An Irish festival without a weather warning is a rare occurrence. With the exception of a light drizzle on Friday evening to launch the event, Beyond The Pale was set to a balmy weekend in Glendalough Estate. Spanning three days and featuring music, dance, food, well-being and performance arts, the festival entered into its third year with a bang.
Anna Mieke, Ailbhe Reddy and John Francis Flynn were among the Irish acts opening the festival, each casting their unique and experimental sounds across the grounds. Mieke gathered a band of multi-instrumentalists who added impressions of clarinet, saxophone, piano and a bass played with a violin bow. The Wicklow based singer delved into a set of dreamy soundscapes, occupying the tent with soothing rhythmic tones.
As one of the night’s most anticipated acts, Jungle brought their funky soul electro-pop sound to the mainstage. The London-based band greeted a solstice sunset with recent release ‘Back on 74’ and crowd favourite ‘I’ve Been In Love’. Releasing their latest album ‘Volcano’ in August of last year, the group’s music has exploded in the realm of TikTok. With a re-released sped up version of ‘Back on 74’ to embrace the changing times, the band are taking the summer festival season by storm.
Ten o’clock on Saturday morning saw the campsite wake up gently, with queues forming under the sun for a taste of coffee and breakfast pizza from the Big Blue Bus. Slouch rock devotees Skinner took to the Selective Memory tent, thanking dancers and hip swayers alike for ‘shaking off your hangovers with us’. Blending grunge tones with experimental, elevated instrumentation the band defies the norm, crafting a no-wave inspired sound featuring bongos, cowbell and saxophone.
Saturday brought a chock0-full mainstage line-up, amongst whom was the Daithí and Paul Noonan (Bell X1) supergroup HousePlants, recently returned dance-pop duo 49th and Main, Californian chillwave band Poolside and The XX’s Romy. Standouts of the night came down to the final two acts.
In between music sets are a multitude of food and arts exhibits, talks and demonstrations. The Church of Enya created a drag mass spectacle, while hoop and aerial performers spun and danced outside. Beyond The Plate explored food cultures, trends and innovations. SexyTadgh and EGG Cabaret showcased Ireland’s strong and thriving queer arts scene, while trad raves and Seanchóiche brought Irish cultural joy.
Jessie Ware created an immersive themed show, dancers Pearl and Caviar in tow and disco ball in full view. Lining up the end of the show with a cover of Cher’s ‘Believe’, the London based singer closed to an enthusiastic audience singing every word of ‘Free Yourself’.
Seeking ascension in a crowd of ravers, English electro-pop duo Orbital’s acid house tunes facilitated. Glow sticks shone like beacons of hope and freedom. Moves protected in waiting for a space to release were busted on the grassland of Glendalough – chants and cheers and loving glances on display behind glittered faces.
A mellow atmosphere exuded the grounds, with punters returning to tents for a few hours of sleep or a long conversation in a camp chair, can in hand, while day rolled to night rolled to day. To the backdrop of an emerging solstice sunrise above a sea of trees, flitters of festival goers emerged from their tents with purpose for the third and final day.
Women of the Irish alternative and folk scene poised the perfect inauguration to Sunday at Beyond The Pale. Nominated for the Choice Music Prize Irish Album of the Year, Rachael Lavelle brought her dreamy, alternative sounds to the site. Accompanied by multi-instrumentalist Ryan Hargadon and drummer Hannah Hiemstra, the Dublin-based performer shone. In an all white outfit, Lavelle brought ethereal tones and powerful vocals to stunned ears, covering a haunting version of ABBA’s ‘Lay All Your Love On Me’ and singing ‘Angel, Oh Angel’ while looking like the vision of an angel herself.
Lemoncello and The Scratch followed suit, crafting the perfect morning of Irish folk influence, one holding a captive audience to perfect harmony and cello tones, the latter instigating a mosh pit on their second tune.
Taking the rap as a high point of the festival were Aussie native Royel Otis. After releasing their version of Sophie Ellis Bextor’s ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ for triple j’s ‘Like A Version’ in January, the group crafted an acoustic version of The Cranberries’ ‘Linger’. To a teary audience, the indie Aussie’s toasted their Guinness cans to Dolores O’Riordan, the crowd singing every word in unison like a prayer.
Maintaining the Australian Irish connection, alt-rocker Courtney Barnett brought together hardcore fans and intrigued onlookers, chanting provocative ‘Nameless Faceless’ lyrics “I wanna walk through the park in the dark, men are scared that women will laugh at them. I wanna walk through a park in the dark, women are scared that men will kill them.”
Electronic musician Marc Rebillet has been through many iterations of his career to date, playing small and intimate classical gigs while making comedic videos for YouTube. The performer crafts satirical music which is fully improvised, creating a unique experience with every live show for both the audience and himself. Finding his footing after a decade, the Dallas born performer dominated the stage, theatrics of fire and confetti taking over the space to close out the festival in a unique fashion.
A weekend heavy on Irish culture, performance, crafts, laughter and unlimited dancing in the sun, Beyond The Pale is quickly establishing itself as the number one intimate festival to attend. Doubling its attendees over the last two years, this edition of the festival will stand as one to remember, with many exciting and anticipated years to come.