EQUINOX
Equinox are the opening band for the festival, and they bring contagious chaos into the room from the get-go. They play a range of their own songs as well as covers, dedicating one; “For the MySpace deathcore fans in the room” as the crowd erupts. Guttural, emotive screams are echoed around the venue as the lead singer tilts his head towards the ceiling while the rest of the band keep completely in sync with the melodies and rhythms produced. They exceeded at the job of warming up the crowd, they’re exuding passion as they play which moves the audience emotionally and physically. We get beautiful moments when other members from the other bands who are present and yet to perform are screaming into the mics and hyping them up, this is when we begin to realise that we’re in a very special and supportive space…
PRAELIUM
Praelium‘s set was insanity. I’ve never seen a band spend more time off the stage than on during a performance, and in their own words, they state, “We like to climb things.” The guitarist is spinning in circles in the crowd, up and down the stairs, reaching all corners of the room then jumps back on the stage again for a brief moment…. He comes to the middle of the room and does handstands over his guitar, plays it on the floor and ignited a huge circle pit, while not missing a note or a riff; I’ve never witnessed this level of ‘guitar gymnastics’ before. Now the crowd is sitting on the floor like a ‘rock the boat’ moment, as the majority of band members join in; there are cartwheels, moshing and hardcore moves galore, when everyone jumps up in sync; the room shakes. So much chaotic movement is pouring off the stage and into the crowd, who match the band’s energy gladly; the musicians are all moving in different directions on stage while staying in complete sync in regard to their sound. They’re taking no time to pause and reflect; everything is done abruptly and with a sense of urgency. Elements of surprise and ‘blink and you’ll miss them’ moments are prevalent. While the band use their musical talents and their natural ability to ensue madness, the stealth of the crowd was equally impressive as people moshed with pints in hand, not spilling a drop while two-stepping immaculately to the beat. Crowd members are handed guitars to play, and everyone feels very involved in this haywire performance; they really involve you in their set, and you don’t have time to even consider objecting. Their stage presence was so immense, they got a very well-deserved encore!
12 GAUGE OUTRAGE
12 Gauge Outrage start off their set strong with their unique sound. While alternating places on stage, their talents and musical arrangements shine through effortlessly. Shredding guitars are now leading into intricate melodies with a nostalgic sound. The musicians are so in the moment; you can see the passion within their expressions, as well as the way they move and the way they look at each other and to the crowd, adoringly. Smoke machines are now on full blast, engulfing the stage as the next song plays out. In between songs, they’re fist-pumping and shaking hands with the audience, then throwing their hands up in the air devil horn style. Headbanging ensues to electrifying riifs and impressively delivered songs. Their usual drummer couldn’t be there, so they had a stand-in; and they all worked so well together. The present drummer stands up in between songs, sticks in the air, matching the consistent enthusiasm from them all, you can tell they love what they do. They announced the last song, and there’s an audible “N’awhhhhh” from the audience who so clearly didn’t want their addictive energy to end.
TOO FAR FETCHED
Two Far Fetched played twice at this festival; as they filled in for another band’s slot, their set was split into two parts. Set one was wittily named “One Far Fetched”, which had their more well-known songs; their second set was their heavier set, where they were “Two Far Fetched”. Technical precision, passion, energy and fun were given throughout both performances. All members are extremely talented musicians and skilled performers, exuding confidence and delivering undefinable heavy sounds while amazing the crowd throughout. The bassist had magnetic stage presence while whipping his hair around in circles and playing notes confidently with his powerful stance. There are so many elements and layers to their sound, and they created quite the mosh pit in the building!
The sense of community and warmth within the space was felt from the second I stepped foot in the door. The supportive atmosphere was so prevalent; you could really feel the love within the room. Each of the bands supported each other by instigating mosh pits and applause from the crowd throughout each other’s sets. Everything was organised to perfection: each band got ample set times, the merch was stunning and unique, the food was ideal, and the bands, crowd and organisers were so welcoming; it was a whole festival filled with community care and chaos. Thank you for keeping the scene alive!
It’s hard to put into words the sense of community on the night; it was something you had to feel. It was like going home to a place you’ve never been to before, but everyone has the same sense of understanding, and we’re all there for the same reasons. Take this as your sign to support your local hardcore community wherever in the world you may be reading from!
A statement from the organisers;
Myself- Aislinn Corrigan and Anthony O’ Reilly decided to form Farfetchedproductions because we wanted to bring metal nights back to Mullingar. We had been toying with the idea of a festival, with Anto having played at festivals in places like Cavan, Enniscorthy, and Tullamore. Mullingar has always been known to be a musical town, and we haven’t had nights where our community could all come together in such a long time. Combining a metal festival with local businesses and a fundraiser for dogs just came organically. I’ve worked with dog charities for years and had previously held fundraisers, so this seemed like a no-brainer. Everyone in Mullingar really dug deep without question to donate, volunteer, and play the show, and we are so lucky!
Ramona and Chris from Dog Rescue Coolronan have been running for nearly twenty years after visiting a local pound and their hearts breaking at all the dogs left without homes. They started small and never knew how many dogs they would end up saving!
Our T-shirts were designed by our very talented friend and tattoo artist Lorna Coroon; incorporating the story of “The Children of Lir” with a fitting metal aesthetic.
Our other friend and tattoo artist Daria from Angel Art designed our swan stickers and both Daria and Angel Art sponsored the whole event and made it happen!
Local garment printing professionals KC Sports printed our shirts with the utmost quality and professionalism.
Our whole event wouldn’t have happened without our community coming together and with our sponsors Lorna Coroon, Daria Vitkov, Angel art, Coynes.ie, Annebrook house hotel, Shaws hardware, Flagship signs and Lorna Daly Bohemian fitness.
Our first ToofarFEST raised a whopping 2541.05 for Dog Rescue Coolronan and we plan on doing it all over again next year. Watch this space!
Please note that I unfortunately missed out on seeing the other bands on the flyer, due to public transport limitations, but we’re looking forward to covering them at another gig soon and hopefully interviewing them also…stay tuned!
Aislinn Corrigan and Anthony O’ Reilly- organisers of TooFarFEST and owners of Farfetchedproductions. photograph taken by Luke Byrne
TooFarFEST group photograph taken by Derek Powell
