The first ever Planetlove Summer Session earlier this month at Fairyhouse Racecourse, Ratoath, Co Meath was a massive success, with a capacity crowd of just over 16,000 clubbers in attendance. Its Northern sister, WKD Planetlove, which ran simultaneously at Shane’s Castle in Co Antrim, attracted a further 12,000 punters – the biggest crowd of its 10-year history.
At Fairyhouse, the spotlight was on the event’s organisation and security, especially as it was co-promoter Sean Brennan of the 2FM Sessions Tour’s first attempt at running an outdoor festival. Thankfully it passed all tests with flying colours, with gardai and the local council both reportedly happy with the management of Summer Session.
Just six patrons were taken to hospital for minor injuries and health issues – “a remarkable feat for a crowd of this magnitude”, according to Brennan. Planetlove Summer Session has now secured a deal with Fairyhouse Racecourse to host the festival at the site for the next two years, and RTÉ 2FM has already committed to broadcasting live from the event again next year.
Co-promoter of both Planetloves, Eddie Wray produced a tune especially for the occasion. Eddie Wray presents ‘The Planetlove Anthem 2007’ was co-produced by DJ Mog and Phil Crawf, and negotiations for its release this autumn are underway.
The next major event from Planetlove WKD is Winter Party at King’s Hall in Belfast on December 26. There are also rumours of a Winter Session running in Dublin on the same date, but with the Point Theatre closed until late 2008 this is unlikely.
Two of Planetlove’s Irish stars have albums to watch out for. RTÉ 2FM’s Mr Spring is unsure whether punters will get the ‘three albums in one’ concept of his Not For Sale set, but it has been mastered and is currently being pressed up for release on Spring Recordings. While Greg Downey’s Live As… mix was recorded in the Goodgreef arena at the recent Antrim festival and will be released before the end of October.
Northern trance duo Agnelli & Nelson release their single ‘Wear That Dress’ this fortnight on Deep Blue. Its follow-up is likely to be ‘Just When I Think There’s An Answer’.
The first release on Aciitone Digital – the new stable of colour-coded labels from Dublin DJ/promoter Al Keegan in cahoots with Sourcecode’s Gavin Lynch and Russell Cooley is Matador’s minimal tech-house effort, ‘Skywalk’, which launches Aciitone Red armed with a superb remix from Belfast’s Timmy Stewart. Sourcecode are next up, on Aciitone Green, with ‘In The Clear’, with remix duties falling to the always-impressive Deadbots.
Cork producer Marq Walsh (who DJs at Leeside club Audio every Friday) debuts on SeedyR this month with the deep and dreamy tech-houser ‘Pride of America’. Remixes from another rebel, Corrugated Tunnel, are included.
Fellow Corkonians Chymera and Mark O’Sullivan team up to perform at Liquid Lounge on October 6. It will be a 40th birthday party for the latter DJ, whose label Ork Recordings drops a Chymera single this fortnight.
Next record from Mark O Sullivan, meanwhile, is a collaboration with Tommy Four Seven on French imprint Kill Brique Rouge and a solo run on its sister stamp Brique Rouge, ‘Trans’. Both hit the shops in October.
Trance and techno producer John O’Callaghan has two releases lined up on Dutch stamp Armada. Mannix’s ‘Dream On EP’ (three slabs of melodic Irish trance) will be followed by John’s remix of The Doppler Effect’s ‘Beauty Hides in the Deep’. His highly-sought mix of old hardcore classic ’40 Miles’ by Congress is due for an official release on AATW before the end of the year.
Hard house don Karl Davis got superb reviews in the British clubbing magazines for the fifth single on his Pure NRG label, his own ‘Skoolz Out’ (which samples the Alice Cooper glam rock number one from the ‘70s). Pure NRG 6 is ‘Flow’ from Equinox and it’s out in October.
Underworld’s show at King’s Hall in Belfast on October 6 has been cancelled, but the two sold-out gigs at Tripod in Dublin on October 4 and 5 will go ahead as planned.
Electric Shock has announced five parties at the Tivoli in Dublin, with a cut-price ticket deal available for eager clubbers. The line-up is Hell and Alexander Robotnick (October 13), Green Velvet and Traxx (October 27), Chris Liebing and Legowelt (live) (November 17), DJ Rush and DJ Bold (November 23) and Speedy J and Donnacha Costello (live) (December 22).
A pre-sale ticket deal gives fans the opportunity to pick up tickets for two or more shows for only e20 per show with no extras: full details from [email protected].
Loveable Galway beatmasters The Disconauts host a party at the city’s Bar 903 on September 28. Running from 9pm until 2.30am, the lads will be joined by Fish Go Deep’s Greg Dowling and – best of all – admission is free.
Cream Anthems launches its world tour in Dublin on October 5 at The Vaults. Headlining in the Cream vault are former Temple Theatre regular John Kelly and trance duo Solarstone, while the female-only Peaches vault features an impressive line-up of Tylor Leigh, Sophie Sugar, Miss Behavin’ and Ciara Glynn. Tickets are now on sale.
Corona Choice has announced its first event in Cork. Primal Scream bassist Mani (headlines on on Friday September 28 at Crane Lane with support from local heroes Jay O’Callaghan and Stevie G.
And finally, the country’s longest-running club Strictly Handbag celebrates its 13th birthday on Monday October 29 at Ri-Ra in Dublin with special guests Will Sergeant (of Echo & The Bunnymen fame)and Kevin Rowland (a legend in or out of Dexy’s Midnight Runners)... THE BEAT GOES ON!