Another Aussie Rock Fest To Bow In January

The formula has been to make an intimate event for core fans by capping the crowd at a few thousand, run it over a number of days and offer a picturesque background for campers. The Unified label’s UNIFY, staged on a nature reserve, has been an instant sellout since its inception in January 2015.

Now, making its bow Jan. 21 is the outdoor Thrashville in New South Wales’ vineyard region of the Hunter Valley. Headlining are two of the best power-trios to emerge from Australia – Cosmic Psychos and The Hard-Ons – with the crowd capped at 3,000.

Thrashville is staged by the Dashville collective, which also puts on the Americana-themed Dashville Skyline, The Gum Ball that consistently sold out in its 11-year history, and its winter sister event Pigsty, which also immediately hits capacity. All the events take place on secluded privately owned bushland, which cuts out noise complaints and curfew issues

Co-promoter Matt Johnston told Pollstar he expects Thrashville’s inaugural event to also sell out.

“We at Dashville go with what our existing punters are telling us,” Johnston said. “Dashville’s a bit like an extended family, a lot of musos in there too. We’ve got metal players in country bands, so it’s only fair that we mix it up a bit. It’s pretty obvious that for these heavier bands, there isn’t a lot of good outdoor festival options around. For us it’s fun to be in a position to have a crack at something like this.”