The Gum Ball festival held at ‘Dashville’, near Lower Belford in the Hunter Valley is undoubtedly one of the most rewarding festivals on the calendar. The property is owned by the local Johnston family, and as the name would suggest, it is held amongst many mature eucalypt trees, with the added advantage of being only a couple of hours out of Sydney. The 2023 edition was the 17th chapter of this fabulous festival.
It is always an action-packed weekend of music, being held from the Friday afternoon, running through to Sunday evening. With two main stages, side by side, the changeover from one to the other is minimal. With an early start on Saturday and Sunday (9.50 and 9.40 am respectively!) – there is a long and impressive line-up guaranteed.
Friday afternoon kicked off with a Welcome to Country. Early arrivals were treated to Sydney psychedelic duo Velvet Trip.
Two big names on the bill closed out the evening. One of the bands that we have fallen in love with at the AU after seeing them perform at BIGSOUND 2022 is Full Flower Moon Band, and they again delivered a powerhouse set. They have a wide range of influences, and the musicianship and captivating show from frontwoman ‘Babyshakes Dillon’ was a highlight. It feels like they are a band about to explode into the public consciousness.
Closing out the night was the iconic Mudhoney. The Seattle 4-piece was in great form. It’s more than ten years since they were last in the country, and to get them to perform at Gum Ball was a great feat indeed. They were the perfect end to a night that had been dominated by guitars and beautiful grunge.
The festival well and truly caters for families, music nerds, and those that want a more varied experience. You could rock up to yoga early on, and for the kids there was Bunny Racket kicking off the music on the big stage.
Gambirra Mob are a 12-piece from North East Arnhem Land, and performed just after midday. Their blend of psychedelic roots, rock, reggae, dub and funk stirred even the most sedentary into action.
Burger Joint are always great fun at a festival. With songs such as “Chicken Parmigiana”, “Smoko” and “Best Day Ever”, you can quickly catch onto the lyrics and enjoy the humour within.
An artist with a rapid trajectory to her name is undoubtedly WILSN. A massive voice, charismatic stage presence, and a top-notch band in tow, she was a mid-afternoon highlight. She has recently released her debut album, Those Days Are Over.
Another massive highlight was seeing Party Dozen. A duo comprised of Kirsty Tickle on saxophone, and Jonathon Boulet on drums, their live shows are legendary. They are largely instrumental, but infused with incredibly high energy, punctuated with Kirsty singing into a microphone in her saxophone.
The New Christs were a trip down memory lane for many. Featuring Rob Younger of Radio Birdman on lead vocals, the band was on song, and energetic to the max. They don’t play together all that often, so it was a rare opportunity to catch them.
Speaking of rare opportunities, Baby Animals (lead photo) totally slayed on Saturday night. It was a joy to see them, and frontwoman Suze DeMarchi was on fire. Her vocals were as good as ever, the band was tight, and the crowd rejoiced.
For those with energy to burn, the Silent Disco kept many up for a couple more hours.
Sunday morning kicked off with The Beanies to entertain the kids early whilst the parents queued for coffees and bacon and egg rolls.
The Young Gums is a mentorship program put on by the festival. Local talented kids are encouraged to apply, and those successful attend a live-in program at the festival in the days leading up to Gum Ball. The program culminates in a live performance at the festival on the Sunday afternoon. They played a range of covers as well as three originals which were penned in the days before. It was great to see the talented kids take to the stage.
The weather turned on the sprinklers a little to keep us cooled down, but it didn’t quell the enthusiasm. Dande & The Lion charmed with their indie pop with dual front women on vocals. Ben Leece demonstrated again why he is so revered as a songwriter, with his emotive songs and heartfelt delivery. Flowertruck always entertain, and it was a treat to hear the songs from Partly Cloudy – their 22 album that followed on from their 2018 debut Mostly Sunny.
Dashville Progress Society is a conglomeration of the Johnston brothers, who run Dashville, and their musical mates and families. It’s a constant every year, and is usually dominated by guitars, more guitars and lots of laughs. This year they adopted a theme for the setlist, and with tracks such as “Hits From The Bong”, “I Want to Take You Higher”, “Pass The Duchie”, “Blaze of Glory”, finishing off with the epic “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35”, it ensured that there was a great variety in styles of music. I counted 22 on stage at one point.
From twenty two on stage to three, Cable Ties were next up. Their post punk and garage rock kept the energy flowing, and it was rewarding to see them live again. Coda Chroma charmed with their beautiful musicianship. It’s a cinematic moody soundscape and was boosted by having CJ Stranger on guitar.
Bringing the humour and vivid storytelling was Darren Hanlon, followed by the gifted Ainslie Wills. Differing in styles, they are both fabulous musicians and lyricists.
Closing the main stage was the instrumental infusion outfit Spuz, but prior to that was the incredibly popular Paul Dempsey.
And then it was over. Another successful Gum Ball. A spot of rain, but you barely heard anyone mention it. Put it in your calendar for next year.
You can see more of Bruce’s photos from the weekend below.
