Past INmusic Festival lineups & sets (Archive)

N.E.R.D.🙏
Their set was an absolute blast—honestly, way better than I expected. They were constantly engaging with the crowd, just messing around and refusing to stick to some rigid, predictable formula. And what about those people chanting "America"? If they hadn't done that, the critics would have just found something else to nitpick, whining about how they should have done this or that. It’s a lose-lose situation. If you actually enjoy their music, you had a great time regardless. If you don't, well, you still had a great show to watch because the production value and tech were top-tier.☕👍

What a total clusterfuck. ☕

Hannah Baker23 said:N.E.R.D.🙏
their set was absolutely killer—honestly way better than I expected. They were constantly vibing with the crowd and just having a blast; they didn't stick to some rigid, boring formula. And honestly, regarding people chanting "America"—if they hadn't done that, the critics would have just found something else to complain about anyway. If you're there to listen, you had a great time regardless, and even if you aren't their biggest fan, the stage production and tech were top-tier.☕👍

...I'm with you 😉 ,, I thought they had one of the best sets of the whole weekend.. that whole "Kroejjjšaaa" thing was more funny and charming to me than anything annoying.. honestly, it didn't bother me at all 😁 ... I’m a total sucker for stuff like that—I love when a band actually interacts with the audience, it makes them instantly more likable to me😁

Hannah Baker23 said:Anyone who didn't listen to them ended up loving it anyway because the stage design and tech were absolutely top-tier.☕👍

Basically, you just told all those haters who claim they didn't have fun that they actually had a blast, even if they're too stubborn to admit it! 😠

I'm way too attached to Tricky to start playing apologist for him now.
Yeah, all of you claiming it was actually a bad set—unfortunately, you're right. Still, there are factors at play here that have nothing to do with his talent.

First off, you don't exactly see Tricky on MTV, so the kids under 20 around me looked completely lost. They were rightfully expecting something mystical, provocative, and exotic, but instead they got some tired guy from Bristol/New York; except, that’s exactly who he’s always been.

Second, I traveled all the way from San Diego just to unwind for a few hours, and I was pretty floored by the sound engineering at the Apple stage. What was that? Nobody sounds good with tech that amateur; Tricky was probably the last person who could.

Third, put some Latin dancers in front of Tricky, and while the girls and guys are jumping to Davor Radolfi with that "Latin intellectual" vibe—expecting twenty minutes later to get a continuation of Moby’s hop-cup-peace-yeah leftist party on that same stage—out comes a guy from a country that survived the third industrial revolution. He’s had a hell of a life, he fights his own demons, and he isn't exactly the most cheerful musician you'll meet. And he's not a vegetarian, either.

Fourth, his mistake was that he didn't run a "greatest hits" playlist like Moby, which is what you're all complaining about. He didn't perform his best of. That's a flaw when you're dealing with a mixed crowd, but it's also a statement. Credit to him for that. And credit for not shouting out Washington, D.C., or the US, or whatever; he had no intention of being "likable." He would’ve played this same show in Hull.

Fifth, in my opinion, Tricky is a killer in a club setting with perfect acoustics. He isn't built for these massive festivals, but hey, better anything than nothing at all.

And finally, I don't know what your problem is, but he wasn't high. Just high enough.

Kyle Stewart2 said:And finally, I don't know what's wrong with you people, but he wasn't wasted. He was plenty wasted enough...

That's exactly why those hacks from Rolling Stone were there 😁

I honestly can't even begin to describe how incredible his performance was 😵

I keep playing those versions of Overcome, Girls, and Ace of Spades over in my head—it’s such a rush! And man, that "my love for you" line from pasti Mistake just stayed stuck in my brain for the longest time. But wait, does anyone remember how they played Christiansands? It was wild! Also, does anyone recall which song they actually kicked things off with? I mean the one where they were all singing along together. And seriously, why do they perform Black Steel in such a stripped-down, almost broken way? 😕

Look, I love Kraftwerk, but man, they were totally predictable... I basically knew the entire setlist before they even stepped on stage because I'd already binged them on YouTube. It actually makes me agree with my buddy who swears the whole thing was staged—like, they’re just playing through tracks rather than actually performing. 🤣

Moby seemed a bit out of it (the guy looked pretty shaken after getting hit by that bright light crap)... but honestly, the highlight for me was when he started faking those guitar parts. 🤷

Rokia was great, though I didn't catch her full set because I was too focused on Kraftwerk... her guitar was practically bigger than she was.

Oh, right... experienced my first silent disco, and it was absolutely wild...

About the festival and the crowd

...sneaking in would have been way too easy... there were a million ways to do it. Me and two friends actually pulled it off. One guy had me stick his wristband on with superglue, and the other one involved us lifting a band (using some lotion trickery)... basically, I realized most of those wristbands were slapped on way too loose. You could easily swim across or just trek through the woods to get in.

...I really don't get people who show up to a festival with these little digital cameras, just filming and snapping photos instead of actually living in the moment at the concert... 🙄

...you could tell during the Kraftwerk set that most of the crowd was just composed of those typical NYC hipsters. 😁

I missed out on Robots because of yyy. Dammit.

Kyle Stewart2 said:Look, I'm way too deep into Tricky's discography to be out here playing devil's advocate for him right now.
And yeah, all you guys claiming his set actually sucked? You're unfortunately right. But honestly, there's a bunch of stuff going on here that has absolutely nothing to do with Tricky himself.

First off, you don't exactly see Tricky on MTV anymore, so half the kids under 20 hanging around me looked totally lost. They were basically expecting some mystical, provocative, exotic vibe, but instead, they got this gritty guy from Seattle/New York; except that’s just who he’s always been.

Second, I flew all the way in from San Diego just to unwind for a few hours, and man, was I caught off guard by how trash the sound engineering was at the Apple stage. Like, seriously? Who could possibly sound good with tech that bad? Tricky was probably the last person on earth who stood a chance.

Third, you've got these Latin-pop acts performing right before him, and while the crowds are jumping around to Davor Radolfi with that whole "Latin intellectual" vibe, they're all sitting there expecting Moby to follow up in 20 minutes with more hop-cupa-peace-yeah leftist party vibes on the same stage. Then this guy shows up—someone from a country that already survived the third industrial revolution, someone who's had a hell of a life and is fighting his own demons, so naturally, he isn't the most upbeat performer you'll ever see. And no, he's not even a vegetarian.

Fourth, his "mistake" was simply not putting together a greatest hits playlist like Moby did. He didn't just play his best stuff. That's a flaw when you're dealing with such a diverse crowd, sure, but it's also a statement. Mad respect to him for that. And credit to him for not shouting "Chicago, America!" or whatever, because he clearly wasn't trying to win anyone over. He would've played a show like that in Buffalo if he felt like it.

Fifth, in my opinion, Tricky is an absolute killer in a club setting with perfect acoustics. This kind of massive festival setup just isn't his lane, but hey, better than nothing, right?

And finally, I don't know what your problem is, but he wasn't high. Just high enough.

Whatever, all things considered, Tricky was brilliant. Yeah, the sound was total garbage, but that's not on him... I don't get why everyone is whining so much... then again, maybe it's just those people standing in the front row like wooden statues, thinking if Tricky didn't come down to them, he wouldn't even give them a glance.

Anyway, personally, I loved Tricky.

Honestly, feeling like a total overgrown teenager, my absolute favorite memory was catching those guys from FF peeking over the fence just to get a better view of Kraftwerk... I was squinting through a little gap to get a look at them, and then suddenly Kapranos spots me and just stares like he’s seen a ghost 😂

Haha, and behind which fence?

Thomas Carter80 said:Even though I absolutely adore them, Kraftwerk felt entirely predictable... I already knew the entire setlist before they even stepped on stage because I'd watched them on YouTube, so I find myself agreeing with my friend who insists they’re basically faking the whole thing—just playing along with a pre-recorded vibe. 🤣

I would have leaned toward Pac-Man or Space Invaders, but the reality is that even as mere abstractions, they possess more charisma, more intrigue, and frankly, more sympathy for me as an audience member than most musicians who actually "play" their instruments. 🙏I'd take a cold reception and a quick "auf wiedersehen" at the end over some monotonous, soul-crushing amateur hour any day of the week. 🙂

coppergardener said:I honestly never thought I'd find myself tearing up during a Moby set.

I felt the exact same way. 🙂
Everything was just incredible. Every bit of it. Sure, there's always room for improvement, but looking at the big picture, I'm blown away. My main goal was catching Moby and the YYYs, but honestly, Franz ended up being my favorite. They were just so powerful.
Kraftwerk was also top-tier. I really dig how static they stay; with music like theirs, any other kind of stage presence would just feel out of place.
N.E.R.D was alright too—not my absolute favorite, but they were cool enough.
The YYYs were great, though the sound system was honestly pretty terrible.
As for Moby—it was fucking amazing. He got a little worked up because people were heckling him, but he totally won me over.

Lisa Murphy64 said:haha, and behind which fence?

To the right of the stage, tucked under the video wall—mostly hidden by a Verizon banner😁

It was worth their while. Even if they don't typically listen to this kind of music, they couldn't claim it was a subpar experience. To call a show "bad," you need more than just a difference in musical taste; you need actual failures—poor sound engineering, a botched stage setup, or a lackluster performance. None of that was present here. So, even for someone who isn't a fan, you can't honestly say it was a waste of time.😉

Steven Hernandez9 said:Arthur Anderson75, you little smartass, how did you suddenly decide I watched every single performer from start to finish? Most of the time I was just there to give moral support to the guys actually working, or hanging out and grabbing drinks with the ones who weren't... honestly, I had a blast, even if I only liked three and a half bands over the whole two days...

I'll never get pathetic types like you who suddenly catch a case of "righteous indignation" just because someone dares to say something controversial—like how every art brut song sounds exactly the same, or how Tricky is just hilarious in his stoned-out way, or how Karen is as ugly as sin...

That whole "5% talent" argument automatically kills any discussion on internet forums everywhere. Is that clear enough for you, or is that adolescent sense of justice still burning too bright in your chest?

I wasn't accusing you of heresy; I just think your intellectual and spiritual channels are totally blocked, much like most of those "urban cool guys" who'll still be acting like that at 35.

Over & out

Arthur Anderson75 said:I wasn't accusing you of heresy; I just think those intellectual and spiritual channels are generally stunted for most "urban cool guys" who are still drinking beer at thirty-five.

Over & out

And now I've completely lost you... so, according to you, the "intellectual and spiritual channels" of most urban cool guys are totally blocked just because they're having a drink at thirty-five? Honestly, what does that even mean to a kid today? 🤷 You seem like some kind of straight edge extremist who's just bitter because someone didn't care for 70 percent of the show—and heaven forbid, they actually enjoyed themselves by grabbing beers with friends from a safe distance during it.

I'm also not sure if you realized you used the phrase "intellectual and spiritual channels" while talking about a concert by N.E.R.D. and a bald Moby. Intellectual and spiritual channels? There's a guy jumping around on stage screaming his head off, "American women are hooornyyyy!!!" and you call that an intellectual and spiritual channel? Man, are you actually sane?

Honestly, I don't even know if anyone’s actually paying attention to the idiots in this thread, but man, they were absolutely legendary... I was completely floored, just totally wiped out like nothing else in my life, so thanks to everyone who helped pick up the pieces😁