The essential acts to catch over the three days and nights…
Forbidden Fruit returns to Dublin this June Bank Holiday weekend, with another typically eclectic line-up, whatever the weather.
Now in its eighth year, the bash on the grounds of the Royal Hospital Kilmainham is firmly established as the proper kick-off to festival season.
The 2018 edition (Saturday 2 – Monday 4 June) promises three days and nights of revelry that revellers can enjoy even if rain dampens their spirits or however that cliché goes.
A limited number of tickets are available if you’re thinking of heading along, and if you are, here’s 10 acts that you absolutely need to make time for…
1. HOOKWORMS
Clip via Domino Recording Co.
You may not have heard of Hookworms, so this is the perfect opportunity to change that.
One of the hardest-working acts around, the Leeds outfit have been plugging away since the turn of the decade, crafting an inventive brand of rock (and occasional pop) that flirts with everything from hazy shoegaze to vivid psychedelia.
Latest album Microshift goes big on synth-based weirdness, confirming Hookworms as one of the most hard-to-define acts out there right now. Terrific live band, too.
Where/When: Hookworms play the Undergrowth Stage at 3.45pm on Saturday.
2. MANGO X MATHMAN
Clip via Mango x MathMan
Dublin grime sensation Mango is everywhere right now, and for good reason.
The last 12 months have been huge for a rapper who boasts a genuine connection with and passion for his city and the people within it. Alongside producer Math Man, he released the Wheel Up EP at the end of 2017, to much deserved acclaim.
That five-track offering goes some way to capturing the Mango x Math Man energy, but it’s really a great advertisement to catch them live and get lost in the community spirit.
Where/When: Undergrowth Stage, Saturday at 5pm. Expect a packed house.
3. GLASS ANIMALS
Clip via Glass Animals
As anyone who caught Glass Animals in Dublin’s Olympia Theatre on Halloween weekend back in 2016 will tell you, their fans are a loud bunch.
The Oxford indie group tend to draw a passionate crowd, and their knowingly lazy, experimental take on modern pop music is perfect for an outdoor setting as the sun begins to dim a little.
Where/When: Original Stage as the warm-up to Justice on Saturday night at 7.50pm.
4. IDRIS ELBA
Clip via Radar Radio
Yes, that Idris Elba.
The star of The Wire, Luther and a handful of Marvel movies is hitting up Dublin with his decks in tow.
DJ Big Driis (or Driis the Londoner if you prefer) has been dabbling in music for quite a while now – he has his own Resident Advisor page, so you know he’s legit – and should please even those who just want to get a quick photo of Stringer Bell in action for their Instagram.
Where/When: Elba headlines the Lighthouse Stage on Saturday at 9.30pm.
5. EARL SWEATSHIRT
Clip via EarlxSweatshirtMusic
One of the most dazzling talents to emerge from the Odd Future collective, Earl Sweatshirt continues to develop as one of the more intriguing presences in rap and hip-hop.
2015 sophomore album I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside confirmed a fearless artist that skilfully mixes the compelling with the complex, all with a seriously personal finish.
Where/When: Original Stage, 5.45pm Sunday.
6. VINCE STAPLES
Clip via VinceStaplesVEVO
An exceptional, vital voice that the music industry frankly desperately needs right now, the seemingly restless Vince Staples is nothing short of essential.
Having left Californian gang culture behind, Staples brings conviction and razor-sharp cadence to his wildly prolific work, boasting some of the most arresting lyrics, delivery and production of recent years.
Big Fish Theory was one of 2017’s best albums, and Vince went on to steal the show on this year’s Kendrick Lamar-curated Black Panther soundtrack. Expect him to do the same this weekend.
Where/When: Original Stage. Sunday. 7pm.
7. BONOBO
Clip via Bonobo
Sample-based ethereal electronic musician Simon Green aka Bonobo specialises in creating natural soundscapes peppered with synths and drums.
That might sound a touch straightforward, but Green’s approach and execution is innovative as it is exciting. His position as Sunday night headliner has been earned through years of commitment and construction – he’ll build the house up before he brings it down.
Where/When: Bonobo takes to the Original Stage at 9.45pm on Sunday.
8. THUNDERCAT
Clip via Brainfeedermedia
It’s almost impossible to read any kind of literature related to Thundercat that doesn’t contain the word ‘funk’ in it, so we’ll do our best not to cover well-trodden ground here.
Suffice to say, the ludicrously talented multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire operates at Prince levels when it comes to conjuring up a smoke-filled universe of hypnotic groove-based adventures.
Where/When: Undergrowth Stage, Monday at 6.30pm.
9. GRIZZLY BEAR
Clip via Grizzly Bear
As with last year and Bon Iver, the closing run of Forbidden Fruit is set to be something of a more chilled-out affair in comparison to the first couple of days.
New York foursome Grizzly Bear is as good an act to pass the baton to as any, especially coming off the back of an excellent two-night stand in Dublin last October.
If you’re unfamiliar, think of them like The National, only more arty but still good.
Where/When: Original Stage, Monday, 7.45pm.
10. THE WAR ON DRUGS
Clip via The War On Drugs
Yep, the arguments that Adam Granduciel of The War on Drugs is just doing an extremely committed Tom Petty or Bruce Springsteen impression definitely have merit.
And yet, The War on Drugs has become a pretty wonderful journey for fans of patient, guitar-driven Americana-soaked rock and roll.
A Deeper Understanding may well be the best album of last year (sorry, Kendrick); a genuine joy to get lost in over time. Live, it’s a perfect summer night out.
Where/When: Closing out the Original Stage, and the festival, at 9.15pm on Monday.
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