Fleadh Review 2002

United Kingdom | by John Bownas, Sara Bowrey | 08 June 2002

What is it about the Irish and tooth decay? Someone needs to open a Colgate shop in the emerald isle! "Would you be doing the news for the whole festival or just this bit?" said a mouthfull of dentists nightmares as we slouched around in the media tent. The temptation to claim that we were, in fact, only interested in anything that happened within ten feet of our current position and that the rest of the festival didn't really interest us fortunately passed swiftly. "Let me tell you boys something" said the rotting brown stumps, "the Fleadh's not what it used to be, it's lost its roots!" Lost it's roots? Take a look in the mirror madam, for your roots are looking pretty lost themselves - and we don't mean your hair.

Now here's the thing. All festivals start small and friendly. Some just potter along that way and come back year after year with no great ceremony, others gather momentum and fans - and then the change will come. Fleadh has certainly grown - it has in fact grown up. From simple Irish beginings it has taken on a wider cultural diversity so that the music on offer has appeal to a broader cross section of society than just the Celtic ex-pats. Now it offers a lovely melting pot of genres, with simple folk balladeers sharing the bill with reconstituted punks, reformed popsters and refound blues legends.

Fleadh 2002 did at least have plenty of booze - unlike Fleadh number one where the beer taps ran dry...forcing punters into pints of red wine. Another thing in 2002 favour was the weather. You can't describe a festival without mentioning the prevalent meterology...rain, sun - whatever the Gods send down largely dictates the atmosphere. Today's offering was probably close to ideal. Warm and almost entirely dry with just the odd shower - skys clearing through the evening to give a raspberry ripple sunset. Okay there was a little mud from the rain of the last few days, but that rain had left the ground generally just soft rather than soggy - all the more comfortable for thos napping off their excess of Irish cider.

What of the bands? Yes, there were a few...read on for a few impressions.