Auckland City Limits music festival returns to Western Springs this weekend promising to be bigger, brighter and bolder than its first outing two years ago.
Phoenix
Phoenix have provided the soundtrack for many an adolescent summer, with their unapologetically rich and upbeat blends of alternative rock and pop. Best known for their stunning, furiously energetic album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, the French band returned last year with their sixth album Ti Amo, which Pitchfork wrote was"as decadent and beguiling as ever". Fittingly for a summer festival, Phoenix will be giving fans a full one-hour set as they close out the Tamaki stage at 10pm.
I first saw Tash Sultana on a Tiny Desk YouTube clip and she blew my mind. She's one of those artists whose performance totally elevates her music and she's captivating to watch. Many have described her as a one-woman band; a loop-artist who will sing and do everything from beatbox to play the pan pipes. She started out as a busker in Melbourne but shot to fame after her homemade videos went viral. Her voice has a cool, soulful element to it and her music feels like a summer festival - perfect for ACL.
The Libertines
Seeing the likely lads of The Libertines listed on the line-up was one of the big ACL surprises. Before self-destructing, the notorious indie group romanticised a druggie gutter glam, soaked in a hazy nobility and literary mysticism, that they matched with a very British jangle that always teetered on the verge of falling apart. Due to the volatile personalities involved this could go one of two ways; a total triumph or a complete shambles. Either way, it'll be memorable.
Future
It was another slap in the face for Young Thug fans when the Atlanta trap rapper cancelled his ACL appearance at the last minute. Let's face facts: we're now unlikely to see Young Thug in New Zealand. But that doesn't mean ACL is devoid of hip-hop: SWIDT is on the bill, Scribe and P-Money are ready to stand up and, best of all, Future's got an entire hour to himself on the main stage. If last year's dual albums were anything to go by, it's going to be an hour of swaggering, triumphant mumble-rap.
