With the trees starting to shed their leaves, we’re increasingly willing to spend our weekends in bed. Berlin-based Irish dream-pop duo Perlee have taken it upon themselves to ring in the colder season with a Saturday night concert festival. Hosted at intimate Kreuzberg venue Lido on Saturday 28 September as part of the Zeitgeist Irland 24 initiative, Shindig Festival 2024 will be a celebration of contemporary Irish music in all its diversity.
We wanted to bring together musicians and friends for a concert in the city we have fallen in love with.
While Perlee’s own tranquil, soothing dream pop tunes alone are perfect for the occasion, the couple have spared no effort in putting together an exciting lineup of up-and-coming Irish artists to share the stage with them. “We wanted to bring together musicians and friends for a concert in the city we have fallen in love with”, singer Saramai Leech, one half of the duo, says. “Yes, it will be an Irish night but presenting perhaps a different side to Irish music than people might typically expect.”
To that effect, the programme will feature a wide range of genres from gothic and psych-folk to dream pop and shoegaze. There’s Dublin-bred singer Aoife Nessa Frances, whose deep, husky voice delicately floats atop ethereal, psychedelic soundscapes. Berlin-based singer A.S. Fanning, in contrast, takes a more lyrical approach to songwriting, telling hauntingly beautiful gothic folk tales in the tradition of great Irish literary heroes. And then there’s singer-songwriter Oisin Leech of the successful blues folk duo The Lost Brothers, who will be performing from his solo debut album Cold Sea in Berlin for the first time.
This may prove impossible to do, but don’t get too addicted to the shindig, because Perlee’s great autumnal jam session will also be a going-away party. “We have been splitting our time between Ireland and Berlin over the last seven years and soon will make the move back to Ireland full-time”, the duo recently announced. For the band, living in the Hauptstadt has been an “abundant, inspiring and formative time” – and Shindig Festival 2024 will certainly be proof of that.
- Shindig Festival 2024, Lido, Cuvrystr. 7, Kreuzberg, Sep 28, doors open 17:00, details.
