Another festival feels the squeeze of slow ticket sales

Jim Carroll on music

Jim Carrollon music

The summer festival season has claimed another victim.

The Dysart Festival, initially scheduled this weekend for Thomastown, Co Kilkenny, has been forced to significantly downsize its plans and move to a smaller, indoor venue because of poor ticket sales.

Dysart was due to feature Jools Holland, classical star Katherine Jenkins, Kenny Larkin, Stacey Pullen, Cutmaster Swift and a host of Irish bands.

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The motivation behind the festival was to raise funds to repair the 600-year-old Dysart Castle, birthplace of Irish philosopher George Berkeley.

However, despite the line-up and the setting - one press release described the main stage as "a huge, curving natural bowl framed by ancient Irish forests and the bend of the River Nore" - the public did not bite.

According to Kilkennymusic.com, the festival promoters initially pinned the cancellation on "monsoon"-like weather conditions, which resulted in one of the stages "sinking", in an interview on Friday morning with KCLR 96 FM.

By that evening, though, their tune had changed and the reason for the cancellation had become "an insufficient level of ticket sales to enable a viable inaugural event".

However, the festival website was not updated with information about the changes until very late on Tuesday, and tickets for the original festival were still on sale up to Sunday afternoon.

As a result, many ticket holders first found out about the difficulties the festival was experiencing through online blogs such as Kilkennymusic.com and On The Record.

A spokesman for the festival says the website was not updated because they "didn't have anything to confirm" due to difficulties finding a replacement venue over the bank holiday weekend.

A significantly reduced festival will take place this weekend in the Kilford Arms Hotel in Kilkenny. The Blind Boys of Alabama and Gemma Hayes will headline on Saturday, with the Republic Of Loose, John Martyn, Cathy Davey, a screening of the All-Ireland hurling semi-final between Kilkenny and Cork and a DJ set from The Orb amongst Sunday's star attractions.

Fresh hip-hop clobber for the streets of Dublin

Hip-hop fans have become used to seeing leading US rappers such as Jay-Z and P Diddy launching clothing offshoots like Rocawear and Sean John to help promote their brands and boost their bank accounts.

This month, Irish hip-hop crew The Informatics make their first foray onto the catwalk as they link up with Fergal Swan and Richard Doody's streetwear label Counter Propaganda.

All those who purchase T-shirts from Counter Propaganda's new Kill or Create line (named after the band's debut album) will receive a free three-track Infomatics CD.

The group help launch the new range with a show at BT2 in Dublin on 14th August, with their new single "Back to Front" going on release the following day.

Cyprus hits the big five

A number of Irish venues have significant birthdays coming up. Dublin's Vicar Street marks a decade in the live music and comedy business this autumn, while Dundalk's excellent Spirit Store also reaches the 10-year mark in 2009.

Cork's Cyprus Avenue is halfway towards that landmark. Acts who will be helping the Caroline Street venue to mark its fifth birthday in October include Wallis Bird (23), Trans Am with Rest and Somadrone (25), Laura Izibor (26), Micah P Hinson with the Retribution Gospel Choir and Tilly & The wall (29), Port O'Brien (30) and Mercury Rev (31).

ETC

• This weekend's Irish Green Gathering festival features Jinx Lennon, Giveamanakick, R.S.A.G., Margaret Healy, Ugly Megan and many more playing at Woodbrook House, Co Wexford.  www.irishgreengathering.com

• Math-rock pioneers Don Caballero play their first ever Irish show at Dublin's Crawdaddy on November 14th.

• Cork-born, Barcelona-based house and techno producer Chymera returns to Ireland for dates at Stereotonic, Dublin, on August 15th and at the Solas Festival, Co Carlow, on August 17th.

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