Beyond The Pale Festival - 10th-12th June - Glendalough

Dreamweapon

Glasshouse Ensemble performs Velvet Underground catching my eye.

For decades i've been baffled by the absence of a VU tribute act anywhere. Seems so obvious and yet…nothing.

Unless i can convince anyone else to go i think i'll be selling my ticket. Not enough there to entertain me on a solo mission.

CorkScot

Liking the balance of the day by day breakdown. I'll take a sunny Friday night already!

Few Irish DJs to be added I see, but any chance of any Irish guitars to be added would you say @Fanirish ? Thinking NewDad, Melts or Sprints..?

Ruanmcg

Would love to see any of them added. Been enjoying Melts latest album, they were good last year opening the tent on Friday, so loud

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122062219#Comment_122062219

Stillill42

Yeah, I'm all about the Melts and the Sprints this Summer. I'll happily see them everywhere I go.

grudgehugger

is the line-up less Dj heavy than last year? We had the likes of Hagop Tchaparian, Mano Le Tough, DJ Seinfeld, Sofia Kourtesis, Soichi Terada, Joy Orbison last year - all at The Big Romance stage. I know there’s the likes of Dmitri from Paris, Helena Hauff etc. but not sure there’s enough names to fill out a Big Romance line-up (if the stages are saying the same).

bodhrandude

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122063967#Comment_122063967

Well aren't K&D and Thievery Corporation not DJ collectives too, or does TC have supporting musicians in their act.

grudgehugger

Yes there are a few more DJs on the line-up that I haven’t listed but not sure if it’s enough to cover 3 days of music. The Big Romance set-up is a DJ booth only so don’t think it fits acts like Thievery Corporation (based on what I see on YouTube).

loyatemu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122062060#Comment_122062060

for all their influence, VU are still a bit niche. They didn't have any hits; a tribute act just wouldn't get enough gigs to make a living, even if you threw in Lou Reed's handful of well-known songs.

Ruanmcg

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122063967#Comment_122063967

Yeah there's a distinct lack of DJs on the line up compared to last year, I'm counting around 8. I assume the likes of 2manyDJs and Richie Hawtin, maybe even K&D, will be playing in the tent, and the live electronic acts on the stage or tent (not sure what 808 state's live set up is). The Big Romance stage was my favourite thing about last year so I really hope it's stacked throughout the day. The line up could really do with some variety in terms of dance music anyway, there's no bassy stuff at all. In past years we had Ben Ufo, Joy Orbison, Ema etc. playing there, They should just book a rake of Irish DJs like Ema and others, the likes of Becky who's just been announced for Arcadia at ATN.

Dreamweapon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122064928#Comment_122064928

I'll respectfully disagree with you on that one. Do they need to make a living out of it? I doubt the likes of Harvest, TCM etc are full time with those bands, just a nice side project.

Peesh89

Internet friends! After taking last Summer off festivalling to have a baby, I'm back!

Pals have been to the last two, so dying to give Beyond The Pale a go with no Body & Soul this year. It's only up the road from home as well so very handy. The lineup was already great for me and now the addition of Orbital too, delish.

Can't wait to get back to it all.

Landers11

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122077644#Comment_122077644

My first one after five consecutive B&S festivals. Very curious how they compare.

grudgehugger

BTP and Body & Soul are quite different experiences I would say, at least based on going to BTP 2023 (and going to a decade of Body and Soul)

BTP is basically some festival tents, food vans and an outdoor dance stage in the middle of a one very big field. There was a small bit of a wooded area with DJs on late night however it felt a bit like something they decided on at the last minute rather than a curated area. Don't think it was on the line-up. No real sense of multiple different areas or vibes to the festival like you got with BnS.

It probably sounds like I'm anti-BTP and I'm totally not. The crowd at it were dead sound, music was great, the "one big field" set-up made it very simple to move from one act to another any time you wanted. I'm going again this year.

Just don't go expecting a similar layout to Body and Soul :)

Landers11

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122080868#Comment_122080868

I have heard about the layout. Sounds like a Marlay Park layout which I don't mind. Looking forward to it either way. I always found it easy to get close to the front when bands play at B&S. Is it similar or would the crowd be more dense at stages?

grudgehugger

I wasn't really aiming for the front so hard to answer if you're trying to get to the VERY front.

I would say it's harder than B&S where in my experience the main stage was often very quiet relative to your average main stage at a festival.

BTP not that big a festival so I'd say you'll get quite close up if you want to without much bother - the crowd spreads out pretty well between the outdoor main stage, the main tent and the outdoor dance area

Fanirish

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122087490#Comment_122087490

ticket sales not great yet so wouldn’t be worrying about crowded stages/tents

sarah.murphy08

First time doing BTP….Anyone any recommendations on accommodation? The glamping seems pretty pricey, are the bass camp ones decent if anyone has stayed in one before?

jellybeano

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122096283#Comment_122096283

Might be worth posting on ATN group? Bass Camp were at ATN last year and maybe the year before. They’re fairly new to the festival glamping market.

bodhrandude

From 2019 at Body & Soul. Kruder & Dorfmeister.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eys2SUu61Gw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHMY6lN5Tho

sarah.murphy08

perfect thanks a mil, I’ve few friends that do ATN so I’ll see if they used them last year 👌

rexsavage

Headed to BTP for the first time. How much enforcement of the drinks limit should we expect? 24 cans seems very low

Landers11

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122129749#Comment_122129749

I never seen that enforced at any Irish festival

bodhrandude

This is a short Spotify playlist I made for the festival, there's a bit of rock and folk but mainly electronic heavy, I hope you like it. Will probably add more to it as I go along.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2ycFH8KIICdsJyqIuEL5A6?si=7b8b4f7497204aa9

Van Doozy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122129749#Comment_122129749

Most festivals aren't overly strict on this as long as you're not taking the p*ss but one thing they are strict on is bringing in alcohol once you've received your wristband. So don't think you can leave half of it in the car and go back for it on Saturday afternoon, you most likely can't. It has to be brought in all in one go at the start.

Stillill42

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122131623#Comment_122131623

What's your story, Van Doizy? Are you in operation on the festival circuit this year?

Van Doozy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122132053#Comment_122132053

Nothing confirmed just yet, but I hope so!

Ruanmcg

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122129774#Comment_122129774

Me neither and Beyond the Pale seemed pretty loose in terms of security overall compared to my experiences at ATN and B&S

Peesh89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122132075#Comment_122132075

Had a few friends asking me this very question over the weekend!

grudgehugger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122136152#Comment_122136152

Yep, "pretty loose" is a fair description alright - I wonder if they're doing anything different on security this year?

@Fanirish - any intel to share?

Fanirish

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122137943#Comment_122137943

how would I know whether a particular security guard is going to be stringent about the booze limit?

Some of the questions people tag me on here are ridiculous

Stillill42

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122138036#Comment_122138036

I don't know how you put up with all of us. Patience of a saint. 🙄

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122138036#Comment_122138036

you absolutely bring it all on yourself

grudgehugger

Of course you wouldn't know what one security guard would do, @Fanirish however based on several of your own posts over the last 15 months you seem to be suggesting you know some of the BTP organisers and so I thought it was at least within the realm of the possible that you might know if they were using the same security company as last year (not the same set of individuals).

Having been there last year, I would say the general attitude of the security staff was very relaxed compared to the general attitude of security staff at BnS / EP etc (not that I have any major issues with them, they just did occasionally try to live up to their job description).

Anyhow I wholeheartedly apologise for having the temerity to post a ridiculous question on the Interweb. I'll save them up for somewhere more appropriate in future.

Fanirish

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122138535#Comment_122138535

next you’ll be asking me which security queue in Dublin airport will be quickest.

Fanirish

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122139284#Comment_122139284

yeah I do know the organisers but unsurprisingly the topic of which security company is hired and the individual attitudes of security guards does not come to as a topic of conversation.

Van Doozy

One thing I was interested to learn about festivals from working in them is how 'siloed' (to use linkedin speak) they all tend to be in terms of organisation. It's not a criticism - it's simply the nature of running something so complicated, with so many functions, over such a short timeframe.

So one person with detailed, extensive knowledge and responsibility about one aspect of the event will be totally oblivious to even the existence of many, many other aspects.

And you have this scenario where all these people who are specialists in their own unique fields, working independently on their own stuff, and the whole thing is just brought together seemingly at the last minute….

It's pretty cool!

Thelonious Monk

anyone know what beer it is this year? whiplash was great, prefer it to white hag

Van Doozy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122140229#Comment_122140229

Bulmers are listed as a sponsor suggesting five lamps is the beer?

rubick

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122140229#Comment_122140229

Haven't been since 2019 but yeah, the Whiplash on draught was exceptional.

Thelonious Monk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122140256#Comment_122140256

god, that's bad news

Van Doozy

i quite like their lager actually

GentleHumour

Day Tickets on sale for the Saturday and Sunday now. Last year was Sunday only. Must be struggling.

Don’t really like the idea of day trippers on the Sat of a festival. Potential vibe ruiner

bodhrandude

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122130080#Comment_122130080

This has now swelled to 47 tracks so hopefully I've covered a good spectrum of the festival sounds.

grudgehugger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122146179#Comment_122146179

I would have thought that with the likes of BnS and Life not on this year that BTP would at least sell as well as last year.

I wonder if they're selling more slowly this year - or they had planned for a bigger crowd than last year and it's only looking around the same instead?

Could the earlier finish time than your average festival be hurting them? Surely not, it doesn't end that early?

Fanirish

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122146739#Comment_122146739

They applied for 12k capacity for this year. That’s a lot of tickets to sell. Last I heard it had sold 4000 tickets which was not far off last years weekend attendance last year.
A lot of people were complaining about early finish and could see it as a factor.

Also I think the line up is missing at least two artists that get people to festivals

TenPicnics

I agree with all of the above, I'd add it's not much of a festival as such and it's not really in the same league as B&S or ATN. Line-up is impressive this year, but after last year I felt once was enough.

Fanirish

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122146993#Comment_122146993

Would say it’s very much in like a lot of festivals in europe but the effect of John Reynolds on Irish festival landscape means that everyone expects a depth to both add ons including non music offerings and the setting. It can’t compete with setting of ATN or B&S.

end of the day given that it’s same price as EP and will cost ya guts of €500 to attend, it’s in a battle to demonstrate that it’s worth the money.

grudgehugger

So basically they were aiming to sell a lot more tickets than last year and instead it's more looking like on a par.

Agreed that it feels like they're missing at lease one attention-grabbing headliner.

Still really looking forward to it - a few excellent sounding acts I've never seen live like 808 State, Hawtin Dmitri from Paris and Folamour, there's the likes of 2ManyDJs, Hauff, Orbital, Courtney Barnett plus two of my all time favourites in Mount Kimbie and James Holden.

Hopefully sales pick up closer in - a good weather forecast a few days out from it would help I'm sure.

bodhrandude

After going through my playlist, Rachael Lavelle, what a voice, I see folk talking about her on the ATN thread she's playing the Jameson Stage at that, so will definitely check her out at this.

crl84

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122146993#Comment_122146993

I had a good time last year, but would agree.

If they genuinely wanted to do 12k, then they'll have to have better than Jessie Ware who played ATN last year, and Jungle and Orbital who are constantly playing here.