Being at The Others Way 2024 often felt like a privilege.
There was A. Savage, proving his solo chops in his downtime from fronting Parquet Courts, one of the best punk bands of their generation. There was Dean & Britta, reminding us all of the beauty of Galaxie 500’s dream-pop songbook. Rising stars like Soft Bait and T.G. Shand gained new fans while impressing old fans at the same time.
Being able to hear such a variety of acts and genres and styles all playing along Karangahape Road’s precinct over one day is something that should never be taken for granted.
But some people, however, do like to take these things for granted.
Much has been made about the increasing lack of crowd etiquette at gigs post-pandemic, and it was a sadly similar story at The Others Way this year.
Preparing to play his best song, “Mountain Time”, a hushed, contemplative gem that moves at its own speed, A. Savage was compelled to ask the crowd inside Galatos to be quiet, if only for the length of the song. “I know you’re all wasted right now,” he coolly noted, but as he struck up “Mountain Time”, some people were undeterred at the back. They kept talking, they kept jostling, and they kept not respecting the craft taking place before them.
Double Whammy was unsurprisingly packed out for Dean & Britta, so people’s rudeness was less noticeable, but pockets of noise still filtered through, even during solemn songs like “Listen, the Snow Is Falling”.
Why pay over $100 to prattle over someone’s set? The Others Way’s size meant it was more than convenient to pop out for a quick bite or a blast of fresh air.
Perhaps we’re being ungenerous; The Others Way took place with Christmas and the holidays approaching, after all. But the crowd’s etiquette confirmed that there has been a general move towards treating communal spaces like personal ones since the early COVID years.
The Others Way’s outstanding quality, however, was more than enough to compensate. Anticipation is already high for next year’s lineup – let’s just hope that crowds remember they’re there to listen to live music.
We’ve decided to wrap up our Others Way coverage this year by reflecting on three standout acts from the day, which you can read below.
Theia
One had to descend the stairs of the Neck of the Woods to catch Theia just before 10pm. She wore a breezy white outfit, soft-tinted shades and a high-strung braid. The tip of her blonde hair swung freely onstage.
She was flanked on each side by her guitarist and bassist who played over backing tracks. To finally hear the protest song “BALDH3AD!” blast from the speakers felt momentous. In this time of Treaty tensions in New Zealand, Theia’s fearless war cry rallied her onlookers to creep closer as rage emitted from her voice.
“Not Your Princess”, meanwhile, was an electrifying rollercoaster. “I am not your princess, stay out of my business,” Theia and her fans sang. The Māori performer easily incited movement in front of her through her unapologetic attitude and catchy hooks.
SKILAA
The biggest rush doesn’t always come from the biggest names. Nestled in between the pillars of speakers at Whammy Bar were local band SKILAA, whose clear onstage joy proved to be immediately infectious.
They joyously moved through the genres, including alt-R&B, psychedelic hip-hop, and jazz-folk.
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Ladyhawke
The soundtrack of Kiwi summers gone by returned in the physical form of Ladyhawke, who gripped the majority of millennials and beyond with nostalgia performing her debut album.
Upon midnight, the multi-instrumentalist figuratively chucked on a CD of her self-titled record from 2008, spinning it back-to-front for the largest crowd at Double Whammy.
Ladyhawke is most remembered for its enduring hit “My Delirium”, which peaked in the top 10 on the New Zealand Singles Chart and number eight on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart that year. The sing-along volume was at its peak by track three; there’s nothing like nostalgia to bring together the masses.
Ladyhawke’s performance was not pristine, however, as she laughed to herself after missing the beginning of a guitar solo. But no one ever asks for a perfect performance, only an authentic one. It was clear revisiting her debut collection was just as special for her as it was for her devoted fans.
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