Swing time for Lily

THEIR SUPPORTING demographic would be the envy of any political party. And now they have the backing of one of the world’s most acclaimed female singers.

Crystal Swing, a band who inspire skittish scorn and parish pride in equal measure, were the main draw at this year’s fourth annual Flat Lake Literary and Arts Festival in Hilton Park, Co Monaghan. In true celebrity style, the band made the audience wait for their headline appearance on Saturday night, arriving on stage at 11.30pm, an hour after they were scheduled to start.

They began their set with He Drinks Tequila— the internet hit which launched their unlikely international career.

Mary Burke stood with daughter Dervla and son Derek as they wriggled their way through a short set. For their finale, Lily Allen joined them on stage, although she was barely audible and seemed as bemused as everyone else as to what she was doing there.

Derek, a gangly teenager from east Cork about to sit his Leaving Certificate, and Lily, a recent triple Ivor Novello winner and global star, danced and dueted on her recent hit Not Fair. And then Lily was off.

The crowd was slightly agitated with the brevity of performance, having waited so long but Derek and family saved the day by returning onstage for an encore and some more cross-legged dancing. “Jesus, and I thought Prince could dance,” said one lady from the back row.

Organisers said this year’s festival was the largest to date with up to 4,000 attending, and individual day tickets sold out.

Close to 600 artists were expected to have participated by the close of festival, including Shane McGowan, Mundy, the Barry McGuigan band as well as playwright Jimmy Murphy and actor Dominic West.

The off-stage antics were just as varied and madcap an affair with everything from sheep karaoke to tossing the sheaf and even a prayer room.

At the McEntee’s campfire stage, while the log fires smouldered the audience lashed on the sun cream. Guests included actress Charlene McKenna, poet Louis De Paor, television presenter Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh and actor Keith Allen, along with son Alfie and brother Kevin – Lily’s uncle – one of the brains behind the festival.

The University Tent was offering tutorials on how to play the drums in 60 seconds, while a later class entitled “Things I learned from my Sister” was gaining strong interest.

Artist Will Govan launched a new literary magazine, the Moth, in a small tent where guests could sketch with pastels and drink absinthe.

Shay Healy introduced the main Saturday evening musical entertainment, saying the weekend was all about “Shakespeare and show bands”.

Before that, Seven Ages, a young band that formed having met in Ballyfermot College, handed out fliers promoting their new single. “Are you with a paper?” asked band member Ricky Byrne, “if you are write down that we’re the best band in the world.”