The lovely Jennifer from Westport picked me up in Galway on the Thursday in the early afternoon and we sped off on a four hour journey to the gorgeous Curraghmore Estate, both of us with mad festival stories to tell and a stop off at Tipperary Town Lidl for supplies. A very stress free journey and we arrived at about 7 PM. I got wristbanded at the staff accreditation and through to the crew camp which thankfully was the first stop after the wristband check. This year I was doing weekend duties as there was no advanced volunteering for us this year. Once I had the tent up and a can cracked open, I set off to find our lovely coordinator Catherine Kehoe and her assistant Susan to get my roster for the weekend, meeting my Galway buddy Gearoid on the way who was going to be site manager for the main arena.
I bumped into the lovely campervan ladies from Wild Roots and Body&Soul, Roisin, Tracey, Sarah and met Barra and Rod too.
Met up with Kevin Keehan and Gearoid at Gearoid’s sleeping quarters, we had a few drinks into the small hours with suitable partying sounds before we winded up for the night.
Friday 29th July.
Friday morning I wandered a bit about the arena to get some pics of the marquees before they were occupied, today was going to be a tough shift as it was wristband exchange for staff and when I’m weekend volunteering the review tends to be more scant as you have to incorporate 8 hour shifts rather than a weekend full of pics and video clips.
Friday was a very busy day with the shift from 2 to 10 PM, myself and the lovely Shaunagh were wristbanding staff, so anyone from festival staff, performers and production crew. Festival traders were sent to the left window of the office. We were given QR code scanners so the QR had to be specific to the actual wristbands, this created a few problems. Some traders would just say they were staff and after you scanned them you discovered they were traders which we didn’t have wristbands for hence having to go to the window. During the shift we rephrased what we asked and made sure we knew if staff were actually traders. On top of that we had the general public trying to get their tickets scanned too and we had to point them to the white tent search area and all the general questions like ‘Is the camping area far?’. I seen a few regular festival faces when issuing performer wristbands, concertina player Cormac Begley and reggae artist Ras Tinny among others. Myself and Shauna was glad that this shift was over, our backs were in bits and it was our own fault, we forgot to take seats with us from the volunteer HQ which would’ve made it easier. We were working with a nice team though of Aoife, Stevie and Chris among other staff who helped us out when we were not sure about stuff.
And now onto the music, I took a few random clips of acts in the arena, they wouldn’t really be reviews but to show a bit of the action whilst wandering around, I was more interested in getting back to my tent, resting up and bringing a few cans of Guinness into the arena.
Jungle – Main Stage 10.45 PM – 12 AM.
Jungle seemed to have a decent sized crowd gathered, this was the Friday night sub headliner for the main stage, Wikipedia described their sound as neo soul and funk. which is about right, from what I could hear they were very funky. It wasn’t raining and a lot of people were getting off on the vibe of their music. I don’t think their sound was my kind of thing but they seemed to be making the audience happy which is all that matters really.
https://www.junglejunglejungle.com/
On the way out of the arena I took another clip from the smaller marquee Road to Nowhere, it was the Houseplants who I’d already covered in a review at the previous festival Body & Soul.
After being suitably refreshed I made for the main arena and towards the larger marquee to catch some of Gilla Band’s set.
Gilla Band – Something Kind of Wonderful 11.45 PM – 12.45 AM.
I loved what I saw of the Gilla Band, formerly known as Girl Band, noise rock, post punk, indie rock, call it what you want, I thought is was absolutely wild and exciting. Their sound reminded me of the bee buzzing squalling guitars of the Sonic Youth Death Valley 69 EP. There is so many really good up and coming Irish rock bands out there and Gilla Band would be some of the cream of that. A shit hot ballistic drummer is the first requirement of such a sound, build on it a cartwheeling bass, insane guitars and and a snarling singer and you’ve got yourself the Gilla Band, check them out if you get a chance.
Now tell me that the Gilla Band wasn’t influenced by this lot below, Sonic Youth – Brother James.
I sauntered up to Arcadia where Heidi was doing a two hour thumping set of techno and took a few clips, but made tracks back to the campsite as wanted to get rest as it was an early start for tomorrow at 8 AM. The one thing I noticed which was quite cool was when the arena shut for the night you could hear in the adjoining field (the main campsite) about a few thousand excited conversations talking about day one of their festival, it was a lovely sound.
Saturday 30th July.
Couldn’t sleep at all Friday night, not because of noisy neighbours or anything like that, two factors, the crushing humid heat and the fact I had a coffee or two after the 10 PM shift. Up at 7 again and slowly up that bloody curving hill that seems to last forever. Yep, the hill that leads into the main arena and curves right round the Something Kind of Wonderful tent, its only when you pass that tent that it starts to go down the hill, but that can be a toughie to negotiate at times. Into the volunteer HQ and up with Shauna again to the accreditation office, Stevie, one of the site managers said that they wouldn’t need us today so off we sauntered back to the HQ. When we got to bag search area, we were frisked and had our bags searched, we were in volunteer uniform. Was this really necessary? What is the point in this? I understand festival punters getting the frisk coming in, on the afternoon or evening, but not festival staff at 8.30 AM in the morning, it is a bloody stupid rule and security or whoever implied this rule need to be pulled up on that.
Susan sent myself and Shauna to the family camping info tent which was very mellow indeed and a nice crew to work with, met Ann Delaney and can’t remember all the other names, as I’m trying to remember all the gigs much less names, but I was working with lovely people from Cork and local to the area. Basically we just helped with the general questions and we were working with the Irish Wheelchair Association charity who had a small shop and info tent onsite too. Anyways that shift ended and I met Van doozy in the main campsite with his Turbo Chiller. But because of the distance to there from my camp I never passed there again. The rain started beating down the first of the weekend and I made it back to the volunteer HQ, where I sat in the tent listening to Glasshouse plays Kate Bush and Prince. The HQ was directly behind the main stage, so the music was brilliant, Wuthering Heights, Running Up that Hill but as it was lashing I didn’t venture around to the stage to capture a clip of the group.
https://www.musicglasshouse.com/
When the rain lulled for a bit I made a dash for the campsite on my way there I could hear the Mary Wallopers sound checking in the big marquee, I had a glance in while passing and a fine crowd was gathering, the Mary Wallopers I reckon will be a proper festival favourite for many years to come. I’d loved to have stayed but I wanted to get back to tent and catch a few hours kip as I hadn’t slept on Friday night. Well that didn’t work, couldn’t fall asleep, too humid and too much main arena sound. I eventually messaged Kevin and arranged to meet up with Gearoid, where we drank a few cans till the rain had ebbed off.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Main Stage 20.45 – 11.30 PM.
We didn’t realise how long we were sheltering but we eventually went into the main arena about 9.30. Now the set time for Cave was 20.45 – 11 PM but I reckon he done about nearly another half an hour in encores, but a Nick Cave gig is a truly exceptional experience. His set was like a lifetime experience of his life, all his classic numbers like Red Right Hand, Henry Lee, Into My Arms among his other classics as well as numbers from his most recent album Carnage. I have the deepest respect for Cave that he continued to tour and fulfil his contract after it was reported he lost his second son at the starting of May this year. Cave isn’t a mere rock singer in an indie pop band, he is a true artist, actor, dramatist, singer, songwriter all in one and with an impeccable band backing him and his music is not to be taken lightly, he is an amazing artist and you should check him out if you get a chance. I have seen him now five times and I’ll certainly go and see him again he is that brilliant.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Cave
There were points where Cave was doing long slow croony numbers, Kevin couldn’t handle this so we went to the big marquee next door to catch the start of Floating Points set.
Floating Points – Something Kind of Wonderful 11.00 PM – 12.30 AM.
Floating Points had a nice crowd gathered for his set in the tent, he’s played Body&Soul festival before I think with his ensemble, this time he was on his own. Wikipedia has him down as electronic / jazz, my thoughts from the video clip is he’s electronica of some sort, influenced it seems by Giorgio Moroder and the I Feel Love track. But when comes down to it he was just playing banging dance music, it could be techno, it could be house, who cares, it was bouncy and good.
https://www.floatingpoints.co.uk/
Groove Armada – Main Stage 12.15 – 1.30 AM.
Have never seen Groove Armada the band live before, only their DJ set which I didn’t think too much of, but always liked some of the stuff they done in the late 90s and early noughties, they played Electric Picnic in 2006 one of the only ones I didn’t attend so this was my chance to catch them. I got right down to the front barrier for this one as I wanted to catch the action close up I met Jenny the Pink Lady and her man Aidan who thought exactly the same thing about making it to the front barrier.
I felt maybe too much time was spent on the band playing the new material which is OK its lively but doesn’t reach the impact of their previous classics and when they did do some of the classics such as At the River and I see you Baby they were unmercifully short. Still they were a fun act and it was great to hear Superstylin closing the show and other tracks like My Friend. I personally believe they should have just done a greatest hits set for the festival sets anyway and concentrate their newer material at standalone shows, its a real pity they are splitting up after this tour.
Floated about the main arena for a while with Kevin but split as I was dead on my feet, hopefully this time I would get some sleep when I got back to the tent.
Sunday 31st July.
And sleep I did wakening up at about 9.30, this done the world of good and I’m glad I retired pretty early. Queued about over an hour for a shower in the crew area but man it was worth it, reinvigorated, I headed to the volunteer HQ to get ready for shift three. I specifically asked if I could do the info point in the main arena today so that I could cover more of the festival and my wish was granted so I was absolutely delighted with that. I was working with Ann Delaney’s daughters and son, Kiara, Aoife, Barry and his girlfriend Ellen. Queries that cropped regularly was, where was the nearest water point. What were the bus timetables or what acts were playing wherever. Our info point also functioned as the main lost property office for Sunday. The amount of credit and debit cards handed in, car keys and smart phones was nuts, how do people manage to loose these items I don’t know.
Denise Chaila – Main Stage 6.45 – 7.45 PM.
Zambian born and Limerick based rap artist Denise Chaila wowed the crowds in the early evening sunshine at the main stage, pulling a decent number. Chaila was also a member of the Limerick based rap group Rusangano Family which I covered in one of my Picnic reviews, If think maybe in 2017. For the third opening act Chaila’s brand of rap was the perfect tonic for a party at the main stage and with two records out, Dual Citizenship EP (2019) and Go Bravely album (2020), we maybe will be seeing a lot more of this fine lass as she is also playing Electric Picnic this year, check her out.
https://denisechaila.bandcamp.com/
While on my way back to the info point, I took a geek into the Something Kind of Wonderful Tent and Jessie Buckley & Bernard Butler were playing what sounded like a sombre set in the marquee, creating a fine balance between funky rap at the main stage and serious earnest songs at the next stage, I took a short clip but the music probably was a bit slow and serious for me at this time of the day but they had an audience appreciating what they were doing and that’s all that matters really.
https://www.facebook.com/buckleyandbutler/
Back at the info tent there was some positive joy for some people who were reunited with their lost items and Ann came and joined us for the rest of the night where we had the banter. On my way to the loo I bumped into a fellow Body & Soul crew member who had his weekend ruined by having his weed confiscated by the Guards. He was having an inoffensive joint outside his tent when a female plain clothes Guard produced her badge and busted him. I’ve never seen any trouble at this event so the Guards must have really been bored when they are going around busting quiet hippies at a music festival.
I nipped over to the Something Kind of Wonderful tent again as I liked the sound that was blasting out of it, courtesy of the Murder Capital who were just finishing off their set and who I covered at a previous Picnic excursion when they played the Jerry Fish tent.
Well my shift came to an end and I said my goodbyes to Catherine and Susan and Jenny came over with a gift for me, a vinyl album based on the 2019 ATN line up which blew me away, thank you Jenny. Before I headed back to the crew camp I wanted to catch a bit of King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, an Australian psych rock band who had just started up on the main stage.
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Main Stage 10.15 – 11.30 PM.
The Melbourne based band who has been together since 2010 had a decent crowd gathered as they have been wowing audiences all over the festival circuit with their brand of psych folk rock/rap for the last number of years. A very prolific group as far as releases are concerned having released five albums in 2017 and not abating since. I suppose you could call them space rock too, so with Hawkwind, Gong, 13th Floor Elevators, MC5, Blue Cheer influences in their music. The band has just released an album called Omnium Gatherum in which they featured liberal doses of in tonight’s gig, especially The Grim Reaper where they pay an ode to Michael Flatley. Check this band out if you get a chance.
https://kinggizzardandthelizardwizard.com/
On my way back to the crew camp to get my last load of cans I took a wee look into the Road to Nowhere marquee where George Fitzgerald was doing a thumping techno set by the sound of it with a fairly wedged tent.
https://www.george-fitzgerald.com/
Underworld – Main Stage 12.15 – 1.30 AM.
This was my fourth time catching Underworld, the last being at EP 2015, and they were as good as ever, kudos to the technical team for the main stage, the screens used on each side were very clear and large and the PA sound was impeccable. Underworld went through their vast catalogue of classics, Two Months Off, Scribble, King of Snake and of course closing with Born Slippy. They certainly know how to put on a show and although I missed them in ATN 2018 in favour of Booka Shade I have never tired of them, long may they continue. Oddly enough the first clip I took was of the same track in 2015 albeit in better quality this time around.
It was onto the Arcadia ‘Bug’ for a while to catch the thumping techno of Netherlands DJ Ki/Ki who was just finishing up her set with a massive crowd gathered giving it socks, was floating about with Kevin and enjoying the spectacle of lasers, lights, fire and all the pageantry that Arcadia brings to the festival, the metallic bug itself was an amazing sight as the night was drawing to the near end.
https://ra.co/dj/ki-ki/biography
And finally to the final act of tonight or the early hours of Monday morning.
Maeve b2b2b2b – Road to Nowhere Marquee 12.30 – 3.30 PM.
Maeve is a dance/techno record label based in Dublin who have on their roster such acts as Mano Le Tough, New Jackson, The Drifter amongst other acts, but tonight they had at least four DJs playing very slick hard thumping techno and were one of the last acts playing us out. Folk moving from the arena and Arcadia started flocking into the tent and the beats were lashing out, a great way to end the night.
https://nialler9.com/intro-the-maeve-label-pick-some-defining-tracks/
When the music finished we went back to Kevin’s camper where we had a lengthy conversation into the night and the rising dawn, we did try to get some kip but as someone in the Boards.ie ATN thread noted there was some loud campervan neighbours in a particular green van who kept everyone else awake with their sounds blasting and the whoops and roars.
Monday 1st August.
We managed to get some shut eye for an hour or two until security banged the door to wake us, I looked out the window and the field was practically empty save for a few campers, it was just as well we got up earlier to collect my stuff from the crew camp. RIP my lovely tent was finally on its last legs after ten years of service so I had to say goodbye to that. I don’t know what was wrong with me this year but I wasn’t as energetic as the last two times, I stuck mainly to the main arena, possibly because I couldn’t hack hill after hill plus I was on weekend shifts so less time to explore. Apologies to the smaller stages, both the Global Roots ones, the All Kinds of Everything stage, the area around the mansion and the bandstand which I only passed briefly. I’d even brought my bodhran as I wanted to have a tune at the Cobblestone stage but never made it that far. So hopefully next year I might be able to get some advance volunteering so that I will have more freedom to explore the site properly. Kevin dropped me off at the bus stop in Crusheen, County Clare where I caught the Galway bus back in time to the city to get a shower and a bite to eat before I got to my session in the city. Thank you to everyone who looked after me and I shall see you next year at ATN hopefully or perhaps the next festival, maybe Electric Picnic. Of course there is too many people to mention, but you know that you will always be in my heart. I bit you adieu. 🙂
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