That is the question this weekend, with two very different festivals on offer.
If you’re looking for something different, well then maybe the FutureSounds Festival is the one for you. No drink or drugs allowed for this all ages fest, so it can be done on the cheap, and you might just spot the next big thing.
Taking place at the CBS field Portlaoise, the line-up includes rising acts 12 Gauge – who were runners-up in the Academy Battle of the Bands – Saving J, Scuba Dice, Tarrintino, Hovercraft Pirates, The Rumors and Marble Chips – semi finalists for 2fm’s Blast Beat competition.
As well as the musical attractions of the day there will be food stalls and a market with jewellery and clothes stalls. For more information click here.
And if a dry weekend sounds like your idea of hell, the Ballyknockan Music Festival, taking place in Co. Wicklow, has a ‘bring your own booze’ policy. Punters can bring whatever drink they like, as long as it’s not in glass bottles.
The annual charity festival raises funds for Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin. Musical highlights include Distractors, Rock of Ages, Baby Jenx, The Murder Of Crows, The Deans, Miracle Bell and Shallow Stream. This festival runs from today until Sunday, and camping is optional. For more click here.
Skibbereen, Co. Cork is about to come alive this weekend with Cork X Southwest taking place this Saturday.
Cork X Southwest is a new festival combining music, food, art and quirky sideshows, taking place on the Showgrounds just outside Skibbereen.
Featuring three stages and over thirty acts, the main stage will be hosting Agnostic Mountain Choir, Avatar, Cathy Davey, Gorbachov, Jape and The Walls (pictured), to name a few.
The Rula Bula Tent hosts a collection of ‘clowns, acrobats and wildlife’ all moving to the sounds of national and international DJs and dance acts… a circus, in other words!
Tired out by what the festival has on offer so far? Then get yourself along to the R and R tent! A place to relax, have a massage, or even a siesta, the R n R room provides the ultimate recharge.
Attention all sweet-toothed folk! This weekend Dublin’s first ever Chocolate Festival is coming to Temple Bar.
The event calendar focuses on chocolate, chocolate and… um, even more chocolate! Events revolve around not only tasting chocolate, but also exploration of the beautiful creation through film, literature and the visual arts. The festival on Friday offers chocolate lovers a workshop in sensory analysis offered by Ivan Caprioli and a talk on fairtrade and the coco bean, by Ian Callanan from Global Gction Glan Ireland.
Friday’s festival offerings close with a screening of Tim Burton’s 2005 version of Charlie And The Chocolate Factory in Meeting House Square. Funnily enough, if you want to attend this screening, you must get your hands on one of the free golden tickets!
Saturday, bring your money along, because for chocolate addicts, a visit to the Chocolate Market ain’t gonna come cheap! It runs from 10am-4.30pm in Meeting House Square. There will also be a chocolate themed book and poetry reading at Connolly Books from 5pm-6pm (yes, seriously).
On Sunday you have a second chance to catch the Chocolate Market from 10am to 4.30pm, and the festival closes by crowning one chef the chocolate champion of Dublin.
Chocolate recipes from The Clarence Hotel, Chez Emily, Crepes in the City, Smock Alley Café and Sabores de Mexico are all competing to be crowned the Temple Bar Chocolatier.
Ok now, stop licking your lips and start plannig your weekend! For more information click here.
All you festival-goers can now get planning as the time slots for Indie-Pendence 2008 have been announced.
The festival takes place August Bank Holiday weekend with headline acts such as Gemma Hayes, Cathey Davey (pictured) and The Blizzards.
The gigs, taking place at New Square in Mitchelstown, boast an impressive array of new and established acts including Fight Like apes, Ham Sandwich, The Flaws and the Kinetiks. All gigs are free and ticket-less, so it’s just perfect for your last minute bank holiday plans!
Those who have already picked up their tickets for this year’s Dysart festival will be delighted to hear of the latest additions to the line up.
The festival, taking place in Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 August at Dysart Castle, have announced the addition of their dance and comedy tents.
Added to the bill are a selection of top DJs including Detroit DJs Stacey Pullen and Kenny Larkin who will perform a mammoth five hour set together, D.M.C. champion Cutmaster Swift, London-based Irish Diva DJ MisWhite and Breakspoll’s Breakthrough Artist of the Year Plaza de Funk.
The line-up on Sunday’s dance stage includes performances by Alex Paterson from The Orb, Naïve Melody and Slippery People with Sen-C.
The Comedy Tent will feature a selection of top comedy acts from The Laughter Lounge including Paddy Courtney, John Lynn, Steve Cummins and Damian Clark (above). Hosting the stage will be The Rock & Roll Rescue Squad, purveyors of the Dublin’s Songs of Praise in the Village.
Acts previously announced include Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, Welsh operatic singer Katherine Jenkins, folk guitarist John Martyn, Blind Boys of Alabama, Republic of Loose, Gemma Hayes, Juliet Turner and Fred.
Tickets range from €75 to €240 – or even better, you can win a pair of tickets from Hot Press; all you have to do is click here
What in the Jaysus is Stendhal Syndrome? We’ve been here before. As syndromes go it’s pretty good, actually. It’s getting better, too.
Now The Coronas are exposed to it, as is/are Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly and Andy Irvine. Add Hybrasil, Gavin Glass, Thomas Kitt and Armoured Bear to the cocktail and things begin to sound… psychosomatic.
And then there the other patients to worry about: Kent Duchaine, Delorentos, Fiona Pears, Charlie Winston, Yakuza, The Spook Of The Thirteenth Lock, And So I Watch You From Afar, Furlo, Hovercraft, Pirates Mantic, Can’t Cite Scripture, Skruff, Citizen Snips, Paddy Nash, Tom McShane, Jungle VIP’s, Escape Act, Tommy Shots, Tin Pot Operation, Two Door Cinema Club, Cara Robinson and Eskimos Fall.
Tickets are now onsale in Belfast (Matchetts Music, Wellington Place), Derry (Cool Discs, 6/7 Lesley House, Foyle Street) and Limavady (Limavady Rugby Club). Online tickets are promised this week.
All this takes place in Limavady, Co. Derry, August 15-17.
Well the weekend is upon us once again so what is a guy/girl to do? Apart from the Analog festival featured in yesterday’s post, there’s a trio of other great events you may want to pencil into your diary.
New Ross, Co.Wexford is offering a wealth of musical talent (much of it free, might I add) this weekend. The JFK Dunbrody festival gets underway tonight with a free open-air gig in the Town Park.
Tonight’s line-up includes The Fureys and Dave Arthur Breeze Junkie; lets just hope the rain keeps away! If you’re not tired after Friday night, the concert on Saturday features Sharon Shannon’s Big Band and Mundy (pictured above) as well as Saving J – no doubt a lively night is in store!
Dickie Rock, Dominic Kirwan and Alvin Kenny provide the entertainment with the last of the free concerts on Sunday night. What better way to round up the festival, than with a few golden oldies!
For those who would prefer the sheltered surroundings of St. Michaels Theatre, the talent of Luan Parle, Eleanor McEvoy, and Carmel Conway are all there to delight for €15. Click here for full festival details.
The one to watch this Friday 18 is the Analog festival, happening on Grand Canal Square in Dublin’s Docklands.
Fans of Hal Willner – or pirates for that matter – need to get themselves down to the Rogue’s Gallery Friday at 8.30pm to catch the premier performance of his sea chantey project, a collection of sea ballads and pirate songs.
Artists involved in the show include: Lou Reed (pictured), Oscar-winning actor Tim Robbins, Shane MacGowan of the Pogues, Three Punched Men aka Gavin Friday, Guggi and Dave Id Busaras, Neil Hannon of Divine Comedy fame, Waterson: Carthy, Teddy Thomson, Davis Thomas, Julie Fowlis, Baby Gramps, Ed Harcourt and Sandy Dillon. Read the rest of this entry »
Attention all Northsiders, musical entertainment is coming your way!
If you’re sick of heading into town to avail of the summer’s entertainment, the Northside Music Festival is the one for you.
Taking place from July 29 to August 28, the outdoor and indoor event takes place across various locations on Dublin’s Northside. From shopping centres to churches, you can find this festival everywhere!
Music fans can expect a mix of international and Irish talent, including Opera Gala, Havana Son (pictured), Gráda, Veda, Paprika Balkanicus, O’Mambo, Kevin Glackin and friends, Yurodny, Brendan Walsh and friends, Prey, No Crows, Robbie Harris and Emer Mayock.
The festival runs as part of Dublin’s extended arts service to city communities and aimed to entertain all the family. Check out the full program here.
For those not tired out by the Galway Film Fleadh last week, a whole new shipment of entertainment had landed.
The Galway Arts Festival got underway yesterday with a performance by Alabama 3 (pictured), fresh from their appearance – en masse! – in the Hot Press Signing Tent at Oxegen.
The Galway festival, now in its 30th year, runs until July 27, with a number of great attractions in the coming weeks. From Blondie to Damien Dempsey, there are acts to suit all tastes!
In the first of two very exciting double bills Tom Baxter and KT Tunstell perform live at the festival Big Top on Wednesday July 23.
Baxter is no stranger to the Galway Arts Festival, and should be a big hit with the audience considering his album Skybound spent three weeks at number one earlier this year.
The following day, Thursday 24 Blondie take to the Big Top stage. Fronted by the iconic Debbie Harry and over 40 million record sales this festival appearance will coincide with the re-release of their breakthrough album Parallel Lines.
And the festival’s second double bill boasts The Dandy Warhols and Ash live at the festival Big Top on Friday July 25.
Other musical highlights include Cathy Davey, Lisa Hannigan, Omara Portunondo, The Blue Nile, Philip Glass Ensemble, The Whip and many more… Read the rest of this entry »
