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FESTIVAL
SURVIVAL
GUIDE
Check out the
Insider
Tips
‘12

Festival Listings ‘12
When Who Where
2 – 4 June Forbidden Fruit Royal Hospital,
Kilmainham, Dublin
15 June The Coronas Live at the Marquee,
Cork
26 June Red Hot Chili Peppers Croke Park, Dublin
29 June – 1 July Sea Sessions Bundoran, Donegal
5 – 8 July Phoenix Park Live Phoenix Park, Dublin
24 July Madonna The Aviva Stadium,
Dublin
3 – 5 August Castlepalooza Charleville Castle,
Tullamore, Offaly
3 – 5 August Indiependence Mitchelstown, Cork
31 August –
2 September
Electric Picnic
Stradbally Hall, Laois
15 September Lady GaGa The Aviva, Dublin
29 September Green Village Festival Castletown Geoghegan,
Mullingar, Westmeath

Festival
Survival
Guide
This year, there’s a summer full of music events to get your
teeth into, a good festival should be one of the best experiences
of your life, but get it wrong and it can turn into a nightmare.
Fionn Davenport, radio presenter, travel writer, DJ and festival
veteran, has some tips to get you through, whether you’re a day
tripper or a happy camper…

Transport
Getting to the gig can be a
total pain – an hour long drive
at any other time may take
half the day at a near crawl.
• Exhaustion. Ever sat
behind the wheel in slow
moving traffic after gigging,
partying or camping for
3 days? It’s not nearly as
much fun as it sounds.
Our best advice is don’t
bother and rely on public
transport.
• Behind the Wheel. If you’re
used to a car, then a busy
road isn’t the best place
to try driving a campervan
for the first time. Get some
practice first!
• Breath-Testing. Random
tests are commonplace
along the festival routes;
failing one isn’t a good way
of celebrating the festival
day out or weekend.
• The Morning After the Night
Before.
Even if you feel fine to drive
the following day, you may
still be over the legal limit
and could get a €5,000 fine
or a 6 month sentence (or
you could be liable to both).
Your body gets rid of alcohol
at the average rate of one
standard drink – that’s half
a pint or a glass of wine
or a shot – per hour. Every
mobile has a calculator, so
do the maths.
Insider Tip
# 1
To blag your way backstage,
carry a bag of oranges and
a hassled look: tell security
that you should have gotten
them hours before but where

Did You Know?...
• In October 2011, the legal
blood alcohol limit was
reduced to 50mg per 100ml
of blood while professional
drivers and learner drivers
face a ‘virtually zero’ rate of
20mg per 100ml of blood.
So, it has never been more
important for drivers to aim
for zero the morning after.
• Information. All of the
major festivals’ websites
have transport info;
otherwise just check
out cie.ie for the Iarnród
Éireann, Dublin Bus and
Bus Éireann sites.
the hell can you get fresh
oranges on a festival site at a
moment’s notice? Or be really
good-looking and nonchalant.
I generally go with the oranges.
Fionn Davenport

Hungry?
Long gone are the days when
festival-goers’ only option was
a burger and chips. Whether
you’re a fan of traditional
Irish fare or have more exotic
tastes, you’ll be spoilt for
choice. Even veggies and
sweet teeth are catered for.
In a green-field site? Help
keep it that way. Clean up
after yourself and take
everything with you –
including your rubbish.
If you’re bringing your own
food to the festival better
something that won’t go off,
get mushy or grow green
stuff; so no meats, bananas
or cheese.
Insider Tip
# 2
Most people will remember
the usual things like a torch,
pen, condoms, socks etc.
but come rain or shine one
must never forget a pair of

Thirsty?
Of course most people will
have a drink – it’s all part
of the gig atmosphere and
alcohol can add to the fun if
drank responsibly by helping
you relax.
• Water. Bring as much of
it as you can. Alcohol will
seriously dehydrate you
and even a clouded sun will
make it worse.
• Drink at Least One Litre
Per Day. There are plenty
of free top up taps at
festivals. If staying over, top
up at night – the queues
in the morning can be
horrendous.
• No Glass. The amount of
liquids confiscated at the
gates could quench the
thirst of a small town. Bring
plastic containers and
bottles.
• Pace Yourself. Drink water
or a soft drink every few
drinks. You will feel better,
look better and have a
better chance of lasting
the course!
• Eat Something. Nothing
will make drinking
a disaster more than an
empty stomach.
Eat before you drink.
• Wrecked? Getting pissed
isn’t pretty or smart. You’ll
just wreck the weekend for
your mates if they have
to look after you when
you’re the worse for wear.
Remember: over-doing
it will do nothing for your
looks either – you’re dropdead
gorgeous until you
drop down drunk.
sunglasses and a sense of
adventure, and don’t forget
to swap your top with your
random new friend!!
Cillian Stewart
Organiser, Castlepalooza festival

• Hair of the Dog. It won’t
beat your hangover, it just
prolongs the agony.
• The Secret to Sobering Up?
Time. Yeah, time! Whether
sitting in a tent or standing
in a field, it’ll take roughly
two hours for your body
to break down one pint of
booze. Nothing – not tea,
energy drinks, burgers and
chips or an ice cold shower
– can speed up this process.
• Beer Goggles. Want a
weekend to regret? Then let
the booze do the chatting
up for you.
• No Strange Mixers!
Don’t accept a drink from
a stranger or leave yours
unattended – you never
know what you’re getting
or what could have been
put in it.
• Go Online. There’s plenty
of info about drinking and
alcohol consumption at
drinkaware.ie
One
standard
drink
• = • =
A glass of stout/lager/cider (284ml)
A small glass of wine (100ml)
A pub measure of spirit (35.5ml)
Insider Tip
# 3
Beaut.ie’s best festival tip
picked up over the past couple
of years is really simple, but
so clever! Before you pitch
your tent, paint your nails a
dark shade. It’ll look chic,

And remember,
it takes your body
about an hour to
get rid of the
alcohol from
1 standard drink
sure, but here’s the smart
bit: your dark mani will hide
any dirt so no one will know
that you could happily grow a
sack of spuds in the furrows
beneath your nails.
Kirstie McDermott
Beaut.ie

The Best Pace to Drink at is
Your Own!
Things like the speed of the
fastest drinker, the mood
you are in, the loud music
and how much money you
have in your pocket can all
make you drink faster than
you intended. But the trick is
to cut down the amount you
drink and slow down the pace
you drink at.
• Plan ahead. Work out
how you want to enjoy the
festival, and what bands
you don’t want to miss!
• Avoid Rounds. These are
hard on your pocket and
put you under pressure to
keep up.
• Ditch the drinking games.
Let’s be honest they make
everyone drink way too
much, way too fast.
• Pace your drinks with
water regularly to stay
refreshed and hydrated.
This gives your body a
chance to break down
the alcohol already in
your system and will help
prevent dehydration.
• Don’t make drinking the
only activity, fill your time
with meeting mud-covered
people, eating kebabs and
checking out bands you
don’t even know!
Check out our new ‘Pacing
Campaign’ on drinkaware.ie!
Insider Tip
# 4
BEWARE THE MUDPERSON –
The legends of a mythical
creature constructed entirely
of mud are true. Known to
terrorize festivalgoers with
strange, erratic dancing motions

Looking Good?
Dressing for concert and
festival high fashion will
only give you grief! It is no
place for your best clobber –
think less catwalk and more
weatherproof.
• Rain Poncho. Better than
the glorified bin liner they
(sometimes) give out at
festivals.
• Something Warm. You
might be hot during the day,
but when the sun goes down
it can get pretty chilly.
• Wellies. Regardless of
weather reports these are
essential concert/festival
footwear. Flip flops are just
flops when it’s raining.
• Socks. Bring spares. And
plenty of them. Wet feet are
crap.
• Sun Hat. Sunstroke is like a
really bad hangover and the
worst flu you’ll ever get... at
the same time. Anything’ll
do. (Except for a jester’s hat,
which will just look stupid.)
Ladies –
The Essentials
(when camping):
• Dry shampoo, waterproof
makeup or go barefaced,
a bag that goes across
your body and a sense of
humour, you’re not gonna
look your best so relax and
enjoy!
and indecipherable verbal
babblings. May be observed
safely from a distance but
never under any circumstances
attempt to engage the beast
in conversation.
Vinny
Adebisi Shank

The Insider’s Guide to
your Summer of Music 2012
Forget the throwaway word-ofmouth
recommendation – read
our Insider’s Guide compiled
by Hotpress, the people who’ve
been there, done that and have
the ticket stubs to prove it!
FORBIDDEN FRUIT
June 2 – 4, Royal Hospital,
Kilmainham, Dublin
This Adam and Eve-inspired
festival is anything but saintly;
in fact, it’s fast becoming one
of the biggest outdoor parties
on the Dublin calendar. Only
the hippest, most fawned-over
acts make the grade. Folk fans
will already have their tickets
for Monday’s proceedings,
featuring Wilco, James Vincent
McMorrow and Beirut, while
EDM lovers will be tempted
by Saturday’s line-up, which
includes Leftfield, MMOTHS
and The Field.
The acts: New Order, Leftfield,
Wilco, Death Cab For Cutie,
James Vincent McMorrow,
Beirut, The Rapture, Bloody
Beetroots (DJ Set), Booka
Shade and more!
The vibe: Chilled by day, wild
by night.
Watch out for: The festival’s
first Comedy Stage, including
appearances by Dead Cat
Bounce and Ardal O’Hanlon.
THE CORONAS
June 15, Live at the Marquee,
Cork
To get the summer rolling, The
Coronas (one of the hottest
Irish bands going) play an
intimate show in June as part
of Cork’s Live At The Marquee.
Fans will know what to expect
by now: big choruses, big
melodies and a whole lot of
hands in the air.
The vibe: “I Heart Danny” signs
will be mandatory.
Watch out for: The almighty
squeal when the boys from
Terenure launch into the
unstoppable radio hit ‘Addicted
To Progress’.

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS
June 26, Croke Park, Dublin
These guys have proven that
they’ve still got what it takes
to put on an unforgettable live
show. You can expect 100+
hit-packed minutes of killer
riffs, demonic percussion and
consummate showmanship,
as well as a rather nifty visual
show.
The vibe: Downright
electrifying.
Watch out for: Flea’s flawless
handstand.
SEA SESSIONS
June 29 – July 1, Bundoran,
Donegal
A music and surf festival
plonked right on one of the
most beautiful beaches in the
country, bliss. Music-wise,
strictly feel-good choonage
by world-renowned artists is
permitted to soundtrack the
sandside fun and games, which
include handball and tag rugby
tournaments.
The acts: The Happy Mondays,
The Coronas, Ocean Colour
Scene’s Simon & Oscar, Fujiya
& Miyagi, Jape, Delorentos, and
much more!
The vibe: As relaxing as you
like. You are on a beach, after
all.
Watch out for: Those waves.
Don’t let the weekend pass
without getting in the soup.
PHOENIX PARK LIVE
July 5 – 8, Phoenix Park, Dublin
Not one, but three monster
shows are scheduled for
Michael D’s back yard this July.
The summer concert series
kicks off with the long, long,
long awaited return of The
Stone Roses, followed closely
by house favourites Swedish
House Mafia, then finally the
epic Snow Patrol and Florence
and the Machine take to the
stage.

The acts: The Stone Roses
(5th), Swedish House Mafia,
Snoop Dogg, Tinie Tempah,
Calvin Harris and The Original
Rudeboys (7th) and Snow
Patrol, Florence + The Machine
and The Temper Trap (8th).
The vibe: Edge-of-your-seat
stuff, this.
Watch out for: Self-declared
Hibernophile Snoop who
counts Dublin among his
favourite cities in the world.
MADONNA
July 24, The Aviva Stadium,
Dublin
Sales from the Queen Of Pop’s
MDNA tour have already
exceeded $250 million, but
once her Madgesty kicks off
her 76-date world tour at the
end of this month, we’ll have
a better idea of what to look
forward to, but if her jawdropping
Superbowl half-time
show is anything to go by, we’re
expecting gold, gladiators and
a whole lot of gyrating.
The vibe: Thousands of
material girls and boys all
vogueing for Ireland.
Watch out for: Madge dons
Jean Paul Gaultier-designed
creations for her third tour
since 1990, remember that
iconic cone bra?
CASTLEPALOOZA
August 3 – 5, Charleville Castle,
Tullamore, Offaly
The more-than-a-festival
promises “merriment, magic,
madness and mind-blowing
memories”, all the while
encouraging patrons to explore
the historic 17th century
castle from which it gets its
name. The musical guests are
expertly chosen homegrown
talent!
The acts: The Charlatans,
Ghostpoet, Solar Bears, Jape,
Donal Dineen’s Parish Project,
MMOTHS, Little Green Cars
and waaaay more.
The vibe: Laid-back and
unbeatably friendly. Expect to
bump into your ‘Palooza mates
year after year.
Watch out for: The super-cute
Courtyard stage ‘round the
back.

INDIEPENDENCE
August 3 – 5, Mitchelstown, Cork
As the name suggests,
Indiependence was founded to
give a leg-up to the brightest
and best independent talents
Ireland has to offer, alongside
international acts. These
guys sink all of their time and
money into forming a stellar
line-up and making things truly
hassle-free for the ladies and
gents who pass through the
festival gates.
The acts: 2manydjs,
Beardyman, Maverick Sabre,
Scroobius Pip, Delorentos, The
Japanese Popstars, Bressie,
Jape, The Minutes, The Frank
& Walters, Royseven, Ham
Sandwich and another load!
The vibe: Mosh-ready and
choon-thirsty.
Watch out for: The old school
haunted house; you’ll find it in
the funfair near the food stalls.
ELECTRIC PICNIC
31 August – September 2,
Stradbally Hall, Laois
Last year, Leccy Piccy racked
up a whopping seven gongs
at the Irish Festival Awards,
including nods for Best Large
Festival, Best Lineup and,
crucially, Best Toilets. The
three-dayer is revered for its
extensive list of non-musical
events, which include comedy,
arts and crafts demonstrations,
foodie-friendly demo kitchens
and even the circus-within-acircus
that is Fossett’s Big Top.
The acts: The Cure, Sigur Rós,
Elbow, The Killers, Grizzly
Bear, Orbital, Christy Moore,
The Roots, Hot Chip, Glen
Hansard, The xx, Patti Smith,
Metronomy, Crystal Castles,
SBTRKT and more!
The vibe: Anywhere from überchilled
to fist-pumpingly manic,
depending on which shows
take your fancy.
Watch out for: The Hot Press
Chatroom, with intimate
interviews and
acoustic sessions
with some of the
festival’s biggest
stars and finest
treasures.

LADY GAGA
September 15, The Aviva, Dublin
Described by the Lady herself
as an “electro-metal popopera”
the Born This Way
Ball marks Gaga’s most
extravagant moment to date.
Staged around a ginormous
travelling gothic castle, which
the Haus Of Gaga have been
slaving for months to build, it’s
a no-holds-barred glamourfest
that takes in every single
one of the controversial pop
maverick’s hits.
The vibe: open-minded and allembracing.
Feel free to dress
to shock.
Watch out for: a kick-ass
motorcycle to rival the hog
from the cover of Born This
Way, and an Armani-designed
hat that doubles as a keyboard.
GREEN VILLAGE FESTIVAL
September 29, Castletown
Geoghegan, Mullingar,
Westmeath
Homed in Mount Druid, it
marks the harvest season
through crafts, poetry, comedy,
spoken word, debate and art
trails. The main focus of the
one-dayer is its eco village,
which offers up advice on
energy efficient management,
monitoring, upgrading, and
refurbishment. The musical
bill has yet to be announced,
but judging from last year’s
line-up, which included Ryan
Sheridan and The Stunning,
we can expect a healthy mix of
homegrown contemporary and
traditional artists
The vibe: Artsy, traditional and
family-orientated.
Watch out for: The chat-happy
Spoken Word Stage, which last
year welcomed Hotpress’ very
own Olaf Tyaransen to speak at
its political cabaret.

Happy Campers
Hitting up a festival sleepover?
The ‘wherever I lay my hat’
approach to a good night’s
kip will seem a bad idea
halfway through the first rainy
night, so plan your sleeping
arrangements with care. A
good tip: turn up early to pick
your spot.
• Tent. So long as it’s
waterproof, any old tent
will do. There’s a chance it
may get damaged, so don’t
bother with a fancy one.
• Location, Location,
Location. Pitch it in open
ground, at the top of a hill
and far, far away from the
communal toilets.
• Pitch it when you Arrive.
You don’t want to test your
tent-pitching skills in the
dark so peg it down before
you start dancing and
drinking (if you’re planning
on it).
• Bring a Torch. Here’s a fun
game: try finding your tent
amongst thousands like it
in the dark.
• Plastic Bin Liners and
Tape. Plastic bags make
the best shoes, seats and
sleeping bag covers around.
• Flag It. Mark your tent with
something distinctive (there
will be lots of tricolours
with the Summer that’s
in it, so go for something
else).
Insider Tip
# 5
Turn off your phone and roam
free, waiting for people in
fields is well overrated!
DJ Tu-Ki

Stay Safe, Stay Free
Festival/concert security is
usually pretty tight, with a
huge number of undercover
Gardaí floating around. Don’t
give them a reason to interfere
with your trip.
• Drugs. Even aside from
the health risks, just don’t
bother – the Gardaí will
happily bust you for even the
slightest infraction.
• Human Pyramids, Moshing
and Stage Diving. They
sound like a great idea, but
they’re not, and can end up
with you hurt or arrested
and the event being more
heavily policed next year –
which means tickets will be
even more expensive. And
that will be all thanks to
you, you free-flying fool.
• Valuables. Why bring
any? Only the essentials.
Cash and phone. Nearly
everyone has a smartphone
these days, if you are a bit
harzardous with gadgets,
leave it at home. Bring that
‘vintage’ Nokia phone from
years ago, nobody likes a
smashed i-phone screen at
the end of the day. Tears will
be streaming if it happens
to you.
• Cash. Bring enough but
spread it about your body.
Back and shallow front
pockets are useless – you
may as well give it away.
A money pouch or cash
bound in a small plastic bag
stuffed in the toe of your
shoe is good.
• Minding Your Stuff. At
festivals, make friends with
the occupants of the tents
around you and they’ll keep
an eye on your gear. Don’t
walk alone, you came with
your friends, stay with your
friends.

Giveaways
Win tickets to the best gigs of the summer!
Go to drinkaware.ie for your chance to win.
You don’t need to buy anything from us to enter, but you do need
to be over 18. Different tickets are up for grabs all summer
on the competitions page, so keep checking back. More info
and links to festival websites with full line-ups can be found at
drinkaware.ie
Some giveaways include tickets to David Guetta, Indiependence,
Safe Skin Sun Packs, Festival tees and a whole lot more!
Insider Tip
# 6
Festivals are all about sharing
and mucking in, and I’m not
really like that, so my advice
would be to get your own
corner and don’t interact with
anyone whatsoever.
LoneLady
Singer

Win tickets to Avicii!
DJ Avicci’s first arena tour is
hitting up Dublin this June.
See him live as he takes to
the decks in the O2 Dublin on
the 3rd June 2012.
For your chance to win, go to
drinkaware.ie
Win tickets to
Sea Sessions!
With a wide selection of
musical gems and a vast
range of fun activities you
will have an adrenalinpumping
weekend, we
have some tickets up for
grabs!
For your chance to win, go
to drinkaware.ie
Insider Tip
# 7
At the end of the festival when
the fields are full of heavy
traffic, lots of mud and many
cars stuck in it, your wellies can
come to the rescue again. Many
wellies are left littering the

Win weekend passes
to Castlepalooza!
With limited numbers,
indoor toilets and hot
showers we have loads of
weekend camping tickets
(3rd – 5th August) to
Castlepalooza to give away.
For your chance to win, go to
drinkaware.ie
Win flights to Thailand for
you and a friend!
Have you dreamed of
visiting the paradise islands
of Koh Samui or Koh Pha
Ngan, checking out the
thriving city of Bangkok
or seeing the temples in
Chiang Mai? Win flights
to the dream destination,
thanks to the Tropical
Medical Bureau!
For your chance to win,
go to drinkaware.ie
fields, use them to stick under
your front or rear tyres to help
you get out – and remember to
stay in 2nd or 3rd gear if you’re
stuck in the mud!
Sara
funkywellyboots.com

Be Smart
A smartphone is one of the
best tools for sorting out
your summer of festival
plans. Just make sure it
doesn’t get nicked or die a
sorry death in a pool of mud!
• Directions
Google Maps will get even
the most directionallychallenged
driver to their
destination. Just turn on the
GPS, tell it where you want to
go, and get a friend to keep
you on track (remember,
it’s against the law to use a
phone while driving, even
if you’re looking at maps
instead of talking).
• Gig Listings
Some festivals produce
dedicated apps to keep you in
the loop while you’re there,
some don’t! Keep an eye
on the festival website or
app to see when and where
your favourite bands are up
next! If you are one of those
super-organised, personalgig-schedule-planned-out-
weeks-in-advance kind of
people, you can use a note
taking app to keep your plans
in perfect order!
• Camera
Use the phone on your
camera instead of lugging
a separate one around – it’s
one less thing to lose!
• Music
Stick all your music onto
your phone before you leave,
and keep the tunes going
all night long. Plus, it’ll give
you a chance to listen to your
favourite band’s entire back
catalogue before you see
them live! There’s no better
way to build up excitement.

Checklist
Tickets (no, really, you’d be surprised)
Cash and mobile – and somewhere smart
to keep them
Extra layers for warming up and cooling down
Rain poncho, sunblock & sunhat
(cos you never know)
And if you’re staying over...
Tent (before you leave check the pack for
pegs and poles)
Plastic bags, tape and bin liners
Clothes and footwear for every weather
Plasters (those wellies might just pinch)
A flag
A torch
Bog roll
Wipes and hand gel
Toothbrush and paste
Grub and water
Condoms (once again, you never know)
Don’t bring...
Umbrellas into the arena, gas, glass bottles,
medication in unmarked containers, gazebos,
marquees or animals, regardless of your reasons!
Oh yeah, one last thing... Have a great time.

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