Live Review: A Festival Called PANAMA

White dust from the road hung like smoke above the narrow winding forest path. It was so thick you have to drive with your head stuck out the window.

Cresting the hill, a cluster of camping spaces are visible scattered among native trees at the foot of a remarkable black timber house, the residence of the organiser of the Panama festival and his family. Located in the Panama forest in North-East Tasmania, the site has a remarkably untouched feeling; there’s a very real danger of jack jumper bites, the organisers warn.

Small clearings are connected by dirt roads and two hot showers, powered by a wood stove, can be accessed next to the family’s clothesline. Only in its second year, beautiful forest sights, a well-selected lineup and a fantastic family-friendly crowd atmosphere make Panama one of Australia’s best boutique festivals. The intimate gathering snapped up all 1000 allocated tickets months prior to the festival.

We arrive just before sunset on the first night. From the Bedouin tent comes the vibrant psychedelic-disco falsetto roar of The Moses Gunn Collective, the show too full to fit all of the early bird punters inside. Even at 10pm young parents are bouncing their small children in their arms as Melbourne outfit ScotDrakula steps to the stage, who, like many of the artists at Panama 2015, will play multiple times over the two days but on the first night this Pixies-sounding garage-punk outfit are particularly wild, hammering at their instruments with fearless abandon.

Saturday morning of the long-weekend festival begins early to prolonged rain, forcing the daily 9am yoga session from the field into one of the carnival tents by the gourmet food truck line.

Hustling into one of these tents to get under cover this clear angelic voice greets bleary-eyed festival-goers. Corinna Scanlon has this hypnotic voice of unfalteringly perfect pitch and as she plucks her acoustic guitar to a haunting rendition of Bob Dylan’s Boots Of Spanish Leather, the only other sound is that of falling rain. Goddamn goosebumps.

By midday several of the Panama Jazz Band musicians have taken up the moniker The Melotonins and as the sun burns through the last of the clouds funk, jazz and soul tunes are played with flawless musicianship, all wonderful three-part harmonies and cover tunes coupled with tongue-in-cheek apologies for their other band members who couldn’t be on stage – mostly long dead famous musicians.

Oscar Lush takes the crowd completely by surprise, commanding their attention like a performer far beyond his modest years. Possessing a strong voice and thoughtful lyrics of troubadour stanzas rich with passion, he and his band are a definite highlight, in particular their folk ballad, I Dreamt Of My Brother Dying.

Brisbane now Melbourne-based muso Ben Salter of The Gin Club/Giants of Science brings with him a collective of talented Tasmanian musicians to form a ten-piece band with a strings section, among them members from Lulu & The Paige Turners, The Lawless Quartet and Tiger Choir helping flesh out the diverse array of tunes from the prolific Salter’s discography. A talented songwriter, the combination of all these artists provides a wonderful and unique take on his recorded arrangements.

Punters who survive the leeches and forest critters brave a bracing night to be warmed by the rock harmonies of The John Steel Singers, who push through technical difficulties to deliver a foot-stomping set in the early evening, their momentum then carried ever forward by African desert-psych rock band, Bombino. The much-acclaimed guitarist who travels under that name has attracted a lot of attention for his guitar phrasing, particularly since being the subject of the 2010 documentary film, Agadez, The Music & The Rebellion. In a long-flowing purple robe with wide sleeves and a white scarf that brushes by his feet, the diminutive Omara “Bombino” Moctar has a stage presence to rival Prince. He blitzes electric guitar solos that sing and slice through upbeat arrangements that blend blues and rock with Niger-style percussion patterns. The intimate Panama gathering’s roars of delighted appreciation fill the forest clearing.

A little ways into a lazy Sunday afternoon the great Panama clothes swap begins. Carrying forward a tradition from its inaugural year, patrons are encouraged to leave a piece, take a piece, and everyone seems happy to participate in the exchange.

Young Brisbane trippers The Furrs are an early standout, smartly dressed with bobbed hair and fur caps.The lead singer and guitarist, Gabriella Cohen, is captivating and carries herself with ‘adorkable’ grace as she dances on stage. The crowd take up Cohen’s lead and soon the first crowd dance of the day is underway.

Ethereal beauty and incredible harmonies are aplenty as Sharon Van Etten embraces the crowd on the warm autumn afternoon. Her set is peppered with old and new tracks, the singer introducing a new one she’s still workshopping for the delighted festivalgoers huddled around the stage. Last in Tasmania for the 2012/13 Falls Music and Arts Festival, Van Etten has added a synth pad as a new dynamic element to her set. Along with her cadre of gorgeous accompaniment, she always seems to play as her truest self on stage, pulling the audience in to share her raw emotional turmoil. Her presence engulfs you in her triumph and exposes you to her defeats.

Headliner Courtney Barnett is a star fast rising. The former Tasmanian has appeared on Jimmy Kimmel and toured around the world multiple times since her first EP, I’ve Got A Friend Called Emily Ferris, was released in 2012. Barnett’s music is wordy; a jangly, folky narrative oft relating to painful emotional lessons gleaned through self-reflection. Here at Panama, she seems at home. Barnett is a fantastic guitarist, and while she doesn’t play with someone like Bombino’s skill, her ability to match the tone of the instrument to her vocals is admirable. Her voice can sometimes come across as aloof, but here she at least seems sincere, appearing honestly touched as a girl dances and skips on stage to kiss her on the cheek before being escorted back into the audience.

Following Barnett, the crowd are in high spirits as the circus acts and musicians take them deep into the night and to the final dance party - a coveted slot that festival organisers rightly trust to Tyrannosaurus Dex. The Tassie DJ doesn’t disappoint, creating a great atmosphere where the smiles are wide and the dance is wild.

The eco-friendly festival certainly exceeds those expectations created by its wonderful inaugral year. However, the crowd is always a huge factor in making any lasting impression at a music festival. Thankfully, the community spirit - whether at morning yoga, the clothes swap or at the campsites - was truly wonderful. See you next year, Panama.