Castlepalooza 2016

Albert_Camus

I really enjoyed the weekend. Great music and comedy. Nice beers. Stayed in a hotel in town and so easy to grab a lift in and out each day.

So quiet and easy to stroll around. I hope the organisers seen it as a success! Must be four/five years since i was last there, and presumed, with the passing time and Aiken onboard, that it would be a lot busier.

cortezfloyd

Not letting us bring our own booze into the band areas, as is allowed at Body & Soul, is a big mistake. More people are inclined to stay in the camping area to have a few cans, so it takes away from the atmosphere at the stages.

Plus, changing the weekend of the festival now means it's just two weeks after B&S, and one week after Sea Sessions. This was my third year in a row at Castlepalooza and B&S, but next year I'll just be going to B&S.

Alkers

cortezfloyd wrote: »

Not letting us bring our own booze into the band areas, as is allowed at Body & Soul, is a big mistake. More people are inclined to stay in the camping area to have a few cans, so it takes away from the atmosphere at the stages.

You could get a crate for €50 inside at the offo and then bring your cans wherever you want. Worked well if you have 4-6 people to split it between.

cortezfloyd

Simona1986 wrote: »

You could get a crate for €50 inside at the offo and then bring your cans wherever you want. Worked well if you have 4-6 people to split it between.

Ah, I didn't know that ... that's not bad I guess. Still, for me, it's coming too close after B&S ... I'm in bits after both

endabob1

Good - Thought the headliners were really excellent, J5 really delivered on Saturday and VIllagers were serene, not sure their sound is totally suited to outdoors but there's no denying how good the songs are. Polica too on Friday night were really excellent.
Comedy tent was a nice distraction, especially in the rain.
Erdinger, so nice to get a decent beer.
Penguin stage, Colm mac an iomaire especially, blew me away, was a lovely intimate alternative. Bonus mention for the lovely voice of Rosa Nutty on Friday that eased us into the festival

Bad - Planning - too many times there was literally nothing on. Sunday night Son Lux & Villagers went on at the same time, which meant that from before 10pm on the last night for over half an hour there was no live music or comedy on..... You expect some clashes but it was happening an awful lot.
Mud - ok not much can be done about the actual weather but there could have been a lot more bark / shavings thrown about the place to soak up some of the mud, some places were like an ice-rink on Saturday night.
Food - What I had was mostly decent, but there wasn't a huge variety. Didn't stay onsite so had breakfast before I got in, but even that meant having the noodles a few times...

Ugly - the weather spoiled a lot of it and not much could be done about it, some of the smaller bands on the castle stage in particular suffered shockingly small crowds, presumably because no one wanted to stand in the torrential rain.
Sunday there seemed to be a lot more undesirables around and the crowd seemed very different than the first 2 days which was relaxed friendly and enjoying themselves in spite of the weather. Lots of day trippers or maybe that was just my perception....

Effects

cortezfloyd wrote: »

Not letting us bring our own booze into the band areas, as is allowed at Body & Soul, is a big mistake.

I wasn't searched a single time. I just kept going back to our camper and getting more alcohol and came passed security no problem.