Borderline Festival is a new two day event of emerging bands & acts breaking through and focusing on left-of-centre, forward-facing artists that are pushing all the boundaries. Borderline gives each artist a a platform to showcase their music to an Irish audience.
Not just an event, but a celebration of creativity, which pushes the boundaries of artistic expression and introducing audiences to an array of what is on offer from the Irish and international music scenes.
Across the two nights and two rooms of The Workman’s Club Dublin , Borderline Festival will play host to .
Anthony Szmierek / Cardinals / Efe / Enola Gay / Fat Dog / Kai Bosch / Lambrini Girls / Maurja / Miso Extra / Mount Palomar / Nxdia / Sam Akpro / Sans Soucis / Spider / University.
Kicking off the proceeding on night two fell upon Cardinals, a four piece rock outfit from County Cork (Ire) and as opposed to the previous night things starred in the main room, where the night before it was the Cellar.
Guess what its those stairs again lol , yeah I know I was getting bored of them also lol. But anyway it was the first trip down to the Cellar to catch, Egyptian born, now based in Manchester (Uk) alternative-pop singer-songwriter Nxdia.
Back in the main room and for the second last time of the night, it was to see Sam Akpro, hailing from Peckham south-east London (Uk) and bringing some fuzzed out guitars and digi-drums to the room, with some very subdued lighting for effect.
Next to take the stage in The Cellar was Irish artist hailing from Dublin (Ire) EFÉ, bringing her synth pads and funky guitar tones to create some summery bedroom pop.
Last run to the main room as there was only three acts on the main stage for the night, with everything moving down stairs after this to finish out the festival with a few more acts . But what a way to finish out in the main room with Belfast-based Irish noise-punk 4-piece Enola Gay. I have a love hate relationship with this band. As a photographer I hate them as they always choose to play with minimal lighting. But as a music fan I love these guys.
I wasn’t sure if I was going to catch any of the next act in The Cellar as she was the only time clash over the entire festival, with both her and Enola Gay starting at 9.30pm, but lucky enough I managed to catch the last two songs of her set.
After making my way through the packed room, fast-rising London (Uk) based singer, rapper and producer Miso Extra seemed to be having the time of her life on stage. I’m sorry I didn’t manage to catch more of her set, but cant be in two places at once as they say.
Unfortunately it had come to the last act of the night for me (dont you just hate having to leave to catch a bus) but one saving grace was that it was Manchester (Uk) four-piece Maruja and they blasted on the stage in The Cellar and it was a full on assault of sound form them.
So the two night festival came to an end for me, but not for all that had attended as there were two more acts to play in The Cellar which I unfortunately had to miss (Sorry!) that being Belfast (Ire) based producer and live electronic hardware act Mount Palomar and Toké O’Drift sited as being a one man sonic shambles. Forcibly smushing punk warbling, nasty beats and synthe (taking from Facebook). The latter I’m disappointed I had to miss, but next time!.
As a fledgling festival Borderline was a joy to attend and with a vast array of emerging talent on show it made for a great way to catch and see whats bubbling under the surface and about to explode on to the music scene. so keep your eyes peeled for all these acts and of-course for this Dublin festival again next year and its a great wat to shake the winter blues.
All photos – Ian Mc Donnell