Indiependence Music and Arts Festival

THE AUGUST Bank Holiday weekend is proving to be the weekend of the small, boutique festival with a number of events taking place to cater for the festival-going crowd who are located beyond the walls of Dublin.
However, by far the most interesting of those small festivals taking place this weekend is the Indiependence Music & Arts Festival, taking place in Mitchelstown, just over the Limerick border and a mere 40 minutes drive from the city.
There is nothing small about this festival though, the brainchild of Shane Dunne, who went to college in the University of Limerick from 1997 to 2002.
With five stages, 90-plus bands and DJs and a capacity of 4,500 people in a brand new, green-field site, Indiependence is truly the way of the future for music festivals. This is the fifth year of Indiependence, which has grown organically bit-by-bit from its origins as a free concert in the main square in Mitchelstown.
Shane, of Curve Music Management, has brought the festival to this point, where the headliners are none other than the White Lies, Alabama 3 and Reverend and the Makers, which virtually every Irish band worth seeing joining them on the bill, including; Duke Special, Delorentos, Jape, God is an Astronaut, Codes, Super Extra Bonus Party, And So I Watch You From Afar - plus Limerick bands including We Should Be Dead, while Fred, with one member from Limerick, also take to the Indiependence stage.
As befits the name, this is a completely independent festival, and the team have done something few have managed; created a low-cost, affordable festival with a magnificent line-up.
“It is completely independently run,” explained Shane, speaking from the site this week.
“It gives people the option that they don't have to travel too far for their festival, plus the fact that it is only €79 for a weekend camping ticket and the line-up is strong helps. We have capped all the prices on site and it is a really good value weekend on an intimate site with no hassle - it will be a really laid back, enjoyable weekend for everyone I think,” he added.
The short drive from Limerick suggests that local music fans will make up a significant percentage of the crowd, we would wager.
“Yes, it is very close, just a short spin really. I went to UL so it is a road I know well myself,” explained Shane.
“We should have six or seven Limerick bands on the bill in total, we got together with UL Music Society this year to run a couple of ‘Battle of the Band’ events so we got a few from there, and we have We Should Be Dead, who are probably the most well known, outside of the 20 percent of Fred that is from Limerick,” he laughed.
Last year’s event was plagued by poor weather, but Shane is optimistic that this weekend should be better.
“Even though last year the weather was atrocious - it rained for two weeks solid in the run up to it and destroyed the site - the feedback was brilliant and a lot of people who were there last year are definitely coming back,” he explained.
“But this is a much drier site and a much better set-up and the forecast is ok for the next week - no heavy rain predicted, so it should be good.”
Securing the services of hugely popular UK indie band White Lies for their only show in the Republic of Ireland this summer is hugely impressive, and a sign that this festival should continue to grow in years to come.
“It took a little bit of back and forth, they are in the studio this summer doing the second album and they were only planning to come out for really select shows where they are the headline acts, so it is great to get an act like that. They are one of the biggest bands in the UK and I can't wait to get them in here at the weekend and up on stage."
He adds: “I think this year now because we have grown it substantially, it is important to leave it get through this year and consolidate a little bit. If we could get to the stage where we were selling out at 4,500 every year for a couple of years, maybe we could look at stepping on a bit at that stage”.
In the meantime, Indiependence is the place to be this weekend for all keen festival-goers.

Fred play in Dolan's tonight

HUGELY popular Irish rock band Fred return to Dolan’s Warehouse this Friday for their first gig in these parts in many months, taking a break from recording their new LP to do so.

Last April Fred became the first ever band to play in the newly developed Thomond Park stadium when they played before the Munster and Ospreys Heineken Cup quarter-final, and, although based in Cork, proudly boast a Limerick man among their ranks - bass player Jamin O’Donovan, from Caherdavin Lawn.

While we lay claim to one of the country’s best young bands, Fred get about their business with a smile on their faces, playing some anthemic and good old rock and roll, their recent album Go God Go being one of the best releases in recent years on these shores.

Jamin took some time away from recording to speak to On the Beat this week, telling us how much he was looking forward to playing “at home” in Limerick.

“We are busy recording, at this very minute actually, I am just taking a break from it and lying down on the couch,” the affable O’Donovan told us. “At the minute we have written and recorded three songs, we kind of write and record as we go - and there are a load of ideas on the go. It seems like a progression from where we left off last time, similar but different songs - and, better, I would hope,” he laughed.

The band are “talking to a couple of labels” about releasing the follow-up to Go God Go, and are as yet unsure when it will be released, but they will be playing them for fans in Limerick this weekend.

“We will be playing the new songs in Limerick. We are not doing many gigs really, just Limerick and Dublin - we had kind of ruled it out while we were recording the album,” said Jamin. “I love playing in Limerick - it is home.. Limerick is, without a doubt, the best,” he laughed.

With a tour of the UK and Germany coming up in April, the band are gearing up to hit the road again. Go God Go is doing well for them in Canada and America, where they have a publisher, and recently missed out on a big ad campaign, albeit to a little known band called The Arcade Fire.

“We were delighted to be second placed to Arcade Fire - we are not about the money, we are just about the 'almost' glory,” laughed Jamin.

Fred play in Dolan’s Warehouse this Friday, with special guests Return to Sender and Loaded Kings.

Fred to play in Thomond Park

I love a bank holiday weekend. I really do. Normally I would be loading up the car, surf board on the roof, heading west. No sir, not this weekend. It's the Great Friday Festival for me, a house-warming tonight, Old Crescent trouncing Highfield tomorrow and Munster battering the Osprey's on Sunday.

I picked up some CDs last night as well, new Doves album, Kingdom of Rust, new Mogwai album, The Hawk is Howling, Passion Pit's debut EP Chunk of Change and Justice's 2007 classic Dance.

So I'll be catching up with them at the weekend also.

Back to the weekend and Munster playing in the biggest game ever to come to Limerick. Yes, you heard that right, forget the All-Blacks, this is the big one - a chance for Munster to march on toward a third European title.

Walking toward the Munster-Leinster match last Saturday, the energy in the city, on the streets, happy faces streaming toward the ground, I realised that we have essentially got the joys and benefits of having a top-class Premiership soccer team based in our city. Except rugby is far better than soccer and, unlike most grim, industrial English/Scottisch cities, we have the finest rugby team in Europe located right here. Ha! It's like having Real Madrid right on our doorstep, except Munster are largely drawn from the local community and embody an incredible spirit - and are almost never flaky like Los Merengues.

Anyway, Sunday should be superb, even if Sky/ERC screwed us with our pants on and scheduled the game for 1pm. The powers that be have scheduled a nice bit of pre-match entertainment mind you, starting from 12pm, including Fred (see below), Derek Moloney, Munster Rugby Supporters Club, Arcana drummers and various carnival characters.

Can't wait!

Alan Owens

THE LIMERICK Leader can exclusively reveal that hugely popular up and coming Irish rock band Fred - who boast a Limerick member among their ranks - are to become the first band to play in the newly developed Thomond Park.

While the €40 million stadium is set to hold high profile concerts by Elton John and Rod Stewart this summer, Cork based band Fred have been invited to perform next Sunday, before Munster’s Heineken Cup quarter final match against the Ospreys.

Fred have gained a legion of fans on these shores and around the world due to the infectiousness of their acclaimed third album, ‘Go God Go’. The band, made up of members from Cork and Kerry, plus Limerick man Jamin O’Donovan, bassist with the group, are self-professed die hard Munster fans that regularly play in Limerick.

“I'm from Caherdavin which is just down the road from Thomond Park so this feels like my homecoming gig,” laughed Jamin when contacted by the Leader. “We are all very excited about the gig, big time.

When I say we're all, about three fifths of us want to actually play for Munster. I don't think it is going to happen. We are big fans, so this is as close as we think will get to playing on the team.” The band will perform three songs, including their hit singles Running, Skyscrapers and latest single, Good One, which has just been released.

They will perform on the pitch, facing the East Stand, becoming the first band to play in the newly developed stadium.

“To be the first band is brilliant. We are going to play three songs, and hopefully there will be loads of people there to see us - although we have played Oxegen and Electric Picnic, this is definitely going to be the biggest crowd we have played in front of.”

Fred have had a busy start to 2009, recently returning from a trip to Canada, where they performed a number of gigs and appeared on Canadian television. ‘Go God Go’ has been released in Canada and Japan, with UK and US releases set for May.

Caprice and the Meteor Ireland Awards

One of the more interesting evenings I have spent recently was last Tuesday in the company of this lady - well, I was in the same room as Caprice, trying hard to pretend I wasn't drooling in her direction..

Yes, attended the Meteor Ireland Music Awards - in other words I spent my St. Patrick's Day in the company of the 'great and the good' from the Irish music scene, plus various luminaries from the television and modelling worlds, and some other assorted celebrities.

Nancy Cartwright (Bart Simpson), Louis Walsh, Bernard Dunne, Padraig Harrington, half of RTE, Michelle Doherty, Westlife/Boyzone, Grainne and Sile Seoige, Lorraine Keane, Duke Special, MTV's Laura Whitmore, Republic of Loose and more milled around beforehand, adding some level of glamour to the occasion.

RTE tried hard to inject the proceedings with a feeling of pomp and ceremony, but watching clips on television last night, it all felt a lot flatter than it did on the night. There was a mixed bag of performers, but the performances themselves were surprisingly good. Even Boyzone sang live, or at Keating and the other fella did anyway, whatever about the other three, who hardly looked like they were even attempting to mime..

Kelly Jones and the Phonics dragged themselves from obscurity to open the show, playing a medley of songs from their recent Best of collection, an exercise that really served only to remind what a decent band they once were, mixing Maybe Tomorrow with More Life in a Tramp's Vest, Local Boy in a Photograph etc.. time to knock it on the head now, methinks.

Amanda Byram hosted, but spent most of the show trying to liven proceedings up with a series of bawdy jokes that fitted ill-at-ease with the largely teen audience that did its best to explode eardrums as James Morrison, Enrique Iglesias (can you believe this guy has sold 60 million albums and is soon-to-be Mr Kournikova) Boyzone and the Blizzards all performed, vying for their attentions and single-buying power.

Elbow were class, scooping Best International Band to the bemusement of most in attendance, and performing a storming version of Grounds for Divorce that reminded how good they were at Electric Picnic (look forward to Oxegen then)

Unsurprisingly The Script won the major awards on offer, the screams alone in the RDS suggesting that they will sell a lot more than the 600,000 records they have already flogged..

There were some poignant moments, a tribute to Ronnie Drew and the humanitarian award for Fr Shay Cullen, doing terrific work with abused children in the Philippines.

Hard luck to the Zoo Crew from Spin South West, Conor Quaid and Michelle McMahon being our only local representatives, who were between by Dublin 98FM, who undoubtedly had half of the nation's capital voting for them.

Wallis Bird won Hope for 2009 - good for her and nice cartwheel onto the stage, but unlucky on Fred, who would have been my personal choice.

Clare woman Sharon Shannon wrapped up proceedings with the exceedingly awful Galway Girl - can you believe the most downloaded song of last year? Says it all really.

(must say I'm delighted with myself for getting a pic of Caprice up on the blog)

Sometimes I love this job.. most of the time..

Sometimes I love this job. At least three-quarters of the time I get satisfaction from what I do, and I count myself lucky for that. Of course, like everyone else, the long days and Mondays in particular, are nearly enough to drive me to the depths of a bottle of whiskey, but hey, the week gets better as it rolls on...

This afternoon I spent approx 20 minutes on the phone with Joe from Cork band Fred. Most of the 20 minutes were spent chuckling at the witticisms he had to offer, far removed from the bog standard anecdotes/quotes offered up from some of his peers, both national and international.

Like many people, I was surprised at the band's omission from the recent Choice Music Prize shortlist for their third album 'Go God Go'. Maybe the judges, like me (and I hold my hands up here) thought the album was released in late 2007, rather than 2008. Woops. If I had realised the album was actually released last year, it would have made my top 5 Irish albums of the year, no contest.

It is a joyous, soaring album of pop/rock and roll tunes, full of epic harmonies and lung bursting vocals from the man himself. Joe was diplomatic about the album's omission, noting his disappointment, but acknowledging that the band weren't surprised not to make the list. Politics and all of that.

Anyway, read all about it in next week's Leader. And go check out Fred here. They are playing in the Belltable next Saturday week, January 31, so no excuse for not checking them out. I'm reliably informed that there will be a full bar licence in attendance, but don't hold me accountable if not. Go here or here for more information.

Monday blues...

I'm told that today is statistically the most depressing day of the year, and it is hard to argue. After the highs of Munster trouncing those upstarts from across the water on Friday, plus one hugely enjoyable night out in Salthill, Galway on Saturday, we found ourselves close to the depths of despair on a random Monday in January. Snow. It actually snowed today.

Fear not fellow strugglers, hope is on the way. I'm on my way shortly to the launch of this year's UnFringed festival, which promises much raucous theatre and music over a busy ten days, starting next week. High on the list is an acoustic Fred gig. The Cork band, who also boast strong local links, released one of the best pop/rock n' roll albums of last year in Go, God Go. Nuff said.

Also hovering over the horizon are the Wailers, Thomas Kitt, Franz Ferdinand, Bell X-1 and more. This week we shall be attending Mr Arlo Guthrie's solo performance in Dolan's (Wednesday) at the very least. Plus the MAMCA awards on Saturday in the Radisson, but more on them anon.

On top of all of this, Niall Colgan and friends launched their Living in the City project today, which promises to be fun. See here for more info.

I'll be in better form tomorrow, you'll see....