Knockanstockan Festival: 12 acts you must see & 4 DJs to dance to

Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Spotify playlist | Stage Times & Map

Knockanstockan Festival happens this weekend in Blessington Lakes and here are four bands and one DJ to check out per day.

Aoife McCann and Ellie McMahon met while studying music at BIMM. Their debut track ‘ I Can Feel It In My Bones’ takes influences from the energetic pop of tUnE-YarDs, African harmonies and jazz singer Anita O’Day. Live, they are a bright and bubbly melodic pop outfit.

https://soundcloud.com/aemakoffical/cd-2-01-aoife-mccann-i-can-feel-it-in-my-bones-feat-ellie-mcmahon-fd-master-sequence-2

A newly formed band they may be, but BARQ are seasoned musicians having played with Hozier, Kodaline, Monster Monster, Damien Dempsey, Loah, Lethal Dialect, Ryan Sheridan and Zaska in the past. BARQ takes its cues from a love of soul, R&B and Radiohead. Debut track Gentle Kind Of Lies introduces their “Agrosoul” and rides a neo-soul groove with a fierce attitude and a touch of class.

Five years on from the first time I caught a Toby Kaar live set and he remains one of the most engaging electronic performers in the country. This year, he finally released a debut EP and the tracks on it give a flavour of what to expect from his live set: emotive cut-up Hud Mo-style electronic (‘SnapDragon’), Madlib-style beats (‘Fowl’) and hyperactive dayglo productions (‘Like Sapphire’).

Carlow brothers Diarmuid and Brían make Traditionally-rooted folk music with harmonies, fiddle and guitar. They’ve recently toured Europe with Glen Hansard and supported Villagers. The pair are currently recording their debut album so this is will make for a nice restorative break for both audience and band alike.

Two of the best in the business going back to back. Swell.

Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Spotify playlist | Stage Times & Map

---

Hey, before you go...

Nialler9 has been covering new music, new artists and gigs for the last 19 years. If you like the article you just read, and want us to publish more just like it, please consider supporting us on Patreon.

What you get as thanks in return...

• A weekly Spotify playlist only for patrons.
• Access to our private Nialler9 Discord community.
• Ad-free and bonus podcast episodes.
• Guestlist & discounts to Nialler9 & Lumo Club events.
• Themed playlists only for subscribers.

Your support enables us to continue to publish articles like this one, make podcasts and provide recommendations and news to our readers, and be a key part of the music community in Ireland and abroad.