by the amazing Elize Strydom
Maybe it will all change next year, when Steve Aoki is confirmed to play the festival. But as it stands, Changing Lanes has one of the lowest Southern Cross tattoo counts of all the festivals on the Sydney music calendar. While there was a noticeable absence of shirtless bogans and 18 year old girls group dressing as sexy nurses, it did register a 9.3 on the Hipster Scale. It was definitely a much more ironic facial hair, vintage clothing affair.
In it’s second year, at a new location in Surry Hills, the festival is an easier, inexpensive, low key experience. The acts may not be as uber famous, but the crowds are a little less intense. It is more a day for enjoying drinks and sunshine with friends while casually taking in some live music.
Though I didn’t get to see heaps of the festival, because I was playing most of the day, my highlight was Joyride spinning in the hip hop room with impromptu appearances from rappers 360 and The Tongue. Joyride provided instrumentals by Mariah Carey and Ginuine, while they traded semi-battley freestyles.
Listen: Ellesquire – Ferociousness ft Tenth Dan | iTunes
Download: Oscar + Martin – Do The Right Thing
Janini Panini
STOLEN RECORDS 