An Indian Summer is afoot here in Stradbally.  

We began our day in the company of The Stranglers who, having been together for more than forty years, are older than 95% of those watching them in the early afternoon sun. Nonetheless age is, as they say, just a number and that was evident while watching the post-punk legends do their thing on the main stage.

It wasn’t long before ‘Golden Brown’ made an appearance. Predictably it was the recipient of the biggest crowd reaction throughout the set but the likes of ‘Peaches’ and ‘Hanging Around’ were also highlights.

A brief visit to Hozier on the main stage at 5.30pm served to underline exactly how big the Wicklow native has gotten in less than a year. A year ago, if you said an Irish musician named Hozier would be play one of the weekend’s most anticipated sets you’d probably be greeted by a succession of blank faces but the sheer amount of press this guy has received both at home and abroad has signalled the arrival of a special talent.

The first of Cathy Davey’s two sets today was in the Electric Arena (you can catch her again at the Salty Dog at 00:45) might serve as an appetiser or what’s to come. It was great, but the half full Electric Arena should be trumped later on by her show at that bizarre pirate ship stage out there in the woods.

Next up for us tonight is White Denim at the Cosby Stage before Saturday night’s main attractions Portishead, London Grammar, Chic and James Vincent McMorrow do their thing.

The night is only just beginning!

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