Declaration of Indiependence

The bold claim that Indiependence is the “best value festival in the country” was issued by promoter Shane Dunne, the driving force behind the two-day music and arts extravaganza that takes place in Mitchelstown, Cork over the August Bank Holiday weekend. Previously a free festival, this year Indiependence is a ticketed event. However, Dunne is adamant that the €59, camping inclusive price, justifies the “best value” tag. What’s more, he feels that the transition from a free to paying bash was essential to ensure the festival’s continued growth.

“We’d run a free festival for three years and last year we had massive numbers, something like 10,000 on the final night,” Dunne reflects. “It had outgrown its status as a free gig. It was difficult to raise money and we had to make it more secure. The natural progression was to move it into a field [O’Connell Park] and put on a bigger line-up with multiple stages and make it a ticketed event.”
That “bigger line-up” boasts headliners Ocean Colour Scene and Super Furry Animals with a raft of the finest Irish talent – including MJEX, Director, The Blizzards and Delorentos – in support. Dunne describes the unique ambience (“a small town festival and a big arena atmosphere all mixed into one”), and ethos (“giving up-and-coming Irish bands a platform”) as being key to the festival’s success. Amongst the native talent are Fight Like Apes, a band returning to Mitchelstown for their third consecutive appearance.
“It’s absolutely brilliant,” is frontwoman MayKay’s verdict on Indiependence. “They’ve really stepped it up this year. I know so many people who’ve not gone to Oxegen or Electric Picnic and chosen Indiependence instead. You get a really good mix – that intimate atmosphere and it’s calm enough, but there’s still room for mayhem.”
MayKay’s endorsement of Indiependence is worth noting, as FLA are venerable festival veterans. This summer alone they’ve played an abundance of events, including the likes of Glastonbury (“something for everyone”) and Latitude (“absolutely gorgeous”). Their highlight, to date, though, was their turn at Oxegen.
“We got quite nervous about it,” recalls MayKay, “just knowing the expectations people in Ireland have of us now. So, it was amazing to play to a big crowd there.”
Their tour of duty has also included an ill-fated date at Benicàssim.
“We travelled to Spain for it and, due to severe winds, the festival got shut down for the night and we couldn’t play. There was also a massive fire. It was a pretty surreal situation, I don’t think anyone was in any immediate danger, but the lads were given hard hats before going into the dressing-room to retrieve our stuff!”
Still, that particular incident hasn’t dampened the band’s ardour for the festival experience and post-Indiependence they’ll head for the likes of Pukkelpop, Reading and Leeds and Jersey Live. The band has also re-issued their debut album, Fight Like Apes And The Mystery Of The Golden Medallion in a special, two-disc festival edition.
“Aside from the album itself, the second disc is a bunch of songs we recorded when we were making the album in Seattle, a Jape remix [of ‘Battlestations’] and a cover of a Mclusky song, ‘Lightsabre Cocksucking Blues’. They’re all songs that, for one reason or another, didn’t go on the debut and which won’t be on the follow-up either.”
Once the festival season is over, FLA will be keen to get to work on new material.
“That’s one thing about festivals, you get to check out a lot of new bands and you get jealous and nervous as you realise that you better get back into the studio before these young upstarts begin to overtake you!”