Laneway festival 2024: Revellers warned about dangers of ‘red/pink’ tablets being sold as ecstasy
As more than 20,000 music lovers braved the heat for the Laneway music festival, authorities issued a warning against taking “red/pink” tablets being sold as ecstasy. Find out why.
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Laneway festivalgoers in Sydney on Sunday were warned by NSW Health against taking “red/pink” tablets which are being sold in NSW as ecstasy but contain a potent synthetic opioid.
As more than 20,000 music lovers braved the searing temperatures at the Sydney Showgrounds, medical teams and a large police presence with sniffer dogs were on standby in case anyone suffered from heat exhaustion or drug or alcohol poisoning.
Electronic billboards warned about the bad pills circulating the city and urged revellers to stay hydrated with free water dispensers and misting fans located throughout the site.
“NSW Health is warning of the dangers of red/pink tablets which are being sold as MDMA (ecstasy) and found to contain a potent opioid (nitazene),” flashed on the screens.
“You won’t get into trouble for seeking medical care.”
The majority of Laneway fans arrived in the late afternoon and sought shelter for the high temperatures in the airconditioned halls housing the stages.
Crowds streamed in to watch popular Australian acts including recent Hottest 100 heroes Teenage Dads, altpop party starters Confidence Man and singer songwriter Julia Jacklin while rising rapper JK-47’s audience swelled during his set when fellow hip hop soul artist Tasman Keith joined him on stage.
The event’s biggest hall started getting full for the performance for US hip hop artist Cordae, who replaced British pop singer Suki Waterhouse who is expecting her first child with actor Robert Pattinson.
“This is like one big ass family reunion,” Cordae said.
One of the day’s most joyful sets of the Sydney event came from British r&b soul star Raye, who has commanded the global airwaves with hits including Escapism, Prada and You Don’t KNow Me.
With her bandmates suited up in white shirts and bow-ties – including the women players – she proved to be a superstar entertainer with a voice which hits notes out of the shed and that effortless, natural banter about everything from being “a bit dramatic” to beating the major label machine which let her release an album.
The other headliners at the 2024 Laneway include British superstar rapper Stormzy and
American alternative r&b and soul star Steve Lacy.
As the Australian festival circuit continues to be smashed by cost of living pressures with another event seemingly cancelled every week, the national Laneway Festival has proven resilient to the market downturn.
While not sold out yet but with only limited tickets still available to the opening weekend shows in Brisbane and Sydney, Laneway expects more than 125,000 fans will turn out around the country over the next two weeks.
Laneway’s strength as the festival market struggles to return to pre-pandemic levels is its comfortable capacity and its line-up.
Like the legendary Big Day Out before it, Laneway programs a mix of artists who have emerged from outside of conventional genres to crossover to the mainstream pop charts and airwaves with a clutch of up-and-comers who are already on the radar of alternative music fans.
This year’s headliners include British rap superstar Stormzy, American genre-masher Steve Lacy, US alt-rap fave Dominic Fike and UK pop r&b sensation Raye.
Australian artists on the 2024 bill range from include singer songwriter Angie McMahon, Angus Stone solo side hustle Dope Lemon, altpop partystarters Confidence Man and Hottest 100 heroes Teenage Dads.
Bad Habit star Lacy returns to Australia just a year after his Give You The World Tour which sold out instantly and had to be upgraded to bigger venues. Melbourne fans went nuts, queuing outside John Cain Arena from 5am and rushing the gates when they opened.
Like many of his Laneway co-stars, Lacy has brought a new generation of music fans to festivals and big gigs in the post-pandemic return of live music.
He appreciates their hyped-up enthusiasm for the live music experience but has also suffered from the potentially dangerous side effects of that exuberance as many artists in the past 18 months have been injured after being targeted by projectiles thrown from the moshpit.
Lacy cut a concert short in New Orleans in late 2022 after a fan threw a disposable camera onstage, hitting him in the torso. Before he exited the stage the musician smashed the object on the floor.
“I think they just get excited. I can’t speak for everybody throwing stuff but these kids, it’s a lot of people’s first time at these shows,” Lacy said ahead of his Australian tour.
“Even in the heat of all this stuff happening, the feeling passed and I understood (them) and I love them.
“I thought it was kind of funny that people thought I looked really pissed, but I was actually really excited by the end of that concert run, learning how young people take things in.
“I love their rowdiness and I hope they don’t throw anything.”
His Laneway performance will be his second at the festival; he performed with his band The Internet in 2018 when he was 19.
The style guru who carefully plans his stage costumes, lighting design and performance, promises a one-off show curated for these Australian festival sets.
While he is currently recording the follow-up album to his award-winning 2022 record Gemini Rights, the set list is unlikely to feature any new songs as he is keen to keep his works-in-progress off TikTok.
“I’ll have new stage designs and stuff but no new music to roll out,” he said.
“” It will be this mid-era show which will be a little experimental; we’re trying to figure out something new in between the next thing and the old thing.
“It’s very special and I think only you guys will get to experience this.”
Laneway festival opens at the Brisbane Showgrounds on February 3, travels to the Sydney Showgrounds on February 4, Adelaide’s Bonython Park on February 9, The Park, Flemington in Melbourne on February 10 and finishes at Perth’s Wellington Square on February 11.
DON’T MISS THESE ACTS AT LANEWAY
Raye – the Escapism and Prada chart star arrives in Australia having scored seven nominations for the upcoming Brit Awards, the most in its history.
Faye Webster – The American singer songwriter and guitar-slinger will treat Laneway audiences to a sneak preview of some new tracks from her upcoming Underdressed at the Symphony, out on March 1.
Stormzy – Aussie fans have been waiting a long time to see the master rapper back on our shores after he cancelled his 2022 tour. Hopes are high for a guest spot by Raye during his set to sing their romantic collab The Weekend.
Dope Lemon – The side hustle from Angus Stone has become its own beast with their groove-laden songs and chilled party vibes.
Miss Kaninna – The rising Aussie rapper burst onto the alternative airwaves with her glorious debut single Blak Britney and confirmed her songwriting smarts with the follow-up track Pinnacle Bitch.
Dominic Fike – The American hip hop rap rock star has been a regular on Triple J since busting to the top of the charts in 2018 with 3 Nights.
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Originally published as Laneway festival 2024: Revellers warned about dangers of ‘red/pink’ tablets being sold as ecstasy
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