Festival Previews Video Blog

Some of you may have noticed that our recent posts disappeared and reappeared recently. This was caused by database problems on our server. Hopefully this is all fixed and won’t happen again. Fingers crossed!

Today we are privileged to interview Philip Fogarty, a solo artist from Galway who leads his own band playing throughout Ireland, Europe and the United States. Philip’s music and writing style is somewhat difficult to categorise, yet he has created his own inimitable genre blending traditional Irish music, contemporary rock and electronica with his highly distinctive singing voice. His Virtual Flyer for the 2007 Dublin Fringe Festival reveals an accomplished musician performing this unique musical style. We managed to track Philip down and ask him 10 Questions.

1. What made you become a performer/artist/writer?

I was sitting in a pub in Dublin one November when the idea hit me. It was that simple. I put down my pint, looked around me and decided. Mundane, but there you have it. I’m sure the fact that I’m from a musical part of the country has something to do with it, as does the fact that my family loved music themselves and encouraged me to play when they saw I was interested. In the end, though, I think it was a case of needing to do it – it sounds corny but working on music, and writing it, has definitely helped me to get on with my life, and helped me to function, and maybe I knew it would have that effect.

2. What is your show/future show about and what should the public expect from your show?

As for the music itself, I guess the instrumentation reflects somewhat the character of it – you’ll hear influences from rock, traditional Irish, electronica and contemporary in there.

The live performance is a blend of many different elements, both old and new, in terms of the material itself and also in terms of the approaches used. I work on allowing the audience to get as close as possible to the music, so it’s scaled back to low volume levels, as opposed to a more conventional band approach which I used to use in late night venues, where it was so loud the front rows used to look like they were riding in an open top car… we use technology like delays, digital effects, mixing and so on in conjunction with a mix of instruments from different areas, violins, bass, bodhran, found percussion and so on, working the vocals against that backdrop – whatever works without losing the sense of the material.

I do the vocals and some bodhrán, percussion, accordion, effects and mixing, with Angeline O’ Connell on violin, Anna Lardi is also on violin with keyboards, percussion, effects and mixing, and Eddie Dee is on bass and percussion. They’re top class musicians, and great to work with.

3.What is your favourite Festival or Fringe and why?

I love the Feakle Traditional Music Festival in County Clare. Why? Because it’s Feakle. No more need be said. Go and check it out.

Of course, being from the west of Ireland, I can’t talk of festivals and not mention the city of Galway, which in itself is basically one long festival, with all that’s going on there – there’s the Film Fleadh, the Cúirt International Festival of Literature, the Galway Jazz Festival, the Music for Galway Season, the Early Music Festival, Babaró, the Oyster Festival, the Spirit of Voice, International Fiddle Festival, Tulca, the Arts, Americana, ArtIsIt?, the Galway Races; and just around Galway there’s Tuam Arts and Clifden Arts Week, an , Crinniú na mBád, Fleadh na gCuach… I could go on. It seems daft, but that’s how vibrant that place is.

4. What’s your best advice for aspiring artists/performers on the Festival/Fringe circuit?

Keep your mind on your work and don’t be worrying too much about what others are up to; you’ve enough on your plate.

5. What is your funniest experience performing or attending a Fringe/Festival?

Playing in a rock band at a festival in Cork; the whole thing was so epically disorganised it was like something out of Spinal Tap.

6. As you travel performing at different festivals/ fringes, what is your favourite place to vacation and chill out and why?

I don’t have a favourite place in that sense, the reason being that chilling out has more to do with your state of mind, and how you think things are going; if you feel they’re going well then it’s easy to kick back, but if you don’t then it’s more difficult. In an ideal world, I’d probably materialise myself into a town in Connemara, or the Dingle Peninsula, because you can’t beat their sense of place, but after the most recent tour I travelled around Sicily for a few days and had great fun – lovely people, great food, sea and a big volcano. What more could you ask?

7. Who is the person you most admire/d and why?

John Cleese for his Ministry of Silly Walks sketch. That guy is a genius, no question.

8. What is the best tip you have ever been given?

In order for success to mean anything, you have to be at least a little bit happy – otherwise it was all for nothing.

9. What is the best book you have read and why do you like it?

Too many to mention. There’s a collection of short stories by Cordwainer Smith called “Drunkboat”, which I liked because it was so surreal, “The Táin”, a translation by Thomas Kinsella, because of its rawness, “Eon”, a novel by Greg Bear, for sheer entertainment… then there’s the Irish rail timetable, always good for a laugh…

10. If you could change one thing about the world what would it be?

Consumerist/capitalist mentality. I don’t think it’s going to work, we need something else.

For more information about Philip Fogarty and his fascinating music please check out his website.

On the full moon of the twelfth lunar month each year, Loi Krathong, “The Festival of Light” takes place in Thailand. This year it’s the 23rd & 24th November with the 24th being the full moon.

It is not generally known when the tradition first began. However, those in the know generally speculate that it is based on the Indian “Deepavalee” ritual of floating lights to worship the Brahmin Gods.

In Thailand it evolved from the royal rituals of the early Rattanakosin period where lanterns of various designs and exquisite natural materials were set afloat in the Chao Phraya River and waterways.

Over time the tradition spread and was widely adapted by the common folk making offerings to Mae Khongkha – the Mother of Waters (the Thai equivalent of the Hindu Goddess of Water). It expresses gratitude for the giving of life-sustaining water. Generally it is believed that the offerings are also an act of appeasement to beg clemency for man’s carelessness in polluting the waters that nourish all of life.

At dusk, as the full moon begins to rise, the krathong (the lotus-shaped receptacles decorated with fresh flowers, candles and incense sticks) are lit and set off on their journey; Loi meaning to float, so Loi Krathong means to float the krathong. In some cases, the lighting of fireworks is set off in the same spirit of worship celebrating an aerial Festival of Lights.

We have never seen this spiritual festival, but it must be quite an experience! For more information about Loi Kathong check out this website.

Dance Theatre of Ireland Slow Down

Ch: Martine Pisani (FR)

25 Nov