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Sons of Burlap mix Irish traditional music with an eastern European feel. The band is half of And So I Watch You From Afar, along with Ewen Friers from Axis Of. Yes, and his dad also. Drums, guitars, a mandolin and a flute, plus rhythmic surprises.
It sounds like a Russian wedding but here we are at Forfey Festival in a secret corner of Fermanagh. We’re surrounded by the whitewash walls of a farmyard. Three barns provide the stages for the acts. It’s small enough to make you feel welcome, but big enough to keep you curious.
The resident donkeys and goats amuse the kids. The café and wood-burning fire are perfect for any downpours, and the proper toilets with sinks are a bonus for festival veterans. Since all the gigs take place in barns, the music is weather-proof, but retains an outdoor, rustic feel. And Forfey cleverly times everything so there are no clashes.
Farm buildings have become art galleries, there’s a cute boutique, and of course the café serves amazing hot food all day. Forfey do festival craic well, they do BBQs even better, but back to the music with some festival hightlights.
Jamie Neish is best known for his belter drumming for More Than Conquerors. His own music is a pleasant surprise for many. His acoustic set in the HayShed Stage silences the crowd. His set closes with a track called, ‘Call Me Brother’ and has everyone chanting “it’s been a long road home”. This brings tears to some. Two swallows sit watching the performance from the beams of the barn.
Joshua Burnside is made for Forfey. While he plays on the Lie-To stage on Saturday, you also find him late on Friday night blasting out some of his songs with an acoustic guitar by the campsite. Here his voice is stronger than ever and he's joined by a full band with trumpet and violin for his post-folk set.
Electronic act, Daithi headlines on the Friday night. He mixes house music with traditional Irish melodies – playing his electric fiddle and looping it into his set. He’s full of energy, jumping about the stage, building the atmosphere in the barn. He even samples some Willow Smith into his set.
The festival closes with ‘Forfey’s Guilty Pleasures’ . It a chance for the DJ to playlist cringy pop tracks and to bring everything to an emotional end – particularly when ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ is played. To paraphrase Bonnie Tyler, we need Forfey more than ever.
Words: Lily Bailie
