Lost Picnic Festival 2018 (Photo by Kyle Davis)

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I never thought I’d find myself reviewing a festival, let alone the renowned Lost Picnic Festival at The Domain in Sydney. With a line up so impressive, no wonder it was a sold out event. Upon arriving, there were already queue’s stretching down the streets, a mixed crowd of families with young children, teenagers and elderly couples, all in line and waiting for the long day ahead. Before any acts hit the stage, I decided to have a wander around the site to see what other entertainment they had to offer besides the music.

I had heard that previous Lost Picnic events didn’t have a substantial amount of food or drinks stalls to offer, yet at this event they had a huge variety of stalls selling a mixture of foods and drinks to cater for all (absolute praise to the organisers for fixing the issue this year). The extra entertainment was great too, sticking with a circus theme, there was mini golf, people dressed up in extravagant colourful costumes and a circus tent had been set up and a range of acts were performing in there throughout the entirety of the day (perfect for families with children).

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Sons of the East (Photo by Kyle Davis)

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Within half an hour of doors opening, the crowds had flooded through the gates, setting up their picnic blankets and waiting for the first act to grace the stage. Sons of the East opened the event, a three piece band from Sydney Australia; They are a classic Australian country-folk band, with husky vocals and clean guitar. Sons of the East’s sound suited the Sydney crowd perfectly, the band’s audience engagement was great and their set was a perfect way to start the day. The band also debuted brand new music to their hometown crowd, performing their single ‘Come Away’ which was definitely the highlight of their set.

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Odette (Photo by Kyle Davis)

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Odette was up next on the Lost Picnic line up; earlier I saw Odette wandering around the Lost Picnic site, minding her own business and meeting her beloved fans, just from seeing this I knew she would be a humble and personable performer, and I was correct. She joined her three piece band on stage, taking her place behind the keyboard before showing off her powerful and extraordinary voice. Personally I was blown away by her talent, especially when she performed songs off her debut album ‘To a Stranger’, demonstrating her incredible vocal range without fault. The English born singer, raised in Sydney’s suburbs had a vibe that suited this crowd, she had the growing audience dancing to her groovy beats and minimalist piano ballads all set long.

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Hot Potato Band (Photo by Kyle Davis)

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Next to enter the stage was Hot Potato Band. How do I describe this energetic 10 piece brass band? Simply amazing in every single way, from their timing, their show performance to their impressive crowd involvement, I felt like I was watching a scene out of a Broadway musical. They gave the Lost Picnic audience a performance so unique and entertaining, personally their set was definitely one of the highlights from the entire event.  Let’s talk about Ben Goldstein’s smooth vocals (and incredible dancing), which complimented the army of instruments which joined him on stage. He’s an entertainer, he knows how to put on a good show, and he had the entirety of Lost Picnic on their feet, jumping along to their humorous lyrics. “This song is about the green stuff we all love….avocado” Goldstein announced before breaking out into the lyrics “You got to spread it on thick” (I couldn’t agree more).

For a 10 piece band they put on a faultless performance, and if you want to be entertained, go and check out the Hot Potato Band, you will not be disappointed.

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Marlon Williams (Photo by Kyle Davis)

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Marlon Williams and his band brought it down a notch with Marlon’s soothing vocals paired with the bands 50’s inspired instrumentals. The entire set I couldn’t help but think he was a modern-day Elvis, similar vocal style with a contemporary twist. They attracted a certain type of audience and let just say not many kids could be seen in the crowd. Marlon Williams and his band brought a different energy to the stage, I appreciated their musical talent and faultless vocal range, especially during their performance of their new song ‘Make way for Love’. Couple’s could be seen slow dancing and singing along to their heartfelt lyrics.

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Meg Mac (Photo by Kyle Davis)

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An act that the audience were undoubtedly looking forward to, was the phenomenal Meg Mac. A large crowd started to form at the barrier, cheering and chanting for the Sydney singer, Meg Mac to come on stage. Despite the weather taking a turn and raining on and off during her set, it did not dampen the spirits of Lost Picnic crowd. Seeing this was my first time seeing Meg Mac live, I did not know what to expect. I have been a fan of Meg Mac’s distinctive vocals and powerful lyrics for a while, and I was curious to see how she would portray this live. In saying this, I have nothing but positive feedback to give about her performance. Meg Mac is simply fascinating, she owned the stage with enthusiasm and confidence. Meg Mac’s lyrics are like listening to a story, each verse and chorus is captivating and pleasant to listen to. Meg Mac gave the audience a range of songs, new and old and even debuting her latest song ‘Give Me My Name Back’ to her hometown crowd.  Meg Mac also performed her Triple J Like a Version cover ‘Let it Happen’ which the audience went crazy for.

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Tash Sultana (Photo by Kyle Davis)

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The final act that I can safely say everyone was waiting for, a dynamic solo multi instrumentalist who gained world attention from her home made music videos and busking in the streets, Tash Sultana. Often described as a ‘one-person band’, the stage was set up with a variety of instruments, loop pedals and quirky items that undoubtedly represent Tash herself. The crowd were waiting for this moment, to finally hear Tash Sultana create her music live. How would you describe her sound? It’s a strong progression of 70’s reggae, mixed with modern day looping and incredible guitar solos, all combined with her soft and soothing vocals. Her talent and passion for music is powerful, her sound is real, raw and authentic. Watching her perform live is mesmerizing, you can see on her face that she not only creates this music, but she feels it also. Throughout her set she was switching between instruments constantly, and I couldn’t help but think that she has a pure talent, unlike any other musician I had ever seen. Tash Sultana performed a array of her well-known songs, from ‘Jungle’, to ‘Notion’ to performing her latest single ‘Free Mind’. Tash’s hour and fifteen minute set slowly came to an end, and the crowd chanted for “one more song”, It was undeniably the perfect set to finish the night and to conclude Lost Picnic Festival 2018.

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Tash Sultana (Photo by Kyle Davis)

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Check out Kyle Davis’ gallery
of this show HERE

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AMNPLIFY – DB