With less than a week to go before Body & Soul, it’s just about that time to print out a copy of the lineup and circle the acts of choice in bright highlighter. This will inevitably get lost before the first day is over, but still we try.
Maybe at that stage it’s best to just embrace the freedom, and drop all plans in favour of catching whatever bands you happen to stumble across. With any luck you’ll catch at least one or two of the acts listed below.
The Moonlandingz
Who?
This electro-tinged psych-rock outfit started out as a fictional band on a concept album before morphing into their own thing. Fronted by Fat White Family’s Lias Saoudi, The Moonlandingz fuse a punkish roughness with a throwback to old school synth and krautrock. They blew the roof off Whelan’s back in March with a fiery set of uninhibited genre-fusion & even less inhibited onstage behaviour. It’s hard to predict what exactly they’ll do at Body & Soul – because it could be just about anything.
When?
Sunday 25 June – 17:00 @ The Midnight Circus.
What do they sound like?
Jinx Lennon
Who?
Jinx Lennon is a singer-songwriter form the town of Dundalk. He bashes sparsely-arranged tunes out of an acoustic guitar and barks out the lyrics in his distinctive foghorn of an accent. His lyrics cut into the grim reality of working class life in a reasonably sized town in Ireland. It is a celebration of the parts of life that art tends to ignore, and as result is raw, honest, and has a deeply cathartic quality.
Lennon’s shows encompass politically-charged protest music and bonkers stream of consciousness nonsense. If you’re heading to Body & Soul for the Sleaford Mods, make sure not to miss Jinx Lennon.
When?
Saturday 24 June – 20:00 @ The Woodlands
What does he sound like?
Loah
Who?
A former Plec Pick with a musical style she describes as ‘Artsoul’, Loah is an exceptionally gifted singer, performer and songwriter. Fusing cultural influences from Sierra Leone to Ireland (and beyond) Loah’s music is equal parts stylish and sublime.
When?
Saturday 24 June – 15:00 @ the Body & Soul Stage
What do they sound like?
La Femme
Who?
This lo-fi surf-pop group combine a wild psychedelic energy with the unbeatable cool of 60s French pop – like the Pixies if they were fronted by female Serge Gainsbourg. Their sound is slick and stylish, while encompassing a playful amount of odd experimentation. The lyrics are all in French too – which only makes it cooler, right?
When?
Saturday 24 June – 20:00 @ the Body & Soul Stage
What do they sound like?
AE Mak
Who?
Another former Plec Pick, this alt-pop duo take the listener on dreamlike journey with their gorgeous vocal harmonies. Backed up by a super-slick backing band, and featuring an animated palate of costumes, masks and/or facepaint. AE Mak shows are bursting with vibrant life. In other words, it’s perfect afternoon-at-a-festival music.
When?
Sunday 25 June – 13:15 @ the Body & Soul Stage
What do they sound like?
Mykki Blanco
Who?
Mykki Blanco is a transgender rapper, performance artist, poet and activist. Her music is explicitly, powerfully provocative, tackling societal constructions of gender and queer politics. Her avant hip-hop style saw her tour with Death Grips. An artist this unique is not to be missed.
When?
Sunday 25 June – 22:50 @ The Midnight Circus.
What do they sound like?
Songhoy Blues
Who?
Songhoy Blues met as met as refugees in the Mali’s capital Bamako, having fled their hometown in the wake of a conflict. The group came together as a way of preserving a sound that may otherwise have been lost.
By taking their West-African sonic heritage and mixing it up with old-school rock n roll and blues, Songhoy Blues have unearthed a recipe that is sure to lead to a sumptuous set at Body & Soul.
When?
Sunday 25 June – 19:45 @ the Body & Soul Stage
What do they sound like?
Emmet Kirwan’s Beats and Rhymes
Who?
The growth of the spoken word scene in Ireland has reached a point where it’s unusual now not to see some kind of devoted segment on an Irish festival bill. For this year’s Body and Soul there’s a generous selection of word-spinning acts across the entire weekend. The highlight among these is probably Emmet Kirwan’s Beats and Rhymes.
The Dublin playwright, poet and actor has curated a fine selection, including John Cummins, Lewis Kenny, Stephen James Smith, Abby Oliveira, and Lethal Dialect, which runs each day on the library of Progess Stage
When?
Friday 23 June – 19:00 @ The Library of Progress
Saturday 24 June – 19:00 @ The Library of Progress
Sunday 25 June – 18:00 @ The Library of Progress
What do they sound like?