ON THE RECORD: JIM CARROLLon music
The On The Record census returns are in: 75 music festivals and outdoor shows will have been held in Ireland this summer.
Since 2007 an annual head count has been carried out on the On The Record blog to attempt to establish the number of festivals and one-off outdoor shows that take place here every summer. While the census can’t claim to be 100 per cent accurate, the returns provide a handy guide to the state of the sector.
What has been striking in the past two years is the steady, ongoing increase in smaller events. Even though big-cheese events Oxegen and Electric Picnic continue to get the most attention by virtue of the size of the audience they attract, smaller events that attract 5,000 punters or fewer are gaining traction.
The biggest decrease? That would be in the number of stand-alone outdoor artist shows in venues such as Marlay Park and Malahide Castle. This is due to such shows moving indoors to the O2 to avail of fixed production costs (and avoid the vagaries of Irish weather) and also to a reduction in the number of heritage acts on the touring circuit this year.
But it’s not all beer and skittles for the small festivals. Two August events – Indie’Go in Fenagh, Co Carlow, featuring Aswad, Alabama 3 and Jerry Fish The Mudbug Club; and the teen-oriented Summer Blow Out, featuring Alexandra Burke, N-Dubz and Razorlight (below) at Dublin’s Donnybrook Stadium – were cancelled (although the Blow Out was scattered across three other venues).
In the case of Indie’Go, the cancellation happened on the second of the event’s planned three days, while Summer Blow Out organisers Premium Nights put the change in their plans down to “circumstances beyond our control”.
NEW MUSIC
THE HOLIDAYS
Sunny-side-up harmonies and melodic pop from a Sydney band with a couple of humdinger singles (check out excellent current release Golden Sky, in particular) and a debut album, Post Paradise, to come next month. myspace.com/ theholidays
GHOST ESTATES
Dublin-based newbies featuring ex-members of 8Ball and Sickboy are making a hugely alluring and promising rattle, if current anthemic demo tune October is any indication of where they’re at. myspace.com/ ghostestates
SUN AIRWAY
Philadelphia duo Patrick Marsciell and Jon Bathmus keep it gloriously mellow with slow-motion, dreamy, hazy electronic chimes and tones. Debut album Nocturne of Exploded Crystal Chandelier will be released in October. myspace.com/sunairway
#NOWPLAYING
Egyptian Hip Hop Some Reptiles Grew Wings(Moshi Moshi) Excellent Hudson Mohawke-produced EP of technicolour wibbly-pop from bright-as-buttons Mancunian teens.
Antony and The Johnsons Swanlights(Rough Trade) Due in October, the new album from Antony Hegarty and friends is a much stronger and more rounded experience than previous releases.
The Count Sinden Mega Mega Mega(Domino) Chockablock with big-room boogie, Mega Mega Mega also succeeds in showing Mystery Jets in a good light, via guest spot on After Dark. Timber Timbre Timber Timbre (Full Time Hobby) Spooky rustic folk sounds on the third album from Canadian Taylor Kirk, the dude with the "creep on creepin' on" motto.
Various Shangaan Electro(Honest Jons) "It's fantastic, the best thing I've heard for a long time. It's how music should be" – Karin Dreijer Andersson of The Knife
