spraoi?

nkay1985

Well I just have to say thtat hone who didn't bother going in last night for the show in Bolton Street really missed out. I think it's the best big show I've see out on at Spraoi. Fantastic stuff.

Going to head in for the day in a while. Nothing like spending a day walking around your home town with a buzz around the place.

bobbytables

Well I don't know, we're having a great time. Thought the place was a bit quiet last night but today has been brilliant craic. Heading out for some French cuisine this evening and wherever after that.

Tomorrow is a bit more open plan, I'm a bit disappointed loads of shops have told us they'll be closed tomorrow & Monday. I would imagine when you have so much traffic on the streets the retailers would be trading. The market in city square wasn't there the last time we were here, it's a nice touch.

Hoping to see more activity on the Streets tonight instead of being confined to John St and the "pack 'em in" pubs. We've enough of that sort of stuff in Galway.

abouttobebanned

Lol pack em in. We wish!

longshanks

nkay1985 wrote: »

Well I just have to say thtat hone who didn't bother going in last night for the show in Bolton Street really missed out. I think it's the best big show I've see out on at Spraoi. Fantastic stuff.

Going to head in for the day in a while. Nothing like spending a day walking around your home town with a buzz around the place.

Went down to the Bolton street performance tonight, it was quality. Good vibe about the place too.

thomasm

Bringing the kids(9,7,3) in today. Any recommendations from the acts you saw yesterday

Kanoe

was doing my best to avoid the town this weekend but on way to bbq yesterday evening and stopped in for one on the way, got as far as geoffs. Waited ten minutes to get served, some jazz band was playing out back but couldn't see a thing or do much more than stand in the doorway and surrounded by the usual suspects so swiftly downed pint and headed across road to Kasbar. Sweetest trad band I've heard in years playing outside and they were visible to everyone, still managed to get seated right next to the heaters tho. Thumbs up to the bar staff too, a delight all considered and nice bunch of people drinking there too.
Cherry on the cake was when the singer shouted across at geoffs and told them that they weren't allowed to listen if they weren't buying their pints in the Kasbar.

That's my lot for the Spraoi for this year

kkdela6

so whats the buzz like in town this year? ive missed it all so far due to work and wont get too see much tonight cos we're playing in one of the pubs. is there many around?

Kanoe

I didn't see much of it but what I did see was less than previous years, hardly surprising given the tall ships has probably taken the best of it this year.Not much into it myself tbh, spent Friday in Kildare and still thinking about getting to Cork today. Might get back to town later though. (I might be coerced if there's any good bands playing around tnite )

kkdela6

If i had it my way, i would have spent the whole weekend at the other stage in blackfriars. some unreal bands playing there. tonight for instance, solar taxi followed by fighting spiders followed by casanova wave! (if you havent heard them look em up on youtube, absolute class)
i have to go back to work soon but i really hope i get finished in time to at least see the spiders.

Kanoe

I need monies

dark_shadow

Is there going to be any fireworks tonight??

abouttobebanned

No

dark_shadow

Oh well.....:(

MsBojangles

dark_shadow wrote: »

Oh well.....:(

Many out my way haven't even planned on goin in for it

thomasm

Had day in the park with kids and what a day. Great location to have all the acts and lovely atmosphere. Parade gets better every year IMHO. Had guests from UK over and the were amazed by it all. Well done all concerned

marlin vs

Disaster is putting it mildly.

abouttobebanned

marlin vs wrote: »

Disaster is putting it mildly.

What's a disaster?

iphonehead

I would never let anybody run down Spraoi - now to be clear I have nothing to do with the organizing , I just enjoy all it has to offer. This year they had the gun to the head following on from Tall Ships - nothing other then maybe bring the ships back again in August could match that weekend - which was organized over a 2 to 3 year period, so its not fair to compare. Its a free weekend - there were brilliant acts and some great bands dotted around the city - if you don't like it get your ticket price refunded... oh right sorry - its FREE. That said despite all the positives I thought it was a little fragmented this year - spread all over the city, and call me a traditionalist but I did miss the fireworks, I felt today (sunday) died a death after the parade... but its free and its local and they did their best and delivered a great weekend, support them - don't knock them, it certainly was not a disaster!

AdMMM

Was a tame Spraoi as far as drinking was concerned. Was like a normal saturday night only infused with crazy brazillian beats where I work.

Without a doubt the tall ships affected this. I look forward to next year and business as usual again.

Max Powers

Spraoi was absolutley amazing again. Was down the park yesterday with cousins kids from Galway, they had an brilliant time. I enjoyed it thoroughly myself, the parade, violinist chap, kites, all excellent. excellent organisation and once again, one of Irelands top festivals, if not very top

Boooourns

A brilliant weekend, obviously it was a little quieter in terms of crowds but it was excellent once again. The Park was looked great with all the colour, i hope they keep it down there every year.

kkdela6

Excellant bands down in blackfriars as well. Fighting spiders were super as usual.

nkay1985

kkdela6 wrote: »

Excellant bands down in blackfriars as well. Fighting spiders were super as usual.

I agree with the first sentence but there's just something about Fightting Spiders that means they don't do it for me. Solar Taxi beforehand were excellent. Chimpanzee on Friday or Saturday were also very good.

Bluezar

Enjoyed Fighting Spiders and Solar Taxi myself yesterday down in Blackfriars, thought there might have been more there tbh though

Roomic Cube

Bluezar wrote: »

hought there might have been more there tbh though

they were drinking cans at the entrance :P

jimbojazz

Parade was without doubt the best ever.

The Park was excellent in the way it was set out.

After the parade and the park we headed up to the bands - were the street performers all based in the park this year?

Saw the Everly Pregnant Brothers who I thought were excellent even though I dont think a lot of the crowd got them.

The band that were after them were also good

Went down to the Courthouse stage after that around 8.30pm- real chilled out down there - good band on also - dont know who they were

After that we went to the Bolton Street Car Park - very small crowd there - but I suppose most had already seen it.

I didnt make it in on Friday or Saturday so I dont know what those days were like.

On a side note when we were up at the Red Square stage (John Roberts) Waterford begruggery was out in force - a local oul wan talking to a couple from out of town was ony two happy to dis the Spraoi - in her words "Ah, its crap this year, I dont know what they did with it"

Another lad beside me talking about the band "Jaysus, the Rolling Stones didnt take as long to warm up, bloody disgrace." I said to him "Yeah, but you wouldnt get to see the Rolling Stones for free" He kept quiet after that.

From what I could see yetaerday anyway the crowd at the parade was as big, if not bigger than other years. The focus of events in the Park was a winner for me.

The only downside was that the Plaza didnt have any gigs.

longshanks

Donal Dineens band Parish playing down outside the courthouse was quality. Sitting in the grass with a few tins, good crowd, good music, what else would you be doing of a sunday evening?

dayshah

iphonehead wrote: »

I would never let anybody run down Spraoi - now to be clear I have nothing to do with the organizing , I just enjoy all it has to offer. This year they had the gun to the head following on from Tall Ships - nothing other then maybe bring the ships back again in August could match that weekend - which was organized over a 2 to 3 year period, so its not fair to compare. Its a free weekend - there were brilliant acts and some great bands dotted around the city - if you don't like it get your ticket price refunded... oh right sorry - its FREE. That said despite all the positives I thought it was a little fragmented this year - spread all over the city, and call me a traditionalist but I did miss the fireworks, I felt today (sunday) died a death after the parade... but its free and its local and they did their best and delivered a great weekend, support them - don't knock them, it certainly was not a disaster!

Fragmented is a good word. I think it was too dispersed. I wouldn't have let it go as far as the courthouse and park. I prefer when its all in around the shops. It creates more of a buzz, and is good for the shops too.

The spraoi crowd do trojan work, and I guess its hard for them to think of ways of keeping it 'fresh'. I expect next years will be fantastic, as they can give all their devotion to it.

wmpdd3

My highlight was from 6-9 outside the Courthouse last night. Where else can you bring a baby, see a few bands and all for free.

I thought the park was great but would have like something for adults also and more food option in the park instead of just ice-cream and popcorn and the cakes in the Kiosk. We went over to the chipper for food and as we got that far we decided to go for a wander.

If anything I'd say the shops in town suffered in comparison to a normal Bank Holiday. We did a quick run around town, stopped at Black Friars and headed to the park and Bolton St.

Black Friars was great but it was a bit odd when you got out and remembered you were on one of the busiest roads leading to the quay.

We missed the parade as its my little one's nap time, but all reports say it was brilliant.

I used to love the band on 'every street corner' way Old Sproi was done. My best memory was sitting outside the Old Rouge for hours on end.

Whatsthisabout

In fairness to Spraoi the fragmentation is not really their fault. The layout of the city has changed over the years and things like taxi drivers refusing to move their rank “Michael Street”, locals not being best pleased with the crowds and taxi drivers again “Apple Market”, and various other restrictions on whats streets they are allowed close means they are forced out of the city.

Tall ships effectively shut the town down for the weekend Spraoi would never be given the power to do that.