Punchestown does 'not disappoint' says Tom Jones

by Louise McCarthy

The Punchestown Music Festival did not disappoint with ages ranging from mid 20s to well over 80.

Now the stage is down but the memories of music legends will live on, and anticipation begins for next year.

Torrential rain also did not deter  the Punchestown Festival spirit on the Sunday.

Applause must be given to Bonnie Tyler in my opinion, for spirit. She conveyed the spirit of live music by continuing to perform all the hits with a smile, despite the cold rain pouring down on her.

Her hair was matted from the downpours, the hail stone was hitting her face but she continued to sing.

She is a true legend and was one of the major highlights of the Punchestown Festival, in my estimation. Let's not forget All Saints, they are ladies who know how to perform to the crowd.

Smokie sang all the classics including who the F... is Alice, driving the crowd wild.

There was such a vast array of legends belting out the hits,including Sir Tom Jones, playing hits such as Delilah.

The entire festival was amazing, from start to finish.

Smash Hits, a band featuring all the hits of the 90s kicked off the festival. Nostalgic moments were relived with covers from the BackStreet Boys, Spice Girls and Prodigy and much more.

Next up were the Village People, and all I can say is wow! The renowned American disco group sang all their classics, such as YMCA, In the Navy and Sleazy.

Deacon Blue belted out the hits, bouncing around on the stage, just like they did 30 years ago.

Denis Locorriere of Dr Hook entertained the crowds with hits such as Sylvia's Mother and much more.

Roland Gift , lead singer of renowned  Fine Young Cannibals sang and performed with gusto. He also did a range of covers including Elvis Presley's Suspicious Minds.

There were so many highlights to the festival, managed by MCD, it is difficult to summarise.

Shane Filan sang many WestLife classics along with his own songs.

Culture Club ended the night on Saturday, and were amazing, to say the least.  Boy George was dressed in stylish attire and interacted really well with the audience.

10/10 goes to MCD for the organisation. Everything went very smoothly, from one stage throughout the day, legends performed for up to an hour, on schedule, from 3pm to after midnight.

Overall, it was a fantastic event, super well organised and just so relaxed.

Racing Manager at Punchestown, Richie Galway said: “It was nice to see music back here. Lots of locals benefited from it, overall there was a very friendly atmosphere. It was a great success.”