Northern Ireland is powering its way through Spring with lots of hot new releases, fresh and exciting new emerging artists making their way on the rounds and the usual buzz of all the scene kids. However, the NI industry is already hotting up in anticipation over the Summer festival season...
First up let's take a look at the infamous Independent Glasgowbury Festival, which will be held on Saturday 21st July. The festival is located just outside Draperstown, in the foothills of the Sperrin Mountains. This Summer see's the festival in its twelfth year showcasing what is no doubt the finest of all Northern Irish bands to a home grown audience. Glasgowbury over the years has become a hub for new and existing Irish artists to showcase and nurture creative talents. The "small but massive" festival set up by Paddy Glasgow, is run by local musicians and no doubt this year will see NI's finest take to the stage and have those mountains a rocking.
Next up we have the beautifully experimental Sunflower fest, held at Tubby's farm Hillsborough, over the weekend of the 17th August. If you're a fan of the weird and the wonderful, then Sunflower fest is the festival for you. A festival which uses the tagline "It's good for you" is certainly true, as not only will this festival give you a taste of NI's best but will also give you a wide range of complementary therapies to sink your mind, body and soul into. The eco friendly festival this year will be home to the likes of the legendary Scroobius Pip, the wonderful Duke Special, and the brilliant up and coming Intermission, plus many more talented NI artists.
A festival that will be kicking the summer season off is Pigstock festival! Just around the corner on the weekend of June 1st in County Down, Pigstock will be bringing festival goer's the musical styling's of such artists as the energetic Pocket Billiards, the mighty Fighting with wire and a personal favourite of mine, In Case of Fire. A festival which promotes the statement 'Let There Be Noise!' will certainly be causing one almighty ruckus this coming June.
The festival season in Northern Ireland is not all about our home-grown talent, this summer Tennent's Vital will be bringing the likes of The Foo Fighters, The Stone Roses and The Black Keys to Belfast, at Boucher Road playing fields over the 21st and 22nd of August. The muddy fields will not only be graced by the big names however, as some of NI's best and brightest are still to be named on the bill. The exciting Best Boy Grip and Havana House Party are only two of the sixteen talented acts in the running for the support slots at Vital.
August will also see the return of Belsonic Festival at Custom House Square, Belfast. Belsonic is held over two weeks and will showcase some of the world of music's most loved artists, combined with those that we in NI love the most. From Skrillex, to Tom Jones and even David Guetta, Belfast will be alight with an immense amount of talent.
Now that we all know what we should be getting up to this summer let's get back to what infectious live shows and EP's I have had the pleasure of letting my ears listen to this month.
Making Monsters is a fresh new band from Derry-Londonderry, comprising of former members of No Mean City and Hybris, the band combine heavy riffs and throat curdling vocals to form one beast of a pounding for the ears. A great band to catch live for a good old mosh, if you like that sort of thing!
Now if heavy is not what your into check out Malojian with their wonderful take on Indie Folk and beautiful song writing skills. The 'Broken Deer EP' was released way back at the end of February, but only now after catching Stevie Scullion live have I given my ears the true intense experience of listening to Malojian on repeat. An act with such emotion and thought provoking music that listening to it almost acts as a soothing experience for the soul. The 'Broken Deer EP' is a record that is a must for adding to any chill out music playlists.
This month I also had the incredible experience of catching Decomposing in Paris live at the Menagerie in Belfast - after reviewing their EP a few months back I was in no way prepared for the live set. It was in all intents and purposes the most interesting thing I have ever witnessed on stage (And I have seen many a strange thing) from winged costumes, to ripping up flowers and tango dancing my mind was curious to what would happen next at each turn. I was certainly entertained and they are a band that would have to be seen to be believed, but as like their EP the vocals were surprisingly note perfect and they are - if nothing - completely different from anything else happening in Northern Ireland at the moment.
Well that's it for this month if only I had more words to fill all you Bai's in on what's been going on with Katherine Philippa, Not Squares and Bomb City 7 but hey there is always next month... until then I bid you farewell!
Words by: Dorothy Lawrence