What The Feile... Classical?

One eyed Jack

Iconic 90s music festival Féile is making a comeback this year (with a fancier feel)

FÉILE – THE ICONIC rock music festival of the 90s – is making a comeback this year. Those who came of age in the 90s will fondly remember the Trip to Tipp festival – which took place for the first time in Tipperary’s Semple Stadium in 1990. The event was a haven for music lovers of all types to gather and hear some of the top international and Irish acts of the day.

Ireland was less of a destination for big names back then, which made the prospect of seeing top international acts like Blur, Meat Loaf, Iggy Pop and INXS among others take the stage, as well as a host of Irish bands and singers. Before Electric Picnic, Oxegen or even Witness, there was Féile. And this year it’s coming back to Tipperary’s Semple Stadium, but this time with a more sophisticated sheen as Féile Classical.

Gone are the days of sweaty fields crowded with teenagers and young adults, as well as the campsites and mosh pits of Féile’s past, replaced instead with a seated one evening event featuring prosecco bars and vegan food stalls – as well as a pick of clean toilets. The acts this time round will stick with a mostly Irish feel, but they probably aren’t too far off what you might have heard back in the festival’s heyday.

Hothouse Flowers, Something Happens, the 4 of Us, an Emotional Fish and the Stunning are all set to feature. They will be accompanied by the Irish Chamber Orchestra. Tom Dunne – Newstalk broadcaster and frontman of Something Happens (who played the festival back in the 90s) is the man behind Féile Classical.

“The Trip to Tipp was the Mecca for Irish bands, a celebration of Irish rock music that had never been seen before,” he said.


And will never be seen again, by the sound of it :pac:

I don't know why the organisers even thought calling this Feile Classical was a good idea to be honest, it's nothing like what people will actually remember of Feile.

Does anyone actually recall their time at the original Feile? Would you go to this event?

I guess if Amanda Brunker were to make a special guest appearance I might go, as long as she doesn't try to sing again!

Outlaw Pete

Was there in '91. Was a magical time, from what I remember of it.

James, Happy Mondays, Steve Earle, Black Crowes.

Weather was amazing that year too.

Outlaw Pete

Man the crowds back then had an energy you don't see too much of these days (at outdoor gigs in Ireland anyway).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9P7PJdSAPqE

Sephiroth_dude

I wouldn't be buying any ticket until I saw a list bands playing.

BattleCorp

If you are not drinking bottles of Ritz, sh1tting in a field and wiping your ar5e with your underpants and throwing it away, then it just isn't FEILE.

For Forks Sake

Sephiroth_dude wrote: »

I wouldn't be buying any ticket until I saw a list bands playing.

There you go.

Beechwoodspark

Days after tweeting his heartbroken grief about Avicii, our esteemed Taoiseach was on about this yesterday.

https://twitter.com/campaignforleo/status/988754781219979264?s=21

Wonder will he head along. Imagine how cool the event will be then!

BattleCorp

Outlaw Pete wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9P7PJdSAPqE

I just saw myself in the crowd. For about 0.1 of a second but I don't care.

Happy days.

BattleCorp

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

Days after tweeting his deep grief about Avicii, our esteemed Taoiseach was on about this yesterday.

https://twitter.com/campaignforleo/status/988754781219979264?s=21

Wonder will he head along. Imagine how cool the event will be then!

Can we get miggeldy higens to read poetry at it too. Then it would be really cool.

A Dub in Glasgo

I was there in 1990, memories are a bit old. I have no photos of that time and nowadays you would have 40 videos and 500 almost identikit photos on Facebook before the main Sunday act was on, in saying that you probably would not remember the music as too busy on social media

Bellerstring

BattleCorp wrote: »

Can we get miggeldy higens to read poetry at it too. Then it would be really cool.

Ehmmm........no it wouln't.

My memories of the Trip to Tipp is of wading through piss and puke on my way to work.

BattleCorp

Deleted User wrote: »

My memories of the Trip to Tipp is of wading through piss and puke on my way to work.

Yeah.......em sorry about that.

Witchie

I am planning on going. I was planning on coming home around then from Malaysia and am hoping to get to Arctic Monkeys when home too.

Some of my besties and I are thinking of heading down.

I was there '91 and '92. As I didn't do drink or drugs I remember it well.

In '92, a few weeks before it my best mates and I were at a disco near our home and she pulled this guy but got his name a bit wrong. Anyway, we went backpacking in Europe and when we came back she tried to find him but couldn't.

On the Friday night we were heading back to the campsite and she was saying how he had said he was going too and wouldn't it be funny if they bumped into each other.

For the laugh I started shouting does anyone know Paul mixed up second name from his city. We heard a "yeah" and looked around and there he was.

They are still together, married and have 3 kids. I hope they go for old times sake. ��

bodhrandude

Jeez the lineup is like the lineup for the Jerry Fish tent at EP.

topper75

Pop music for old people!!

ha ha pissing myself. Give over.

Though I'm 43 myself I'm still aware of how ridiculous this is.

whiskeyman

Outlaw Pete wrote: »

Man the crowds back then had an energy you don't see too much of these days (at outdoor gigs in Ireland anyway).

Probably because they had no Instagram or twitter feeds to update back then.

Imagine giving your full attention to enjoy the gig...

EdEd

replaced instead with a seated one evening event featuring prosecco bars and vegan food stalls

Sounds awful. I'll give this a miss.

Grayson

topper75 wrote: »

Pop music for old people!!

ha ha pissing myself. Give over.

Though I'm 43 myself I'm still aware of how ridiculous this is.

About the same age as me. I saw some of those bands playing in Feile over 20 years ago. In 94 the stunning played. I think it was their last gig before they reformed.

Honestly it's a great line up of Irish bands. Throw in a few younger bands, a big international act or two, spread it over two days and it would be fcuking epic.

As it is, it sounds a bit too fancy and to have to travel to Tipp for it when it's not a festival is a bit crap. The transport would be useless.

Sleepy

It all seems a bit too Donnybrook PR agency to really be able to lay claim to the Feile name.

I was at the last "Feile" - Alannis Morissete, Mazzy Star, Frank Black and a very young Mundy playing in the Point Depot and even at 16 we knew it wasn't really the "Feile" which was something of a legendary event our older brothers and sisters had gotten to go to!

Irish Guitarist

That tweet by Leo Varadkar is depressing. I Googled his name to see what age he is. He's three years younger than me. This is the first time in my life I've been older than the taoiseach.

eviltimeban

They won't fill a stadium with that line up, unless they severely curtail the amount of seats available. They are definitely trying to attract an older crowd based on nostalgia, as there's no way the town of Thurles would want 50,000 Oxegen-type fans descending on the place.

I went in 1992, my first and last time sleeping in a tent (yurts don't count). Line up included the Wonder Stuff, Carter, Inspirals, EMF, the top indie bands of the day. And also, for some reason, Extreme, Bryan Adams, Christy Moore, and Buddy Guy (who I missed by minutes).

Grayson

Sleepy wrote: »

It all seems a bit too Donnybrook PR agency to really be able to lay claim to the Feile name.

I was at the last "Feile" - Alannis Morissete, Mazzy Star, Frank Black and a very young Mundy playing in the Point Depot and even at 16 we knew it wasn't really the "Feile" which was something of a legendary event our older brothers and sisters had gotten to go to!

Yep, not a real feile :P

Still that was what 2 or 3 years after the last trip to tipp. And they did have camping sites for that didn't they?

Cee-Jay-Cee

I was there in 1990 and 1991. The weather in 1990 was fantastic, warm and sunny all weekend which makes a huge difference when you are camped in a tent for 3 nights. The bands/music was brilliant and it was a really lively and enjoyable event.

1991 was good also but not as good as 1990 IMO, the weather wasn't as good and the campsites were mud baths after the first night.

I have no interest in going to this one, too old for campsites and Shiite like that anymore.

DEFTLEFTHAND

They won't fill out Semple Stadium with a lineup like that.

Why not host it in the ballroom of Hayes Hotel or the Anner instead?

€5 a head to be paid at the door with free voucher for MiWadi.

Grayson

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

They won't fill out Semple Stadium with a lineup like that.

Why not host it in the ballroom of Hayes Hotel or the Anner instead?

€5 a head to be paid at the door with free voucher for MiWadi.

And some free noodles from the hari krishnas

YFlyer

Remember some lads sliding off the Krishna tent

super_furry

That's a poxy oul line-up. Nostalgia can only sell if the bands were actually good back then and Tom Dunne playing Parachute half a dozen times isn't going to cut it.

SteM

My understanding is that one stand will be open and the bands will be playing on a stage on the pitch facing it? Don't think they plan on trying to sell out the whole ground. That's how it was described to me anyway.

sligojoek

BattleCorp wrote: »

Can we get miggeldy higens to read poetry at it too. Then it would be really cool.

SEPT 23 1989

orchestra and sitting down clapping along ffs

I would pay a lot more to see this happening

Franz Von Peppercorn

For Forks Sake wrote: »

There you go.

When I first saw this I assumed it was the 1990 flyer and was wondering who was playing this year and when they would announce it.

ablelocks

apparently there are 10,000 tickets for this "Feile"

when i heard the news first i got all excited but the whole classical / prosecco / culinary vibe is putting me right off.....

and while they are good bands I've seen them all over the years (apart from the Frank and Walters, but I'm not sure I saw them at the original Feiles either)

For Forks Sake

ablelocks wrote: »

apparently there are 10,000 tickets for this "Feile"

when i heard the news first i got all excited but the whole classical / prosecco / culinary vibe is putting me right off.....

and while they are good bands I've seen them all over the years (apart from the Frank and Walters, but I'm not sure I saw them at the original Feiles either)

Nostalgia sells.

Target market for this are early-mid 40's now (probably female) who will be only delighted to get away from the kids for one night (again no accident that the organisers didn't go for the full weekend) for a night of prosecco swilling and reliving their youth. I can think of half a dozen people I know or work with that will be all over this like a rash.

machiavellianme

Sleepy wrote: »

It all seems a bit too Donnybrook PR agency to really be able to lay claim to the Feile name.

I was at the last "Feile" - Alannis Morissete, Mazzy Star, Frank Black and a very young Mundy playing in the Point Depot and even at 16 we knew it wasn't really the "Feile" which was something of a legendary event our older brothers and sisters had gotten to go to!

That wasn't the last feile. There was one in 97 back in Semple.

For Forks Sake

machiavellianme wrote: »

That wasn't the last feile. There was one in 97 back in Semple.

Indeed there was, but it was only the one day (was at it), ****ing pissed down rain for a good part of the evening, the place was like an open sewer by the end of it.

Great day out (apart from that abomination that was Kula Shaker plonked in the middle of the lineup).

Bring back Siamsa Cois Laoi!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoPYFOxmC-k

Grayson

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

orchestra and sitting down clapping along ffs

I would pay a lot more to see this happening

I'd love to see one of those for each feile. I remember a thread ages back where people were trying to remember who was at which feile.

Grayson

For Forks Sake wrote: »

Nostalgia sells.

Target market for this are early-mid 40's now (probably female) who will be only delighted to get away from the kids for one night (again no accident that the organisers didn't go for the full weekend) for a night of prosecco swilling and reliving their youth. I can think of half a dozen people I know or work with that will be all over this like a rash.

If it wasn't for all the fancy crap I might be interested. Those bands were the soundtrack to my teen tears.

For Forks Sake

Grayson wrote: »

I'd love to see one of those for each feile. I remember a thread ages back where people were trying to remember who was at which feile.

1990



1991



1992



1993



1994



1995 (Cork)



1997 (tipp -1 day)

For Forks Sake

Christ above, went to have a browse of youtube for some clips, after giving myself a mega flashback...full Prodigy set from 97.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nb2t0T2XOBE

Ronan|Raven

holy ****.. that lineup in 1994!

Franz Von Peppercorn

Ronan|Raven wrote: »

holy ****.. that lineup in 1994!

94 & 95. The grove stage in 95 looked amazing too.

Franz Von Peppercorn

Odd. It seems like an almost Glastonbury level lineup in its last few years - some duds but great bands too. And then nothing.

For Forks Sake

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

Odd. It seems like an almost Glastonbury level lineup in its last few years - some duds but great bands too. And then nothing.

They were never going to get it back into Thurles after 94 - residents had enough at that stage. It was the precursor to Witnness/Oxegen.

If you want to go digging for nostalgia, check out this FB page, it's like a Feile museum
: https://www.facebook.com/feiletriptotipp/

While I'm on a nostalgia trip, if anyone can find and reunite these headbangers, I would pay good money to see them live

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8Kahfnrs-E

No love for '96 when it moved to the point? Saw Foo Fighters at their best that weekend and Beck.

In fairness it wasn;t the same as being in thurles and the streets smelling of wee.

Sleepy

The funniest thing about the line-ups for me is that for so many of the years, the best acts were at the bottom half of the line up!

facehugger99

Was at ’91, ’92 and ’93.

’91 was amazing – some great bands, particularly on the Friday.

Myself and my friends were all in secondary school at the time – we were very young and innocent in retrospect. We were talking about it recently, how did we ever manage to meet up with people, no mobile phones or anything like that.

I found some B&W photos on the interweb that are hilarious. It doesn’t even look like a festival, more like there’s been some devastating natural disaster or a zombie apocalypse. I’m so glad there was no social media back then or my employment prospects would have suffered for years afterwards.

Grayson

Ronan|Raven wrote: »

holy ****.. that lineup in 1994!

That was the year I went. Every festival lineup since then has compared unfavorably.

Grayson

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

Odd. It seems like an almost Glastonbury level lineup in its last few years - some duds but great bands too. And then nothing.

Was Sunscreen the one after that? then witness. None of them were the same though.
I believe Feile was at the time the largest open air festival in Europe.

eviltimeban

facehugger99 wrote: »

Was at ’91, ’92 and ’93.

’91 was amazing – some great bands, particularly on the Friday.

Myself and my friends were all in secondary school at the time – we were very young and innocent in retrospect. We were talking about it recently, how did we ever manage to meet up with people, no mobile phones or anything like that.

I found some B&W photos on the interweb that are hilarious. It doesn’t even look like a festival, more like there’s been some devastating natural disaster or a zombie apocalypse. I’m so glad there was no social media back then or my employment prospects would have suffered for years afterwards.

Taken out of context, those photos are amazing! It's like field reports from a warzone.