Live Review: Castaway Festival

After a successful run in Western Australia's beautiful Rottnest Island, Australian island festival Castaway is getting its Queensland debut at Sandstone Point on this warm and sunny Saturday afternoon. Today's line-up is by far a producer affair, with the likes of Golden Features and What So Not dominating the afternoon's proceedings. Today, punters will also be treated to some surf rock goodness with Dune Rats, and Aussie hip hop tracks from Allday.

Located on the waters of Pumicestone Passage, overlooking Moreton Bay and Bribie Island, with 300 metres of unobstructed water views, this seems almost like the perfect spot to hold an 'island party', without actually having to be on one. With the stage picturesquely placed in front of the water, the venue conveniently gives off those island vibes. It is almost like it is all just one big set-up for the perfect cider/beer commercial.

With a fist full of drinks and a "what's up, cunts" greeting, we all knew we were in for a bucket of fun with Brisbane boys Dune Rats. The trio waste no time in blowing the crowd's minds, opening up their set with the likes of Superman and Fuck It, middle fingers aplenty. The crowd quickly becomes susceptible to typical Dunies live show antics; Blister In The Sun cover, onstage shoeys and of course a quick 420 break. It's a touching end to the boys' set as they bring drummer BC Michaels' mum out for a boogie and a beer, signing out with Dalai Lama, Big Banana, Marijuana.

The sun is setting and the crowd hustles in for a hip hop session with Tom Gaynor aka Allday. After a slight delay in trying to locate Gaynor, he spurts out behind the stage spitting them signature rhymes. Allday goes on to smash out festival favourites such as Right Now and You Always Know The DJ and even throws in a Childish Gambino cover with V 3005, an artist Gaynor is clearly inspired by in lyrics and style. Honourable mention to Gaynor's backing crew, who keeps the crowd amped for Allday in Gaynor's extended absence, dancing and jiving to the beats throughout the set.

Night time creeps up on the Castaway punters, and before we know it Golden Features is up to satisfy those EDM cravings. The crowd that half-filled the venue seems to have doubled in the wake of Golden Features' set, as he packs out the venue with his catchy house tracks, an obvious favourite of today's line-up. Also known as longtime Sydney producer, Tom Stell, Golden Features' live showmanship is second to none as far as EDM producers go, with a light show and onstage energy most producers just can't seem to grasp in live settings.

As if Stell's set isn't a hard enough act to follow, fellow Sydney producer What So Not manages to fill those expectations, and then some. Keeping up with the already warm and keen-as-mustard to dance punters, What So Not belts out highly rotated tracks such as Gemini and the freshly made Ghost, which features Adelaide's rap goddess Tkay Maidza. What So Not's thrashy and intense dance tracks are a perfect way to finish off the day's proceedings, entertaining punters with visual stimulation and squeezing out that last little bit of energy everyone managed to have.