Loop Head in County Clare is a fine place for re-enacting battles, but this weekend it's the site of a modern-day battle of the Irish bands, as the Cross Village Music Festival gets underway today and tomorrow. The rivalry, however, is strictly musical, and the only winners will be the punters who will flock to see The 4 Of Us, Aslan, The Frank & Walters, The Frames (right), Blink and Picture House playing on an outdoor stage on the outskirts of Cross Village, County Clare. It's hard enough to get Ireland's best-known bands together on the same bill, but getting the go-ahead for a rock festival is a small miracle, and the festival's organiser, Danny Boland, has to be commended for getting this Bank Holiday extravaganza off the ground. Other acts confirmed for this wild Irish rock weekend are The Marbles, Sage, The Blew, Juliet Turner, Stand, Luka Bloom and Nick Kelly. Secure camping facilities, car parking, fresh water and medical facilities are also available onsite. OK, it's not quite Glastonbury, but it's certainly worth a daytrip.
