All Together Now 2024

As a long time festival worker, first time festival goer ATN really blew it out of the water for me. The grounds were big enough for a good wander but not so big I felt I spent my weekend traipsing around. Found so many new favourites completely by accident. The crowd was probably the soundest i’ve ever encountered after years of working festivals, just a really good all round vibe.

Some of my highlights were Kojaque which was the main reason I bought a ticket to begin with. The man knows how to put on a show. I wasn’t familiar with Le Boom before their set but thoroughly enjoyed, same can be said for SHEE in Something Kind of Wonderful which I think was the most pleasant surprise of my weekend. The Wailers were an excellent Sunday afternoon set. Barry Can’t Swim brought such a lovely crowd energy, everyone just delighted to be there. The Prodigy weren’t on my must see list but what an incredible show, glad I decided to catch it. Also enjoyed Toshín, Jorja Smith, Natasha Bedingfield, Slowdive, Kean Kavanagh, and New Jackson.

Couple of gripes but all in all a savage weekend. Security checks were minimal, was concerned about a heavy Garda presence after reading about sniffer dogs and the whole lot last year but was much lighter this year by the looks of it. Don’t understand the confiscation of water bottles when the festival actively encouraged bringing along your reusable bottle, especially given the “it can be used as a weapon” reasoning seeing as a man ahead of me was let in with three hurls. The terrain was a bit mad. Grass was full of shockingly dangerous dips and holes, big rocks on pathways made it needlessly difficult to get around, and the walkways on exit were akin to a slip and slide. Saw a handful of people with obviously broken bones after a few very bad falls, and that was before a feed of drink. Arcadia is an unbelievable set up but could really do with being bigger, couldn’t get in any night after about 11:30 as it was full and the queues were a madness.

Special mention for the kid at the ferris wheel entertaining the queue by singing the chorus of Sweet Caroline on repeat, hope to see him booked for the Bandstand next year! Happy recovery folks!

I think a Glastonbury approach where you submit a photo would sort out all the trouble with people coming in on wristbands. The camper van gate anyone could’ve walked in on Sunday, a lot did

No no that was Paul Brady that they flashed up on to the big screen.

That spinning duck 👌

yeah most festivals in europe take the same, trade off with a lower pitch fee than they would charge if didn’t take %

Was it? Didn't catch that

Argh here. This is the pits.

There was a ring of tents doing similar last year, near where a hard days night and both sides now campsites meet.

Thankfully we were well away from all that in the old persons corner.

"two finger whistling along with it"

Argh

Thats very true 😂

All for it! 😀

Seen a fast food vendor on Twitter a while ago saying they wouldn't be back to either electric picnic or atn , can't remember which.

No cash allowed, rent the pitch, had to rent card terminals from festival and festival takes 30% of the total!

yeah heard similar from other vendors. Festivals say they bring captive audience and realistically it’s on food vendor %, bar % and sponsorships that EP and ATN make their profits. They lose money on ticket venue versus costs situation

It's funny reading what people went to, so far, & reading what I enjoyed/saw. Almost mutually exclusive to some of the acts seen by posters above. But that is the wonder of festivals.

Fri - loved First class + Coach, down on The Well stage. Glass Beams I enjoyed much more than anticipated - just plain weird stuff! (had streamed some of their stuff - wasn't that impressed). The Murder Capital were good in The Circle (but was stuffed, & it felt like they were 'too big' an act for there). I always feel a little scared of the lead singer!! He has a menacing presence of stage. First saw them at the Other voices stage at EP a few years ago - he leant into the crowd from the amps at the front! But a great sound. Highlight of the night was the euphoric Kiasmos in SKOW. Spine tingling electronica.

Sat - loved Glasshouse Ensemble at Lovely Days - nice gentle start to the day. Overhead, The Albatross - impressed me greatly in SKOW. Was thinking to myself that 'post-rock' is possibly my 2nd or 3rd favourite genre - shoegaze tops, I'm afraid, lords & ladies. They were a revelation to me, & perhaps best on Sat. Hak Baker was very, very entertaining! I love his whole story. He has quite the back story. I see others on the WhatsApp met him & found him to be a nice lad. I'd seem Ezra Williams before, as Smooth Boi Ezra, so went to The circle for that (at same time as the Wallopers) - small crowd, but I have to say, extremely mellow & tuneful stuff. They were well aware that competing with the main stage, & acknowledged it! Chalk were on after at The Circle. Seems a big hype about them in parts. The lead singer has a bit of the menacing, Murder Capital lead singer vibes about him. Also, just downright weird & wired! But an enjoyable set. Glad I went. The National - well, my second try. Went to see them at Bearded Theory. I think I must have a highly down regulated 'The National' receptor in my brain! I just can't get it! I want to like them. I love morbid, morose-ness - I'm a big Smiths/Morrissey fan. But, I just couldn't click. Glad to see lots enjoy them, but nah, not for me. Floating Points was also very good. Not quite Kiasmos level euphoria, but I came away happy & content, heading to me bed (as an ould boy - c. 2330h!; I'd had a late night at Kiasmos the night before - 0100h!).

Sun - very busy. Mary in the Junkyard at Lovely Days were excellent. Indie guitar sound & loud. Beach fossils at same stage had an improbable story of lost gear, missed flight, new pedals bought (on a Sunday!) & new guitars. But, I really liked them. Never heard of them before ATN 2024. Love their sound. It seems most bands I like require at least 3 guitars (Kiasmos & Floating Points maybe excepted!) - indeed, Slowdive had 4 at one point (Rachel goswell played for a few tunes)! They make well produced, tight, indie noise. Oh, & for anyone there, it was one of the lads' birthday. You'll know what I mean if you were there. Oxn in SKOW were interesting. Kinda Lankum-like a bit. Reminded me a wee bit of Black Country, New Road a little, too. Glad I went. not entirely my thing, but enjoyed. Just Mustard in The Circle were really excellent. Really interesting sound. Lots of guitar. Lots of screeching, squealing guitar. Big, buzzing crowd, too. Straight to Slowdive then, in SKOW. Big fan. Remember being mesmerized by their debut album, back in the day. It is still about the house somewhere, on vinyl. A beautiful, otherworldly thing. Their post-reunification albums are very good. In particular, the eponymous one was superb. To me, one of the best comeback albums ever. Better that Ride, who had one at around same time. The set in SKOW was good, yes, but it felt a little flat to me. I thought perhaps the sound was not as good as could have been? Bit distorted. Struggling with it. Ultimately, came away feeling I'd been in the presence of greatness, enjoyed the tunes but I felt a little 'flat'. But, that's ok! I popped over to the Prodigy before heading home. I do love The Prodigy. But their schtick is wearing a little thin. The whole 'all my warriors' narrative I've heard them at before. Kinda a pain in the whatever, truth be told! Tunes are quite good. But feel like I was seeing a band from my youth one last time. Saw an 'older guy' with a nice Prodigy t-shirt, recounting how they were the first band he went to in 1994, age 16! Made me feel old - I was 24 & working as a doctor at that point! But I was genuinely happy for him. Stone Roses have that effect on me. And happy for all those who enjoyed it. Genuinely.

As always, loved being away. Always go on my own; no-one in the family will go with me! Great break. Love the food, love a few cups of coffee. Enjoyed the WhatsApp this year!

Martin

I live locally enough and recognised a lot of the kids, 16-19 age group but having grown up in the area they hear the music every year and see the lights in the sky it's hard not to want a piece of it at that age. I've no idea how they got in but with local knowledge and social media once one gap in a ditch is discovered/made it doesn't take much for word to get around.

I'm going to bring my 11 year old next year but he'll be annoyed then if he likes it and I can't bring him the following year