MANY people questioned the longevity of a three-day music festival focused on the niche genre of alternative-country and Americana when Dashville Skyline was launched back in 2015.
In those nine years since the event began at Matt Johnston's property in Lower Belford, the music festival scene has changed irreparably. COVID restrictions came through like a wrecking ball, and in the aftermath, inflation and a cost-of-living crisis finished off many of the festivals still standing.
Against all those odds Dashville Skyline has endured. While you can argue their mathematics are little creative, (last weekend's festival was the ninth, not the 10th Skyline as was promoted) there was ample to celebrate across the three days.
Fine and warm weather helped attract the largest crowd since 2019 and 2018.
Skyline introduced new Willie Wall and Grateful Shed stages to refresh the layout and feel of the festival.
The Grateful Shed, based in a undercover tent, was Dashville's answer to the Big Day Out's boiler room. It was hot, humid and created an atmosphere all of its own.
Melbourne honky tonk James Ellis had a crowded Grateful Shed breaking out in a country two-step as punters young and old danced together around the space.
Then later on Saturday night Newcastle band Good Corn Liquor had the room heaving with their frenetic take on bluegrass.
On the flip side, relocating the Willie Wall stage to halfway up the hill of the arena and separate from the main Townes Hall stage, negatively affected the visibility for some festival-goers.
This was particularly the case on Saturday when many of the more popular acts like Andy Golledge Band, Ella Hooper, Texas country-rockers Uncle Lucius and 19-Twenty were scheduled on the smaller stage.
Day one on Friday was a little bare on bigger names after impressive Brisbane roots & blues songwriter Dana Gehrman was forced to cancel last minute due to illness.
By the time the Hunter Valley's William Crighton took to the main stage the audience was well and truly ready to welcome their favourite son. The intense ARIA Award-winner has played every Skyline since its 2015 inception and readily credits the festival for helping to launch his career.
"It means the world," Crighton told the Newcastle Herald after the set. "It's a beautiful place to play music and enjoy music.
"There's always the Dashville turbulence of a [guitar] string breaking or some shit happens, but it's always part of the fun. Part of the magic."
Crighton's psych-rock set focused mostly on his ARIA Award-winning Water and Dust, including a rare performance of After All (Good World), which is written from a Henry Lawson poem.
Jeff Lang's delicate guitar lines were exquisite.
US folk-rock band Hurray For The Riff Raff were one of the most anticipated acts of the weekend, given the deserved rave reviews for their ninth and latest album, The Past Is Still Alive.
The songwriting of band leader Alynda Segarra is without question, but whether it was jet lag or another factor was to blame, the performance lacked connection with the audience. Segarra was solid, without being overly engaging.
The 60-minute set focused on The Past Is Still Alive, with Rhododendron the only cut from their extensive back catalogue.
On Saturday the Willie Wall was the place to be. Andy Golledge has performed three times at Skyline and alt-country fans know he's among the most charismatic performers in Australia.
Maybe it was the mid-afternoon rescheduling or because Golledge, 40, has taken steps to leave his hedonistic ways behind him, but this was more measured performance.
Yet it still had all the hallmarks on a quality Golledge show - melodic country-soul tracks like Country Band and Rescue Me and sweet harmonies with bandmate Caitlin Harnett.
There's a reason why Killing Heidi became one of Australia's biggest pop-rock acts 25 years ago. Ella Hooper is a fantastic performer.
Her Americana-influenced solo album Small Town Temple might lack the familiarity of Killing Heidi's Weir and Mascara, but by the end of Hooper's charming set she had plenty of new believers.
Texan band Uncle Lucius were a rare treat for Dashville. In what was the six-piece's first gig in Australia, they produced an rowdy and authentic blast of southern-rock. Their working-class songs about drinking a "pound of whiskey" [Ain't It The Same] and factory men "spillin' poison in Galveston Bay" [Keep The Wolves Away] resonated clearly among Dashville's appreciative crowd.
Another surprise highlight was 76-year-old Aussie rock legend Ross Wilson and his band The Peaceniks. While technical issues delayed the beginning, Wilson made up for lost time by delivering a masterclass with his powerful rock prowl.
The set straddled Mondo Rock and Wilson's solo material, but of course, the Daddy Rock moments like Come Back Again and the timeless Eagle Rock brought the biggest response. Wilson is still one cool daddy.
