Live Report: Madness, Feeder and The Boomtown Rats conclude a nostalgia-fuelled weekend at Forest Fest

For a county of just over 90,000 people, Laois has established itself as one of Ireland’s most significant festival destinations. Home to the globally renowned Electric Picnic and the steadily growing Folly Festival, the county has built a reputation for attracting music fans from across the country.

Forest Fest has carved out a niche of its own. The Emo festival leans into nostalgia, bringing together some of the biggest names of the 1980s and 1990s. This year’s line-up, featuring Madness, Feeder and The Boomtown Rats, has drawn thousands to the Laois village across the weekend.

Feeder entertain the early arrivals on Sunday. Indie-rock classics ‘Buck Rogers’ and ‘Feeling a Moment’ are major highlights, though the set is perhaps overshadowed by the news of Mayo’s All Ireland victory over Kerry rippling through the crowd.

The Boomtown Rats are next to emerge on the Main Stage, treating the audience to all the big hits. The punchy guitars and powerful brass instrumentation of ‘Rat Trap’ are a stark shift from the mellow hues of Feeder. The chaotic energy of ‘She’s so Modern’ wears off on the audience, as some good-natured jostling ensues in front of the barrier.

Frontman Bob Geldof commands the crowd with energy and enthusiasm, and his efforts pay off. The crowd is engaged throughout, clapping and dancing even if parts of the audience are unfamiliar with some of the songs. ‘I Don’t Like Mondays’ is the most-anticipated part of the show, evident of the cheer that erupts as the unmistakable piano intro rings out, teeing up a mass sing-along.

Sunday’s headliner Madness enthrall a sizeable audience. The 80s pop anthems ‘My Girl’ and ‘Our House’ provoke the biggest reactions, while Suggs's rhapsody of Mayo’s victory also contributes to a euphoric atmosphere. The frontman takes a moment to acknowledge the achievement, as a man walking through the crowd with a Mayo flag aloft also brings out a roar from the crowd.

Closing the set, ‘Night Boat to Cairo’ brings the main arena into raptures. Red fezzes bounce up and down above the crowd, like marker buoys on choppy water. The encore is a mass singalong, and the band play a powerful, sweeping brass outro as a gentle let-down to a raucous performance.

Now dusk, it’s chaos and sweat in the Village Stage as Kerbdog command the tent with punchy heavy-metal, while Jiggy bring their genre-fusing traditional Irish music to those jiving in front of the Fleadh Stage.

The night belongs to cover bands. Swelling out of the Perfect Day stage are those catching a glimpse of the Complete Stone Roses. True to their name, they play all the hits. The psychedelic hues of 'Made of Stone' precede the dreamlike ‘Ten Storey Love Song’. Concluding their performance is the fan-favourite ‘I Am The Resurrection ’, the powerful chorus provokes a mass sing-along before a record-accurate musical outro.

Drawing the curtains on the weekend are Qween and the Dublin City Gospel Choir. Brian Keville (as Freddie Mercury) and the band treat the audience to hits spanning Queen's discography. Although ‘Killer Queen’ is a notable omission from the set, excellent renditions of ‘Under Pressure’, ‘I Want to Break Free', 'Bohemian Rhapsody' and ‘Find Someone to Love’ more than make up for it.

Clad in Freddie Mercury’s iconic white vest and wearing his signature black slick back and moustache, the Irish singer prowls around stage with enthusiasm and flamboyance, displaying an eerily accurate vocal performance.

As the final song, 'We Are the Champions', rings out, a young man in a Mayo jersey is hoisted into the air, his fist clenched towards the night sky.

• Make sure to check out our photo gallery from Saturday at Forest Fest.