Solas Festival is the name used by a number of separate festivals. The Scottish Solas Festival takes place in Biggar

Biggar, South Lanarkshire

Biggar is a town and former burgh in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is situated in the Southern Uplands, near the River Clyde, around 30 miles from Edinburgh along the A702. The closest towns are Lanark and Peebles, and as such Biggar serves a wide rural area...

, Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

. This year it is on the weekend of the 24th-26th of June, 2011 - acts such as Iain Morrison (formerly of Crash My Model Car, We See Lights

We See Lights

We See Lights is a Scottish alternative indie pop band from Edinburgh, Scotland.-History:We See Lights are an Edinburgh based indie folk band. The band was started by Stephen James Bogle, Paul Dougall and Allan Rae in the Winter of 2007. The band were originally called the Quiet Revolution...

 and the The Peatbog Faeries

Peatbog Faeries

The Peatbog Faeries are a largely instrumental Celtic fusion band. Formed in 1991, they are based in Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye, Scotland.Their music embodies many styles and influences, including folk, electronica, rock and jazz, - but their main influence is traditional celtic music...

 played last year.
Solas Festival was also an Irish

Republic of Ireland

Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

 music festival

Music festival

A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...

 which took place in the grounds of Huntington Castle

Huntington Castle, Clonegal

Huntington Castle, also known as Clonegal Castle, is a castle in Clonegal, County Carlow, Ireland.The structure was originally a "plantation castle",, used for defensive purposes during the plantation of the area in the early 17th century. The original tower house, which served as a garrison, was...

, Clonegal

Clonegal

Clonegal, officially Clonegall , is a village in the southeast of County Carlow, Ireland. It is in a rural setting, 5 km from Bunclody, County Wexford, 22 km from Carlow and 17 km from the proposed interchange of the N9 and N80 roads at Rathcrogue. It is just over a mile north of...

 in County Carlow

County Carlow

County Carlow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Carlow, which lies on the River Barrow. Carlow County Council is the local authority for the county...

 on Saturday August 16 and Sunday August 17, 2008. The festival started at midday on both days. Free parking and camping were provided.

Over 500 festival-goers attended, with more males than females suspected to have attended. Extreme weather conditions discouraged more people from attending. 3,000 people had been expected to attend prior to the event.

The festival was promoted as "providing a platform for up-and-coming Irish acts" as well as featuring "some big-name bands".

Performances

Dirty Epics

Dirty Epics

Dirty Epics are a four-piece Irish New Wave band formed in Greystones, County Wicklow, but now resided in Dublin. They are composed of vocalist Sarah Jane Wai, bassist Richard Power, guitarist Darren McCoy and drummer Alan Delaney and are managed by Nadine O'Flynn. They have performed at numerous...

, Noise Control

Noise control

Noise control is an active or passive means of reducing sound emissions, often incentivised by personal comfort, environmental considerations or legal compliance. Practical and efficient noise control is wholly reliant on an accurate diagnosis of what is causing the noise, which first involves...

, StarLittleThing and The Coronas

The Coronas

The Coronas are an Irish rock and indie band. They have released three studio albums, Heroes or Ghosts , Tony Was An Ex-Con and "Closer to You"...

 were amongst the performing acts. Other acts confirmed to make an appearance included Kíla

Kíla

Kíla are an Irish folk music/World music group, originally formed in 1987 in the Irish Language secondary school, Coláiste Eoin in Co. Dublin. Kila's blend of Irish traditional music and World Music with a modern rock sensibility is generally credited with breathing new life into contemporary Irish...

, Preston Reed

Preston Reed

Preston Reed is an American fingerstyle and tapping guitarist.- Biography :Preston Reed learned guitar as a child on his father's guitar and, for a short time, classical guitar with a too-severe teacher. When he was 16 his interest was rekindled by Jorma Kaukonen's acoustic guitar-playing in Hot...

, Don Ross

Don Ross (guitarist)

Donald James Ross , commonly known as Don Ross, is a Canadian fingerstyle guitarist noted for the emotion and intensity of his playing as well as his use of extended technique....

, Andy McKee

Andy McKee

Andy McKee is an American fingerstyle guitarist, currently signed to the American record label .His style of playing and his compositions have earned him a considerable international fanbase...

, Travega, Rocket Surgery, Alloy Mental, God Is an Astronaut

God Is an Astronaut

God Is an Astronaut are an instrumental/post-rock band from the Glen of the Downs, Co. Wicklow, Ireland.-History:After forming in 2002, God is an Astronaut took the inspiration for its name from a famous quote in the movie Nightbreed...

, Audiojack, Alex Under, Rob Smith, Bovine Frenzy, Dinky

Dinky Bingham

Dinky Bingham is an African-American singer, musician, songwriter, producer, and engineer....

, Produse, Chymera, Sian

Sianspheric

SIANspheric , is a shoegaze/dream pop-oriented rock band from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They formed in 1994, and signed with the then-fledgling record label Sonic Unyon. The following year, Somnium, their debut album, was released...

 and Eddie Brennan

Eddie Brennan

Eddie Brennan is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club Graigue-Ballycallan and has been a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team since 2000.-Biography:...

. Irish jazz

Jazz

Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...

 duo Zrazy

Zrazy

Zrazy is a meat dish popular in Eastern Europe, especially Poland , Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine.-Ingredients:Classic zrazy have a twisted shape and are made of thin slices of chopped beef, which is flavored with salt and pepper and stuffed with vegetables, mushrooms, eggs, and potato...

 will also play. Zrazy are Maria Walsh (vocals, bodhrán) and Carole Nelson (sax, piano).

The Kettle Stage

The line-up for the imaginatively titled dance stage included A Guy Called Gerald

A Guy Called Gerald

A Guy Called Gerald is the stage name for the musician, record producer and DJ Gerald Simpson ....

, Milanese

Milanese

Milanese is the central variety of the Western Lombard language spoken in the city and province of Milan....

, DJ Godfather

DJ Godfather

DJ Godfather is a Ghettotech music producer and disc jockey from Detroit, Michigan.His most notable mix is the "Godzilla "....

, Detroit Grand Pubahs

Detroit Grand Pubahs

The Detroit Grand Pubahs are an American musical group from Detroit, Michigan, comprising Paris the Black Fu and The Mysterious Mr O. . One of the founding members, Dr. Toefinger , left in 2004...

, Ti Ki, Syntheme, Boxcutter

Boxcutter (musician)

Boxcutter is the pseudonym for Barry Lynn , an electronic musician from Northern Ireland whose work, due to its bass-led and rhythmically 2-step nature, is often categorised as dubstep, although in style and idiosyncrasies has more in common with IDM artists such as Squarepusher and µ-Ziq.-...

, MC Julie Dillon, Barry Delta, Synergy

Larry Fast

Lawrence Roger 'Larry' Fast is a synthesizer expert and composer. He is best known for Synergy, his 1975–1987 series of synthesizer music albums, and for his contribution to a number of popular music acts, including Peter Gabriel, Foreigner, and Hall and Oates.- Biography :Fast grew up in...

, DJ Flip & Filthy Rich, Whitenoise, Worries Outernational, Matt Jazz & Handsome Paddy, Bonz, Signor P, Gavin Feeney, Conor Feeney and T-Woc.

Full list

Promising "a new era in quality boutique festivals," the festival took place at Huntingdon Castle, Clonegal, County Carlow on August 16–17. Tickets were priced at €120, including camping. Capacity was 4,000.

The lineup runs:

Solas Stage (Main Stage) – Saturday: Autamata, God Is an Astronaut

God Is an Astronaut

God Is an Astronaut are an instrumental/post-rock band from the Glen of the Downs, Co. Wicklow, Ireland.-History:After forming in 2002, God is an Astronaut took the inspiration for its name from a famous quote in the movie Nightbreed...

, Hijack Oscar, Back Doors, Dirty Epics

Dirty Epics

Dirty Epics are a four-piece Irish New Wave band formed in Greystones, County Wicklow, but now resided in Dublin. They are composed of vocalist Sarah Jane Wai, bassist Richard Power, guitarist Darren McCoy and drummer Alan Delaney and are managed by Nadine O'Flynn. They have performed at numerous...

, Hybrasil

Hybrasil

Hybrasil are an Irish underground electronica group that formed in the seaside town of Wicklow, Ireland in 2004. The band are named after Brazil, a phantom island featured in a many Irish myths...

, Kill City Defectors, Rocket Surgery.

Sunday: Kíla

Kíla

Kíla are an Irish folk music/World music group, originally formed in 1987 in the Irish Language secondary school, Coláiste Eoin in Co. Dublin. Kila's blend of Irish traditional music and World Music with a modern rock sensibility is generally credited with breathing new life into contemporary Irish...

, Republic of Loose

Republic of Loose

Republic of Loose are an Irish funk rock band from Dublin. Formed in 2001, the band currently consists of lead vocalist Mick Pyro, bass guitarist and vocalist Benjamin Loose, keyboardist Darragh, guitarists and vocalists Dave Pyro and Darach O' Laoire and drummers and percussionists Andre Lopes...

, Preston Reed, Andy McKee, Don Ross, Ham Sandwich, Travega, Stanley Super 800

Stanley Super 800

Stanley Super 800 is an Irish band, from Cork. The group's second album, Louder & Clearer, received a nomination for the 2007 Choice Music Prize.- Studio albums :* Stanley Super 800 * Louder & Clearer - External links :* '*...

, Different Drums of Ireland.

Spectrum Stage – Saturday: Alex Under [Net 28 Showcase], Damian Schwartz Live [Net 28 Showcase], Heart Throb [Minus], Dinky, Tractile [Live], Miss Jools A.K.A Sleeper Thief, Eddie Brennan & Dan McElligot [Electric City], String [Live - Multifunktion], Timmy Stewart.

Sunday: Audiojack, Dusty Kid, Switch, Johnny Moy & Arveene [Clampdown], Alloy Mental, Noise Control

Noise control

Noise control is an active or passive means of reducing sound emissions, often incentivised by personal comfort, environmental considerations or legal compliance. Practical and efficient noise control is wholly reliant on an accurate diagnosis of what is causing the noise, which first involves...

, Produse Live, Dougmore/Multifunktion, Chymera [Live], Sian.

Kettle/music Light/Night Stage – Saturday: A Guy Called Gerald [3 Hr Set], Tu Ki [4 Time Irish DMC Champ], Matjazz & Handsome Paddy [4 Deck Set], Whitenoise [Human Beatbox], Synergy [Reach], Barry Delta [Reach], Bonz [174], Worries Outernational Soundsystem.

Sunday: DJ Godfather [Databass], Detroit Grand Pubahs Dj Set [DET.ELE.FUNK], Boxcutter [Planet MU], Milanese [Planet MU], Syntheme [Planet MU], T-Woc [Alphabetset], Signor Pepe Hernandez [KETTLE], Big Dish Go Djs - Conor & Gav Feeney, Firehouse Skank [Selector Enda].

Humanmusic.ie Stage – Saturday: Preston Reed, The Last Tycoons, The Hot Sprockets, Erik Noon, Nicola Williams, Lauren Guillery & The Claws, Quintessential, DJ Half Dutch.

Sunday: Sickboy, The Murder of Crows, The Brothers Movement, More Tiny Giants, Hassle Merchants, Skuzzi Port, Rob Smith (solo), Brean Wilson, Christina Quill.

Prism Stage – Saturday: The Urges, Intinn, Gavin Glass & The Holy Shakers, The Red Labels, The Straglers, Grand Casino, Niall Toner Band, The Bovine Frenzy, Brian Meakin Experience, Niwel Tsumbu, Zrazy.

Sunday: Grada, Neon Flea Circus, Miracle Bell

Miracle Bell

Miracle Bell are an Indie Rock band from Naas, Ireland. Formed in 2005 the band is composed of band members Dave Prendergast, John Broe & John Rigney.-History:...

, The Mighty Stef, Tucan, The Cuban Allstars, The Ceili Allstars, Jester, Rob Smith (solo), West African Drum Group.

Fusion Stage – Saturday: Peter Breen [Electric Circus], Sex Shop Dave [Electric Circus], Mike McCoy [Electronic Ireland], Sean Galvin [Schmutzig], Bad Boy Blast [Strutt /Techfest], Joe McGrath [Junction], Jay Galligan [Electric City /Test], Paudi Ahern [Transmission], Stuey Lyon's [Junction], Jeff Walters - Winter Beats], Fran Hartnet [Junction].

Sunday: Cj Fitzs [Transmission], Barry Donovan [Lunar Disko], Aron Nolan [Acii disco], Al Keegan [Acii disco], Cian Frawley [Strutt / Techfest], Stam [Junction], Niall Power [Electric Circus], Rian Ryan [Electric City].