ARTS DIARY

Hothouse Flowers

This year the EastSide Arts Festival celebrated its milestone 10th birthday. And what better way to kick-start the celebrations than with a performance from the magnificent Hothouse Flowers

Guests, such as East Belfast Partnership’s Michelle Bryans, EastSide Festival

Director Rachel Kennedy, Arts Council

NI’s Karly Greene, East Belfast partnership

Chairman Andrew Hassard, and Walkway Community’s Janice Hill, were welcomed to Banana Block - an innovative museum and events space in East Belfast - with an open bar brimming with local concoctions from such places as Boundary Brewery

The audience were wonderfully warmed up by rising talent, Sasha Samara. Already every inch an indie pop star, Samara’s distinct voice and eclectic and honest songs filled Banana Block with a joyful energy that had everyone on their feet.

With the atmosphere already buzzing, the main act took to the stage. With four decades in the music industry under their belts, the Hothouse Flowers know how to work the crowd. This traditional band which is bursting with soul first came to prominence with the release of their debut album, ‘People’, thirty years ago. As well as building a legion of fans, ‘People’ remains one of the most successful debut album releases in Ireland to date.

With hits like ‘I Can See Clearly Now’, and ‘Love Don’t Work This Way’, charismatic frontman Liam Ó Maonlaí and the rest of Hothouse Flowers were absolutely electric. Whilst mesmerising from start to finish, the set came to a phenomenal close with the climatic ‘Don’t Go’ which had the audience singing at the top of their lungs.

This was my first time having the opportunity to see the Hothouse Flowers live, and it was an emotive experience that I will not forget. Hats off to EastSide Arts Festival who definitely know how to throw an epic birthday party.

The Hothouse Flowers at EastSide Arts Festival took place on 4 August

Maurice Jay’s Pleasuredome

CS Lewis Square, under the watchful eye of the bronze Aslan sculpture, was transformed into the ultimate (outdoors) 80s party when Maurice Jay’s Pleasuredome brought the EastSide Arts Festival to an electrifying close for 2022.

Legwarmers and all things neon were the order of the day as guests, such as fashion blogger Louise Vance and her partner Adrian Quinn, and the colourfully cool Erin Goan and Paddy McCallion, got ready for 80s heaven with a blistering set of retro tunes from Downtown Breakfast Show’s Gary Myles. With the mood set, Pleasuredome stormed to the stage kitted out in acid washed jeans, zebra print and even a flight suit fit for Tom Cruise’s “Maverick”.

The band, who are regular performers in venues like the Belfast Empire, as well as touring across the country, have a loyal fan base, and it seemed that several were out in force as guests of all ages danced along as the band made their way through a packed catalogue of 80s classics.

An absolute highlight was when the familiar chords of Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up That Hill’ rang out. The iconic song, which made it back to the top of the charts this year thanks to its genius use in Netflix’s Stranger Things, was a bold choice for the playlist - but in the expert hands of Pleasuredome, it was one of my highlights from the night.

With an evening which had forecasted rain and thunderstorms, the closing of EastSide Arts Festival instead saw Pleasuredome bringing an energetic ray of sunshine - even though it got a touch emotional towards the end as the band bid a (hopefully temporary) farewell to lead female vocalist Ciara Mackey who is taking a break to rehearse for her stint as Imelda in the upcoming touring stage production of Roddy Doyle’s The Commitments

Under the super leadership of Maurice Jay, Pleasuredome are an exuberant band to watch. Each member plays their part to perfection and the result is a fun-filled night that will not fail to entice you to the dance floor. I can’t think of a better way for the EastSide Arts Festival to wrap up its smashing 10th birthday programme of events.