Every week we take a look in the RTÉ Guide archives to check out the stories from years gone by. On this week 31 years ago, it was all about Féile '95. The former Trip to Tipp, as the Féile festival was known after launching in Thurles in 1990, moved south to Cork. And covering an iconic '90s line-up for Féile TV on Network 2 were none other than Ray D'Arcy, Dustin, and Pat O'Mahony.
"They said it wouldn't happen- some people are still saying it - but the best efforts of boring old people haven't stopped Félle '95 from taking place," wrote Alan Corr in the RTÉ Guide cover story. "The venue is Pairc uí Chaoimh in Cork, the dates are August 4, 5 and 6 and the line-up is a heady mixture of banging techno, spooky trip hop, lilting indie pop, big band explosives, acid jazz and Kylie Minogue's miniskirt. This is pop '95 and you'd be mad to miss it."
And even if you couldn't make it to Cork, you wouldn't have to miss the musical action. "For the first time in the festival's six-year history RTE will be broadcasting over thirteen hours of Féile action on Network 2."
To preview the festival, Corr talked to Feíle TV presenter Ray D'Arcy and roving reporter for the weekend Pat O'Mahony, while "Dustin the Turkey provides us with up-to-the minute critiques of the best bands on offer."
1995 was the height of both trip-hop and Britpop, but the most anticipated act of the whole weekend was undoubtedly the Stone Roses, playing their first gig in Europe since their long awaited line up. Corr revealed that Ray D'Arcy was excited about the line-up. "Ray is looking forward to seeing The Stone Roses (aren't we all dearie?), Weller, Elastica and Sleeper. 'It will be interesting to see how they get on in a big stadium.' Ray, who used to be a mod, is hoping to catch [Paul] Weller too. 'Yeah I was way into The Jam but Weller turned me off when he went all pretentious with the Style Council, but I got back into him with Wildwood and Stanley Road."
D'Arcy was up to the challenge of fronting live festival coverage. "Ray's been doing discos since he was 15 but Féile TV Is a whole different kettle of soggy hotdogs and warm beer for him," wrote Corr. "'Féile TV is unique,' [said 'D'Arcy]. 'You get an immediate reaction from the crowd when you say anything and the idea of that going into all those homes is brilliant.There will also be a resident band backstage playing wedding hits and hopefully assorted megastars will join in on vocals. The serious ones will probably tell us to get stuffed.' (So you can count Paul Weller out). 'The wedding-style hits will be the complete opposite of what's going on outside on stage."Obviously we'll be interviewing anybody who'll talk to us, so hope-fully we'll get all the important people. With the big screen in the stadium, people have a short attention span so we'll be keeping The Chatterbox and Snog of The Day, but the interviews for TV will be halfway serious.'"
The line-up at Féile '95 was truly extraordinary, gathering some of the biggest names in '90s music. Friday saw sets from the Prodigy, Moby, Tricky, Kylie, Ash and Massive Attack, while Saturday was dominated by Blur - at the height of their war with Oasis, shortly before the release of 'Country House' - the Orb, M People, Lush and Andrew Weatherall. And Sunday was all about the Stone Roses, who had cancelled their Glastonbury slot two months earlier when guitarist John Squire broke his collar bone, who were joined on the bill by Orbital, Elastica, the Chemical Brothers and Carl Cox.
While Pat O'Mahony was looking forward to seeing if Tricky, who had released the extraordinary album Maxinquay just a few months earlier, could bring his studio-based sound to the stage, and had high hopes for Chemical Brothers, Elastica and of course the Stone Roses, Dustin was looking forward to wowing the crowd himself. As Corr wrote, "Dustin has already made a legendary appearance at Féile with his moving homage to 'A Woman's Heart'. "My arse is low, my arse is so low, like only a builder's arse can be, he sang. This year, he plans to rock the Lee with his deejaying brilliance (he has a few jobs planned on the side) and there may even be an impromptu performance from the bird himself."
