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12:03am. Ash are 3/4 through their set, and are in good form. It’s been a great day, the weather was good and so many musicians in the one place enjoying the lively atmosphere ad great music.
Back to 3/4 through Ash’s set and Paddy Glasgow has noticed a disabled man by the fence left of the stage. He goes to him and, after failing to get him through the doubled up barrier, meets him at the backstage entrance and tells him to sit at the front barrier, spitting distance from Tim Wheeler.
This is how Paddy does things - Small but Massive.
A festival with a human side. A great vibe from everyone and the best of Northern Irish music (with the odd band from South of the border). The crowd is happy. The bands are happy, and things just run smoothly.
It is a festival to be proud of. A festival which has only grown since its birth in 2000, and has many years of life in it still. It is a festival with a difference. Concentrating on the smaller, unsigned acts, the cream of the crop of Northern Irish music - and there’s plenty of it.
One large stage and three packed tents. Great music pounding the ears from every direction. Of course a day like this produces “highlights” and “best moments” for all, but for me its always a tough call. Oppenheimer have continued to better their stage performance, now becoming a bit of a ‘family show’ with silly string, shouts of “ready team-oppenheimer”, which doesn’t really work, and on-stage banter. But their music is happy. It provokes a smile, and they perform it well.
Boathouse, even minus a drummer, manage to get a packed tent dancing to their tunes, including the great new song which they opened with as a way of drawing in the crowd. It was a good move, as it worked.
Nobody appreciates stupidity and ignorance from fellow gig-goers, least of all Cahir O’Doherty. It wasn’t the highlight of Fighting With Wire’s set, though when he yelled abuse and threats of turning the beer throwing to fist throwing outside after the show, it made everyone stand up straight, if only for a minute, before they got back to rocking out. But no one dared throw anything else on the stage.
Their performance, however, was every bit as tight as every other live gig they have done - if not more-so. An energy, volume and connection between each other that projected well in their combined sound. They have had a great year, and it shows, yet they still have that rock and roll arrogance necessary to get by.
The band’s album ‘Man Vs Monster’ has been out for a while now, though I still haven’t got a copy, I have been more convinced each time I have seen them recently. This was the final straw. Admittedly, this isn’t it the sort of music I currently listen to often, then again I don’t go to classical concerts either. This is the music I love the see live. The energy the carries throughout the crowd and back again.
It was either their first or second gig when I first saw …And So I Watch You From Afar in Auntie Annies. I was blown away then, and still am today as they only improve on an already impressive sound. A prog rock/metal band in belfast - perfect! And so they played a blinder of a set on the main stage, each of them looking like he enjoyed the greatest 45min orgasm. They were happy. As they rocked as hard as they could, the term ‘headless chickens’ comes to mind.
Ash, the band who’s music I knew the least, though now know much better and have greater respect for. They were surprisingly heavy live than I had expected, though it probably doesn’t help that the album I have listened to most is ‘Free All Angels’. They did indeed rock the stage, played the classics and generally sounded pleased to be there and from NI.
I am proud to be from Northern Ireland at times like this. The music is something to be proud of.
As usual, more photographs on flickr.
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3 Comments
Thanks David!
Love the first photo, the hill rolling up is a great back drop!
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