Body & Soul – 2023 – Friday Review

The first thing to note at Body & Soul was a change in the layout, with the main stage moved to a new location. The festival felt more compact with less walking between stages, which is probably a good thing. They still have a boutique feel, with an emphasis on the more unusual events, as opposed to ‘a couple of stages in a field’, which a few of the festivals could be accused of. There are a variety of art installations and other oddball items to occupy the audience. Early on in the day, the audience had some impressive bands/ performers such as Beth Orton and Public Service Broadcasting.

After a week where the sun was splitting the stones, the weather was a little mixed for the Body&Soul revellers. There were a couple of showers to dampen spirits and send people into the forest and the tents. Body & Soul has a number of stages which are covered, including the Hennessy Hip Hop House and the Secret Orchard.

Strange Boy is a Limerick City rapper, that fuses trad sounds with rap. It’s an unusual blend that takes some getting used to, but the crowd seemed to enjoy it. One of the highlights of the evening was The Murder Capital, who despite playing during a shower, gave a pumped-up display, featuring songs from their recent album Gigi’s Recovery. They look like a band who are going places, so expect to see them further up the bill in years to come.

Ailbhe Reddy has been making waves in recent years and she played, along with her band, at 9pm on the Secret Orchard stage. She has a good stage presence and enjoyable banter between songs. The next band on the Secret Orchard stage were Thumper, who are a sextet from Dublin who played a short set of loud indie rock songs.

Kojaque is a rapper and visual artist from Cabra in Dublin. He had a surprising slot of 9.30 on the main stage. It was a slow and smooth sound, with a variety of friends joining him on stage. Fabio & Grooverider and The Outlook Orchestra took us back to the 90s with their set, with some enjoyable dance and rap beats.

The day was an unusual mix of sounds that had something for everyone. The weather, while inclement at times, got better as the day went on. We hope and pray for the return of our favourite performer, the Sun! Although, as ever, Irish festivals are best enjoyed with a poncho in your backpack and a smile on your face!