Title is a bit clunky and this has probably been discussed before, but the lack of a festival for heavier music in Ireland is a bit mad. Feel like a roadburn, damnation type of festival here would work great. I know there's a few, brilliant smaller weekender/all day type of events on the island but the lack of it on a bigger scale. Every other genre seems catered for to some degree. Seems to be a blind spot for heavier types of music when it comes to the industry over here, in general.
Careful now; ya might summon the "bring Download/Hellfest/Wacken to Ireland" crowd. 🤣
Logistics and cost is always gonna fuck these things over on the island.
Quote from: Sworntothecans on September 10, 2026, 04:34:44 PMCareful now; ya might summon the "bring Download/Hellfest/Wacken to Ireland" crowd. 🤣
Logistics and cost is always gonna fuck these things over on the island.
I've just seen some absolute brilliant lineups just got me thinking. Recently there was a show in the states with Acid Bath, Melvins and Neurosis, I would have killed to seen that. I had plans to catch Imperial Triumphant and Converge in Munich but couldn't make it work. Ultimately decided to go see Converge in the Uk in November.
It's def something that used to come up on the old MI forum, and probably something that I would have posted in my more youthful, idealistic days, but there's not enough of a demand for it here...or if there is, not enough to justify bands travelling over.
The only way around it would be a festival that draws a similar crowd to Roadburn, ie heavy music that has a crossover appeal to the alternative/indie types. The turnout for Chat Pile was great on both nights, but there was very few metallers to be seen.
The Siege is still going isn't it? Haven't been in a while so no idea what the turnouts have been like.
Quote from: John Kimble on September 10, 2026, 05:58:45 PMIt's def something that used to come up on the old MI forum, and probably something that I would have posted in my more youthful, idealistic days, but there's not enough of a demand for it here...or if there is, not enough to justify bands travelling over.
The only way around it would be a festival that draws a similar crowd to Roadburn, ie heavy music that has a crossover appeal to the alternative/indie types. The turnout for Chat Pile was great on both nights, but there was very few metallers to be seen.
The Siege is still going isn't it? Haven't been in a while so no idea what the turnouts have been like.
I'm a lot less youthful than I use to be :) but yeah, get you. There was a lot of Deafheaven, Neurosis shirts rather than battle jackets at Chat Pile both nights. The crossover appeal would be a big factor. Just seems to be a bit of a gap in the Irish market at a glance. I guess being an Island nation is a big barrier.
Quote from: John Kimble on September 10, 2026, 05:58:45 PMThe Siege is still going isn't it? Haven't been in a while so no idea what the turnouts have been like.
The siege is still going and it does be heaving when it is on, as busy or busier than ever. It's on again the October bank holiday Sunday.
Yeah the Siege does be absolutely hopping all day
The big ones did ok I think; Ozzfest, Download etc but maybe not ok enough to warrant doing them all the time. Probably due a big one of those at some point.
The smaller ones probably could be filed under Scraped By, Lost a few quid, Haemorrhaged money. The Day of Darkness feats were good craic with strong lineups but they varied attendance wise. There were some probably well meaning but shambolic feats Mysterious Wounds was it? With Primal Fear etc or that thing in Waterford with Napalm Death.
Philfest Phil tried to get this 3-day Iron Mountain camping fest going back in 2020 at a site with 300 max capacity, and it looked like it might have actually went ahead but it got fucked by covid. Would have been interesting to see how it played out:
(https://forum.metalwarfare.com/index.php?action=dlattach;attach=435;image)
Just skimmed through the old thread there https://forum.metalwarfare.com/index.php?topic=579.msg7970#msg7970
Got a giggle out of Leather Mike, the dirty fucking pedo, posting under the username 135150, mouthing off at Phil and calling him 'crazy' and an embarrassment. The neck on him to be throwing shade at anybody after his scumbaggery!
Two good days with a few decent names would probably sell well enough but what size names are we talking here? I'm thinking whatever is the biggest you'd get in Dolan's like you'd want a few of those or bigger and then where would you have it?
Something like Napalm Death or Paradise lost would hardly carry enough weight to have it anywhere big really as well. What venues could even be considered for it?
So that's a fair bit of the problem and I think The Siege by all accounts wraps up the indoor version.
Sunstroke was attempting something until it got cancelled as well, unfortunately. That could have maybe had second or third stages to cater to heavier or more extreme stuff
Quote from: astfgyl on September 10, 2026, 09:02:05 PMTwo good days with a few decent names would probably sell well enough but what size names are we talking here? I'm thinking whatever is the biggest you'd get in Dolan's like you'd want a few of those or bigger and then where would you have it?
Something like Napalm Death or Paradise lost would hardly carry enough weight to have it anywhere big really as well. What venues could even be considered for it?
So that's a fair bit of the problem and I think The Siege by all accounts wraps up the indoor version.
Sunstroke was attempting something until it got cancelled as well, unfortunately. That could have maybe had second or third stages to cater to heavier or more extreme stuff
Yeah all fair points. I guess when I look at the line ups at roadburn and damnation, was thinking if something like that could be done here. I suppose logistics and other factors dictate that.
Must get myself to the siege.
What was the name of that festival that was going to take place in punchestown with faith no more, deftones, mastodon, at the gates etc etc? Was cancelled cause of covid-Sunstroke was it? Had an unreal lineup too :(
Quote from: DISRUPTER on September 10, 2026, 08:05:50 PMYeah the Siege does be absolutely hopping all day
And you're rarely stuck in a queue and everyone is sound as fuck.
It's a hell of a thing. Wouldn't work half as well in Dublin.
Hopefully Toran is coming back this year as that went really well in Galway.
Quote from: Sworntothecans on September 10, 2026, 10:28:15 PMQuote from: DISRUPTER on September 10, 2026, 08:05:50 PMYeah the Siege does be absolutely hopping all day
And you're rarely stuck in a queue and everyone is sound as fuck.
It's a hell of a thing. Wouldn't work half as well in Dublin.
Hopefully Toran is coming back this year as that went really well in Galway.
Yeah I hit the primordial show and it was great, was class to see such a packed gig in Galway. Been fairly devoid of metal out this way since I moved up, bar the very occasional show once or twice a year.
Quote from: Bogmetaller on September 10, 2026, 10:10:56 PMWhat was the name of that festival that was going to take place in punchestown with faith no more, deftones, mastodon, at the gates etc etc? Was cancelled cause of covid-Sunstroke was it? Had an unreal lineup too :(
That was the Sunstroke one I was on about. That was our best hope of something.
Killing Joke were going to be there and all
Quote from: astfgyl on September 11, 2026, 12:33:43 AMQuote from: Bogmetaller on September 10, 2026, 10:10:56 PMWhat was the name of that festival that was going to take place in punchestown with faith no more, deftones, mastodon, at the gates etc etc? Was cancelled cause of covid-Sunstroke was it? Had an unreal lineup too :(
That was the Sunstroke one I was on about. That was our best hope of something.
Killing Joke were going to be there and all
had tickets for that. It was such a let down that didn't go ahead. Great lineup. Maybe it could happen again? Or actually just happen ha ha
It was a once off I think but that Burning Oak weekender thing in Cork back around 2011 was great - Triptykon, Rotting Christ and Primordial headlined.
Quote from: Giggles on September 10, 2026, 08:49:39 PMPhilfest Phil tried to get this 3-day Iron Mountain camping fest going back in 2020 at a site with 300 max capacity, and it looked like it might have actually went ahead but it got fucked by covid. Would have been interesting to see how it played out:
(https://forum.metalwarfare.com/index.php?action=dlattach;attach=435;image)
Just skimmed through the old thread there https://forum.metalwarfare.com/index.php?topic=579.msg7970#msg7970
Got a giggle out of Leather Mike, the dirty fucking pedo, posting under the username 135150, mouthing off at Phil and calling him 'crazy' and an embarrassment. The neck on him to be throwing shade at anybody after his scumbaggery!
Looks like he'd have easily hit the 300 mark with band members alone :laugh:
Didn't there used to be one in Waterford for a couple of years? Can't remember if it was a weekend thing or just an all dayer
That was LowEnd - I think there was only ever one of them, 2009?
Nice piece here about Sunstroke(s) in Dayler - mention of the MoR in the 80s there too. https://comeheretome.com/2018/04/06/here-we-are-now-entertain-us-sunstroke-festival/
Setlist line ups: https://www.setlist.fm/festivals/sunstroke-5bd6afc4.html
I remember nothing at all about seeing Mudhoney at Sunstroke 95. Weird.
A proper festival here with camping would be so hard to make work. There's a lot of logistics and legal red tape you have to go through if you want to have any hope of making it legit and repeatable, you can't just book bands and throw a stage together and let people camp next door. Festivals all over Ireland doing more popular music fail every year.
I hate to say it but metal fans are too picky to get good behind a real festival. You see people who have never gone to the Siege even though it runs twice a year, is free, has everything from Rock to Experimental and everything inbetween. It's indoors and has ran for about 30 times now. If you book a kickass camping multi day festival here people will complain about the bands or find other ludicrous excuses to not go. You see so many metal heads walking around in metal shirts and they haven't a notion of going to anything that's not the biggest bands.
We aren't helped by the fact that we're on an island at the edge of Europe so bands have to ferry/fly over. Bands don't want to come here on a one off show, they tend to come as part of a tour schedule so getting a lot of bands for an ideal lineup is really unlikely. I'm not sure if it's the case but I heard Sunstroke was being ran around the Download season and I've heard bands have now got an exclusivity clause that prevents them from playing Ireland an UK around those dates making that happening on the same scale unlikely.
Exactly, for bands to come here it's more ferries, freight, drivers, crew, adding another non gig day of traveling to their schedule. Every single cost post covid + post current wars has ballooned. Insurers treat metal differently too, identified as higher risk.
Then you think of the competition, we ain't gonna compete with the long list of festivals well established across Europe, esp with our population size. It's a big financial risk I don't think any promoter is going to take for that scale.
Agreed that Sunstroke was probably a good chance of building on something.
Seems like the Sunstroke festival was probably the best chance of getting something going and building off it. Still, class smaller festivals and events dotted through the country.
Quote from: jpm4 on September 11, 2026, 11:41:59 AMIt was a once off I think but that Burning Oak weekender thing in Cork back around 2011 was great - Triptykon, Rotting Christ and Primordial headlined.
I think those names are too small to do anything other than siege 2 and that's already sorted like who here is honestly going to more than one thing of that calibre in a year unless they are playing at some of them?
The metal population in Ireland is tiny so you'd be relying on Europeans to make up the numbers, but with so many great, established festivals in Europe already they'd have no need to fly over here (what, Australia?) other than to get pissed on Guinness. There was a run of a few years 15 to 20 years ago where there were really fucking great underground gigs on in Dublin- around the time The Pint was the venue- and that did attract quite a few foreign heads over, because they knew the session would be good. At that sort of scale, Dublin was savage, but Roadburn in Dublin? It's probably less likely to catch on. But who knows!
Imagine having something on over a weekend across Temple Bar, for example. The Button Factory and Doran's (if it even exists at this stage) and then across the bridge to the one on Middle Abbey St. Could be doable if you attracted the crowd. Food for the imagination if nothing else :)