Following on from the biggest first announcement in the history of the festival, Australia’s very own cosmic country weekender, Dashville Skyline, reveals the full list of acts heading to the Hunter Valley this September 28-30. Unfolding over the Labour Day long weekend, the fourth instalment of this magical family friendly festival will feature three full days of country inspired activity, combined with over 40 live performances, one by one over two stages.
DASHVILLE SKYLINE 2018 FULL LINE-UP
THE WAIFS + C.W. STONEKING + WILLIAM CRIGHTON
HAT FITZ & CARA + 19-TWENTY + THE BUSHWACKERS
MELODY POOL + PERCH CREEK + PAPA PILKO & THE BINRATS
HALFWAY + MAGPIE DIARIES + LACHLAN BRYAN & THE WILDES
LYLE DENNIS EXPRESS + THE SAN SEBASTIAN + THE SETTLEMENT
BEN LEECE & LEFT OF THE DIAL + DAVEY CRADDOCK
THE BITTER DARLINGS + TORI FORSYTH + LEHMANN B. SMITH
GRACE TURNER + GEORGIA STATE LINE
THE MEZCALTONE + THE SWEET JELLY ROLLS + CAT CANTERI
FAMILY FOLD + RALWAY BELL + SAM NEWTON + THE SLOWDOWNS
GLENY RAE VIRUS & HER PLAYBOYS + RUBY GILBERT
BIG DADDY ROY’S HILLBILLY BOP SAFARI + THE HIGH ANDIES
STEEL CITY SUE + DASHVILLE PROGRESS SOCIETY
JAMES ELLIS & THE JEALOUS GUYS
Jumping aboard the laid-back camping festival, that already includes THE WAIFS (only NSW show), C.W. STONEKING (solo), HAT FITZ & CARA and 19-TWENTY, is none other than the legendary folk group THE BUSHWACKERS, a band 48 years young. Described by Rolling Stone as “the Australian band”, The Bushwackers have captured the essence of Australiana like few else across our fair land.
WILLIAM CRIGHTON will make his triumphant return to Dashville Skyline. Following the release of his dark, feverish and captivating second record Empire, the Hunter Valley based artist’s profile has sky rocketed with sold-out shows around the country, as well as festival spots in Canada, Europe and United States.
We are also proud to welcome back the incomparable MELODY POOL to the live stage. Following a brief hiatus, Melody recently returned to the stage to road test a more electrified direction, clutching a Fender Stratocaster, and a four-piece band. The results were stunning and by all accounts Dashville is in for a treat.
Hot on the heels of the acclaimed first single ‘When Love Comes’, Dashville born and bred locals MAGPIE DIARIES, will perform in support of their highly anticipated debut album. The soul country band features the songs of Dashville founder and festival curator Matt “Magpie” Johnston, along with his wife Jessica.
Also joining the 2018 bill are Brisbane legends HALFWAY, sublime Golden Guitar award-winning Americana trio LACHLAN BRYAN & THE WILDES, Adelaide’s THE BITTER DARLINGS, Novocastrian chanteuse GRACE TURNER, rising Hunter Valley songwriter BEN LEECE & LEFT OF THE DIAL, celebrated songwriter LO CARMEN, Melbourne country folk outfit GEORGIA STATE LINE, dreamy Melbourne five-piece PERCH CREEK, former Lazy Susan member Paul Andrews’ new project FAMILY FOLD, the cinematic Western stylings of LEHMANN B. SMITH, former Dennis Boys Band member Lyle’s red-hot group LYLE DENNIS EXPRESS, Sydney hillbilly rockers THE SLOWDOWNS, Dashville favourites GLENY RAE VIRUS & HER PLAYBOYS, the good-time grooves of BIG DADDY ROY’S HILLBILLY BOP SAFARI, and straight-shootin’ Tex-Mex outfit the THE MEZCALTONES. Add to the mix the legendary DASHVILLE PROGRESS SOCIETY and the return of the stunning, multi-starred SUNSET SUPER ROUND, and you have an epic weekend of alt-country, Americana and psychedelia. It’s the stuff of which dreams are made.
The festival includes on-site camping, farmyard petting zoo, delicious American-inspired food and drinks, vintage market and displays. Dashville Skyline is every bit as family friendly as its older brother, The Gum Ball, so people of all ages are very welcome (punters under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a legal guardian).