FOR A few days in September Skibbereen will be the place to be. This seemingly outrageous statement makes total sense for one simple reason: the Liss Ard festival. For five days from September 2nd some of the biggest and best musicians around are performing in the rather special surroundings of Liss Ard, Skibbereen, County Cork. This is the second year of the festival and after the success of ’97, Liss Ard ’98 has attracted Lou Reed, Spiritualised, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and Tindersticks – to name but an impressive few – to perform this time around. So what on earth would persuade these luminaries to play in a garden to a maximum of 600 people?

“The attraction is that the artists get to perform in a creative atmosphere that simply doesn’t exist anywhere else, with a freedom to experiment and try out new things in a space designed to encourage expression. All the artists are donating their time free to help raise money for the foundation.”

The foundation is the Liss Ard Foundation, a charity which Vieth set up in 1990 to develop the forty acres of woodlands, meadows and lakes, which make up the garden.

“The idea of the foundation is to create a truly natural garden, which will come to maturity in about 50 years and to and raise public awareness about the importance of conservation,” Vieth explains. “The foundation also promotes appreciation of all aspects of the arts, culture and Irish heritage.”

In case this all sounds like a stereotype, Veith argues: “It’s not a hippy thing, we do a lot of work training people in landscape horticulture, providing jobs in the area and giving people useful skills. But the garden gets its highest profile through the festival.”

And the profile is likely to remain high with, as well as those already mentioned, Marie McKee, The Frames, Dirty Three, Jack Lukeman, Paddy Casey and Murray Lachlan Young also appearing. This means that Vieth, along with the audience, will be spoilt for choice.

“The scale of the venue allows experimentation, which means we have more people wanting to play than we can get in. The calibre of the event is such that we have to turn artists away, so we really only have people we like, and respect. I’m looking forward to the Canadian performer Veda Hille who is doing some very interesting work at the moment, as is Mary Coughlan who is doing some impressive things. It is great that Spiritualised are playing, and the late night ‘Parting Glass’ sessions where the artists get to extend themselves and relax are always very special.”

The surroundings make for some spectacular and varied venues for the gigs. There will be performances in a Celtic Ringfort; on an island; in a pond with a wild flower meadow for background; and on a floating stage on Lake Abisdealy. If that isn’t enough, the main evening concerts take place in a walled garden. So who came up with the idea of a festival?

“A few years ago Van Morrison came to visit the garden and suggested putting on a concert to raise some money. But we couldn’t see a way of doing it without destroying the purpose of the garden by effecting the eco system,” recalls Vieth. “Then Patti Smith, who I have known since about 1977, suggested we could put on small scale concerts that would allow artists the freedom to be creative. Out of those discussions the idea of a festival became a reality and Patti ending up hosting the event last year.”

If you can’t make it down to Skibbereen, you will only have to wait a mere 12 months to hear some of the concerts. “As well as donating their services for free the artists all donate a recording of songs performed at the festival,” explains Vieth. “An album of tracks performed at last year’s festival will be released to coincide with the event and next year we will release a CD of what happens this year.”

EASY LISS-TENING

The Liss Ard foundation is releasing a CD of last years festival. Out in the first week of September on The Garden’s Voice Records, Liss Ard Vol 1 has the following impressive track listing.

1 Frailach – The Frames

2 Don’t Say Nothing – Patti Smith

3 People Have The Power – Patti Smith

4 Fallin’ Free – David Gray

5 Door – Jack Lukeman

6 People Ain’t No Good – Nick Cave

7 Dead Joe – Nick Cave

8 Rooftop Lullaby – Jack Lukeman

9 Grey and Blue – Nick Kelly

10 Birds Without Wings – David Gray

11 Last Call – Patti Smith

12 Raglan Road – The Frames

13 Black Hair – Nick Cave

14 Mna Na hEireann – Iarla O’Lionáird