Solas Festival Set To Rock Carlow

If Dysart isn’t/wasn’t your thing or you’re looking to break out of Kilkenny during the forthcoming Arts Festival (launches this weekend) then why not set your sights on the Solas Festival taking place up the road in Carlow.

Solas Festival is an Irish music festival set to take place in the grounds of Huntington Castle, Clonegal in County Carlow on Saturday August 16 and Sunday August 17, 2008. Early bird tickets for the two-day camping event can be purchased now from www.tickets.ie, priced €120 with a €7 booking fee. The festival will start at midday on both days. Free parking and camping will be provided.

Promising “a new era in quality boutique festivals,” the festival takes place at Huntingdon Castle, Clonegal, Co. Carlow on August 16-17. Tickets are priced at €120, including camping. Capacity is 4,000.

The lineup runs:

Solas Stage (Main Stage) – Saturday: Autamata, God Is An Astronaut, Hijack Oscar, Back Doors, Dirty Epics, HyBrasil, Kill City Defectors, Rocket Surgery.

Sunday: Kíla, Republic of Loose, Preston Reed, Andy McKee, Don Ross, Ham Sandwich, Travega, Stanley Super 800, Different Drums of Ireland.

Spectrum Stage – Saturday: Alex Under [Net 28 Showcase], Damian Schwartz Live [Net 28 Showcase], Heart Throb [Minus], Dinky, Tractile [Live], Miss Jools A.K.A Sleeper Thief, Eddie Brennan & Dan McElligot [Electric City], String [Live - Multifunktion], Timmy Stewart.

Sunday: Audiojack, Dusty Kid, Switch, Johnny Moy & Arveene [Clampdown], Alloy Mental, Noise Control, Produse Live, Dougmore/Multifunktion, Chymera [Live], Sian.

Kettle/music Light/Night Stage – Saturday: A Guy Called Gerald [3 Hr Set], Tu Ki [4 Time Irish DMC Champ], Matjazz & Handsome Paddy [4 Deck Set], Whitenoise [Human Beatbox], Synergy [Reach], Barry Delta [Reach], Bonz [174], Worries Outernational Soundsystem.

Sunday: DJ Godfather [Databass], Detroit Grand Pubahs Dj Set [DET.ELE.FUNK], Boxcutter [Planet MU], Milanese [Planet MU], Syntheme [Planet MU], T-Woc [Alphabetset], Signor Pepe Hernandez [KETTLE], Big Dish Go Djs - Conor & Gav Feeney, Firehouse Skank [Selector Enda].

Humanmusic.ie Stage – Saturday: Preston Reed, The Last Tycoons, The Hot Sprockets, Erik Noon, Nicola Williams, Lauren Guillery & The Claws, Quintessential, DJ Half Dutch.

Sunday: Sickboy, The Murder of Crows, The Brothers Movement, More Tiny Giants, Hassle Merchants, Skuzzi Port, Brean Wilson, Christina Quill.

Prism Stage – Saturday: The Urges, Intinn, Gavin Glass & The Holy Shakers, The Red Labels, The Straglers, Grand Casino, Niall Toner Band, The Bovine Frenzy, Brian Meakin Experience, Niwel Tsumbu, Zrazy.

Sunday: Grada, Neon Flea Circus, Miracle Bell, The Mighty Stef, Tucan, The Cuban Allstars, The Ceili Allstars, Jester, West African Drum Group.

Fusion Stage – Saturday: Peter Breen [Electric Circus], Sex Shop Dave [Electric Circus], Mike McCoy [Electronic Ireland], Sean Galvin [Schmutzig], Bad Boy Blast [Strutt /Techfest], Joe McGrath [Junction], Jay Galligan [Electric City /Test], Paudi Ahern [Transmission], Stuey Lyon’s [Junction], Jeff Walters - Winter Beats], Fran Hartnet [Junction].

Sunday: Cj Fitzs [Transmission], Barry Donovan [Lunar Disko], Aron Nolan [Acii disco], Al Keegan [Acii disco], Cian Frawley [Strutt / Techfest], Stam [Junction], Niall Power [Electric Circus], Rian Ryan [Electric City].

We’ll be hosting The Lions Mane and Hero In Error on Saturday in Kilkenny but I certainly wouldn’t mind catching some of the action on Sunday following the launch of the Battle Of The Bands.

For more on the festival itself check out www.solas-festival.com.