Now in its sixth year, Castlepalooza Music and Arts Festival returns to Charleville Castle Tullamore, County Offaly this Bank Holiday weekend from Friday July 29th to 31st.
Last years festival really won me over; some great music and a really nice and relaxed setting. They are also to be commended for their willingness to showcase homegrown acts, not to mention 3 Newbridge acts on this years bill (We Are Losers, Moths and Two Charming Men). As always your suggestions are welcome but here are my personal 6 acts not to be missed this years.
Moths (Saturday: Big Top Stage 17:15)
Moths (aka Jack Colleran) has created quite a fuss since releasing a number of tracks on the internet yet this will be a first chance to see him perform live. It has been a big year so far for Moths who’s beautiful chilled out electronica not only got many of us hot under the collar, but also Interpol who asked him to remix a track on their new EP – all while studying for the dreaded Leaving Cert. I’m very excited about this one!
Download: Moths – Summer
Django Django (Saturday: Main Stage 22:30)
Selected as ones to watch in 2011, Django Django are near impossible to place within a single genre, bringing everything from old rockabilly artists to Devo, The Beatles and the Beta Band to the mix. It is inventive and catchy as hell danceable indie – it’s hard to do it justice with words, a band so good they named it twice.
Django Django – WOR via The Bonjour Branch
Hudson Mohawke (Saturday: Big Top Tent 23:45)
I’ve only recently discovered Hudson Mohawke through the Glaswegian’s new EP, Satin Panthers, which is sooooo good! The big bass drops of ‘Thunder Bay’ alone will be immense but I will bow to other people’s superior knowledge as I’ve only just got his 2009 album Butter. Looking forward to this one and familiarizing myself better with his material afterwards.
Jape (Saturday: Main Stage 00:30)
The prospect of seeing Richie Egan’s Jape performing a headline slot is an enticing one. Jape has been one of the finest artists in Ireland for sometime now, both on record and live. Expect the usual energetic and animated performance. With a new album, Ocean of Frequency coming soon there’ll probably be some new tracks interspersed with old favourites like ‘I Was A Man’, ‘Floating’ and ‘Streetwise’.
Kid Karate (Sunday: Big Top Stage 12:00)
Dublin ragged rock/punk duo Kid Karate have been mightily impressive to date. A live act beyond repute, expect a storming blend of Rapture-esque disco-punk meets the gruffness of Arctic Monkeys and The White Stripes. Not everyone’s cup of tea but their live sets and their debut EP HEART have both impressed me a lot.
We Are Losers (Sunday: Big Top Stage 14:15)
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen We Are Losers live but I keep coming back for more of their cheery fuzzed-up lo-fi indie. Expect a set bursting with energy and feel-good-vibes. They have been singled out for praise on this blog before and they remain ones to watch!
Also recommended:
Saturday: Two Charming Men (TTBA Main Stage), No Monster Club (TTBA Main Stage), Visionair (20:15 Big Top Stage), The Minutes (20:30 Main Stage)
Sunday: Jogging (13:30 Big Top Stage), Squarehead (20:30 Main Stage), Adebisi Shank (21:30 Big Top Stage), Toby Kaar (Courtyard Stage 02:30) & DJ Tu Ki (02:00 Big Top Stage)
Tickets are €74 for two days camping, €94 for three or €49 for Sunday. There’s a discount available too.
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