LIVE MUSIC (A-Z)
CASEY MAY AND THE LOVERS
Casey May is a soul-funk vocalist born in Adelaide and now based in Byron Bay. After moving to the Northern Rivers to pursue music, she found her band The Lovers — a group of jazz-trained musicians with a shared love for old-school sound. Drawing inspiration from artists like Amy Winehouse and the golden era of big band jazz, they blend timeless soul and funk with raw, emotional vocals.
COOL SOUNDS
Cool Sounds is a Melbourne band led by Dainis Lacey, known for their eclectic blend of indie rock, ‘80s pop, funk, and altcountry.
With six albums including 2025’s Party Punisher, they deliver witty, perceptive songwriting infused with vintage charm and oddball pop, drawing comparisons to Talking Heads and Paul Simon. Brought to the event by Jet Black Cat Music.
EGGY
Eggy is a Melbourne/Naarm-based experimental band blending avant-pop and alternative rock with DIY roots.
Their third album, From Time To Time, released in March 2025 via Flightless Records, showcases a cinematic fusion of analog and digital sounds. Known for dynamic live shows, they’ve toured internationally and shared stages with artists like Kurt Vile and The Beths. Brought to the event by Jet Black Cat Music.
FLO RECORDS DJS
Emerging from Bangalow’s independent record store and creative hub, Flo Records DJs bring the same open-minded, feel-first approach to the decks as they do to their crates. Guided by instinct over genre, their sets are rich in atmosphere, rooted in community, and shaped by a true passion for music that connects. Expect unexpected gems, warm energy, and a sound that reflects both their home and the moment.
GUY GREY
Local resident Guy Grey is a music selector whose career has taken him to main stages and fold-out tables across the East Coast. Known for genre-blurred grooves and deep, worldly rhythms, he turns playing music into a vehicle for fellowship.
HOLIDAY MAKER DJS
Holiday Maker DJs is a Northern Rivers-based label and artist collective celebrating DIY sounds and regional weirdness. With a love for lo-fi pop, psych, and jangle, they amplify local voices and offbeat energy—curating music that’s as sun-dazed, rebellious, and joyfully off-centre as the laneways they’ll fill.
LUCY’S HOUSE
Born out of Lismore/Bundjalung’s underground scene, Lucy’s House bring an eclectic blend of electronica, art rock and psychedelia. Built on hypnotic bass lines, swirling synths, and electronic textures, the four-piece, led by Eden Yeigh, push the boundaries of sonic experimentation.
LIMINAL
Liminal is an experimental psych-rock band currently based in Lismore.
MEDIA PUZZLE
Media Puzzle is a mysterious figure in Lismore’s nightlife, named after the Irish horse that claimed victory in the 2002 Melbourne Cup (naturally). The band delivers a blistering mix of scuzzy, down-the-barrel Aussie egg-punk that thrashes through its 90-second songs without a second wasted.
In just over one year, media puzzle has released two EPs and three albums, with the latest, ‘Intermission’, marking a turning point for Northern Rivers rock group. Released via Impressed Recordings, the five-track EP is the band’s most focused and refined work to date, trading scrappy production for bass-led grooves, programmed drums and a sharper, more danceable sound.
MK
MK (Mitch King), is a performing artist and a proud Yaegl & Widjabul Wia-bul man from the Bundjalung nation on the east coast of Australia. His main disciplines are music, theatre, and dance – he loves telling stories through sound, movement. Most of his work is related to living on country and what it’s like to live in the regional area of Northern Rivers, New South Wales – combining cultural and contemporary practices to push his own creative boundaries in order to make space for First Nations communities’ voices and artistry.
MITCH TAMBO
Australian world music star, Mitch Tambo blends contemporary sounds with First Nations culture.
His debut album Guurama-Li topped charts globally, and has achieved #1 on the Australian worldwide itunes charts with hits like Heal, The Best, My Island Home and Love.
His Gamilaraay-language cover of the John Farnham classic You’re the Voice has achieved over 1 million streams.
MR RHODES
Mr Rhodes blends soulful future hip-hop with unmatched energy, earning recognition on major platforms and on radio.
From early hits like “Wonderous” to the latest release “Wandering By,” he continues to push boundaries. Tours with Winston Surfshirt, Horrorshow, ILLY and Black Star cementing his position at the forefront.
SHLUFFY
Blending elements of dream pop, neo-soul, acid jazz, disco and funk, Shluffy crafts a sound that is both ethereal and groove-driven. The music invites listeners into a sonic landscape where lush melodies and rhythmic textures converge, offering an immersive and danceable experience.
THE BONES
Meet The Bones – the electrifying young band shaking up stages with their hard-rocking sound. These powerhouses bring confidence and musicianship well beyond their years. Expect big, thumping beats that make you move and searing guitar solos that drop jaws.
The Bones aren’t just a band – they’re a force of nature, proving that age is no barrier to delivering epic, head-banging tunes. They’re here to rock your world, one powerful riff at a time!
THE DEADLY GOOD
Founded on the idea of love and positivity, The Deadly Good is a classic four-piece ensemble made up of drums, bass, piano and vocals, to showcase and pay homage to the originators of modern music.
The band is influenced by many styles and genres of music and clocked hours of performance time, honing the skills and knowledge that bring versatility to each gig allowing genre jumps between Pop, Jazz, R&B, Soul and Blues.
THE NORTHERN RIVERS YOUTH JAZZ ORCHESTRA
Established in 2010, the Northern Rivers Youth Jazz Orchestra (YJO) is the leading pre-professional big band in the Northern Rivers for musicians aged 13-24. Directed by Nic Campbell, who trained with Cristina Leonard at the Sydney Conservatorium, YJO boasts a full complement of saxophones, trumpets, trombones, piano, bass and guitar.
The orchestra excels in jazz, funk, soul, blues and fusion, and relishes the challenge of mastering complex charts by Gordon Goodwin, Tower of Power, Glenn Miller, and Duke Ellington. YJO frequently performs locally and has collaborated with jazz legends like James Morrison and Paul Grabowsky.
TRUSTED FRIENDS
Trusted Friends are a collective of DJs, musicians, promoters and community builders, based in Lismore. Co-founder, Benny Green is representing the collective at this year’s LOLA, playing a mix of upbeat, soulful sounds.
WAX ADDICTS
Wax Addicts are Byron Bay’s beloved vinyl-spinning duo, blending funk, disco, house, Afro, bass, and soul into uplifting, feel-good journeys. Since 2022, Andrea Jones & Scotty Brimstone have rocked clubs, halls, and festivals across Australia—including Earth Frequency, Island Vibes, Kuranda Roots & Nudge Nudge Wink Wink—sharing stages with legends like Norman Jay MBE & Dave Lee. Their mantra? Good music. Good people. Good vibes.
visual artists
PAUL MCNEIL
New Zealand-born artist Paul McNeil, based in Byron Bay, is renowned for his vibrant, humorous works spanning surf culture, music, and politics. A founding Mambo artist and co-founder of Art Park and frequent
Deus ex Machina artist he has collaborated with bands like The Rolling Stones and Sonic Youth.
MARTY BAPTIST
Marty Baptist is a visual artist and has exhibited globally since 2003. He blends raw expressionist symbolism with existentialism. Combining dark humour, cryptic text and pop culture references, his paintings challenge perceptions of everyday life, creating uncertainty in the familiar.
His artwork is held in many private and institutional collections including The National Library of Australia. He has also collaborated with a diverse array of creative partners and labels including Paramount house hotel (Sydney), Neuw (Sweden), Cliche (France), Krooked skateboards (USA) and Warner Brothers amongst many some of which collected by the likes of Matt Damon and Dhani Harrison.
KATE STROUD (THE BACK ALLEY GALLERY)
Kate is a vision hunter, a visual communicator, artist, signwriter and large-scale muralist, whose joyful, provocative, and sometimes rebellious works are synonymous with the outspoken and creative spirit of the Northern Rivers region.
Her vibrant murals and signs adorn laneways, footpaths, walls, arcades, shopfronts, and the interiors of local businesses from Lismore to Perth, and chances are she has designed the logo or interior of that local businesses you love. A fierce advocate for community-led development and a vibrant creative economy, Kate’s work is a constant celebration of identity and survival.
KAI GESCO (THE BACK ALLEY GALLERY)
Kai Gesco is a deaf and neurodivergent artist based in the Northern Rivers. He creates mixed media works inspired by beautiful chaos of life.
STEEP ST. (THE BACK ALLEY GALLERY)
STEEP ST. is a collaborative studio dedicated to creating visual and auditory experiences that push the limits of perception. Based on Widjabul Wia-bal Country in Lismore, NSW, artists Bianca Hayden and Mark Leacy work with light, colour, geometry and sound to create murals, sculptures and immersive interventions that shift the emotional atmosphere of a space.