The Waterboys have been added to the line-up for the brand new Laois music festival, Forest Fest, this July.
In what’s a major coup for the festival organisers the Mike Scott fronted group have been confirmed to bring the curtain down on the festival for the Sunday night finale.
With hits like ‘The Whole of the Moon’, ‘Fisherman’s Blues’ and ‘How Long Will I Love You’ – revellers will be entertained on the final night.
“To be honest we’re chuffed to have secured The Waterboys to bring the festival to a close. Their catalogue of classic songs and favourite anthems precedes them.
“Fans are going to be thrilled and we’re over ‘the whole of the moon’ to be able to send them home happy ‘with a bang on the ear’,” Forest Fest promoter, Philip Meagher couldn’t help relish the big line-up addition with a reference to two of the Waterboys greatest tracks.
Forest Fest organisers also announced the inclusion of Power of Dreams to the festival bill, in what they said is the final addition to the music for the July 22 to July 24 event at Emo village in Laois.
Forest Fest is currently completing preparations for its arts events, fringe festival and children’s programme, details of which will be revealed in the coming weeks.
Few bands have as great a live reputation as The Waterboys.
From their mid-1980s ‘big music’ period through the influential mix of Celtic, gospel and country on their classic Fisherman’s Blues tours, to the hundreds of brilliant shows accompanying the last decade’s run of supremely in-form albums from 2011’s An Appointment With Mr Yeats to Good Luck, Seeker, The Waterboys have consistently blended tightness, inspiration and improvisation to reach heights of performance few other acts can.
Led by mercurial and brilliant Scottish guitarist/vocalist Mike Scott, the 2022 version of the band features the established line-up of Memphis keyboard great ‘Brother’ Paul Brown, ace British drummer Ralph Salmins, and funky Irish bassman Aongus Ralston.
Also coming to Emo village for Forest Fest are Power of Dreams, who will perform on the opening Friday of the festival on July 22.
Power of Dreams have released Baby Boy, a new 7-Track EP, ahead of their Irish and UK dates this summer. Featuring new material, re-workings of old classics and some previously unreleased POD material, Baby Boy is a poignant time capsule from one of Ireland’s most enigmatic bands and is preceded by a single release of the title track.
Power of Dreams resurfaced in 2021 with their first new studio album, Aüslander, since 1994’s Become Yourself. Recorded across several countries during a time of global pandemic, Aüslander was a long-awaited companion piece to the band’s debut album, Immigrants, Emigrants and Me, that saw them signed to Polydor Records and hurtling them into international prominence.
Forest Fest opens on Friday, July 22 featuring Strings n’ Things, Greenshine, Hamsandwich, Hermitage Green, Harvest, Power of Dreams, Jack L and The 4 of Us.
Taking to the stage on the Saturday, July 23 are The Stunning marking their 30th anniversary tour. Also, on the Saturday bill are Something Happens, Mundy, Paddy Casey, The Riptide Movement, Lisa Lambe, Cathy Davey, Inni-K, Thumper, Strand, Strength in Numbers, Carpark Sci-Fi, AIS, Three Underneath, The Barley Mob, Manden Express and Ares Redemption.
The final day of the festival, Sunday July 24 stars The Waterboys, King Kong Company, Damien Dempsey, The Lost Messiahs, Soda Blonde, Hothouse Flowers, Stockton’s Wing, Pogueology, Walk the Line, The Barley Mob, Eileen Gogan, The Pearly Whites, Big Spoon, Paper Planes, Dopamine and Flublah.
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