Fields of dream
Yeah Yeah Yeahs are going to play Oxegen this year
Friday June 26 2009
With all the hype about relatively new festivals such as Oxegen and Electric Picnic, you'd swear there was no such thing as an Irish music festival before the mid-noughties.
But of course, we Irish have observed a noble, proud and time-honoured tradition of spending our August Bank Holiday weekends drinking, dancing, carousing and roaring along to an ABBA covers band performing from the back of a Hi-Ace van.
Fortunately, the options nowadays are a lot more varied, to cater for every possible quirky taste under the sun. The Féile events of the late 80s and early 90s revolutionised the Irish festival concept and laid the blueprint for today's monster events.
Like any other modern business project, there have been a couple of casualties and the Garden Party, Midlands and Cois Fharraige have seemingly fallen by the wayside. However, there are a significant amount of new boutique-style micro-festivals, such as Bundoran's Sea Sessions this coming weekend.
Whether it's Nick Cave, 50 Cent or septuagenarian Ramblin' Jack Elliot that rocks your boat, summer '09 has a big gig in a field just for you. Don't forget your wellies.
Sea Sessions
BUNDORAN, CO DONEGAL
JUNE 26-28
THE DAMAGE: €53.50 weekend; day ticket €35; camping extra €5 per person for weekend.
HIGHLIGHTS: Super Furry Animals (right), Andrew Weatherall, Kila, Mick Flannery and RSAG all feature on an impressive line-up. You can also try your hand at surfing, or just watch the competitions if you don't feel like getting wet. Fossett's Circus is also in town and a food court will keep you well fed and watered.
LOWLIGHTS: Fingers crossed it doesn't rain relentlessly Donegal-style, just like those endless childhood summers I spent forlornly looking out the window, wishing I could just escape to the beach and play football.
www.seasessions.com
Castlepalooza
CHARLEVILLE CASTLE, TULLAMORE, CO OFFALY
August 1-3
THE DAMAGE: €89 general ticket; a mind boggling €299 for a VIP camping ticket.
HIGHLIGHTS: The prime movers and shakers of the Irish music scene descend on this beautiful castle for a gentle Bank Holiday weekend knees-up.
LOWLIGHTS: You have to question the wisdom of a couples' VIP camping ticket for €299. For this whopping sum, you get a tent put up for you, a double sleeping bag, a bottle of champers and breakfast in bed (shouldn't that read tent!) and a Sunday newspaper. I don't know about you, but I'd much rather splurge that kind of money in a nice hotel.
THE XTRAS FACTOR: The Rocky Horror Picture Show, a ceili, art exhibition, party bus, Rainforest Day Spa and workshops galore should keep boredom well at bay. Capacity is restricted to 2,500, so the odds of a hassle-free festival are thankfully increased.
www.castlepalooza.com
Ballyshannon Folk & Traditional Music Festival
ABBEY THEATRE, BALLYSHANNON, CO DONEGAL
JULY 31-AUGUST 2
THE DAMAGE: €85 weekend; €35 day ticket.
HIGHLIGHTS: Since 1978, Ballyshannon has been the premier summer trad event in the country. Altan and Eleanor McEvoy top this year's bill.
LOWLIGHTS: If you're attending all the gigs, perhaps three nights in the same venue might feel a little monotonous.
THE XTRAS FACTOR: The festival spills out into the town with street entertainment and virtually every pub will host a session of some kind. You never know who might drop in.
www.bally shannon folkfestival .com
Festival of World Cultures
DUN LAOGHAIRE, CO DUBLIN
AUGUST 29-30
THE DAMAGE: It needn't cost you a cent, as you can enjoy outdoor shows for free. The admission price to selected indoor events varies. The full programme will be announced on July 1.
HIGHLIGHTS: It's estimated that on the Sunday last year, 250,000 people descended on the seaside town, making this one bigger than Oxegen, Electric Picnic and Slane combined. Sadly, all the other events suck up all the hype and hoopla.
LOWLIGHTS: Overcrowding and all that comes with it can potentially be a pain. Toilets and bars were a little thin on the ground last year, but this has kept improving each year so here's hoping. If you're traveling by DART, set out early to avoid sardine-style commuting conditions.
THE XTRAS FACTOR: An extensive market ensures that all taste buds are catered for. Also, this is the only festival where you can enjoy the music while swimming in the Forty Foot.
www.festivalofworldcultures.com
Electric Picnic
STRADBALLY HOUSE, STRADBALLY, CO LAOIS
SEPTEMBER 4-6
THE DAMAGE: €240 for a weekend ticket. No day tickets.
HIGHLIGHTS: Madness, Orbital (above right), Basement Jaxx, Bell X1 and MGMT should be sure-fire hits. Meanwhile, ESG, Magazine, the Walkmen, Micheal Nyman, Low Anthem and Chris Cunningham all offer intriguing alternatives.
LOWLIGHTS: Compared to some mouthwatering bills in previous years, there's no escaping the fact that the 2009 line-up is a little bit underwhelming.
THE XTRAS FACTOR: Consistently the best festival in Ireland bar none, no other outdoor event displays such painstaking attention to detail and boasts such a rich cornucopia of spoken word, comedy, theatre and whatever you're having yourself.
www.electricpicnic.ie
Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival
LONGFORD TOWN, CO LONGFORD
SEPTEMBER 24-27
THE DAMAGE: €25 for one concert or €150 for a pass to all events and workships.
HIGHLIGHTS: The last of the festival summer wine boasts two bona fide legends in Steve Earle and Ramblin' Jack Elliot.
LOWLIGHTS: If you don't like banjos, folk or country, then clearly you've come to the wrong festival.
THE XTRAS FACTOR: The country's leading workshops in four and five-string banjos, uileann pipes, harmonica, bluegrass, gospel, flute and songwriting.
www.johnnykeenan.com
- Eamon Sweeney
