"WELCOME back to humanity," the world's friendliest security guard said as we drove down the dirt road into Dashville Skyline.
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It was followed by a warm smile - which was actually visible without a face mask - and a jolly pat on the back.
There was a definite feeling of euphoria percolating in the bush surrounds of Dashville at Lower Belford. And not just from security staff.
Proper music festivals were back. The NSW Government's easing of COVID-19 restrictions to allow singing and dancing and the removal of face masks came into force on Friday, the opening afternoon of Skyline's three-day festival, making it among the first musical events to enjoy pre-2020 vibes.
After two years of COVID stress and cancellations this was the sixth Dashville Skyline and first since October 2019. The 2020 event was cancelled and shoehorned into the boutique Sky Ball concert series and the 2021 edition was postponed from its usual October long weekend calendar slot to late February.
Crowd numbers were down on past years, the inclement weather, COVID fears and the festival not being held on a long weekend were the obvious reasons.
But those who turned out revelled in the sense of community and connection, which is at the heart of Dashville. It's something we've all missed.
Young children played at the shipwreck sandpit or made their own art and craft creations, while their older siblings attempted tricks at the skate half pipe and their parents listened to music and chatted with friends old and new.
The same sense of community and connection was alive among the musicians. Unlike bigger festivals, musicians walked freely among the crowd chatting and supporting their peers.
The likes of Sydney musician CJ Stranger and Melbourne's Dan Brodie pulled double duty filling in for Magpie Diaries and Katie Brianna respectively and performing their own sets.
The "Morning Constitutional" porch chats were an fun new edition to the festival. It featured colourful Dashville MC and raconteur Ben Quinn chatting about all things music with the likes of William Crighton, Piper Butcher and Jordie Lane while people ate their bacon and egg rolls and sipped coffee.
Friday featured a strong line-up which included the major festival debut of West Wallsend 17-year-old Piper Butcher. Her teenage exuberance belied a darker edge within her Americana songwriting.'
Lachlan Bryan & The Wildes brought a chilled alt-country sound to the audience which used subtly to seduce the listener, while indie band Cool Sounds showed potential but are still developing the right formula.
One band who definitely has settled on the right formula is Melbourne's Tracy McNeil & The GoodLife. McNeil's excellent 2020 album You Be The Lightning dominated the set and the record's finer numbers Catch You and Rain Fall Down brought the crowd forward to rejoice in the freedom of dancing.
Newcastle's Ben Leece then whet the appetite for his next record by delivering an electrifying performance of rock charisma and brooding intensity with his band The Left Of The Dial.
Joe Camilleri's Black Sorrows then closed day one. At 73 years of age, Camilleri was amazing and displayed the stamina of a performer half his age as he belted out his hits in between passionate slabs of saxophone.
Day two saw the biggest crowds at Dashville. Newcomers Katie Bates, Amends and Georgia State Line all impressed, but it was the old stagers, Slim Dusty's Travelling Country Band, who gave a lesson in professionalism.
Made up of members from Dusty's band before his 2003 death - Rod Coe (bass), Robbie Souter (drummer), Jeff Mercer (lead guitar), Mike Kerin (fiddle) and Pete Denahy (guitar, vocals) - they performed the country legend's music with integrity and class.
The crowd danced and sang along to Australiana classics like Duncan, A Pub With No Beer and Lights On The Hill with such gusto you could almost feel the spirit of Slim floating among Dashville's towering eucalyptus.
Unfortunately Melbourne psych rock headliners The Murlocs were a late scratching due to a positive COVID case in their camp.
The crowd thinned out for Sunday's day three due to the annoyance of Monday morning work and school commitments.
Sunday arguably featured the heaviest hitters in William Crighton and Liz Stringer, who unfortunately performed to a smaller audience than they deserved.
CJ Stranger looks and sounds like he's trapped in early '70s America and has the musical chops to deliver that comparison with aplomb.
Newcastle-bred singer-songwriter Katie Brianna also delighted the crowd with tracks from her accomplished 2021 album This Way Or Some Other. After a slightly haphazard start she found her stride with her new band as her voice transfixed Dashville, especially with the performance of her emotional single Wedding Ring.
On a weekend where the harrowing scenes out of Ukraine and the flood-ravaged Brisbane and Lismore dominated our news feeds, Skyline offered a brief respite to celebrate the connection and community we've sorely missed.
Josh Leeson
Josh Leeson is an entertainment and features journalist, specialising in music, at the Newcastle Herald. He first joined the masthead in 2008 after stints at the Namoi Valley Independent and Port Stephens Examiner and has previously covered sport including the Asian Cup, A-League, Surfest, cricket and rugby league.
Josh Leeson is an entertainment and features journalist, specialising in music, at the Newcastle Herald. He first joined the masthead in 2008 after stints at the Namoi Valley Independent and Port Stephens Examiner and has previously covered sport including the Asian Cup, A-League, Surfest, cricket and rugby league.
