Culch.ie

Festival Review: Spirit of Folk 2011 – Day 1

• Spirit of Folk – Day 2
• Spirit of Folk – Day 3

If ever there was a festival where it’s title meant more to me after meeting it’s organisers, whilst I was there and in it’s entirety afterwards, this is it.

Over three blog posts via recordings in word, audio, video and picture; the three who visited there, namely Peter Donegan, Brian Greene and Anthony McGuinness will paint a picture of just why all are already looking forward to SoF12 and why we already miss the experience that was SoF11.

Spirit of Folk – Day 1

Enjoy your festival lads !

That was the greeting we got from the girl directing cars into the field. The field was clean. The grass was clumpy, but that makes for very comfy sleeping. The box office was in a caravan. The toilets were cleaned daily. All of the organisers were happy. The first aid tent waved at us. Everything – yes everything was hand made by the SoF11 staff. It was as if we’d been welcomed into someones home. Albeit a very large one, in a field.

We pitched the tent. Unpacked. The premade stew was reheated. Crack open a tin. Out came the guitar. Bam! And life is pretty effing good here. Fed and watered, neighbours chatted to, we needed our bearings. Being a BYOB festival – we loaded up a bag with a few refreshments and we were on our way.

First band on the Magnakata (Main) stage were Raglans. A four piece Folk/Indie/Rock band from Dublin, the lads gave us a few minutes after their gig to chat about being the first band to play Spirit of Folk 2011:

As darkness began to fall across the site, we wandered through to the next field which hosted an amazing Storytelling Cairn and a Shamanic Dome. We’d later learn that drumming workshops in the Cairn Field start quite early in the mornings. Conscious of catching as much of the artists we could, we got back to the Magnakata stage where Wicker Bones were just kicking off. Described as a band who play a varied mixture of Irish, English, Scottish and American folk, the lads belted out some quality material.

“What’s the Hall of Heroes?” - “It’s that smaller tent on the right down there.” – “Go check it out?” – “Ah yeah, why not?”.

The table quiz had just begun as we hung around at the door of the tent and two people a quiz team does not make so we sought food.

As we tucked into pies we listened to Bunoscoinn‘s rendition of Lakes of Pontchartrain, which was hauntingly beautiful.

The next morning [day 2], The Hall of Heroes tent where we had revelled late on, met us with this [understatement] of a sign:

Click on through for Day Two…