Waterford's Spraoi festival combined the surreal, the make-believe, and the mind-blowing, writes CIARAN MURPHY
IMAGINE yourself walking into a room full of people having an imaginary dinner that would make a chimps’ tea party look civilised, while nearby, children make shapes from play dough. Just yards away, one woman mummifies herself, while another surrounded by pistachio shells types frantically on an old-school typewriter. On deciding to leave, you are accosted by two Andy Warholian, wine-swilling, know-it-alls.
There was all that – and more – at the Spraoi Festival 2010 in Waterford. An estimated 70,000 people turned up at the city for the 18th annual Spraoi August Bank Holiday offering, which ended last night.
At Soma Art Gallery on Lombard Street on Friday evening, this correspondent and others joined artist Bern Farrelly for some “conceptual food”.
Following instructions written on the tablecloth and plates; we tapped our fingers, mimicked each other’s actions, counted to 180 aloud, placed tables on chairs, passed the plates and so on. It was lunacy – there was no food.
On leaving the "Everyone is an Audience" installation, I was accosted by the Two Brians, who were paying "homage" to the art critic of the London newspaper Evening Standard, Brian Sewell. When I told the the avant-garde pair why I was there, they turned and asked the curator, "What is this Irish Times?"
On Saturday afternoon at Cathedral Square, Rob Torres used very little – an oversized pair of briefs, a small table including some plates, a tablecloth and a tea towel and his hat – to help the circling crowds laugh their recessionary cares away.
Down at Hanover Street, Mimbre “fused acrobatics with theatre and dance”, and also managed to get the washing dried on the clothes line.
On O’Connell Street, a man in a Waterford hurling jersey shouted into his phone: “WHERE IS HANOVER STREET? — WHERE. IS. HANOVER. STREEEET?” Somebody stopped to offer him directions, but he declined.
He was missing the awesome Fanzini Brothers – who hail from Cork and are no strangers to Spraoi – literally jumping through hoops for their art.
At John Roberts Square, Los Albertos blurred the lines between ska, punk and funk at pace. Ian Dury-esque vocals underpinned the performance.
Meanwhile, Black Robots– an “alt-rock” band, according to local singer Deen O’Sullivan – wooed them into the 13th-century Black Friar ruin for something different, as did Sweet Jane at the Millennium Plaza on the Quay.
Yesterday, the regiments of drummers – Torann, Crash and the Spraoi Drummers – pounded the streets of Waterford and the ears of those walking on them into aural submission.
The rain held off as Delorentos raised the (retractable) roof in Geoff’s Bar on John Street, while old friends of the festival Two Time Polka showed hundreds at John Roberts Square why they are deserved residents.
Later in the day, at Wyse Park, some kids, introduced by Waterford Youth Arts, were dance-fighting in an impressive display reminiscent of the martial art/dance Capoeira.
Spraoi’s director TV Honan said that the festival had incorporated acts “from 10 or 11 countries as well has homegrown talent”. “I love the fact the people of the city are exposed to their own people making art and music and to a wider dimension – to the international artists. It’s about human creativity at the end of the day.”
