KnockanStockan, the annual kneesup at Wicklow's Blessington Lakes is officially launched tonight, and, ahead of the Button Factory get-together, a further 30 acts have been announced for the weekender.
Leading the way are Travis Oaks (pictured), Cork indie-dreamers Elastic Sleep and the irrepressible Gavin Glass, who travels with the New Shakers in tow. The others headed to Wicklow next month include The Hard Chargers, Àjó Arkestra, White Chalk, Miriam Donohue, Loah, Tongue Bundle, Pretty Beast, Race The Flux, Warehouse, Wizards Of Firetop Mountain, Pete Pamf, The Driftwood Manor, The Urges, Fierce Mild, No Spill Blood, This Side Up, Discopunks, Little Hoot, Ross Breen, Otherkin, Cocos Lovers, Elephant, Old Hannah, Yurodny.
HP will be headed down Temple Bar to give the festival a good ol' build-up today, and our spies have assured us that there is a helluva night to look forward to. Their collaboration with Sound Training College has yielded the Growing Home album, which sees The Hot Sprockets, Fox Jaw, Túcan, New Secret Weapon and Interskalactic - just to name a few - doing their bit for the Peter McVerry Trust, so expect live performances, a lot of fun, and a beautiful real maple-wood cover on the CD. Tickets, priced at €10 - including a copy of the album, which we can assure you is well worth getting your mitts on - are still available.