Reviewed on Sunday February 1 (photo by Ashley Mar)

Ah, Laneway Festival – or as it might otherwise be known, the Festival of Pretty Young Things in Perpetual Motion. It seems everyone at Laneway is on their way somewhere else, even when the artists are playing – which is understandable, given the short distance from one stage to the next and the sheer volume of great acts on offer throughout the day.

But does all this rushing around defeat the purpose of being here in the first place? Well, Garden Stage headliner St. Vincent will later pose the question a different way, her overtly choreographed (and overall superb) performance making the point that live music is just that: a big, stylised show, packed with gestures that replace meaning. It’s not 1969 anymore, and attending a music festival won’t change the world. Just set yourself up to go with the flow, enjoy it, and it’s hard to go wrong.

Actually, it’s nigh on impossible to go wrong with a lineup this consistent from first to last. Andy Bull, Highasakite, Peter Bibby and Connan Mockasin have the early crowds talking, while Sohn fills a lunchtime slot on the always well-programmed and popular Future Classic Stage. The UK producer’s sweet voice gradually becomes enveloped with bass just as some welcome clouds envelop the afternoon sun.

Courtney Barnett and band launch into their set with ‘History Eraser’, but after that it’s mainly material from her debut album, set for release in March. These songs are unfamiliar to the audience for now, but they’re sounding wittier than ever. Agnes DeMarco certainly thinks so – the festival’s guest MC demands an ovation for her new Melburnian friend before directing the crowds toward the adjacent Park Stage for a set by her son, Mac.

Now, what was that we said about empty gestures? Hands in the air, clap your hands, make some noise. Raury gives out all the cues, yet you can’t help but forgive him – his overwhelming brashness aside, he’s actually thoroughly interesting and almost impossible to categorise, jumping around from MJ-era pop and funk to hip hop and classic rock. If he makes it big, he’ll be the death of music journalists everywhere.

Over on the Mistletone Stage, an elegantly wasted Pond follow an even more elegantly wasted Dune Rats. It’s nice to see someone still keeping the ’60s dream alive. Meanwhile, the dancing kicks off with Little Dragon and continues courtesy the unstoppable groove of Jungle, who play pretty much the same thing for 45 minutes – but by the time they get to the winner they call ‘Busy Earnin’’, nobody’s keeping score anyhow.

Vic Mensa cameos for a verse on this one, and the rapper will later return for a nighttime bombardment of beats that also includes Caribou, Park Stage headliners Flight Facilities and high-profile internationals Jon Hopkins and Flying Lotus. It’s perpetual motion, alright – Future Islands frontman Samuel T. Herring probably still hasn’t stopped dancing – but for a generation of music fans on the move, Laneway seems to match every step.

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