No one, and I mean no one, goes to TribFest to be cool. After all, it's hard to look cool dancing to the music of Joe Dolan, ABBA, Tom Jones, Cher or Queen, well, maybe Queen, but... No, people go to TribFest to party, to listen to great music and most of all, to have fun. Fun, that's the most important part of a festival, and it was in abundance this year! The festival was a three day affair this time out and, for the first time, kicked off with a night dedicated to hard rock and metal, featuring IE/DC (AC/DC), Live Lizzy (Thin Lizzy), Whiplash (Metallica) , Guns Reloaded (Guns n' Roses), and Legendary (Bon Jovi). Was it loud? Yes, yes it was. Did it rock? Most certainly! Were the leather clad crowd entertained? Most definitely. What a way to kick off TribFest! Live Lizzy Whiplash Legendary Guns Reloaded IE/DC Night two of TribFest was a much more relaxed affair with sets from Mairead Rooney (Shania Twain), The Classic Beatles (The Beatles), Will Power (Joe Dolan)
I've known Arlene for a few years... Without being too exact, we are talking about the pre-grunge times, so yeah, a few years.
I'm quite lucky to count among my friends, many musicians, performers and singers and there is something quite magical about watching them perform. I get an immense feeling of pride in them, and, watching Arlene perform tonight, was no different.
It's no easy thing to sell out the Moat Theatre in Naas, and, contrary to what you might believe, being a local artist doesn't make it any easier, but the theatre was packed tonight with friends, family and fans, all out for a good time.
I suppose the main question is, did they have a good time? Well, the answer is yes, oh yeas indeed. From the moment Arlene ran on stage in a straight jacket, to a duet with Niamh Strong and onto the final encore, the audience sang, clapped and toe tapped along. A great night!
Just a quick word on supporting your friends in the arts. If you get the chance to catch a show, buy a ticket, maybe bring a friend. Don't stream their music, it takes thousands upon thousands of streams to make a few cents, buy their music and merch instead! Lastly, don't be shy, tell the whole world about them.
Now for some photos: