Concert Review: Festival X Rising

Festival X Rising launched the first of 4 festivals right here in Auckland last Thursday night at the reputable Spark Arena. The Australian festival brought over some of their lineups to our shores, some of which are huge names like Calvin Harris, Tchami, Juice Wrld and Lil Pump while of course adding in some national flavour like the Katayanagi Twins and DJ Soraya. The 3-city Australian lineup had artists like Blueface, Alison Wonderland, Murda Beatz, Steve Aioki and Trippie Redd. I have no idea why some of them weren’t brought over for the Aotearoa festival because I reckon they would’ve complimented the other stars on the lineup as well as made the night much more interesting. Festival X aimed to cater to fans from all genres and styles of music, which you can tell from the line-up. However, learning from experience here in New Zealand, festivals or concerts with mismatched genres in their lineup tend to not do very well in terms of people showing up. Music, in my opinion, is all about being cohesive and festivals are no exception.

DJ Soraya was first up to warm up the crowd arriving. The venue was free-flowing to both the standing area at the bottom and the seats in the middle which I thought was a great idea. Soraya was also the DJ that played the tunes during the changeover between the act so she made a few appearances on the big stage.  I would say that is a pretty big responsibility considering the music during these intermission bits can either bore the crowd or maintain their hype. I would say she did a pretty swell job. Soraya is a popular Auckland DJ who dresses to kill. I love love stylish DJs and she is a sight for sore eyes. I loved where she was positioned, it was like to the side but at the very front and there was a huge spotlight on her which made her stand out which was pretty wicked.

The Katayanagi Twins were next and their opening visuals were absolutely insane. This night, in a nutshell, could be described as just wild visuals and pyrotechnics. Their set was awesome as they remixed rap/hip hop songs with electronic / dance music and it looked amazing with their visuals as well. They also got out from behind the DJ booth and went to the front to dance and hype up the crowd. Great interaction. The twins brought out 2 local acts to perform their own songs, eleven7four and Vayne which I thought was 1) great for their set and 2) an awesome way to put their mates on. I’ve been seriously enjoying seeing people from NZ who’re making a name for themselves bringing their friends along for the ride too. I think that’s very important so props to the twins.

Lil Pump was next and I was surprised at how small the crowd was for his set. This was Pump’s first-ever time in New Zealand. I remember he was due to come to another festival at the start of the year but there were some problems with his visa so he never made it. So I was really happy to see on his Instagram he made to New Zealand safe and sound. Lil Pump is an entertainer through and through. His music is the type that you would turn up to, go crazy to and just f*cking rage. I would definitely say that the crowd there did not deserve Lil Pump. Not a lot of people were going wild for his set and I could tell he felt it too. Lil Pump was trying to tell the crowd to open up the mosh pit - which is completely and 100% compulsory for turn up rappers like Pump - to which the crowd embarrassingly failed to do. I always knew New Zealand crowds did not know how to mosh pit but seeing it in the flesh was like…. Omg. He told the crowd to “open it up” and he was gonna rage and jump into the crowd. However, after telling the crowd 3 times how to mosh pit and I’m talking like step-by-step instructions he’s yelling from the stage, he did not jump into the crowd. We was not lit enough for you Lil Pump and I apologize on behalf of that crowd. He was still beautifully professional though and still maintained his litty-ness so I hope he will come back.

Juice Wrld was next and may I add what a stunning combo they were. Juice Wrld is a f*cking slow jam rockstar and I enjoyed his performance. His visuals in the background were amazing, fast-paced and he even had a montage of fallen legends like Nipsey, XXX, Mac Miller and Amy Winehouse. There was one awesome transition he did into the next song where the visuals showed a train getting closer and closer and someone yells “Juice watch out!” and then boom, the next song. Spark Arena always has the best visuals for sure. Juice as well as Pump both did XXXTentacion covers which is always appreciated by fans of X here in New Zealand. Juice Wrld also did covers of songs like No Bystanders - Travis Scott and his remixes like Fine China with Future and Random with Lil Tecca. I definitely did not expect that from a big artist like him but it was pretty cool. Juice Wrld has an absolutely beautiful, angel-like voice. For some of his songs he did like the rock version of it and even let out some screams. I’m not too much of a fan of when artists don’t sing the recorded version of their songs but it definitely worked for Juice. The crowd was significantly bigger for his set but N-bombs were being dropped left, right and center from people who should not be saying that word and if they were real bombs, I tell ya the whole of Spark Arena would be dust and ash. When Juice Wrld performed one of his love songs, he brought his girlfriend out on stage and started serenading her which I thought was hella cute. The big screens on the sides of the stage were superb quality ‘cause it showed up close-ups of Juice’s face and you could see so clearly even the sweat highlighting his face. He did a lil speech at the end but it was pretty generic in what most artists say when they come here. It was a pleasure seeing him live.

Tchami was next and I would say he is a drastic change in genre compared to the last 2 acts. He was set to be on for like an hour and thirty minutes for all his fans who f*ck with the music he DJs. Another thing about the venue which I thought was cool is that they had 2 mini bars set up at the ground floor at the very back which was perfect for an over 18 festival. Tchami’s entrance was wild, the whole room went pitch black then it went to static visuals all on the stage and on the screens and then to a pulsating red light. Definitely a great way to build hype. Just by going to this festival, I realise how important the visuals and pyrotechnics are for DJs & producers, most especially big names like Tchami and Calvn Harris. There were huge plumes of fire and smoke erupting in front of the stage in perfect timing with the music. Then the strobe lights from the ceiling would bounce off the crowd and the stage, all in sweet harmony with the pyrotechnics, the background visuals and the bass-ey music. Seeing Tchami’s set reminded me that I really want to go to Ibiza ‘cause his music really reminds me of the night life over there.The buzzy pyrotechnics in his set was so awesome and added to the experience of being there. It was a trippy visual experience. The crowd was absolutely living for it, everyone was dancing, jumping and fist pumping.  Long strands of confetti dropped from the ceiling and was floating in the air in its slow descent towards the crowd. It was so cool to see people grabbing it and playing with it as well.

Calvin Harris, the final act came on 5 minutes earlier than scheduled. I tell you, the suspense that was building up to his set was quite intense. Even just waiting in the crowd for him to come on, you could just tell everyone was really excited for him to make an appearance. Calvin Harris is well and truly a legend and a respected person in his profession. And when I tell you that suspense was worth it, I totally mean it. When the lights lit up the stage, Calvin Harris was on this huge, black castle like the King he is. Swear to god everyone went nuts when they saw that. His background visuals were, of course, so amazing. It was like everything had levelled up, the pyrotechnics, the strobe lights, everything was just that much better for Calvin. Even being in the back of the crowd on the ground, you could see Calvin very clearly. He has quite a chill demeanour about him but when he got on the mic to hype up the crowd, he hyped up the crowd. The bass was absolutely insane, everyone in the crowd seemed to have no sense of rhythm, just jumping, moshing and fist-pumping in every direction. He would tease songs like Bounce as if he was gonna play it but then he’d do a cheeky little remix then play a different song. Definitely keeping the crowd on the edge of our seats. Calvin Harris has so many hits on his hands that it was such a privilege to be able to see him perform those songs in the flesh. What a legend. I look forward to seeing what Festival X Rising will provide for us music lovers in 2020.

Reviewed: Breanna Tugaga-Rogers
Photos: 10Daniel16

About The Writer:

Breanna is a 21 year old uni student who was born in Australia and raised in South Auckland. Half New Zealand European and half Samoan, Breanna is undergoing a Bachelor of Arts, double-majoring in Communications and Sociology. Currently residing in Auckland, Breanna loves hip hop, rap, RnB music and enjoys watching TV shows, movies, travelling, going to concerts and keeping in touch with the latest of pop culture. Breanna especially enjoys writing and using it as an outlet to talk her sh*t. Breanna loves to always integrate her worldview, her background and her experiences into her writing and values your feedback.

About The Photographer:

10Daniel16 is a man of many talents. A photographer, videographer, editor and director, Daniel is a pillar in the local creative scene working with names like SWIDT, Melodownz and has shot some of the best gigs in Auckland city. 10Daniel16 has shot concerts of iconic musicians like 50 Cent, Jhene Aiko, Bas, Denzel Curry, Lil Pump and so much more. Popularly known for his music videos, 10Daniel16 is continuously expanding his skill set and since breaking through the international scene, he is excited for what 2020 has in store for him.