CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FULL FOMO 2020 GALLERY BY NGAMIHI PAWA HERE

The music was already blasting over the open fields of Trust Arena as I entered the gate. The open air stadium used the space well; suddenly it was no longer 5pm on Wednesday but the middle of summer holidays somewhere far, far away from Auckland.

Many Redbull stands dotted the field, broken up by the crowd dressed in their fest-best, as people grooved and danced their worries away.

FOMO really treated their crowd well. From the many water stands to the simplicity of AWOP (another way of paying), the festival experience was made smooth so people could focus on what was truly important - the music. This Auckland show was the last for FOMO, having just toured Australia with the crew. Other than artists telling us that this was the last festival, it was not apparent in the promotion. Each act brought an intensity and vibrancy to the stage.

My attention was stolen from admiring the set up by a chill bass line and a familiar voice. Illbaz and Melodownz were up and the beat got everybody to the dance floor. They roll through their set with high energy. Melo interacted with the crowd a lot, completely amused by the fact that he is Avondale-grown-a true Westie-and on a main stage. He and Illbaz share the role of hype man seamlessly, they infected the crowd just as easily with their contagious enthusiasm . Peace $igns, Gang $igns comes on and the crowd gets lost in the beat. The set is quintessential kiwi hip hop - its fast rap and bass-loaded beats with lyrics that really hit home. Songs like No Mercy and an anthem to his hometown, Avondale, are good examples of this.

Rico Nasty is up next and I’m curious. I’ve never really listened to her music but I can hear the crowd whispering around me and they sounded pleased. When the stage filled up with the words RICO NASTY in graffiti, they lost it. Her bass was deep, so deep that it vibrated my eardrums. She sampled a few old school classics, like Kendrick Lamar’s Alright. Her music itself was a grunge take on hip hop with a side of aggression-a take no shit attitude-and loaded with sass. When Rico speaks, however, her voice is soft and sweet, a contrast to her lyrics and beat.

In between sets the stage is mostly dark with remixed popular hip hop songs, spanning a large time period. The FOMO2020 banner rolls across the stage during this period. So do reminders that racism and sexism are NOT welcome here, and to speak up if you see it happening. There are also reminders to drink plenty of water and to do only what you feel safe doing. Responsible partying is something festivals should endeavour to encourage and I’m glad to see FOMO rise to that challenge.

When I next looked at the stage a huge hand was taking up the ceiling, with its fingers drooping over the top of the stage and showing off its jewellery. Booogie Wit Tha Hoodie took the stage after a long hype call. His bass was deep, so deep that it crackles slightly. He takes a slower approach to his set, with melodic vocals and teasingly build ups to those deep basslines. During Mad Dog, I looked around me and saw that the crowd size had more than doubled. There were walls of people as far as I could see, though I am rather short. Boogie is chatty with the crowd, he asked us three very important questions; “How many people like love?” “How many people like drugs?” “How many people like sex?” The latter two were met with screams of agreement from the crowd. Boogie Wit Tha Hoodie has a new album coming out soon and after catching him at FOMO, I will definitely be keeping an eye out for it.

A quick bathroom break and a stop at the bar and I’m ready for intermission to be over. It’s nearly 7.30pm and I have already made great use of my two free drinks from having a VIP ticket.

I hear the crowd start screaming and those not at the dance floor started sprinting. Of course I followed, and all I could see in huge, brightly coloured letters was LIZZO. I was very excited, Lizzo and Brockhampton being the two main artists I listen to in the line-up.

Lizzo opened with Good As Hell, showing us immediately what that mouth do. Her range was impressive, going from grungy as hell to clear high notes, all while dancing around the stage. Her dance crew are amazing and Lizzo makes sure they know that “Do you like the Big Girls? Say I LOVE YOU BIG GIRLS!” And the crowd responded eagerly. Lizzo liked talking to the crowd. Her set is very much about girl power, self-love, and inclusivity. With songs like Tempo and discussions on how healthy masturbation is, to getting us to chant “I deserve love, I deserve self-love,” she used her platform not just to share her music but her positivity. She even proclaimed herself a kiwi due to cheese rolls - she’s definitely our gal.

All dressed in orange and looking super young, Brockhampton filter onto the stage one by one. If I thought the crowd was big before, it’s huge now. The heat is just bearable and made better by the water guns being shot by staff. Bleach is a crowd favourite and Brockhampton looked stoked to be playing to us. They move through rhythmic rap to boy band inspired hip hop and back again. Though they are a band of many, with 6 on stage, they do use each stage member, nobody seems to be there as filler.

There are some sound issues, meaning Brockhampton has to cut their set short as they didn’t have much time left. Sugar and Gold are perfect hype songs. The crowd mostly forget about the lost song and immerse themselves into the beat.

Kaytranda is lucky last and a nice, smooth vibe to close off the night. He plays consistently, each track blending smoothly into the other. His visual show is very thought out, a music video type experience, with a big, beautiful, blinking eye spanning the DJ booth. The beat erased time, and Kaytranda got lost in it. It is completely dark now; the stage’s light show casts all over the open fields, staining us purple and orange. It felt almost like I was in a dream…


(In order of appearance)
Vayne
Melodownz
Rico Nasty
A Boogie Wit Tha Hoodie
Lizzo
Brockhampton
Kaytranda

Were you in the crowd at FOMO Auckland 2020????? Let us know who the blue people are SOLID SMURFING!!!