Neon Lights Music and Arts Festival 2015: First of Its Kind in Singapore

The Neon Lights Music and Arts Festival made their first debut in Singapore over the weekend of 28 and 29 November 2015. It was the first music festival I have been to and I must say, it sure made for an awesome first time. Held amidst the lush greenery at the Fort Canning, the festival featured a line-up including the famous Irish singer-songwriter Damien Rice, 90s British rock band RIDE, American folk rock act Sun Kil Moon, indie folk band Daughter and French cover band Nouvelle Vague, among many others.

Sun Kil Moon performing on Day 1

The one performance I enjoyed – and probably anticipated – the most was Damien Rice’s. The way he held everyone’s attention once he started singing “The Professor and La Fille Danse” was nothing short of amazing. His raw emotions and talent really shone through his performance. He needs only his voice and his trusty acoustic guitar to breathe life into his songs. His interaction with the audience during his song “Volcano” demonstrated impeccable showmanship; the audience had so much fun and laughter during that segment and clapped and sang along with him, albeit in a  not-so-perfect manner less.

Damien Rice performing on day two of the festival.

Though a significant part of the festival revolved around indie, alternative music, there were other genres like rock and electronica to cater to the diverse range of audience. Speaking of electronica, the last act on Day Two was Flight Facilities, an Australian electronic producer duo who ended the festival off with a heart-thumping show as they dropped songs like “Apollo”, “Clair De Lune” and “Stand Still” off their recent album “Down To Earth”.

When “Crave You” came on, everyone was raving for it was one of their biggest hits ever since they first came out. Although it started raining cats and dogs towards the end of the festival, it did little to dampen the mood of the festival-goers who were already all hyped up by their music.

Flight Facilities dropping some of their most recent tracks.

Music aside, there are numerous local food booths like Laneway Market and Momolato offering small bites and drinks bars for festival-goers as they immersed themselves into the mood. There was even a pop-up barbershop – something not quite commonly seen at other music festivals.

Unique pop-up barber shop at the festival.

Paper-making booth at the festival.

The paper-making booth was brought to the festival by Pinacotheque De Paris.

To sum it all up, this entire experience has been a breath of fresh air. Although the main incentive for getting those weekend passes was hearing Damien Rice himself, the other acts definitely wowed me, which totally justified me coming to the festival. I am certainly anticipating the next one with bated breath.