Funk, food and fun aplenty at The Beatyard

Down Dun Laoghaire way, the former ferry terminal on the harbour was given a new, truly funky, lease of life, as The Beatyard swept back into town.

Once based in several small venues across the city, the promoters made the bold move to haul the whole festival to the harbour last year – and it sure paid off. Now into its second year at a new location it’s safe to say the people of Bodytonic have established their own utopia in this unusual, almost industrial setting.

This year's lineup has certainly upped its game with an impressive parade of performers marching on-stage across the weekend. Saturday saw The Rubberbandits (pictured) split sides in their own inimitable fashion from the second they set foot on the stage; fast forward a few hours and the iconic Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry delivered a performance that someone a quarter of his age would be proud of. Legendary instrumentalists Snarky Puppy changed things up, as their jazz-funk groove swept through the arena with soulful gusto.
On the more electronic side of things, Daniel Wang got bodies grooving in the Eatyard tent with with his distinct brand of disco. Smiling, joking and dancing with the crowd from start to finish, the American DJ had festival goers beaming from ear to ear for the duration of his set. The spectacular Boney M closed the first evening delivering lung-busting favourites like ‘Daddy Cool’ and ‘Rasputin’ with all the glitz and 70’s glam they could muster.
Charles Bradley's absence on the Sunday set the scene for Jape to play saviour, playing two sets to fill the gap in the timetable and comprehensively nailing both. Taking over the mainstage with a bag full of tunes and no shortage of energy – thank goodness – the electo-rockers had festivals goers singing along for both sets. Earlier in the day one of the world's strongest beatboxers, Reeps One, revitalised a slightly delicate crowd with jaw-dropping technique, producing bone shuddering bass frequencies that shouldn't ever be produced from a human being. Arguably the most enjoyable act of the weekend, the UK artist packed out the Eatyard tent and finished his set with a tremendous response from a hugely impressed crowd.
With the hours passing all too quickly, George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelic took to the stage as festival goers enjoyed a magnificent sunset. The insanely talented collective visibly awed the crowd with a performance bursting with classics and ground shaking beats – and it’s safe to say a few tears were shed when the legendary ‘Maggot Brain’ was played in all its 10-minute glory.
As darkness descended on the port the crowd left, noticeably blown away by what can only be described as a top quality weekend. We're counting down to next year's already...