This summer sees the event celebrate its 25th anniversary in style. Before Shaun, Bez and Co. make their way on stage, fellow Mancunians The Charlatans warm us up nicely with their ageless indie anthems. ‘North Country Boy’, ‘One To Another’ and more may be as old as the Féile itself, but they shine as brightly as they ever did. Frontman Tim Burgess delivers every word in his laconic, iconic fashion.
Next up it’s our headliners and if the gentleman beside me is to be believed, it’s the first time the Mondays have been in Belfast in 20 years. King of the rubber-band boogie Bez introduces the group onstage and after ‘Loose Fit’ the tent erupts as Ryder saunters onstage and launches into ‘Kinky Afro’ from their legendary third record Pills ‘N’ Thrills And Bellyaches. Dressed in a black bomber jacket and wearing shades, Shaun looks a little like a Terminator tonight. Still, he’s in the zone and his trademark bellow sounds just like it did when the majority of the crowd were kids.
This evening’s gig is about nostalgia and putting smiles on people’s faces-pure and simple. With no new album on the cards, the Mondays treat their audience to old favourites like ‘Donavan’ and ‘Hallelujah’, while Bez occasionally joins in for a dance. Star of the show is singer Rowetta Satchell: her voice is full of power and soul. While some lesser-known songs are perhaps best left in the past, the crowd are into it.
‘Step On’, of course, is saved for (near) last and it receives a huge ovation. Final number, ‘Wrote For Luck’, makes many festival-goers feel very fortunate indeed to get the opportunity to have this walk down memory lane. Here’s to the next 25 years of Féile.