Tex Perkins doesn't bother with polished talking points or tidy soundbites.
Instead, when asked about The Cruel Sea headlining Dashville Skyline this October, he simply laughs and says: "Cruel Sea? If you give a sh.t about us, great; but this is about funky, clunky, independent festivals, and this one's one of the best."Held annually in the bushland surrounds of Lower Belford on Wonnarua Country in the Hunter Valley, Dashville Skyline is the antithesis of the cookie-cutter mega-festival.
There are no overpriced cocktail bars or Instagrammable brand activations here, just grassroots music, good food and a sense of community. For Perkins, who has played it before with his Fat Rubber Band, it's an easy 'yes'.
"It's set up in front of a junkyard. It's funky – not in the James Brown way; funky as in clunky and fun and thrown together, but that's part of its charm," he says. "It's not corporate. Live Nation haven't got their f...ing hands on it. . . yet."
"It's about supporting these kinds of festivals – independent, grassroots, built with love. That's what makes it special. Dashville is one of the last of its kind." - Tex Perkins
After a long hiatus – and the heartbreaking loss of longtime member James Cruickshank in 2015 – The Cruel Sea's return to the stage has been a slow, considered reawakening. "We were already taking a break, and then James died, and honestly, I didn't think we'd ever play again," Perkins says.
"We didn't really speak to each other for years, especially Danny [Rumour, guitarist]. He's a bit like Bigfoot. There's unverified rumours of sightings, but no one really knows for sure."
What brought them back wasn't some grand epiphany. It was vinyl. "Universal [Music] wanted to reissue 'The Honeymoon Is Over' for its 30th anniversary [in 2023]. "It had never been on vinyl before, because it came out in that weird time where it was all CDs. So we said sure," Tex explains.
"Then Dwayne McDonald, a promoter I've worked with for years, pitched a tour. I said, 'it's not that simple'. We hadn't played in ten years. One of us had died. I didn't know where half the band were."
Slowly, they came around. Drummer Jim Elliott was hesitant. "Jim tends to remember all the sh.tty stuff. I filter that out, but he came around; and by the end of the tour, he was the one saying, 'that was so great, Greg'. He calls me Greg, by the way. Don't ask."
Then came the question of who could possibly fill James' shoes. The answer was clear: Matt Walker. "We've known Matt since the '90s. He used to open for us; and he's such a great player, such a positive presence. He came in and just. . . lifted us," 'Greg' says.
"We didn't fall into our old grumpy habits, because Matt wasn't part of those patterns. His enthusiasm is infectious. It made everyone behave a little better."
They started with the 30th anniversary tour. Then came a support slot for Cold Chisel. Then, earlier this year, a brand new album – the band's first in over two decades – which Perkins says leans back into the band's early DNA.
"The Cruel Sea started as an instrumental band, then they added me on vocals," Tex says. "The new record feels like that early era. It's a bit looser, more atmospheric. Less 'kick the door in', more mood and vibe."
It's that blend of the familiar and the new that they're bringing to Dashville. Perkins isn't exactly sure what the set list will look like yet: "Sometimes you've got to read the room," he says, but fans can expect a mix of old and new.
"We'll probably start with a few tracks from the new album, then dig into the catalogue for songs that fit that mood; and yeah, we'll get to the bangers eventually. You'll get your 'Honeymoon Is Over', alright?" he laughs.
"Last tour we didn't play it. Or 'Better Get A Lawyer', but that wasn't the vibe. Those songs are deliberately rude. We were going for something different. But Dashville. . . yeah, you'll get 'em."
Perkins' connection to Dashville runs deeper than a single slot on the line-up. He shares a story of playing there before COVID ("the new BC"), when an off-the-cuff encore turned into something magic.
"I was onstage with Matt [Walker], we didn't have anything planned, and I said, 'how about that Bobby Charles song, 'I Must Be In A Good Place Now'?' And we played it," he recalls.
"After the show, Magpie, the guy who runs Dashville, comes up to me and says, 'that's the song engraved on my wedding ring'. Same with his wife. That was their special song. We could've played anything, and we picked that. It was. . . yeah. That's some serendipity right there."
So, why should people make the pilgrimage this October? Pack the car, bring the kids, pitch a tent? "Well, first of all, it's just a great f...ing time," Perkins says, "but more than that, it's about supporting these kinds of festivals – independent, grassroots, built with love.
"The Cruel Sea is just one part of it. You'll see a hundred other great acts, but the whole experience? That's what makes it special. Dashville is one of the last of its kind."
So, what comes next? "Not much," Perkins says, candid as ever. "I'll be playing more as a duo with Matt. That's where my head's at, but we're always open to invitations."
Dashville Skyline 2025 (Hunter Valley) plays 3-5 October. The Cruel Sea also play Sounds By The River at Mannum Golf Club (SA) on 22 November; they join Crowded House, Angus & Julia Stone, The Waifs and Mark Seymour with Vika & Linda.
Dashville Skyline 2025 Line-Up
The Cruel SeaFanny Lumsden
Cordovas (USA)
Nikki Lane & Her Band (USA)
Lost Ragas
Mama Kin Spender
Swimming Bell (USA)
Claire Anne Taylor
Vincent Neil Emerson (USA)
Charlie Collins
Laid Back Country Picker (USA)
Emily Lubitz
Minor Gold
CJ Stranger
Col Ray Price
Jamey Foxton
Melody Pool
Tall Shaun & The Resolution
Magpie Diaries
The Slims
William Alexander
Kingsley James & The Forest Keepers
Huckleberry & The Devils Dandruff
Midnight Chicken
Dashville Progress Society
Ben Mastwyk & His Millions
Lady Lyon
Dave Favours & The Roadside Ashes
Kyle Brew & The Flying Bison Band
Grand Pricks
Meghan Maike & The Cactus Flowers
Dingo
Joey Leigh Wagtail
Steve Lane
A Man Called Stu
Joyce Prescher
