West Fest for Mayo announced

Leitrim lass

This looks really good.
Mayo gets its own 2 day rock Festival with camping.

http://www.westfest.ie/index.html

statto25

Looked good until I seen Fergal Darcy's (i102104) name pop up.

Still though if they get some more acts like Delorentos, Coronas, Codes etc it would draw a pretty decent crowd.

Leitrim lass

Coronas now headlining on one of the nights of west fest
This festival looks really good , looking forward to Damien Dempsey myself

kate07

I wonder how the ticket sales are going? would there be many people going? half thinking of going on the sunday just for the day

L1m1tless

Cheap tickets for Sale here http://www.adverts.ie/617187

DragonsFire

Shaping up to be a decent festival

yop

Hope the weather clears up for it.

KoNiT

place looks well, I drive past it daily. Organisers have done a massive job, hope all goes well

Kristopherus

Had a look at the place tonight. Mighty impressive. Even the aircraft warning lights looked well on the peaks of the Big Top.:D

ghosthunter73

Worst festival I have ever seen. I just happen to have the misfortune of having to work at this disaster of an event. All vendors there were promised by the organiser 5,000 + punters ...... the reality is there were about 500 punters there and i am being kind. I would expect after some of the vendors paying €2,000 for a spot and no one showing up that there would be more than a few phone calls to the organiser looking for money back.
I doubt from what I heard from the people I spoke to if any of them will be back next year.
A simple case of don't promise if you can't deliver.............

RADIOMAD

Are you sure you were at the right festival? I was there last night and there was a he'll of a lot more than 500 people there. In addition to that I thought that the staff were extremely helpful and as a regular festival goer I thought that it was quiet accomplished for a first time attempt.

In addition to that the above is the first negative comment I've heard. I also spoke to some of the acts an they thoroughly enjoyed it...

So i'd be wishing the lads well, it was for a great cause and may the success of this years event grow into an annual west of Ireland festival.

And if it goes on... I for one will be there again with bells on

yop

RADIOMAD wrote: »

Are you sure you were at the right festival? I was there last night and there was a he'll of a lot more than 500 people there. In addition to that I thought that the staff were extremely helpful and as a regular festival goer I thought that it was quiet accomplished for a first time attempt.

In addition to that the above is the first negative comment I've heard. I also spoke to some of the acts an they thoroughly enjoyed it...

So i'd be wishing the lads well, it was for a great cause and may the success of this years event grow into an annual west of Ireland festival.

And if it goes on... I for one will be there again with bells on

And since this is your first post and praising the event.... you have no connection to the organizers??

RADIOMAD

No I was one of the acts and thoroughly enjoyed it. I had no issues and found everyone there very professional.

I generally don't post just regularly read... But I felt compelled to register and ask what the gripe was... So what's the gripe?

C-J

I have to disagree, yes it was quiet during the day as the big acts didn't start until evening time and those camping generally didn't enter the festival area until afternoon as you couldn't bring your own drink past the barriers. But i know all of my friends and i spent money at nearly every stall, and there were queues everytime I went outside the tent. The only thing that nobody had any interest in was the hot tub, and that's because it was baltic!!

ghosthunter73

Sorry but were you at the right place? I spent all day Saturday there and until 8pm on Sunday. Granted more people were tree at night no doubt. I will say I spent money at most of the stalls as well. If you had actually read my post would have seen that it wasn't my gripe bit those poor vendors who paid unto €2,000 and were promised 5,000 punters that really suffered and won't be back next year. I have been to many festivals and have never seen one so empty during the day. Those who went did have a good time and there were some really good acts even those who played during the day. The key to a successful festival is punters and this one seriously lacked them.

C-J

They did get 5000 punters, over 7000 passed through the gates. It's a bit presumptious for a vendor to assume that every single person at the festival would buy from them. 10thousand were expected but from what i saw business was brisk. It wasn't like they were selling swaroski they were selling hours old burgers and henna tattoos

ghosthunter73

C-J wrote: »

They did get 5000 punters, over 7000 passed through the gates. It's a bit presumptious for a vendor to assume that every single person at the festival would buy from them. 10thousand were expected but from what i saw business was brisk. It wasn't like they were selling swaroski they were selling hours old burgers and henna tattoos

Now I know you work for the promoter there is no way 5,000 passed through the gates never mind 7,000 your living in a dream world there mate. I was there and I spoke to the Stewarts your just telling porky pies!

C-J

Oh for gods sake whats with your conspiracy theories, there's a separate forum on boards for that. I'm going by figures released to national and regional papers, and from the crowds that i saw on the sunday, i wasn't there saturday so i don't know. for a local festival i was very impressed. check twitter and you'll see that ryan sheridan, john and emma, and the coronas have all tweeted how much they enjoyed it.

ghosthunter73

LMAO ok listen this my last post in this thread. I am sure they had a great time I never said different. I think it's a great venue that has great potential. My intention is to merely state from first hand knowledge that even the sponsor of the event was up in arms regarding the lack of punters.
I hope if there is a next year more people go and make it an annual festival in the west to go to.

jmscrol

C-J wrote: »

They did get 5000 punters, over 7000 passed through the gates. It's a bit presumptious for a vendor to assume that every single person at the festival would buy from them. 10thousand were expected but from what i saw business was brisk. It wasn't like they were selling swaroski they were selling hours old burgers and henna tattoos

7000 my a*se. I was there Sat night and there was no more than 2000 either day, at a good guess Id say less. I couldnt be bothered to go Sunday. Such a load of rubbish,no atmosphere,bands were good but what you got from it good luck to you but you are awful easily satisfied. Were you at the barn dance last year which was run by the same organisers? now that was a good night. The two barn dances that were held in the locality last year were examples of a great atmosphere. The Niall Mellon one in Balla which started the ball rolling the year before was unreal both times with brilliant music and craic, Aghamore one was a just a copycat affair of the Niall Mellon one the same but still a great night,pity about having depressing bands at it but never the less a great novelty of a night out. Its easy to talk sh1te to the papers and talk it up but the vast majority of people who paid full price to get in were badly dissapointed and would probably never go again.Maybe you were one of the people that apparently go in cheap to try and fill the place?? How many cars were in the main carpark at @6.00pm Sunday evening? Electric Picnic it will never be. The Star was supposed to be a sponser but didnt even bother to cover it in their festival suppliment on Monday where it mentioned every other music festival in the country over the weekend. Fair play to the lads and girls for trying but lets call it what it was, A TOTAL WASHOUT OF A FESTIVAL and a waste of money!!
Roll on the next 28 days to a real festival, Black eyed peas,coldplay,foo fighters,artic monkeys,script !!!! I rest my case!!!!!!!!!

Leitrim lass

It was a fantastic effort to have a 2 day festival in Mayo imo
sure the turn up was less than hoped for prob about 1500 fri and 2000 sat
but thats really not bad for a festival in its first year in this country and far from a population centre.
how many people were at the first electric picnic??
jmscrol I think you are way off the mark there saying most people were badly dissapointed , the overall opinion from the people there was that the site was fantastic the sound, lighting and general production top class. I really enjoyed some of the performances and so did all my friends.

fair play to them and hopefully next near the crowds will arrive.

jmscrol

Of course it was a great effort LL to stage it and all credit to the organisers who were brave enough to try it but dont delude yourself that it was a great success out of sympathy for the organisers. Was it a great idea to stage Imelda May the night after she had a concert in Castlebar ? Was it a great idea to charge nearly the same price as the big established festivals are for the first event, Maybe €50 would have drawn a real crowd and gained the publicity for next year and then the real clanger, exams starting the following week. Anyhow good luck to them for next year if they try again.:(:(

yop

It may have been a combination of things which didn't help.

Upcoming exams.
Price.
Economy
Location
Kings of Leon on the previous week
Imelda May the previous night.
weather
Sport events that weekend

It was a good effort, hopefully they have learned a few things and will not throw in the towel.

C-J

I definitely agree it can only get better. Fair play to all concerned. I heard imelda may was a total wagon diva backstage, i'm a fan of hers so was very disappointed to hear it!

ghosthunter73

Thanks for that I thought I was the only one disappointed there!!!

Just Like Heaven

yop wrote: »

Imelda May the previous night.

I'm amazed that the organisers allowed her to play the tf the night before. She was the festivals biggest act and she's playing in a dry, warm, seated venue for 35 euro in a town probably closer to many of the festival's market. Very unlikely aswell that Big Generator and Republic of loose would have encouraged people to fork out the extra 25 euro for a day in a tent.

kenny d

I hear one of the organisers has landed himself a plum job overseas fair play. West Fest on the CV may have been a help.