It’s just four weeks now until the big festival of August – All Together Now – returns to Curraghmore in Waterford for its fourth year.
We’ve previously discussed the 10 acts you can’t miss at this year’s festival but there is still loads to be announced for the weekender, and there are 16 areas including Arcadia, AVA In The Woods, Belonging Bandstand, Cambium Club, Éalú Le Grá , Global Roots, Ping Pong Disco, Schweppes Ultimate Mixer, The Last City, The Cobblestone, Comedy, All Curious Minds, Seanchoíche, Breathe Wellness, Bosca Beatha and you can see some of the stage breakdowns here.
Here’s a look at some of the unique offerings that All Together Now is bringing to the Irish festival circuit this year…
1.
Alternative bands
Sometimes you just need a good blast of a distorted guitar and a squall of band noise to set you right…
Not only is punk godfather Iggy Pop bringing the noise ATN this year, there’s a spate of spiky punky guitar music to enjoy, with various strands of anything but obvious-sounding alternative bands on the lineup.
How about these? The post- jazz-rock indie style of Black Country, New Road, the sleazy rock of Warmduscher, the exploratory krautrock instrumentals of the Geoff Barrow’s BEAK>, the reformed punk-pop of Fight Like Apes, the feminist post-punk of m(h)aol, the scuzzy garage rock of Onion Boys or the London grunge pop of Gretel Hänlyn. You could include the droney dark-trad style of Lankum there too for some extra heavyweight noise.
2.
Crudo Restaurant
Crudo is a Dublin restaurant bringing its “best Casual Dining restaurant all Ireland 2023” crown to All Together Now 2023.
Crudo is a neighbourhood café, wine bar and eatery in Sandymount which will be on site serving an Italian and Mediterranean-inspired menu in a Victorian marquee this year. A 4-course dinner is available over the weekend and a kid-friendly brunch is available on Saturday and Sunday. This is high-end festival dining.
If pop music is what you crave then you’ll find a glut of it at Curraghmore.
All Together Now has a few pure pop names this year that all walk the line of “pop as in popular” and cool. The return of Lorde’s Solar Power show, with its considered costuming and staging is on the theatrical side of pop and the original lineup of UK cool pop merchants Sugababes is one of the more anticipated shows this year, as it’s been too long since Republic of Ireland audiences have heard the likes of ‘Round Round’, ‘Push The Button’ and ‘Freak Like Me’ to name three.
Sing Along Social is an All Together Now institution at this point, always guaranteed to bring one of the biggest daytime crowd at the Belonging Bandstand. It’s a singing party designed for those who cannot sing but are always willing to belt out the chorus of pop hits of any era anyway, egged on by the craic mechanics with props, signs and crowd interaction galore, to loosen you up to help you connect to your inner craic..
Then there’s the disco pop pleasures of Jessie Ware and her dancefloor feel-good anthems and club vogue-featuring dance choreography.
4.
A music festival for over 21s
Because you’re an adult…
Apologies to anyone who has done their Leaving Cert in the last few years but All Together Now is aimed at people who know what they want, can look after themselves, and are curious about music, art, wellness, poetry, or discovering something new…
This ain’t your first festival vibe so ATN attendees have to be aged 21 and over (Children between the ages of 12 and under can attend free of charge, accompanied by a parent with a family ticket).
Following on from that rule, an important detail for the modern festival is whether they let you bring your own alcohol into the arena, and All Together Now absolutely does. If you’re an adult then this festival will treat you like one.
Also, from experience at previous years, Curraghmore Estate is a beautiful 3000-acre site that is worth a wander. I found myself in spaces of relative quiet and calm last year even though there were thousands of people buzzing around me. What’s more, the security isn’t heavy-handed when you do go for a bit of a ramble.
5.
RISE Nordic Spa
And relax….
Following on from reason #4, All Together Now will have Danish wood-fired hot tubs and saunas on site from RISE Nordic Spa to help ease those tired bones and rejuvenate yourself before you go again.
Hot tubs can fit up to 6 friends together and saunas up to 3.
Some of my lasting memories of All Together Now involve the late night dances. Whether it was Or:La last year dropping Madonna and Justin Timberlake’s ‘4 Minutes’ as her closing track as the flames went off at Arcadia, Kelly Anne Byrne’s Prince tribute at Belonging Bandstand, Eddie Kay lashing out electro disco at Ping Pong Disco or Yung Singh decimating AVA In The Woods, these were the moments that you remember.
There are also some serious contenders for Kodak memory moments on the lineup of course this year – with Nialler9 favorites Overmono, Robert Hood, Daniel Avery, Jamie xx, James Murphy, Todd Terje and Sally C on the list.
Also look out for big local sets: A salute to Andrew Weatherall: Kelly-Anne Byrne, Conor Feeney & Al Feeney, Claire Beck, Kate Brennan Harding & Sally Cinnamon and PryMary Colours bringing the heat.
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Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005 . He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Cara Magazine, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, founder of Lumo Club, club promoter, event curator and producer of gigs, listening parties & events in Dublin.
