Page 38 - Zone Magazine Issue 017

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SOLASFESTIVAL2017
AREFLECTION __________________________________________________________________________________
wanted to take a moment to reflect upon and document the work and effort that went into pulling this together in such a short period of time, and also the
achievements attained in pulling this off and leaving smiles on everyone’s faces.
Solas came about after many meetings and discussions between the PHEVER, RAW & Mystik management teams after a potential venue close to Dublin was offered for
an outdoor event. The thought process was
firmly to try to pull off an all-Irish celebration of electronic music talent, artists and DJs (not relying on international headliners) by
bringing together the various crews, clubs, collectives & DJs for one cause and make it
in aid of a charity – with none more
relevant or important to the group and their families than mental health & suicide; so
Pieta House was chosen as the beneficiary for proceeds after costs. This is the very first time anything like this had been attempted, or successfully pulled off!
To ‘make a difference’ was the goal. These 3 small groups of thoughts, opinions, reservations, aspirations and ambitions argued and debated the merits and potential pitfalls but voted in favour of it despite the short timeline and risks involved.
After a few site visits and negotiations, a proposal was outlined and approved – however with only 12 weeks
before the end of August a date needed
to be chosen fast – so opinions moved
to August 19th – the only ‘optimal’ date avoiding other large events. Not optimal however considering holiday times.
The workload was immense. After
releasing initial early-bird tickets online,
however, wave 1 sold out very quickly –
prompting the group to extend the
advance rate allocation at only €25 for
longer. The collectives all signed up –
but over the first few weeks we realised
who was more interested and determined to really be involved, and who wasn’t – a very real point to bring forward into next year unfortunately.
The anticipated attendance at this mini-festival was approx. 500 people. Venue location could not be made public because the premises was tendered for sale and posed security risks and extra costs if publicised – so needed to include return transport. As venue was unlicensed a BYOB event was released initially.
Weekly multiple meetings and daily calls, planning, plotting, bookings, checking – the time of year was very much against us for this event – but there were no other options available this year- we had to push forward.
Most of our target headliners were either booked or on vacation themselves. Some of our old (and so not old!) reliables came through, and we were delighted that Derry’s Loco & Jam took time out of their hectic global touring schedule to join us on the day as they have also had been affected and touched by our chosen charity & cause. So the line-up increased...
Then one month before the event we got a call that the venue had been SOLD... and new owner placed a retainer on the site meaning no access – and no event. However within 48 hours we were
able to secure a backup alternative based on the nature of the event and tickets already sold, plus this
venue had a license which meant full bar – so this information was publicised at the start of
August.
Tickets then finished on early-bird rate and
printed tickets released to the DJs & collectives for sale at €30, and 1 week later the final wave released online via Eventbrite
at €35 – amazing value for over 40 Irish headline DJs & live acts for a one-day festival
including transport...
Despite press releases going out online and via email to databases, press & media Ireland & UK there’s
little support for something as unique and home-grown as what Solas stands for with noted exception and huge thanks to the following: Daily Star (Mark Kavanagh), Iconic Underground, Zone Magazine & bloggers online including Rhea Boyden. The UK press, however and all of the other Irish press, largely ignore the massive efforts on this – I am hopeful that next year more mainstream media
outlets will take more of an interest in promoting an event that is attempting to raise funds for a very important cause: mental health awareness and suicide prevention. Bringing people together for a day of music and celebration is a good first step in helping people who may be silently suffering.
That said, however, the event date came, and the few very long days in setup paid off. The busses rolled in
around 1pm and the party got started. The site featured 4 stages run by the collectives PHEVER, Mystik, RAW and Bookclub. There were food stands, bars and other attractions, plus more importantly, control, safety and an overall great atmosphere. That’s all I’m personally gonna get into without bias, cause you really had to be there.
Thank you EVERYONE involved. I stated earlier this was a smiles all round kind of day from start to finish, and it was just that... roll on 2018.
Words By Dean Sherry
I
" Mental health effects everybody, sometimes its ok to feel down. Its about talking to family member's and friends. "
38 ZONE-MAGAZINE.COM