Belford, Hunter Valley
April 25-27, 2013 :
This year’s Gum Ball Festival took advantage of the Anzac Day holiday to present 36 bands on two stages, over three gorgeous sun soaked days, with Sunday being a day of rest.
Unfortunately this reviewer did not arrive until Friday afternoon, so the first act I tasted on this magical musical feast was the very soulful Leisure Bandits. This was followed by the reckless intensity of Money for Rope and the warm folkishness and blues inspired music of Jordie Lane, who presented tracks from his forthcoming third album. Next up was Turin Brakes who brought a loose tightness to their melodious folk inspired songs.
The highlight for me, and countless others, was folk rock act, The Beards. Singer Johann Beardraven struted the stage in true 70’s rock god fashion as he belted out the words to such numbers as ‘If Your Dad Doesn’t have a Beard Then You’ve Got Two Mums’ and ‘No Beard, No Good’. Yes, this is a band who only sing about the glories of being a hairy man, and they do it in a very funny and entertaining manner.
Nine piece R & B band, Saskwatch closed the nights live entertainment, and while The Beards were a hard act to follow, the crowd slowly warmed to them and danced the night away until the beginning of the silent disco at 12 am. For those of you not familiar with the Silent Disco concept, you give a large group of people wireless headphones and get a DJ to pump music through two diferent switchable channels as people dance and laugh and sing along very loudly and out of key. It is very amusing to watch and even more fun to participate in.
Saturday morning began with an hour of Tai Chi, Qigong and Yoga for those so inclined, as Indie folk rock band, Sound From Earth, warmed up the crowd, or got you out of bed, depending on how well you partied the night before. This was followed by a string of acts leading up to the infamous Dashville Progress Society, a band that was formed by local muso’s who named themselves after the 100 acre property where the festival is held. They appeared in stunning white bathrobes and gave a new twist to such tracks as Motorhead’s ‘Ace of Spades’.
Other highlights of the day included The Medics, whose hard edged rock contrasted nicely with the folk, blues, and country music pereformed by other acts such as the Hillbilly Killers and Mia Dyson. Mia presented a beautiful set of heartfelt tunes after being away in the U.S.A for three years touring and recording. The evening finished with electronic dance outfits Katalyst and The Birds, and once more led onto the humerous and very enjoyable Silent Disco.
The Gumball is an amazing festival. It is an earthy, well run family friendly event that offers something for everyone. With the Peats Ridge festival now looking defunct, it will be the place to be in 2014. I will see you all there.
Reviewer: Torin King
Photographer: Terry Paull
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