Momentum Festival is the new Galway multi-day concert series taking place over May Bank Holiday weekend and it’s closing its first edition with a killer lineup.
The Scratch headline Bank Holiday Monday May 4th at the inaugural Momentum Festival in Oranmore, Co. Galway, joined by Cliffords and Madra Salach.
It’s a strong closing day for a new festival, three of the most exciting Irish live acts right now, sharing a stage under the Crescendo Tent in front of 4,200 people on the Wild Atlantic Way.
The Scratch headline as their third album Pull Like A Dog has just arrived. It’s a record that refines the acoustic and electric folk-metal fusion they’ve been building since a viral Rory Gallagher Festival appearance in 2017 first put them on the map. Pull Like A Dog doesn’t so much evolve their sound as detonate it and reassemble it louder. A UK, North American and Australian tour follows, making Momentum one of the first chances to catch them on the new album cycle.
Cliffords from Cork have been one of the most talked-about rising Irish bands of the last year – their EP Salt of the Lee drew widespread praise and their live reputation has been building steadily through festival appearances and word of mouth. Their live show is magnetic as an indie pop band from Ireland can get.
Madra Salach round out the bill in fine form – their debut EP It’s A Hell of An Age hit No.1 on the Independent Charts and No.3 in the Irish Albums Chart, and their current UK and Ireland tour is completely sold out. It’s no wonder, anyone who sees Madra Salach live is a convert such is the resonance of their trad-rooted full band music.
Tickets €44.99 plus fees, on sale now from momentumfestival.ie and ticketmaster.ie.
The full four-day Momentum programme:
- The Stunning, The Riptide Movement, Tracy Bruen (Friday May 1st, €49.95 plus fees);
- Momentum’s Big Day Out featuring B*Witched, Sonique, D:Ream, Rednex, Mark McCabe and more (Saturday May 2nd, €64.95 plus fees);
- The Coronas with Oscar Blue and Calum Agnew (Sunday May 3rd, €55 plus fees)
- The Scratch, Cliffords and Madra Salach (Monday May 4th, €44.99 plus fees).
All shows take place at Ard na Mara, Oranmore, Co. Galway, 9km from Galway city. Strictly over-18s.
Watch the singers of Cliffords and Madra Salach chat on the first episode of the Art to Art video series
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, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Cara Magazine, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, co-founder of Lumo Club, event curator, Indie Sleaze club promoter, and producer of gigs and monthly listening parties & events in Dublin.
