City shouldn’t be proud of crowd at Fred again..
I’ve been fortunate enough to have raved in an enthralled and euphoric state to many of the greats that have come to these shores from the world of electronic music.
Jon Hopkins, Justice, Andrew Weatherall, Groove Armada, Hudson Mohawke, Flying Lotus. Not to mention the independent dance parties and small shows I attended for years in basements around Auckland’s Karangahape Rd.
I like to think by this point, I’ve had some practice.
When the opportunity to attend Fred again.. came up, I leapt at it. This was the opportunity to attend a seminal musical moment. An artist on who will go down as one of the titans of dance music.
Before that gig, I used to say that the most dangerous dance crowd I’d ever been in was at Empire of the Sun for Rhythm and Vines 2014.
Key words there are “used to”. There are rules to the rave; etiquette we all abide by that allows each of us to be safe, have fun, and get home in one piece. The rave should be a joyous place where we come together collectively to surrender to the DJ and lose ourselves.
We’re all in it together to enjoy the music and these are three of the top commandments that must be followed:
– Thou shalt spread good vibes and not invite Major Buzzkill to the party.
– Thou shalt keep one’s hands to themselves unless given express consent.
– Thou shalt pick up their fallen fellow raver, lest they be trampled.
All three were broken repeatedly at Fred again..
Standing roughly 15 rows back from the front, I witnessed at least three fights, was groped by two men, and had one girl attempt to pick an unprovoked fight after mistaking me for someone who’d barged through.
Based on my experience, God only knows what the women in that crowd endured.
Not long after, I was the only one to pick up a man who’d had a tumble while others around me were too busy shoving each other. I cried to anyone else to help him up with me but to no avail.
Fred even paused the gig about 45 minutes in, recognising that it had become a serious problem. This pause lasted a good 5 to 10 minutes.
It was not a safe place. It was an aggressive place that in no way matched what was happening on stage. Because that was epic.
Fred again..’s brand of minimalist electronic music emotionally grabbed me in a way I haven’t felt since I heard Jamie xx’s In Colour album.
His sound harkens back to artists like Burial or very early Aphex Twin. He uses the power of ambient space and silence in a manner Brian Eno would approve of. In fact, Eno collaborated on an album with Fred Again.. last year.
It’s one of many great collaborations he’s pulled off. The album he did with UK rapper Headie One is a perfect meeting of UK Grime and minimalist house, his collaboration with Mike Skinner of The Streets fame describes the deep and meaningful conversation shared between two lovers in the wee hours after a night out.
My personal favourite is the one with Baxter Dury – son of the late Ian Dury. It is unlike anything you’ve heard, I promise.
There were tender moments at the show, such as the collaboration with Joy Anonymous for an unreleased song probably to be titled “peace u need” which calmed things down.
But while his mixing was incredible and his song selection perfectly attuned to the mood, the crowd was atrocious. I honestly would not be surprised if a serious injury or a trampling resulted from that show.
My guess on the cause is by the very last-minute nature of the show. The organisers seemed so pre-occupied with the perimeter while forgetting about the inside.
JuicyFest and Auckland’s Laneway had barrier dividers in the crowd perpendicular to the stage that were manned by security. People spoiling for fights or struggling for breath were removed much quicker as a result.
This felt slapped together. Because it was. It’s all well and good making last minute gigs and leaving secret show breadcrumbs on Instagram. The issue is that when a rushed time line results in a poorly managed and dangerous mosh, we risk a situation like Travis Scott’s Astroworld in 2021.
I want to go and see Fred again.. again. I’m moving to Europe and he’s doing the rounds at the summer festivals. I’m hoping a pre-planned event will mean I can truly enjoy and share in the music with a crowd of legends around me.
But after tonight, I don’t feel euphoric. I feel emotionally drained. And I hate that I left feeling this way.