Charlie's seen every Tom, Dick but maybe not Harry at Slane

A dedicated Slane concert goer says Harry Styles could be the first gig he won't be rocking out to in its 42 year history - due to having no one to go with!

Navan man Charlie Rogers (56), has been to every single concert since Thin Lizzy headed the bill on 16th August 1981 but says this year his peers will not be attending Harry Styles and fears he might be the oldest person there! Charlie had hoped heavy metal legends ACDC would be the next headline act.

"I'm not sure I'll have anyone to go with!, he said. "The last few gigs being The Foo Fighters, Metallica, Guns n Roses there were loads of people I knew going, if I went I'd probably end up on my own, that's the problem I have now!

"The last four gigs were rock concerts, I saw people in their 70s there, twenty years older than me. Those bands have such a legacy.

"It's a different story this year, I think it will be a very young crowd. It will be interesting to see how he will go down.

"In saying that if I got a free ticket, I'd head there in my rock n roll gear and give it a review, I think I'd probably be qualified having been at every one of the concerts!"

Charlie was just 14-years-old in 1981 when he made his way the 10 miles from his hometown to Slane to see Thin Lizzy, U2, Hazel O'Connor and more for the first of 25 concerts on Lord Henry Mount Charles’ front lawn.

“It's just that natural sound out there, especially in the beginning, it just gets you coming back for more," he said.

Sure there's people travelling from all over the country, all over the world to get to Slane and there was I 10 miles away, I had no business not going to Slane, what else would I be doing when I was that age.”

Recalling the first gig in 1981, Charlie said he already knew how good U2 were having seen them play in Leixlip the year previously but says Phil Lynott and Lizzy were sensational - one of the best rock acts to grace the venue along, perhaps with Metallica in 2019.