As crowds of people swarmed into Marlay Park, it was clear that Longitude was going to be a weekend to remember.
The atmosphere was full of excitement for a fantastic lineup. Laura Mulva, Daughter and The Lumineers all went down a treat. Tyler The Creator took to the Heineken stage. Fans were delighted to finally see him perform. CHVRCHES were the highlight of the day, their synthpop sound really got the crowd going. ‘The Mother we Share’ got a huge roar from the main stage crowd, with everyone singing their hearts out with frontwoman Lauren Mayberry’s incredible voice. Headliner, Kendrick Lamar came out bursting with energy and the crowd erupted upon his entrance. He performed an electric set list, with the likes of ‘These Walls’ and ‘King Kunta’ sending the crowd into a frenzy. Flares lit up the crowd, which put an end to an incredible first night.
Saturday brought a new wave of excitement to Marley Park. While some looked a bit worse for wear after the previous night, most people were raring to go. A mixed lineup; Stormzy, Run the Jewels, Jordan, Pleasure Beach, and an array of up-and coming artists, there was something for everyone. Annie Mac really stood out. There was a great buzz as she played track after track. The entire crowd was dancing and giving it their all. MØ also gave an outstanding performance. Her vibe really gels with a festival crowd. ‘Kamikaze’ got a huge reaction. ‘Final Song’ had the main stage crowd singing and dancing like mental. Finally, Major Lazer arrived. With their impressive pyrotechnics and great stage presence left the crowd buzzing for tomorrow.
The younger revellers dispersed to make way from Sunday’s older crowd, most of who were in attendance to catch Ohio rockers The National Headline the main stage that night. It wasn’t all about the final act of the weekend, though. All Tvvins, fresh off the release of their debut LP played a storming set to a packed Heineken Stage. Irish favourites Ham Sandwich, Australian Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile & The Violators also impressed fans throughout the day. The highly revered Father John Misty (who is incapable of ever standing still) delivered a hugely impressive set, with ‘The Ideal Husband’ proving to be the most impressive of the lot. Jamie XX brought a change of pace to proceedings and set the stage for The National, who emerged just after 9pm. For a band with so many albums, 90 minutes doesn’t seem like a lot of time but Matt Beringer and Co. tore through a set full of tracks spanning their illustrious career to date. ‘Sea of Love’ and ‘Mr.November’ are particular stand-outs, but closing track ‘Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks’ was so good you could almost count it as a life-changing experience. A choir of fans sang the words for Beringer, which finished off a stunning set from a band that are very much on the top of their game. Longitude has become a staple of the Irish festival scene and it’s fairly safe to say that this year’s offering will be hard to top.
Emer Handly and Ally Daly
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