Castlepalooza 2013

Castlepalooza Festival in Charleville Castle, Tullamore on August 2nd – 4th 2013

It can feel like labour of love, that walk from the main gate up through the wooded road that leads to the grounds of Charleville Castle and Castlepalooza. It’s a trek that’s worth the effort though, and as we enter into the secluded environs of the festival site it’s as if box office queues, drink confiscations and train journeys are suddenly a thing of the past. Instead, we pitch new homes for the weekend, exchange our money for booze tokens and gamble on the weather before getting a feel for the surroundings. The organisers have slightly re-jigged the layout this year, with the tented Metro Herald stage moved around to the side of the castle. Disappointingly, this means that this time around we lack a green area in which to relax, but the Vodafone area and hammock district go some way to making up for the lack of al fresco panning out zones. Jonathan was on hand on Friday evening to check out the sights and delights that the Metro Herald stage hosted before the full festival arena opened for the weekend.

Sisters

Dreamy, shoegaze trio Sisters are the first act we catch in the Metro Stage on Friday evening. With an extremely fuzzy guitar tone, the band deliver their catchy tunes with an energy to match the guitar effects. The drumming skills in particular are fantastic, transforming what would have been an otherwise mediocre act into a highly impressive one. At times throughout the set the vocals are a little weak, and the harmonies are often way off, but on Clearhead the lead vocals suit the dreamy atmosphere perfectly. The song is an absolute stunner; with an ethereal, wispy chorus and a faint, high riff, it’s one of the best tracks of the festival.

Croupier

Five-piece Croupier are next up to bat, and with their eclectic instrumentation and wonderful use of dynamics, the band prove to be a hit with the crowd. They exhibit a skilful ability to change direction mid-song, effortlessly moving from a slow, quiet verse to a bout of ferocious noise. Lanky singer Oisin Murphy’s presence is already noticeable, even before he leaps about the stage and yells into the microphone, and his showmanship is a big reason for the band’s significant on-stage vibrancy. Power Up, with its quirky little riffs and massive chorus goes down a treat, as do the band’s other new tracks. The band’s new EP due this month, and judging by this performance it sounds like it’ll be a good one.

Lowlek

Lowlek reveal that they’ve only recently formed, but you could certainly never tell from this assured performance. Playing a classic rock style of music, the band are charismatic and confident. With varied instrument use, including a chunky, retro sounding synth and a trumpet, the act’s foot-tapping songs are delivered with a charismatic assurance that is a pleasure to watch as well as listen too; Sick Sight is the unquestionable highlight

Overhead, The Albatross

Overhead, The Albatross are just one of many post-rock bands to feature over the weekend. The instrumental majesty of their epic songs have the crowd buzzing. Short, spikey riffs merge together to create epic build-ups that explode into sharp bursts of raw energy. However, the fact that every song builds up in a similar way becomes rather tiresome after a few tracks. The emphasis in songwriting seems to be in indulging in creating epic soundscapes with musical technicality, rather than writing catchy or memorable riffs. The band look the part with matching face and body paint though, and their performance generates an excited atmosphere.

Ghostpoet

English rapper Ghostpoet is the big name to perform on Friday night, and takes to the stage for a pre-midnight start. His huge on-stage presence provokes the crowd into a frenzy, his expressive lyrics are spoken with conviction, and the Metro Herald tent buzzes with an excited atmosphere. Liiines is the highlight  of the set, with a repetitive piano riff providing the backdrop for Ghostpoet’s earnestly spoken words. A few of Ghostpoet’s tracks seem a bit sparse, with just a simple bassline accompanying his lyrics, and these songs don’t make as much of an impression as some of the other more melodic tracks. But where he is good, Ghostpoet is brilliant, and it’s a crying shame when his last song is cut short by technical problems.