Take one seaside town and a handful of bands which haven’t already played Ireland’s increasingly crowded festival circuit (plus a few that have) and voila! – you’ve got Cois Fharraige With Sony Ericsson, three days of music and surfing, conditions permitting, in Kilkee and Spanish Point.
Friday kicked off the proceedings with The Coronas, The Futureheads and The Zutons. The Zutons played to rapturous applause and the large marquee stage area meant that the soggy weather didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits.
On Saturday the sun decided to come out and play. Those who were brave enough to, hit the water; the rest of us hit the town, but the myriad counter-attractions notwithstanding, early acts such as 28 Costumes attracted a decent crowd. By the time Kíla took to the stage we were ready to have fun. Kíla, true to form, gave it loads to an enthusiastic reception. Next up, Seasick Steve was a bit of a wild card. His success is relatively recent, but despite this, Mr Seasick – a true showman – managed to get the crowd on board far better than Saturday’s headliners Supergrass. They may have plenty of history to their credit, but for the most part the audience was unmoved except for the hits such as ‘Late In The Day’ and of course ‘Alright’.
I was sorry to leave before things wrapped up on Sunday because Cois Fharraige is a whole lot of fun. The music is only part of it. Small festivals can’t compete with the variety of acts the big two offer – but Cois Fharraige’s magic ingredient is Kilkee. Combining a beach and an actual small town – with coffee shops, restaurants and pubs – this festival has a chilled, laid back atmosphere with plenty of friendly folk but very little drunken lunacy. Definitely one to put on the calendar for next summer.