I think its the abundance of money, students these days seem to be loaded (relatively speaking), I know students who are driving fairly nice cars. I'm not that old but I remember when being a student meant walking, the lucky ones maybe ran something like a 2cv or Beetle or 1.3 alfasud if they had money and class

I agree though, the festivals are just making it too easy for bands to "do" Ireland without ever doing a proper gig here. Then again, would some of them even bother otherwise? Irelands a really expensive and awkward place to get too. Why bother when you can just do a load of gigs in mainland europe?

i just don't like festivals in general.... there are very few that take my fancy...

...as an aside though, ireland is getting hundreds of good individual gigs these days... it may be awkward and expensive to get to but the big name promoters are splashing out the money because they get it back in spades and the independents care enough to get the good music over here... i reckon dublin gets more great gigs than anywhere in the UK apart from london... that aint bad

I don't agree that Ireland is awkward and expensive to get to. Most bands come here before or after their UK tours. Flights and ferries between the UK and Ireland are some of the cheapest in the world and with the proliferation of small indie bands coming to Dublin to do gigs (Annuals on Monday night, Feist, Battles to name but a few), is a testament to that!

yes it is... it is easier to travel around the UK in a bus organised by the same promoter than it is to pack a band and kit into a plane and fly over to dublin to do a gig for a different promoter...

...luckily, our promoters can afford the guarantees requested because we have inflated ticket prices and good numbers that turn out...

There is money to be made.

Absolutely, festivals attract much more than the music fan, just look at the demographics at something like oxygen;

most go for the weekend thats in it and many dont even bother checking out any music.....its a way easier sell for promoters for obvious reasons and its a great opportunity for people to catch a bunch of bands that may play one gig in the country over two years or even non at all in one place.

The downside? obviously the expense and the fact that every penny that can possibly be made is made through selling overpriced food and sponsored beer etc etc.....festivals by and large are a brilliant idea....perhaps there are sop many popping up nowadays so as saturating the quality of music at some but for the most part they are as important a staple in the live calender of a band as a live show...it pays dividends for the bands too....i've seen several acts who prevously i had never listened too at various festivals, and based on the performance i've bought their records.
As for teh expense of travelling here and setting up...I jhave to say you will not get a more willing population of people to spend money and see live music than the people in this country...honestly....

Money. Gotcha. My eyes have been opened.

Was talking to some co-workers who are actually going to Oxygen, one turns to the other and says

"are you going to bother see any music"

Kinda sums it up really

"Money. Gotcha. My eyes have been opened."

well, that's the reason. I suppose that and competition between promoters; but that's basically the same thing. If one does some kind of festival, the other does something similar to it, adding to the number of events held.

I know Una, I was only messing. I think its a safe bet to assume there's good money in it.