SURF-folk stalwarts The Beautiful Girls will bring their coastal vibes to the bush of Dashville after they were added to this year's Gum Ball line-up.
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Matt McHugh's three-piece - best known for their hits La Mar (The Ocean), After All This Time, Periscopes and Music - headlined the third announcement for the 15th Gum Ball, which returns to Lower Belford from April 24 to 26.
Other new acts announced include the all-female Ripple Effect Band from Arnham Land, which include Newcastle's Jodie Kell, Canberra blues-rock duo The Barren Spinsters, Sydney's Majun Bu, Maitland singer-songwriter Dave Wells, Melbourne rock band The Stained Daisies, Van Walker, Darren Cross and Burger Joint.
The Gum Ball will also introduce its first live hip-hop showcase by Rival Empire, featuring Newcastle's Talakai, Ty Mikado, Micks King and Sydney's Bigredcap and Losty.
The return of the Big Dog's Comedy Hour with comedians Eddie Ray and Aaron Gocs completes a raft of entertainment.
As Gum Ball runs over the Anzac Day public holiday this year the festival program will also incorporate a dawn service.
Acts already announced for Gum Ball include psych-rock legends The Church, Harts Plays Hendrix, iOTA, Dyson Stringer Cloher, Frazey Ford (USA), Cash Savage & The Lost Drinks, Steve Smyth, Tori Forsyth and Cousin Tony's Brand New Firebird.
McHugh last played the Gum Ball solo in 2014. On this latest show The Beautiful Girls will be supporting their new greatest hits compilation, Seaside Highlife, which is the first time their music has been available on vinyl.
"There's a bunch of reasons for releasing it now," McHugh told the Newcastle Herald last month. "Firstly, I wanted to package it all up in a well-presented introduction to the band.
"There's a whole generation of people who might not have even heard of us.
"I think there's acts like Sticky Fingers and Ocean Alley, bands like that who will readily admit The Beautiful Girls have been an influence on them."
The band have been warm favourites in the Hunter, touring constantly over the past 15 years. Only two weeks ago The Beautiful Girls played the Queen's Wharf Hotel.
Tickets are on sale for the Gum Ball through Humanitix, with booking fees going towards a nutritional program for Aussie school kids.
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.
