LCD Soundsystem’s ‘triumphant and mesmerizing return to Poland’ at Open’er Festival
July 1, Open’er Festival 2016, Gdynia, Poland
Fresh from a triumphant return at Glastonbury last month, James Murphy brought his LCD Soundsystem roadshow to Poland’s Open’er Festival, less than five years since he retired them.
Despite many citing that these 2016 shows are financially motivated, Murphy and co. failed to disappoint.
The triumphant and mesmerizing return to Poland, nine years since they played the major festival, was not lost on Murphy as he proclaimed; “it’s been a long time since we played here… you guys have been tremendously great. It’s been nine years and we didn’t know what to expect, but it has been really fun.”
Opening with “Us v Them” and the manic “Daft Punk Is Playing At My House”, Murphy whipped the young crowd into a hyped hysteria. The set followed their Other Stage Glastonbury set and so, culminated with the hypnotic, “All My Friends”.
In a stark contrast to LCD Soundsystem’s bounding joy, the angelic Sigur Rós brought the crowd back to a Zen-like state, with many of the 90,000 strong crowd laying down, eyes closed to listen to Jónsi Birgisson, sing in his made-up ‘Hopelandic’ language.
After the chilled out crowd watched them open their set with new song “Óveður”, many then drifted off into a hypnotic state, or even, sleep. As fans arose from their slumber, many were heard asking if they had missed “Hoppipola”, but the Icelanders failed to play the smash hit, leaving the crowd perplexed and angry.
Earlier in the day, two rappers drew huge crowds; with Wiz Khalifa playing the Main Stage and Vince Staples on the Alter Stage.
Khalifa, the epitome of stoner music, spent as much time rapping as he did telling the Polish crowd about how much he likes getting high. As if the references within “Young, Wild and Free” weren’t enough for Wiz’s message to get across, he walked to the back of the stage and threw two huge inflatable joints into the crowd furiously jumping to “Black and Yellow” and swaying to karaoke hit “See You Again”.
The energetic European crown drew high praise from the Pittsburg rapper; “I just want to let you know … you’ve been a beautiful crowd, you should be proud of yourselves. Real talk.”
Long Beach, California’s Vince Staples is a rapper who talks his mind and defies the stereotypes of his neighbourhood, using his songs to talk about police of brutality, civic apathy, gentrification, racial profiling and the failed educational system.
Charismatic Staples, dressed in a black t-shirt tucked into high-waisted Levi’s, belted out “Seniorita” and “Norf Norf” before the clock struck midnight and the audience decided to pay him a surprise. They sang “Happy Birthday To You” as the rapper turned 23 years old live onstage with a touched Staples saying; “wow, I feel like Michael Jackson or something. You guys are great… I love Poland.” Staples then finished his set with “Jump Off The Roof” and “Birds & Bees.”
Open’er Festival sees Pharrell Williams, fresh from a night out at Dalston’s Visions venue with Skepta, headline tonight’s final day.
