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Irish Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Forest Fest 2025: stars align to send feelgood festival fans home happy
Jack L v Kerry v Donegal was always going to be a tough gig. As he took to the stage and his image also filled three giant screens, the All-Ireland football final on the two flanking the stage shrank to one corner so the fans watching the last 20 minutes huddled closer, rivalling those keen to see the Athy troubadour strut his stuff. It wasn't Donegal's day but Jack Lukeman more than held his own, aided by the Suso Gospel choir. Otherwise, it was all about the music at Forest Fest in the picturesque village of Emo in Co Laois , now in its fourth year and as established a part of the festival calendar as Electric Picnic up the road in Stradbally. Saturday was the biggest day in terms of crowds and star acts, but a magical performance from The Magic Numbers, building from melodic pop to ever more muscular rock, sent those watching home on a high, giving a satisfying sense of the best wine having been saved till last. Elsewhere, Qween on the main stage and in particular The Complete Stone Roses on the Fleadh stage also delivered blistering, crowd-pleasing sets. READ MORE Nick Lowe had set the bar high early with a solo set that proved once again what a fantastic songwriter he is. 'I was advised to keep things up tempo as it's a festival,' he said, 'but with just an acoustic guitar there has to be light and shade.' Caravaggio would have been jealous of the result. Franz Ferdinand at Forest Fest. Photograph: Brian Bastick Franz Ferdinand at Forest Fest. Photograph: Brian Bastick Tony Hadley is still looking good but the former Spandau Ballet sounds now like a cocktail singer, whereas Billy Bragg's music has matured and his politics are as relevant as ever. 'Sunday night is the perfect festival slot,' he told the crowd. Friday night, they were saving themselves; Saturday night they're too drunk; whereas last night they had lost all inhibitions. He told a funny story about meeting a woman in Boulder, Colorado before a gig, who asked the name of his band. When he told her, she said, there used to be a singer in the 1980s called Billy Bragg. It's a good yarn, and it captures a truth that festival founder Philip Meagher has capitalised on. Many great acts from the 1980s and 1990s are still around and appeal to a key demographic. There are some great up-and-coming acts as part of the mix, such as Pillow Queens and The Oars – but the core ingredients are proven, tried and tested. Travis at Forest Fest. Photograph: Brian Bastick A thrilling set from Manic Street Preachers on Saturday night was a huge highlight. Singer James Dean Bradfield led the Welsh band through a string of great songs, kicking off with Motorcycle Emptiness, in front of a capacity crowd. The Manics have had their share of misfortunes, most notably the loss of Richey Edwards, but the set is dedicated to another late colleague and their producer is standing in for their keyboard player who is ill. Perhaps this gives songs such as A Design for Life and You Stole the Sun from My Heart an edge others lack. They close with If You Tolerate This Your Children Will be Next, as three Palestinian flags are waved near the front of the crowd. 'This is the sound of Laois I've been looking forward to hearing,' says Franz Ferdinand frontman Alex Kapranos, fresh from Glastonbury, as their hit song Do you Want To is met with a roar of approval on a sunny Friday evening. Kapranos, as limber as a flamenco dancer, delivers a hit-filled set as shining as his black satin bomber jacket: Take Me Out, Hooked, Michael, Walk Away and This Fire were standouts. Tom Meighan at Forest Fest. Photograph: Brian Bastick If Franz Ferdinand are top-of the range glossy, The Dandy Warhols, who followed, are prestige matt, with fewer pyrotechnics but a set including hits Bohemian Like You and We Used to Be Friends that slowly builds to deliver a captivating soundscape, complemented by a powerful visual display on the screens behind. Something Happens had got the ball rolling earlier, Tom Dunne offering some sound advice: 'did you all take your medication before coming out today?' Other Friday highlights included Alabama 3's rendition of Woke up this Morning, the singers dressed like Pearly King and Queen, as a fan shinned her way up and swung from a pole in the Village Stage tent. A feature of the festival is its plethora of brilliant covers bands. Friday night closed with Live Forever Oasis, Daft Punk Tribute and Thin as Lizzy on three stages, while Walk the Line (Johnny Cash) and Qween closed on other nights. No complaints as they delivered some of the most crowd-pleasing sets. Standouts included Pogueology, The Classic Beatles, Neil Young tribute Harvest and superb Smiths act These Charming Men, who have graduated from the third to second stage and deserve a main stage slot next year. Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want. Peter Hook made a welcome return to the festival, and delivered a solid set, this time focused more on his time with New Order than Joy Division. He too was pleased with the crowd. 'You've made an old man very happy,' he said, responding to the adulation that greeted a strong finish featuring True Faith, Temptation, Blue Monday and Love Will Tear Us Apart. Sharon Shannon at Forest Fest. Photograph: Brian Bastick Earlier, Larne rockers had dedicated Die Laughing to the late Ozzy Osbourne. The Stranglers were rather downbeat, apart from Always the Sun, Peaches and the brilliant Golden Brown. It was curious to go from that song of heroin addiction to another delivered by an irrepressible Mary Coughlan, The Ice Cream Man (inspired by an Irish Times story she reads in a Galway pub, she said). Rather miscast on the Fleadh stage, she packed it out with songs as dark and sparkling as her runners. The Susu choir joined her on stage for a beautiful rendition of I Would Rather Go Blind, which she first heard aged 15 when stepping out with 'future president' Catherine Connolly 's brother. Her rousing rendition of Ride On is the best I've heard. The sound quality throughout was exceptional and overall the organisation was impeccable, but the stage timings irritatingly went half an hour awry on Saturday afternoon. Kula Shaker. Photograph: Brian Bastick This is a feelgood festival, attracting young and old and sending them home happy. The bands too. Teenage Fanclub singer Raymond McGinley can't help smiling as he delivers a joyous set, with Sparky's Dream and What You Do to Me standouts. The Riptide Movement, headlining the second stage on Saturday night, caught the mood with the glorious closer All Works Out. 'Tomorrow's a new day.' Here's to next year.
CNN
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
The All-American Rejects are having the summer of their lives: ‘We are going to savor every bit of it'
Emo band All-American Rejects are giving us one hell of a summer. The group, who has been playing together for more than twenty years, is on a so-called House Party Tour, popping up in backyards and other unsuspecting locations for impromptu concerts. They may call themselves 'rejects,' but the enthused crowds that have turned up at their shows prove they're far from that. The quartet's classics – including 'Swing Swing,' 'Dirty Little Secret,' 'Move Along' and, of course, 'Gives You Hell' – were on the soundtrack of many a Millennial's high school mixtape, but these tracks are now appealing to a new generation of young people. Their resurgence sparked the band's current tour, based on their shared belief that music acts may not need all the frills of a stadium show to give concertgoers a good, and inexpensive, time. You just need good music, youthful energy… and a big backyard, apparently. 'The live experience, the communal experience of watching something live on the floor is, I think it's coming back in every aspect of art,' lead singer and bassist Tyson Ritter told CNN in a recent interview about the band's upcoming performance at San Diego Comic-Con's Fandom party this week. 'What's great is to be able to play shows and to be not too old to still pull them off.' After forming in Oklahoma in 1999, the All-American Rejects – who include Ritter, guitarists Nick Wheeler and Mike Kennerty and drummer Chris Gaylor – became part of the DNA of the emo music genre when they released their 2002 self-titled debut album, which included their first big hit 'Swing Swing.' They went on to release four studio albums including their most recent, 2012's 'Kids in the Street.' After nearly a decade of not touring, the Rejects reunited in 2023 for their Wet Hot All-American Summer Tour, and got back in the studio to record an upcoming fifth album, 'Sandbox.' The genesis of the House Party Tour started with the band's eagerness to promote 'Sandbox,' but what ensued is entirely organic, according to Ritter, who said that their intention was simply to 'get back to the place that we knew we started.' That wound up turning into a chaotic nine-day spree of surprise shows in people's yards, following a pop-up show on the campus of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Fans started applying to have the Rejects come play in their neighborhoods, with video footage posted to social media showing hundreds of people lined up, rain or shine, to catch a show. One gig in Columbia, Missouri even got shut down by police, but not before the authorities let the band play one more song. The response has moved the band, two decades into their career, just as much as it appears to have moved their audience. 'This is the best experience that we've ever had playing music in this band and we are going to savor every bit of it,' Ritter said. The band has captured footage of the House Party Tour up until this point, and told CNN that they are reviewing it now to potentially release something next year in conjunction with the release of the 'Sandbox' album. A 'movie,' as Ritter referred to it, 'is already in pre-production,' he said. 'We didn't realize what we did until we saw some of these little clips. There were really harrowing moments of danger… So we got out by the skin of our teeth,' Ritter added, going on to joke that 'maybe that's the name of the doc 'by the skin of our teeth.'' Wheeler added that the House Party Tour 'turned into something bigger.' 'So these nine days and what we captured is something that is a once-in-a-lifetime thing for us and for those who were there,' he said. 'I'm just stoked that somebody was there to capture it.' Wheeler also hopes 'Sandbox' will help recreate the magic of their seminal hits that have solicited such a response from their new generation of listeners. 'People attach themselves to those legacy songs because of where they were in their lives or nostalgia,' Wheeler said. 'So I think the goal now, especially after coming off this house party thing, is creating new nostalgia.' The All-American Rejects do have some big-ticket shows coming up. They'll headline the Fandom Comic-Con party in San Diego on Thursday, where, according to Ritter, concertgoers can 'expect a Reject-goes-Comic-Con experience.' They'll also be joining the Jonas Brothers on tour in October, where they'll be sure to bring that same backyard energy to the big stage. 'We're trying to open up something a little bit bigger than just people's eyes now. We're trying to open up another possibility of getting to the artists that you love, and we're so excited about what's to come,' Ritter said. 'You could call what we're doing punk rock, but it's not.' '…It's actually pure connection,' he added.
CNN
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
The All-American Rejects are having the summer of their lives: ‘We are going to savor every bit of it'
Emo band All-American Rejects are giving us one hell of a summer. The group, who has been playing together for more than twenty years, is on a so-called House Party Tour, popping up in backyards and other unsuspecting locations for impromptu concerts. They may call themselves 'rejects,' but the enthused crowds that have turned up at their shows prove they're far from that. The quartet's classics – including 'Swing Swing,' 'Dirty Little Secret,' 'Move Along' and, of course, 'Gives You Hell' – were on the soundtrack of many a Millennial's high school mixtape, but these tracks are now appealing to a new generation of young people. Their resurgence sparked the band's current tour, based on their shared belief that music acts may not need all the frills of a stadium show to give concertgoers a good, and inexpensive, time. You just need good music, youthful energy… and a big backyard, apparently. 'The live experience, the communal experience of watching something live on the floor is, I think it's coming back in every aspect of art,' lead singer and bassist Tyson Ritter told CNN in a recent interview about the band's upcoming performance at San Diego Comic-Con's Fandom party this week. 'What's great is to be able to play shows and to be not too old to still pull them off.' After forming in Oklahoma in 1999, the All-American Rejects – who include Ritter, guitarists Nick Wheeler and Mike Kennerty and drummer Chris Gaylor – became part of the DNA of the emo music genre when they released their 2002 self-titled debut album, which included their first big hit 'Swing Swing.' They went on to release four studio albums including their most recent, 2012's 'Kids in the Street.' After nearly a decade of not touring, the Rejects reunited in 2023 for their Wet Hot All-American Summer Tour, and got back in the studio to record an upcoming fifth album, 'Sandbox.' The genesis of the House Party Tour started with the band's eagerness to promote 'Sandbox,' but what ensued is entirely organic, according to Ritter, who said that their intention was simply to 'get back to the place that we knew we started.' That wound up turning into a chaotic nine-day spree of surprise shows in people's yards, following a pop-up show on the campus of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Fans started applying to have the Rejects come play in their neighborhoods, with video footage posted to social media showing hundreds of people lined up, rain or shine, to catch a show. One gig in Columbia, Missouri even got shut down by police, but not before the authorities let the band play one more song. The response has moved the band, two decades into their career, just as much as it appears to have moved their audience. 'This is the best experience that we've ever had playing music in this band and we are going to savor every bit of it,' Ritter said. The band has captured footage of the House Party Tour up until this point, and told CNN that they are reviewing it now to potentially release something next year in conjunction with the release of the 'Sandbox' album. A 'movie,' as Ritter referred to it, 'is already in pre-production,' he said. 'We didn't realize what we did until we saw some of these little clips. There were really harrowing moments of danger… So we got out by the skin of our teeth,' Ritter added, going on to joke that 'maybe that's the name of the doc 'by the skin of our teeth.'' Wheeler added that the House Party Tour 'turned into something bigger.' 'So these nine days and what we captured is something that is a once-in-a-lifetime thing for us and for those who were there,' he said. 'I'm just stoked that somebody was there to capture it.' Wheeler also hopes 'Sandbox' will help recreate the magic of their seminal hits that have solicited such a response from their new generation of listeners. 'People attach themselves to those legacy songs because of where they were in their lives or nostalgia,' Wheeler said. 'So I think the goal now, especially after coming off this house party thing, is creating new nostalgia.' The All-American Rejects do have some big-ticket shows coming up. They'll headline the Fandom Comic-Con party in San Diego on Thursday, where, according to Ritter, concertgoers can 'expect a Reject-goes-Comic-Con experience.' They'll also be joining the Jonas Brothers on tour in October, where they'll be sure to bring that same backyard energy to the big stage. 'We're trying to open up something a little bit bigger than just people's eyes now. We're trying to open up another possibility of getting to the artists that you love, and we're so excited about what's to come,' Ritter said. 'You could call what we're doing punk rock, but it's not.' '…It's actually pure connection,' he added.
Irish Times
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Forest Fest 2025: Daily line-ups, stage times, ticket information, weather and more
Forest Fest , a boutique independent music and arts festival, returns to the village of Emo in Co Laois this weekend for its third year. The event was established in 2022 by solicitor and indie-rock fan, Philip Meagher, when he envisaged a festival primarily targeted towards a more mature audience. The three-day festival has several music stages, a funfair with rides for all ages, circus shows, workshops, various art installations and a host of street entertainers. With about 20,000 people expected to attend the festival, a bit of planning can do no harm. Here is everything you need to know. READ MORE When and where is it on? The festival runs from Friday to Sunday in the village of Emo, Co Laois. Early entry for campers is available on Thursday. Are there any tickets left? At the time of writing, whole weekend, individual day admissions and camping tickets were still available. These can be purchased through the Forest Fest website . Buy tickets from accredited sources only and add yours to your phone's wallet before you leave home to keep it handy. Who is performing and when? Festivalgoers are spoiled for choice with a variety of acts scheduled to perform over the weekend. Headliners for this year include Franz Ferdinand , Manic Street Preachers , Orbital and The Stranglers . A host of Irish music acts are lined up across the other stages, including Pillow Queens , Ryan Sheridan, Dylan Flynn & The Dead Poets and Motionsickness. A number of tribute bands will feature too if you fancy a sing-a-long, with Live Forever Oasis, Qween, Daft Punk Tribute and The Complete Stone Roses all set to play. Check out the full line-up below. Friday, July 25th Franz Ferdinand's angular guitar music still wows crowds Main Stage Something Happens – 5pm-6pm Tom Meighan – 6.40pm-7.40pm Franz Ferdinand – 8.20pm-9.50pm The Dandy Warhols – 10.30pm-11.30pm Live Forever Oasis – midnight-1am The Village Stage Harvest – 5.30pm-6.30pm Cry Before Dawn – 7pm-8pm The 4 of Us – 8.30pm-9.30pm The Farm – 10pm-11pm Alabama 3 – 11.30pm-12.45am Daft Punk Tribute – 1am-2am The Perfect Day Stage The Jury – 4.40pm-5.25pm Shark School – 5.45pm-6.30pm The Jobseekerz – 6.50pm-7.35pm Intercom Heights – 7.55pm-8.40pm Seattle Grunge Experience – 9pm-9.45pm The Luna Boys – 10.05pm-10.50pm Risky Business – 11.10pm-11.55pm The Deadlians – 12.15am-1am Thin As Lizzy – 01.15am-2am Fleadh Stage Madra Salach – 4.20pm-5pm Meadhbh Hayes – 5.20pm-6pm Alltacht – 6.20pm-7.10pm CUA – 7.30pm-8.20pm Laura Jo – 8.40pm-9.30pm Moxie – 9.50pm-10.40pm Stocktons Wing – 11pm-midnight Ibiza Stage Lauren (Saxophone) – 4pm-2am Danny Kay Ibiza – 4pm-5pm Alan Professor – 5pm-6pm Gee Moore – 6pm-8pm Terry Farley – 8pm-10pm X-EXPRESS-2 – 10pm-midnight Gee Moore – midnight-2am Saturday, July 26th Sean Moore, Nicky Wire and James Dean Bradfield of the Manic Street Preachers. Photograph: Alex Lake Main Stage Thumper – 12.40pm-1.40pm Aoife Destruction & The Nilz – 2.20pm-2.50pm Therapy? – 3.20pm-4.20pm Peter Hook & The Light – 5pm-6pm The Stranglers – 6.40pm-7.40pm Kula Shaker – 8.20pm-9.20pm Manic Street Preachers – 10pm-11.30pm Orbital – 12.15am-1.45am The Village Stage Dylan Flynn and The Dead Poets – 12.15pm-1pm The Coathanger Solution – 1.20pm-2.05pm These Charming Men – 2.30pm-3.30pm Dirty Blonde – 4pm-5pm Coach Party – 5.30pm-6.30pm Pillow Queens – 7pm-8pm Kerbdog – 8.30pm-9.30pm Reef – 10pm-11pm Teenage Fanclub – 11.30pm-12.40am The Riptide Movement – 1am-2am The Perfect Day Stage Houston Death Ray – 12.20pm-1.05pm Southern Freud – 1.25pm-2.10pm The Magic Mod – 2.30pm-3pm Kiera Dignam – 3.20pm-4.05pm Dopamine – 4.25pm-5.05pm Fake Friends – 5.25pm-6.05pm The Classic Beatles – 6.25pm-7.25pm Apollo Junction – 7.45pm-8.25pm The Manatees – 8.45pm-9.30pm Dutch Criminal Record – 9.50pm-10.35pm Post-Party – 10.55pm-11.40pm Walk The Line – midnight-1.30am Fleadh Stage Music Generation Laois Trad Orchestra – noon-12.45pm Chris Comhaill – 1.15pm-2pm Cormac Looby – 2.15pm-3pm The Oars – 3.15pm-4pm Kevin Coniff and The Dublin Trio – 4.15pm-5pm Buille – 5.15pm-6pm Eric De Buitléir – 6.15pm-7pm Mary Coughlan – 7.30pm-8.30pm The Sharon Shannon Trio – 9pm-10pm Beoga – 10.30pm-11.30pm KAN – midnight-1am VIP Stage The Magic Mud – 7pm-7.30pm The Legendary Drama Kings – 7.45pm-8.30pm Ibiza Stage Lauren (Saxophone) – noon-2am David H (Percussion) – noon-2am Danny Kay Ibiza – noon-1pm Nick Coles (Live Keys Hybrid Set) – 1pm-2pm Alan Prosser (12 Inch Thumpers) – 2pm-3pm Gee Moore – 3pm-5pm Mr C – 5pm-7pm Gee Moore – 7pm-9pm Jam El Mar (Jar and Spoon Classics) – 9pm-11pm DJ Pippi – 11pm-1am Gee Moore – 1am-2am Sunday, July 27th Main Stage Travis. Photograph: Steve Gullick Rattle and Hum – noon-1pm Nick Lowe – 1.30pm-2.30pm Bad Manners – 3.10pm-4.10pm Jack L – 4.50pm-5.50pm Tony Hadley – 6.30pm-7.50pm Travis – 8.30pm-10pm Qween – 11pm-midnight The Village Stage Ryan Sheridan – 12.15pm-1.05pm Paddy Casey – 1.35pm-2.25pm B–ngo Loco – 2.55pm-4.25pm Andrew Strong – 4.55pm-5.45pm Robert Finley – 6.15pm-7.15pm Hermitage Green – 7.45pm-8.45pm Billy Bragg – 9.15pm-10.30pm The Magic Numbers – 11pm-midnight The Perfect Day Stage MOA – 12.15pm-12.45pm Fizzy Orange – 1.05pm-1.45pm Thanks Mom – 2.05pm-2.45pm Strength in Numbers – 3.05pm-3.45pm Basht – 4.05pm-4.45pm Glasshouse Performs: The Velvet Underground – 5.05pm-5.50pm The Youth Play – 6.10pm-6.55pm Motionsickness – 7.15pm-8pm Pogueology – 8.20pm-9.05pm Grooveline – 9.25pm-10.10pm Sack – 10.30pm-11.20pm The Drive – 11.40pm-12.20am Fleadh Stage Set Dancing W Maureen Culleton & Irish Dancing from Scoil Rince Ni Anglais – noon-12.40pm Eva Coyle and Band – 1pm-2pm Sean Lyons and Eva Carroll – 2.30pm-3.15pm Frankie Gavin and De Dannan – 3.45pm-4.45pm Buioch – 5pm-5.45pm Niall McCabe – 6pm-7pm Freddie White – 7.30pm-8.30pm Hunger of the Skin: Brian Finnegan – 9pm-10pm The Complete Stone Roses – 10.20pm-11.30pm Ibiza Stage David H (Percussion) – noon-midnight Danny Kay Ibiza – noon-1pm Alan Prosser (12 Inch Thumpers) – 1pm-3pm DJ Sean – 3pm-3.40pm Nick Coles (Live Keys Hybrid Set) – 3.40pm-4.40pm Lange and The Morrighan – 4.40pm-6pm Gee Moore – 6pm-7pm Mr C (The Shamen) DJ Set and Live PA with David H – 7pm-10pm Gee Moore – 10pm-midnight What else is there to see and do? Apart from live music, Forest Fest has a variety of experiences on offer. Festivalgoers will have access to a drop-in circus workshop for children, a replica archeological dig site, food vendors offering cuisines from around the world, stands selling crafted goods and other items and shows by street performers. There will also be art installations from global artists. What time should I arrive? Early access for those camping and glamping will open on Thursday at 2pm. General camping opens at noon on Friday. For Friday day ticket holders the gates will open at 4pm. For Saturday and Sunday ticket holders the gates will open at noon. The festival arena will remain open until 1am each night. How do I get there? As with many festivals held in remote rural locations, it takes some planning to get there. By bus: Day return buses to Forest Fest will run from Dublin, Tullamore (via Geashill), Mountmellick/Portarlington, Kilkenny (via Carlow, Athy and Stradbally), Portlaoise and Cashel (via Horse and Jockey, Thurles, Urlingford, Cullahill, Durrow, Abbeyleix). You can buy a ticket on any of these day return buses from Forest Fest's website . By car: Forest Fest is easily accessible by car as it is only 5km away from the M7. Take Exit 15 and then follow signs for Emo and Mountmellick. There will be a free car park for all patrons of the festival. The walk from the car park to the venue is approximately 15-20 minutes. The organisers have said that there will be a shuttle bus from the car park to the venue available for patrons with mobility or accessibility needs. By train: There are regular hourly train services to Portlaoise and Portarlington railway stations and the festival will be served by local taxi and shuttle bus services. What if I'm camping? Unlike other festivals there does not seem to be an option to rent or buy your camping gear for the weekend, so it is best to come prepared. If you fancy paying more for accommodation you can book to glamp instead of camp and sleep in one of their pre-pitched tents. You can book them here . Toilets are dotted around the festival grounds and the campsite has a number of hot shower blocks. There will also be a designated concrete cooking area at the top of the campsite. This is the only area where stoves are permitted and the festival has a total ban on disposable barbecues. There will be a regular shuttle bus service for all campers to and from the campsite to the festival gate and all general amenities. What's security like? Forest Fest is open to people of all ages and all bags, cars and items are subject to search upon entry. There will be 24/7 security at the festival arena and campsite. Strictly no liquids are allowed into the festival arena, alcohol and other liquids will be confiscated or disposed of at the gate. The organisers have a list online of all items that will be confiscated if found and have said that gardaí will be notified about any illegal items and you may be removed from the festival as a result. Anything else? There will be spaces available to store medications which require refrigeration and there will also be free drinking water available on site, so make sure to bring a reusable bottle There will be phone charging points around the festival site and in the Glamping and VIP areas. How is the weather looking? It is forecast to be a cloudy start to Friday with scattered showers. As the day goes on these showers are expected to become more isolated with sunny spells developing. Highest temperatures of 16-20 degrees with moderate, occasionally fresh, westerly winds. There will be a good deal of dry weather on Saturday with sunny spells and showers. There is a chance of more persistent rain on Sunday, Met Éireann has said.
Int'l Business Times
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Int'l Business Times
Transforming the Drag Scene with Digital Innovation: Colt Ables Bridges Industry Gaps, Ensuring Talented Queens Can Shine
The core of drag has always been clear: to unite communities through humor and artistry. Having survived through decades of skepticism and discrimination, defiance is engraved in its very identity, and the industry continues to dazzle, shock, entertain, and provoke audiences worldwide. However, though societal perception may have largely evolved, transforming the drag scene into a highly competitive, in-demand environment, thousands of queens are still dealing with persistent challenges. Through personal engagement and professional experience in collaborating with drag professionals, Colt Ables realized that industry success, even though often elusive, is never out of reach. "As a performer, the key is knowing your target audience while tapping into new markets," he stresses. "Despite the abundant possibilities of drag, I know so many artists—be it Pageant, Emo/Goth, or Camp Queens—who simply struggle." The ideal-world scenario is simple: passionate and talented queens can make a living with their splits, kicks, dances, or songs, and those who love drag can revel in drag shows whenever they please. The reality, however, is a lot harsher, leaving venues vacant and performers unfulfilled. According to Ables, one of the most pressing obstacles is the sheer lack of reliable, easy-to-use, and effective platforms where drag queens can connect with the right event hosts and vice versa. To alleviate the industry's pain points, Ables created DragSpace , a newly launched platform where hosts can find and book the right artists and where drag queens can showcase their true talent, expand their network, and advertise upcoming shows. This connectivity is Ables' response to another pertinent challenge – the common neglect of marketing efforts. "Far too often, drag queens assume that the venue will promote a show they will perform at. Event hosts fall into the same trap, believing artists will advertise their future endeavors themselves. Result? A drag show attended by three people or a drag trivia with only one team signed up," shares Ables. "Instead of blaming the other for an evening to be forgotten, maybe it's worth asking: What could I have done better?" While Ables recognizes traditional social media platforms as useful tools, he emphasizes that their focus lies in sustaining existing following, not exploring new markets. Through precise geo-location, DragSpace allows artists and hosts to market locally, which is especially crucial when touring or performing at pop-up shows. Tailored for performers, event hosts, and fans, the platform's benefits are multi-faceted. "If you're a bar owner struggling with dead mid-week traffic, DragSpace will help you set up a weekly drag bingo or trivia that will impress patrons. On the other hand, if you're a queen wanting to amplify visibility in a new area, DragSpace will help you target the right people," adds Ables. The founder envisions DragSpace leaving a tangible impact that transcends the industry. By promoting the industry for what it truly is – an art form where rules don't exist and everyone can express themselves freely in a supportive community – the platform aims to shift negative perceptions surrounding drag into appreciation or, at the very least, open-mindedness. "Different people will always have different views, but it's important to let skeptics know what drag kings and queens are truly about," says Ables. "For everyone I know, drag is about freedom, self-expression, and artistry, and to experience even one show—all the acrobatics, twirls, and dances—the emotion behind every word and move synced from a song or track—offering not just a show, but an escape offering a reflection of who we are or may dream to be." One reflection of that magic is seen in the faces that DragSpace sponsored in The Haus of Drag . This video highlights the talent, energy, and artistry that make Houston's drag scene so unforgettable, featuring both local icons and fresh new faces ready to snatch the spotlight. DragSpace, by fueling visibility, consequently raises competitiveness and, therefore, expectations. With a range of vetted profiles, venues can be more selective about their entertainment, ensuring that hired performers truly align with brand visions and customer demands. With a combination of talent, transparency, and digital connectivity, Ables envisions a future where drag is more than an entertainment arena; it's a scene where dreams come true and the artistry of drag is honored. "When you think about it, drag is more than an industry. Every performer has a drag mother, a drag grandmother, and a family they belong to, one they chose and one that chose them," shares Ables. "Deeply engraved in the LGBTQIA+ community, drag is no stranger to feeling unwelcome or unaccepted. But through art, through expressing one's creativity, drag queens can feel at home, and DragSpace helps them find it."
