Halves are confirmed for Electric Picnic 2008! Bringing the Strad to Bally, they return with the grand gesture of a full string quartet and a promise of the nice stuff which recently went down well at Punchestown.
After the unforeseen nixing of Transmission festival in Austria last month this surely have the Halves camp on their on their uppers again. Expect to hear more this autumn…”it’s all very hush hush” just now though
More videos cataloguing ASIWYFA’s recent recording escapades can be found over on their MySpace blog. With two awesome EPs under their belts, Tonight the City Burns and This Is Our Machine and Nothing Can Stop It, the time’s ripe for their debut album. “One motherfucker of a tour” promises to accompany the November release. Good-ooh!
In the meantime, catch And So I Watch You From Afar at Stendahl Festival in Limavady on 16 August.
I love this time of year. No one gives a toss about cloudy skies or warm cider, girls flash man-tanned ankles as lads look cool in skinny tees and shades - it’s summer as the Irish know it. This is evident to me because it’s festival time - not Oxegen, which was great fun but huge and exhausting or Electric Picnic which will be the same but real Irish festivals.
We should be flogging our summer calendar for everything it’s worth, spreading song to the young travellers who invade the country every year, thirsty for romantic Ireland. 100% fresh, green and Irish, the small festivals reflect the modern side of national heritage. Let’s show the bored EFL students we have more than jigs’n'reels on open-top buses, prove Mitchelstown’s a big cheese, that we enjoy different Wicklow follies and morning Dew in Tullamore.
Dead ol’ Blessington transforms into psychedelic Indie paradise as Knockanstockan kicks off today. Not so pretentious as to call itself boutique or exclusive and all the more boho for it, the festival’s emphasis lies on peace and love to a rumbling summer soundwave.
“We aim to cut the cost of great music for music lovers. At the moment we have almost 100 acts lined up over four stages and expect Knockanstockan 2008 to be a real indication of what Ireland’s music has to offer.”
The personal touch is apparent on the KS website which takes the form of a production blog, discussing all the aspects of putting together a top-notch fest on a budget. The three-day ticket fee provides the site with insurance, car parking, camping and transport from campsite to venue. Not-for-profit, proceeds from Knockanstock go directly back to the organisation fund.
Derry’s new rave faves Japanese Popstars really let rip at Punchestown:
Apparently they hit 6000 capacity for the Dance Stage at Oxegen, massive numbers for half two on Saturday!
BBC Radio 1’s Rory McConnell hosts over an hour of the JapStars’ Oxegen set over on http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/rorymcconnell/. Just hit the ‘Listen Again’ link.
Tonight’s the end of normality for anyone heading to Punchestown this weekend - you can even head down now, grab a good pitch for the tent and enjoy pre-fest entertainment from circus performers - who’s going?
Over a dozen Irish performers lead a home-front invasion on the Kildare site from the IMRO New Sounds Stage on Saturday and Sunday. A direct move by the Irish Music Rights Organisation to define exactly the hottest bands of 2008, the line-up includes C O D E S,Crayonsmith, Dry County, Fighting With Wire, Halves, Oppenheimer, New Amusement and Televsion Room. A truly legendary experience in the making, there won’t be a lull in schedule for anyone who finds themselves present.
People come up to me every now and then, saying “hey, I found your blog, it’s great but I’ve never seen these bands live!” Now’s the chance to get your fill of Irish at its tantalising best. I’ve laid out the full stage-times and line-up. Feast yo eyes…and ears!
