Colm Olwill (Trad Rave, Gramophone Disco) is on a sponsored cycle to Glastonbury to raise money for the Underground Piano Bar, one of the festival’s secret stages and a bit of an institution for over 30 years now at Glastonbury.
The DIY space is one of festival owner Michael Eavis’ favourite spots, but it is a DIY endeavour where crew work and artists perform for free*.
A GoFundMe is running now until the festival begins this week to raise money for the Underground Piano bar.
Colm says:
“It’s run as a DIY space, and none of the crew or artists are paid. They design, build, decorate, staff and perform in the venue all weekend for the joy of it and for the love of music and art. They are totally wired and expect nothing but it would be lovely if you could support them with their travel/food/drink, etc.”
It’s a midnight court that opens as the festival winds down and goes well into the next day. An acoustic space, dug into the ground, lit with candle chandeliers and paraffin lamps, think an Irish medieval music hall via commedia dell’arte and Flann O’Brien. A two-hour queue leads to a door, where the artists teasing and chatting with the crowd is half the fun. The entrance has been variously hidden over the years, as a drain, a festival exit, a caravan and as an interpretive centre of itself, amongst other things. Last year, Anna Taylor-Joy joined in set dancing at 5 A.M. It’s good craic™.
A current list of acts who have played in previous years or are playing the stage include:
Acid Granny, Sean Fitzgerald(Deadlians), Joplin Parnell, Ben Johnson, Daniel Luke, Jinx Lennon, Mary Wallopers, Andreas de Staic, Hozier, Lisa O’Neill, John Francis Flynn, Punk Podge, David Keenan, Thomas McCarthy, John Constable, Paddy Bloomer, Rarewitch, Hattie Hatstar, The Bohemianauts, Kojaque, Sam Lee, Jools Holland, Billy Bragg, Twin Headed Wolf, Dila Vardar & The Oddbeats, the Gramophone Disco and too many more to list
€1700 was raised last year, and it’s currently at the same target at time of writing.
Pledge a few quid if ya can here.
*
Glastonbury festival itself only officially books five stages directly (Pyramid, The Other Stage, West Holts, Park Stage and Woodsies), and allows external promoters to book the lineups of the umpteen other stages at the festival.
The decentralised system leads to a shortage of fees particularly as the stages get smaller (there are hundreds at Glasto), So many of the stages and areas at Glastonbury are run and performed by artists on a voluntary basis, who may have to buy their own ticket.
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.
