SLANE at 40: 'Chili night that held that indefinable charge'
in the air
23rd August 2004 - red Hot Chili Peppers
ANNE CALLAN
If I have given the impression that it doesn’t matter who plays Slane, I don’t mean to, because of course, the bands matter. If I have seemed blasé about it, forgive me.
The bands and by extension the fans who love them combine to create the atmosphere, that indefinable charge in the air which one can almost reach out and touch. It is a sensation far beyond the agenda, which has the ability to unleash unconditional, unbiased love for humanity. Imagine the force of that alchemy, multiplied by say, eighty thousand souls, give or take. It was something like that in August 2003.
The Driver was still in the frame. People came to his place to board the chopper for the short ride to the VIP park. Nibbles and drinks were served to the drone of the helicopter landing and taking off all afternoon. Last minute VIP tickets were sourced for unexpected drop-ins. Eventually, all quiet. Everyone had been flown over. Now it was our turn.
PJ Harvey and Queens of the Stone Age had already been on by the time we arrived.
I strode across the mezzanine to survey the scene below. The massive audience hummed, the stage a big grey shed flanked by tall screens left and right. The weather Gods had smiled. It was cloudy, warm and sunny. A regular attendee told us it was David Grohl’s first time playing with the Foo Fighters. Did this mean something we wondered. Well, it should do, he’s ex-Nirvana, the knowledgeable silver-haired fellow retorted.
The Driver gave me a tour of the official aspects. We visited Garda Command Centre situated on an elevated platform at the site’s kernel, courtesy of the Superintendent. Officers monitored a high-tech collection of closed-circuit television screens, surveying the site, and especially the Boyne, in the interests of safety.
What a cracker of a gig Foo Fighters and Red Hot Chilis turned out to be. The Chilis, carved in sharp relief against their backdrop, unleashed unique guitar and distinctive drums in a thumping visceral sound. The lightshow swept across the crowd going wild in the fading natural light. The Chili Peppers had played support to U2 on the 25th of August in 2001. This night belonged to them.
The fireworks display after the show gave one time to take a breather, wind down, return to earth while gazing at the dazzling, fizzing heavens. Then it was upstairs to the very decent supper, buffet style. I tumbled out of the castle before dawn. The Driver was giving an elderly gentleman a lift home and had driven up to the main door to pick us up.