All Together Now, first night review: Rain fails to dampen spirits at Co Waterford festival
Trinity Orchestra on the main stage at All Together Now on the Friday of the festival in Curraghmore, Co Waterford.
All Together Now has returned to Curraghmore, Co Waterford, for it's fourth instalment this bank holiday weekend and the good word from last year seems to have spread as the event feels bigger and busier than ever.
There are installations all over and so much going on, from impromptu conga lines to guest collaborations on stage. "Where's Nowhere Land?" we're asked early on Friday afternoon. Er, we don't think it exists actually but with the ever-sprawling ATN site, maybe it will have appeared come Sunday night.
As for Friday, yes the dreaded rain that had been forecast that evening duly arrived. Drops started during Sorcha Richardson's early evening set, it got heavier during Jessie Ware's disco inferno, and because a deluge for Annie Mac's set at the Lovely Days stage. But when Annie dropped a Bicep mashup with Sinéad O'Connor's 'Nothing Compares 2 U', well, the rain didn't feel that bad after all.
That was the third tribute to the late singer that's we'd come across on Friday, the loss still evidently palpable ten days on. The underrated millennial chronicler Ailbhe Reddy finishes on am impressive cover of 'The Last Day of Our Acquaintance', while a short while later a rejuvenated David Kitt segues into 'Mandinka'. "I think we all felt that one," he says after seguing into the led cover cover announcing afterwards, "Rest in peace our patron saint Sinéad O'connor."
It's an eye-opening performance from the grizzled Dublin veteran, eschewing a traditional band for a backing singer/dancer and a saxophone player. While it helps that 2023's Idiot Check is his best album in years, Kitt teases us with a couple of songs from the Big Romance, suggesting that he'll have to come back and play it in full sometime. Yes please!
As for the big hitters on day one, Jessie Ware only lasted 55 minutes on the main stage but what a performance. With dancers gyrating around her and a guitarist raised on Prince, 'What's Your Pleasure?' Is surely the sexiest song ATN has even seen, Ware cracking a whip attached to her mic.
Proving that variety is the spice of festival life, the second stage is crammed for Lankum's set straight after Ware. They seem to revel in the raucousness of the crowd, some of their trad songs ready to take the roof off. From there the night devolved into a slew of superlative DJs. London duo Overmono bring out David Balfe aka For Those I Love for an incendiary, undeniable song of his, 'I Have a Love', his own ode to a friend sadly lost.
Norwegian DJ Todd Terje practically walks us back to our tents around 3am, trudging through the mud. Saturday started with strong winds, thankfully due to abate around lunchtime, and no more rain is forecast. All Together Now has all the ingredients in place for another deliriously good weekend.
