Savages rock Laneway festival

THERE was plenty of girl power on show at this year's St Jerome's Laneway Music Festival, held last Saturday at Gardens by the Bay. Local artists Vandetta aka Vanessa Fernandez and Vivian Wang from underground darlings The Observatory (kudos to the organisers for giving the band a dignified 6pm slot on the main stage) played to a crowd that swelled to a capacity of just over 10,000 when UK all-female post-punk band Savages, English neo-folksters Daughter, American sister act Haim and Scottish synth-pop group Chvrches came on to play back-to-back sets. Minimalist dubstep artist James Blake, an exclusive act to the Singapore leg before the festival makes it to way to New Zealand and Australia, rounded things off with a hauntingly beautiful set that mixed dance with soul. The perfect weather - cloudy in the day and breezy in the evening - kept punters cool while the acts set the three stages on fire with their blazing performances.

By Dylan Tan