A treasured gift was once again consulted as I reflected on the latest ‘chapter’ of All Together Now, held in a part of the world I’ve known and loved my whole life.
Writing in 1901, CP Redmond, then Editor of the Waterford News, reflected on his visit to Curraghmore Estate in the rather lengthily titled ‘Beauty Spots in the South East of Ireland And How to see them by Car and Cycle’.
Redmond wrote of “the lofty hills, rich vales, and sweet sequestered nooks of this delightful spot. The variety of scenery is unsurpassed by any demesne in the Kingdom (as then it was part of), and well indeed may one exclaim on beholding such grandeur and such repose –
“But who can paint, like nature, can imagination boast, amid its gay creation, hills like hers?”
Beyond the plethora of stages, bars, food stalls and tents, of bare footed bohemians, a group of men dressed as crabs as well as those who rejected the wellington boot’s practical durability, the welcome Sunday sun suitably showcased Curraghmore’s beauty. It truly is a place apart.
The rays, decreasing as the nearest star fell behind the Comeraghs, clearly enthused Lorde on the main stage, who offered thanks to the weather gods for their charity towards a daughter from the Land of the Long White Cloud.
The ground beneath us was considerably sounder on day three of ‘ATN’ than it had been throughout Saturday following the deluge which arrived late on Friday and remained, like an unwanted guest, for several hours.
Having made for home on Friday following the upbeat and supremely choreographed set performed by Jessie Ware, having enjoyed several David Kitt numbers ‘next door’ in the ‘Something Kind of Wonderful’ big top, the trudge through General Camping on day two was decidedly sludgy.
Several downed tents had been decommissioned into the many large wheelie bins situated on the campsite. Flat soled shoes and what had once been gleaming white trainers lay adrift in the churned earth, which made one wonder what has become of their owners.
Those who clearly had enjoyed the dance tunes at the fire-breathing Arcadia despite conditions which would have bested even seasoned Ploughing Championship attendees, were coming to grips with the reality of a new day.
Those keen on looking their best for the Sugababes set that evening were defiantly rising above underfoot conditions which would challenge the front row of a well-drilled rugby team: that gig demanded they looked fabulous and nothing was going to diminish their ambition.
As for the original Sugababes, who first rose to prominence as my mid-20s swung into view, they were in terrific voice, much to the delight of ‘legacy’ (sounds better than ‘older’, doesn’t it?) and more recent fans alike.
Mutya, Siobhán and Keisha put on a brilliant set and made everyone forget about how tough it genuinely was to remain upright throughout much of the festival venue.
One hopes and suspects some greater measures will be in place come ‘ATN 24’ when it comes to ensuring that everyone who parted with their cash to attend the festival will be able to access it fully.
While additional mulch and temporary flooring can only be added up to a point, as with any outdoor event (such as the Ploughing Championship), universal access – when taking poor underfoot conditions into account – is essential.
Between ‘Something Kind of Wonderful’ and the ‘Belonging Bandstand’ on Saturday night, those of a certain vintage were spoiled by two terrific sets by Billy Bragg and Cry Before Dawn.
Bragg, who made light of a dental issue which he feared would have him mangling his ‘esses’ and ‘effs’, challenged the ‘geezer’ generation to demonstrate greater kindness and understanding to the transgender community.
Comparing his current stance to his support for the gay and lesbian community over 30 years ago, Bragg reminded the audience of the strides that have been made thanks to equality campaigns on both sides of the Irish Sea.
He also sang about the rights of workers, the power of trade unionism, while speaking and singing passionately about the climate crisis. But he did it all with no shortage of wit and a genuine sense of joy and vigour.
Cry Before Dawn, Wexford’s greatest musical export, have been wowing audiences new and old since they reformed 12 years ago.
Lead singer Brendan Wade fronted a delightful hour-long set full of trad-influenced pop/rock and filled in those who weren’t aware of the band’s late 80s, award-winning pomp. The band were tight, the vocals were terrific and there was more than one story shared between numbers. I loved every minute of their set.
Drifting to the Circle before midnight, Pillow Queens had their secluded corner of Curraghmore hopping and kept us royally entertained as the spirit (with some ginger and lime) flowed delightfully.
Come Sunday, having braved the packed Arcadia beyond 3:30am and managing some breakfast around 11am, another varied and hard to keep up with schedule beckoned.
Backroad Smokers Club, the riproaringly entertaining Waterford act, had me hoping they’ll get the bounce of the ball that somehow eluded Cry Before Dawn back in the day.
They’re a whole lot of fun, have a fantastic, funky and upbeat sensibility and I hope that will take them a hell of a long way.
They were the first act I’d heard having emerged from the ‘All Curious Minds’, where singer/songwriter John Murry, during a very deep conversation with Peter Murphy, issued an appeal to youngsters everywhere: “Go have some fun and live your life.”
Murry was followed in the tent on the lawn of Curraghmore House by one of my heroes, Republic of Ireland, Arsenal and Juventus legend Liam Brady, who was in superb form during an interview about a life in football with Danny Kelly. (There’ll be a separate piece posted on ‘Chippy’ in due course)
Having taking in Waterford’s disappointing All-Ireland Camogie Final defeat to Cork via the phone in our tent, we caught a few numbers at the new ‘Lovely Days’ stage by Staples Jr Sisters before the main events on the Main Stage cranked into gear.
Following Lorde’s well-received set in what was only her second ever Irish performance, the night closed in as Iggy Pop and his superbly drilled band took to the stage.
A riveting 2019 New Yorker interview by Amanda Petrusich described the 76-year-old as resembling a “bronze statuette” from afar.
“He is lithe, sinewy, and deeply tanned, with a torso that, for decades, has appeared so exquisitely and minutely muscled that an onlooker might reasonably assume it was painted on. In recent years, his midsection has relaxed a bit, but he assured me, while patting it, that it remains quite firm.”
No-one in rock and roll has shown their body off more in the past 50-plus years than the man who triumphantly brought the curtain down on this year’s festival, careering through riotously delivered performances of ‘The Passenger’, ‘Lust For Life’ and ‘I Wanna Be Your Dog’.
And there’s clearly lots of life yet in the man born as James Osterberg Jr in 1947, who has outlived so many of his contemporaries, despite his original band, The Stooges, ‘refusing to acknowledge the laws of physics’ during the late 60s and into the 70s.
His wide-ranging conversation with Amanda Petrusich is well worth your attention. When asked about retirement, Pop replied: “I always wonder, if I stopped doing music, would I really start drinking tea instead of coffee, and, you know, brush my teeth more, and all that? Or would I become, like, an alcoholic depressive? Don’t tell me that I can’t strip off my shirt and go make a big primitive noise.”
Well, the shirt was off within seconds of his arrival onto the ATN stage and it was clear that this is one entertainer who’ll keep rocking as long as his frame and spirit permits him to do so.
As I spotted Colm Meaney making for the guest area afterwards, I couldn’t help wondering was I the only punter here who made the ‘Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’ connection between Meaney (Chief Miles O’Brien) and Pop, who appeared in Season Six of the show as a Vortan named Yelgrun.
How appropriate that, as the stars grew brighter above us, this otherworldly man had made it, in science fictional terms at the very least, to outer space.
A weekend full of tunes, fun, food, beer and mud ended with the Iggy Pop experience in one of my favourite places on Earth. Let’s do it all again next August!
For the full Iggy Pop interview, visit: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/09/02/the-survival-of-iggy-pop
Music, mud, and Iggy Pop - an intriguing combination that promises an unforgettable experience! This event seems like a celebration of music in its rawest form, with Iggy Pop adding an extra edge to the atmosphere. You can also try to popularize your songs with a spotify promo.