Lost at Slane

I lost my phone, my camera, my jacket and some memory cells, but Slane 2011 was worth it!

The Kings of Leon kicked off Ireland's festival season last Saturday night, they played a truly marathon set and although some will condemn their lack of interaction with the crowd, and their failure to experiment with their live sets - to be honest there just wasn't time!

Slane ticket - not my picture obviously!

They played all the hits, some really old stuff and a few new songs.

They sang and played exactly like you hear on their albums, which can be disappointing for some, but really it is impressive, when all you hear about is sound editing and audio perfecting, to listen to a live band that are studio quality is extraordinary.

I love the festival atmosphere, and so even though I wouldn't be the King of Leon's biggest fan and only know a few Elbow and White Lies tracks I went the Slane way because it may be the only big outdoor event I get to this year.

Walking through Slane Village and into the castle grounds, you really get a feel of festival go-ers mood. This was not the place for young 17 year olds, because the average age I would guess to be about 27 or 28. The vibe was laid back and despite the gloomy weather forecasts, all us revelers received were a few showers and they were light and well received!

Moving on from an episode where my partner in crime lost her ticket and we had to trick our way in, and after smuggling some alcohol, we arrived in the beautiful grounds just in time to hear Thin Lizzy really tear it up. Thirty years on and missing a vital ingredient, the guys really were the highlight of the day.

Elbow were good, but we missed a few songs as we prepared for King of Leon (this meant queuing for the toilets and finding 'The Best Spot').

When King of Leon arrived on stage, we were ready and so were they. We jumped (and fell) and sang, it seemed as if everyone knew all the words to every song. Man Utd supporters cheered arm in arm with Barcelona jersey wearers and the only complaint about the concert was that it passed too quickly.

As usual we had some issues with getting out bus (back to City North Hotel) but as a consolation after losing all my worthy goods God sent us a man from Glan (Mc Govern Coaches, Glangelvin) to ferry us to our comfortable beds.

A few bruises, and a hangover later with no photos to claim my own, I will always have the memories of Slane 2001, the Kings of Leon, the lost ticket, my lost items and that scar on the top of my head ...

Can you ever be too old for a festival?!