#gigreview Great EP Launch for @PicnicbandUK @O2Academynew #photos

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Review: Picnic EP Launch
 at O2 Academy 16/9/2017

 With fantastic support from a trio of superb bands Picnic had to be something special to be the headliners. St Buryan, Post Rome and Peace Frog are all headliner material themselves. So this made for a great night out at the O2.


Picnic, a 7 piece jazz-influenced pop band from Sunderland, have a new EP out called Nothing to Write Home About which turns out to be false modesty as they are rather good! Joyful jazzy pop with changing time signatures and funky rhythms had the audience dancing and my foot tapping. Starting with Bill You Murray Me and then Madame Butterly the band showed their syncopated unique style. Someone at the gig mentioned 90s Acid Jazz? I’m not sure. 45 To Go was a particularly catchy pop number from the EP. The pace was disrupted nicely by a slower number Everything Nothing. The sheer size of the band and variety of instruments including piano and brass make every song a big production. Fronted by cheerful Robyn Walker, the band is perfect festival fodder. I get the impression they have the requisite number of sandwiches for a Picnic, and are headed for success. 

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