The area of Parramatta in Sydney’s West has grown rapidly in the last few years, leading to fresh cultural and artistic activity. Over the weekend, The Plot showcased a variety of Australia’s best artists and local emerging talent at Parramatta Park. The Festival was enjoyed by guests of all ages, who danced and grooved late into the night.

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The festival kicked off with Melbourne based duo SAATSUMA, who stunned guests with dreamy, textured electronica. Even though they played to a very small few, their performance was hypnotizing nonetheless. They were closely followed by the four-piece rock band Dear Seattle, who’s raw, grungy rock sent the audience into a frenzy. The midday sun and the small crowd couldn’t stop the band from singing and headbanging with angst. Meanwhile, Hatchie’s shoegaze pop sounded like it had been plucked straight from the ‘90s. Her set sent audience members into a trance, swaying blissfully to the music.

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CLOWNS . Photo – Wendy Robinson

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NORTH EAST PARTY HOUSE . Photo – Wendy Robinson

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CONFIDENCE MAN . Photo – Wendy Robinson

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KYLE LIONHEART . Photo – Wendy Robinson

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The Plot was very well organized; with multiple stages showcasing diverse artists, who each made the stage their own. Audience members could easily navigate between stages without noise interference and recover in designated rest areas. Everybody was looked after, with the Red Frogs handing out lollies and water to people in need. Another great aspect of the plot was the large variety of food and drink available for purchase. Frozen drinks were a godsend for the crowd after a big set, while Vegoes food truck brought delicious vegetarian and vegan options. (“That Haloumi burger changed lunch forever”) Other local stalls included Decks for Change, and Suitcase Rummage, where locals could sell vintage clothing and goods.

People of all ages enjoyed the range of performers; there was an artist there for everyone. It was refreshing to kick back with Alex the Astronaut’s chilled out tunes and then go crazy at Clowns, who rocked the crowd with their hardcore punk. Lead singer Stevie Williams hyped Parramatta with his intense vocals, moshing and crowd surfing, whilst taking drags from audience member’s cigarettes.

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OKENYO . Photo – Wendy Robinson

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CONFIDENCE MAN . Photo – Wendy Robinson

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BEC SANDRIDGE . Photo – Wendy Robinson

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Despite being a ten-hour festival, guests were dressed to impress in high fashion. There was an endless amount of overalls, glitter, fancy hairdos, chunky combat boots, and vintage clothing. It was also great to see Sydney dressed in a variety of band tees, supporting local artists and festivals. One guest quickly earned the nickname Eggplant Girl, by holding up an eggplant surrounded by fairy lights on a large stick. She fascinated Ruby Fields during her set, with the singer yelling “I’m sorry, I keep getting distracted by Eggplant girl over there!”

It was refreshing and inspiring to see a large number of female artists performing at The Plot. Stella Donnelly’s breathtaking vocals and bubbly personality was a highlight of the mid-afternoon. In her set, she sang both adorable and heart wrenching songs, which the crowd really connected with.

“This song is about a really bad Tinder date I went on, it’s called Stay at Home… I should have swiped left!”

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OKENYO . Photo – Wendy Robinson

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TIGERTOWN . Photo – Wendy Robinson

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CLOWNS . Photo – Wendy Robinson

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Another kickass performance by a lead female was WAAX, who’s dark tunes amplified their powerful on-stage presence. Singer Marie De Vita commanded the audience to jump and scream along with her, with some concertgoers receiving mild concussions and broken fingers from the mosh pit. Mallrat returned to Parramatta Park for her second year at the festival. She ruled the stage with her unique vocals and quirky lyrics, encouraging the crowd to groove and party on each other’s shoulders. Her set featured a guest appearance from Alice Ivy, who also played the festival.

Dylan Frost, lead singer of Sticky Fingers made a surprise appearance at the festival. He sang with Kuren early on in the day, sending fans into chaos. Meanwhile, Bec Sandridge’s set earned the award for most unlikely mosh pit. In her final song, I’ll Never Have a BF, a massive circle pit opened up in the crowd, surprising Bec herself –

“Please be gentle!”

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CLOWNS . Photo – Wendy Robinson

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KUREN . Photo – Wendy Robinson

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CLOWNS . Photo – Wendy Robinson

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A highlight of the festival was Confidence Man. I was unsure what to expect from the quirky four-piece when they walked out in matching costumes. However, I was blown away by their on-point choreography and incredible stage presence. The whole crowd was hypnotized. Afterwards, Skegss fans were in for a treat, shouting lyrics and moshing as hard as they could during the band’s set. L.S.D was a highlight of their performance, with three circle pits opening up in the audience. However, the large technical difficulties they experienced were frustrating for guests, who waited patiently for the band to play.

The night closed with a killer performance from Northeast Party House, who played hit after hit. The crowd was mesmerized by the insane light show accompanying the Melbourne 5-piece. Frontman Zach Hamilton-Reeves had the whole audience under his spell, with guests jumping and raving to tracks such as Youth Allowance. The crowd savored the final moments of the evening; it was the perfect act to end the night. After they came off stage the crowd begged for more, screaming

“one more song!”

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Overall, The Plot was truly fantastic! The diverse range of artists was enjoyed by guests of all ages, with everybody coming together to create a positive environment. The sheer talent and sense of community in Parramatta Park completely blew me away, creating a new appreciation of local music and culture within me. The festival was a huge success, and I’m excited to see what they bring to the table next year.

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Check out Wendy Robinson’s gallery of this event HERE

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AMNplify – BD