Date of event: 25 August 2022

“Sing it London!” screamed Kevin Parker of headliners Tame Impala to the All Points East festival crowd in London during a falsetto-flexing rendition of one of his biggest pop hits in recent years, ‘The Less I Know The Better’.
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Oh, how the ‘Currents’ have shifted since I last saw the Aussie auteur live.

Nine years ago, Parker was the psych-rock prince ascending to bigger and bigger stages, with his Outdoor Theatre sun-set at Coachella 2013 being one of my highlights of the desert festival. He was already big in the indie circles that he moved in, but not yet in the mainstream.⁣
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Perhaps the push in a pop direction has been ‘The Slow Rush’ all along?

The move has certainly brought incredible production levels with it, as the East Stage on Thursday night was flooded with a dazzling array of lights and sounds that were becoming of a headliner.

It was also my second year at the urban festival, having rocked out and folked up for full days in 2019. But this time around, my heart was set only on the headliner, which still vindicates All Points East’s single-day ticketing approach and the flexibility to fulfil whatever desires you have as a fan.

As an ‘Innerspeaker’-head, I perhaps would’ve liked a few more classic cuts from said headliner’s debut album. But as much as I love those first two records, I wouldn’t want things to feel like they only go backwards with Tame Impala.

I’m quite happy to float weightless, moving in whatever sonic direction Parker points himself towards. And when it happens, I will be holding on.