All Hollowed out


A few months back my boyfriend started raving about a festival called Hollow Sounds taking part in Kilkenny and insisting we get tickets for it. It was taking place in the Ballykeeffe Amphitheatre just outside Kilkenny and he was as excited for the music as the venue, I on the other hand was going along for the nice day out. The whole event was organised by HomeBeat which is run by Emmett Condon and are responsible for many fantastic events around Dublin.The venue changed closer to the date to The Set Theatre in the heart of Kilkenny City but we were happy to be indoors for the night with the unpredictability of Irish weather. 

 We headed up just before lunch time, I was feeling spontaneous because I'd just emptied a whole lot of change into the magic change machine (coinstar) in Tescos and got some lovely real cash in return so that was lunch and dinner paid for. We were in luck as it was a lovely sunny day so ideal for wandering around a beautiful city, wasting time.

 We got something to eat and wandered around the shops, I was ready to move into Dubray books but Stephen was bored after two minutes in there. We went for a drink and chat with an incredibly drunk old man and left before finishing (mostly because of the drunk man) and then got some pricey but delicious deserts in the Kilkenny Design centre. I got a little carried away and even bought a new outfit for the night, temporarily forgetting all my adult responsibilities, then panicked later as I counted down the days until payday.

 For Dinner we decided to try La Rivista on Parliment Street. I had been told they did a gluten free pizza so we decided to chance getting a table which I know is probably a brave endeavour on a Saturday night in a popular restaurant but we like to live on the edge and we were heading before seven. Luckily they had a table for us because we had no back up plan for dinner if that fell through. The restaurant was just as lovely as I had heard, I'd walked past it a few times but never stopped to read the menu as for the most parts Italian restaurants are not overly inviting for the gluten intolerant. The staff very really friendly and gave us a table provided they had it back for a booking at 8. I chuckled to myself as that was an hour and forty minutes away so there was no danger we'd still be sitting there. I went for a gluten free margherita and Stephen got a pasta with prawns and a glass of wine. We weren't waiting long for our food and it arrived looking delicious. Admittedly the gluten free base was not the nicest I'd ever had but the toppings more than made up for it and I enjoyed every last bite. It did make me a little sad that I could not eat their regular pizza as I bet that's amazing. Stephen left no trace of his pasta in the bowl, always a good sign and we left pleasantly full. 
We moved my car and went for a drink while waiting for Hollow Sounds. I was on minerals as per usual which is probably for the best considering I was the one driving (I'm always the one driving) and Stephen was on wine because we seemed to be in the wrong spot for a good Belgian beer. We got into the Set Theatre around 9.30. I've never been to anything there before but its great venue. The stage is downstairs and there's tables and couches dotted around the room and upstairs they have a balcony/dress circle with theatre seating. Upstairs had the better view and sound but we opted for comfort and grabbed ourselves a lovely couch in the corner.
The first band up was Slow Skies. It was a really nice mellow start to the night. The lead singer had an amazing voice and sang the sort of haunting melodies that would send shivers down your spine. When the music started I knew we had made the right choice in coming to Hollow Sounds. I had never heard of the band before but then again I am somewhat an ingénue when it comes to great music. I don't know where to go to look for it or how everyone else seems to know about all these fantastic bands that I haven't heard but luckily Stephen seems to have his finger on the pulse of the music scene and I can trust him to drag me along to these kind of great music events that I'd otherwise never have discovered. I was sorry that I had spent all money on silly things and not been able to get their Ep on the night.

 I thought I had an idea of how the night was likely to be after the first act and was picturing this really mellow and relaxed night like the one we had at Twin Headed wolves and that's fine by me. I love a nice intimate gig. I realised within seconds of Neon Wolf taking the stage that I was wrong. The energy in the room changed completely and I could see they were taking it up a notch. The lead singer started to dance up on the stage and you could tell he was giving it everything and it made for a thoroughly entertaining performance. The music is sort of indie based synth pop and I found myself feeling more alert and upbeat just one song in. The guys really gave it their all and played a fantastic set. By the time Jape took to the stage the crowd was hopping.

Jape is fronted by Richie Egan and is best described as meticulously crafted lyrics with an upbeat electronic rhythms or his Facebook page says a sort of gothic pop. I usually have an aversion to electronic music because I often get bored without a band to watch, yes I'm odd like that. I wasn't feeling that last night, with the way he blended electronic elements with drums, guitar and alluring lyrics. The energy up on stage was electric. There was one bearded man in the crowd who was doing some of the happiest dancing I had ever seen and I found myself watching him when the stage became obscured by the dancing masses and just lost myself in the music.

 We didn't hang around for the Dj set because I had the drive home to face into but we left in great spirits after another great day and night in Kilkenny

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