“We see things they’ll never see”.
If you’re anyway like me then I’d wager that you’re currently slumped at your laptop, suffering from the post-festival blues while simultaneously plotting your next gig.
Longitute was fantastic but my attention has already wandered to another eventful concert, one that took place at Slane 20 years ago today.
Luka Bloom, Spearhead, Belly and Sharon Shannon were the supporting acts on the day but the main draws were the headliners REM and a certain band from Manchester who were making their debut in Meath.
To set the mood, here’s a look at some Irish auld lads trying to guess what REM actually means.
As box-office as these lads are, there was a more famous face in attendance that day. Fans of Oasis will know that Johnny Depp performed with the band on their track ‘Fade In Out’ from the album ‘Be Here Now’ but the friendship ran deeper.
Here he is hanging out with the band before they took to the stage.
https://twitter.com/historyofsounds/status/566250684497264640
I wasn’t at Slane that day, damn those rules that forbid 8-year-olds from going to gigs on their own, but the mood during Oasis’ set was particularly tense after a rock was hurled at Liam before a performance of ‘Roll With It’.
Have a listen to the frontman ‘dedicating’ the song to the person that put him off his mojo.
This didn’t deter Oasis from delivering a cracking performance though and their set-list is a treat for fans of the band. Take a look at what they played along with the audio from a really wonderful set.
Sadly for music fans, the concert was overshadowed by the tragic death of two young men who drowned in the River Boyne as they attempted to gain free entry into the concert, an incident that led to a two-year hiatus for the gig.
Not to be outdone by Oasis though, REM took to the stage and this grainy performance of ‘What’s the Frequency Kenneth’ was one of the few clips that I could find from their performance. I’m sure that if you were there, Michael Stipe looked much clearer in person.
Let us know if you were at Slane on that day and if you have any particular memories.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Afd6uFAcB0
Main image – Oasis Tumblr
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
