Quarter 2024: Cork’s DIY festival is back on the block

“Ah, it was a good match, well-deserved to Cork, in fairness - the better team won on the day.” When notoriously proud Limerickman Post-Punk Podge can dig into his well of magnanimity when it comes to the hurling, you can tell the vibes are correct.

The outspoken singer, fiddle-player and songwriter, accompanied by his erstwhile Technohippies, is headlining the first day of events at this year’s instalment of Cork’s annual Quarter festival, joined on a massive Saturday lineup at Coal Quay’s outdoor TEST SITE space by Wirral-born songwriter Laurie Shaw’s Felted Fruit project, Leeside singer Rita Lynn, I Dreamed I Dream noisemaker Niamh Hayes’ new ensemble Jean Pack, and DJ sets from Limerick DIY promoter Jack Brolly.

“It's great to be involved in such a great festival again,” he continues. “The last time we played in Cork was actually for Quarter Block Party in 2020 [with Belfast slackers Junk Drawer and Dublin rabble-rousers Acid Granny] at the Kino. We haven't been there in so long, and it's always enjoyable to go down and play.”

Quarter has been a bit of a shape-shifter over the years - starting as a collectively-run quarterly series of events at the Triskel before morphing into its own artistic space on Camden Quay (on the current site of record emporium Bunker Vinyl), it truly etched a mark on the consciousness of the city with the creation of the annual Quarter Block Party festival, beginning in 2015.

A multidisciplinary festival initially rooted around North Main Street and the city’s historic spine, the event was originally intended to breathe life back into the city’s cultural scene in late January, hosting gigs, plays and performances in conventional venues and everyday spaces alike, and over the years, has played host to an incredible coterie of names and faces from Ireland’s independent music scene.

Gigs at Quarter Block Party have ranged from an ethereal ‘rarities’ set from Cork psych-rockers The Altered Hours, and intimate performances from the likes of the much-missed O Emperor, to important platforms for then-emerging quantities like Leeside punks Pretty Happy and Dublin pop sensation CMAT - the latter of whom verbally barracked patrons of North Main Street’s Black Dog pub in good-natured style for (as yet) being unaware of her genius, between acoustic renditions of early tunes.

“I think it's a lovely festival. It was the first festival that we were asked to play, actually, when I was just starting out, me and the first group that were backing me. It's always been an important festival,” remarks Shaw.

“It's a good way 'in', because it is such a nicely-run festival, like, there's a lot of ways that younger bands, I guess, would be able to be able to play a festival that doesn't necessarily mean like having to be 'in the know', their talent is enough can carry them over the line, and it's just great. I love the fact that they're in venues all across the town, you've just got stuff happening in really nice places like. [Early on], there were lots of more unusual venues, but I like that Quarter has evolved, and adapted, I guess, with the way things have changed. And it's such a lovely atmosphere, I think, when it's happening.”

It’s been the kind of endeavour that a city’s cultural community can claim as foundational - and indeed, its influence has reached beyond the city’s walls in its decade-plus of existence, spurring others of a like mind to get similarly organised elsewhere.

"I've been a fan of Block Party since it began, and obviously they influenced [Limerick weekender] Féile na Gréine, which is a big part of what I do, so it's been nice to be asked,” says Brolly. "Podge is a longtime friend of mine, and a Limerick legend, so it's great to be on the lineup. Knowing Laurie's music for so long, it kind of brings me a bit of comfort, the different familiar faces on the lineup, because a lot of times it can be bit jarring, when it's just a bunch of people you don't know, but I feel like I'm slotting in comfortably, like wearing an old pair of shoes, with all these people.

“It feels like a bit of a ‘full-circle’ moment, in a way. I find them very inspiring, so I'm happy that they're doing something this summer, because it can be difficult to do things if they don't get the funding or whatever - so it's nice to see that it has a presence in the summer calendar, as it should."

Since the end of the Covid crisis, Quarter has moved along from the idea of the big springtime Block Party events, with various gigs happening in Coughlan’s under its banner, in addition to last year’s iteration of a summer festival presenting a more nimble approach to events programming to adjust to new realities and a change in gig-going habits.

Thankfully, the emphasis remains on platforming new music and ideas from the city’s fertile sonic undercurrents, and while Laurie Shaw will be busying himself with a performance from his Felted Fruit side-project in this case, he’s also continuously cooking away on his songwriting, with new single ‘Power Cut’ being the title track of his next album, the latest in a series that casts a cold eye over the mundanities of life in his adoptive hometown of Kenmare.

“What ended up happening is, it took ages to finish, but that was nice in a way, because it meant that I could actually make something that felt like each song was the best of a batch that I would do, y'know, each month or whatever. So it turned out well, thankfully. The original idea of the record was that it's one night where there's been a power cut, and each song is a different narrative, someone else in a different household dealing with the same thing, or someone on the streets, or someone driving, dealing with the same situations.”

He’s not the only one readying himself for a busy few months. “We've a new album on the way,” says Podge. “Unfortunately we won't have any of the new songs ready to play on the day, so we'll be doing a more retrospective set, doing songs that we don't normally do, to mix it up, and trying to keep it as lively as possible.” “I'm looking forward to this, playing between all these acts, just trying to match their energy,” Brolly adds. “I mean, can anyone really match Podge's energy?”

Day one of the event happens at the aforementioned TEST SITE, an outdoor venue and space on the Coal Quay, making ‘meanwhile’ use of Cork City Council land between the Bridewell Garda station and the historic quay itself. With a stage constructed entirely from wood and metal joinery, and designed to be an example of adaptability and circular economy in the local arts, the project is an ongoing proof-of-concept of new ways to do things.

"I was at TEST SITE for the first time there the other day, and I really, I thought it was a great venue. It's really cool,” says Brolly. “It feels like a space for people, for artists, a space where where people can do their own thing and not be under the remit of having to sell drink or, y'know, be micromanaged by some bar owner, like, 'how many tickets are being sold, blah, blah'. You can take things into your own hands when you have a venue like that. I'm actually quite excited to spend the day there."

“I hope it's a sunny day,” laughs Shaw. “TEST SITE is a lovely spot. I recently saw the Elaine Howley show there, supported by David Murphy. He was unbelievable, I had such a transcendental experience listening to him, it was just lovely. I'm very excited. They're very interactive, the Felted Fruit shows, so I feel like it's a perfect fit, really, for that space. And I like the fact that the first Felted Fruit show was literally in PLUGD, so it's just moving across the road.”

“I've never been, it looks like a class setup. Nice outdoor venue... the Garda station just behind it, so hopefully we won't be too rambunctious for them,” jokes Podge.

Of course, there’s a whole array of gigging appearances across the weekend: after the dust settles on the Saturday night afterparty at PLUGD Records, Sunday sees Dublin indie trio Search Results and Cork no-wavers Crying Loser take to Coughlan’s for an early gig, before the party concludes at a late-night excursion to the Crane Lane Theatre, where transnational kosmische outfit Pôt-Pôt take a stop on a small Irish tour, and North Kerry hyper-pop scamps Messyng will no doubt serve to confuse and bewilder more than one passing casual reveller.

“The Sunday as well - Pôt-Pôt, like, becoming absolute stalwarts for the Irish scene with Mark [Waldron-Hyden] and his style of Kraut-y madness and then Messyng... I mean, again, like, if you look at Podge, he's carved out his own space, and then Messyng have, like, slithered in between the walls of the Irish music scene as well, and it's hard to even describe what they do. They're almost two sides of the same coin,” Brolly enthuses.

“I'm really looking forward to it. Looking at the lineup, it's just bangers the whole time, you know what I mean? As far as I'm concerned, like, it's just high energy, good music for the whole weekend, not too much navel-gazing. Not that I've been anything against that, but for the two days, it's nice to just go out and f**king do it, y'know?”

* Quarter 2024 takes place on Saturday July 20 and Sunday July 21, at venues across Cork City. Supported by Cork City Council Arts Office.

* TEST SITE Block Party, featuring Post Punk Podge and the Technohippies, Laurie Shaw’s Felted Fruit, Jean Pack, Rita Lynn and DJ Jack Brolly, takes place on Saturday July 20 at TEST SITE, Coal Quay. Tickets €20, available at https://www.eventbrite.com/o/quarter-2023-66575427473. Free afterparty ‘til late at PLUGD Records on Coal Quay, with guest DJs to be announced.

* Dublin rockers Search Results and Cork no-wavers Crying Loser play Coughlan’s on Douglas Street at 5.30pm on Sunday July 21. Tickets €15, available at https://www.coughlans.ie/whats-on/search-results-and-crying-loser-11169131.

* Quarter 2024’s closing party happens at Crane Lane Theatre on Sunday July 21, with Cork/Lisbon rockers Pôt-Pôt and North Kerry hyper-poppers Messyng. Kickoff 11.30pm, free admission.