Guitar fest stands against AI in music

With more and more AI-laced pseudo art infiltrating the music industry, this year’s Clonakilty International Guitar Festival (CIGF) sets out to celebrate the analogue, material, face-to-face, blood-sweat-and-tears-in-the-mosh-pit; the victory of experience over simulation; the sacred ritual of communal rocking out.

Over ten days, Clonakilty will ring from pillar to post, with headliner performances starting on 16 September for what will be the festivals 19th outing.

This year’s headlining acts are: Altered Hours, 16 September; Aoife Nessa Francis, 17 September; Eoin Ó Ceannabháin, 20 September; Gemma Hayes, 21 September; The Acoustic Forum, featuring Gwennifer Raymond, John Spillane, Gemma Hayes, and host George Lowden, 22 September; and Jon Gomm, 23 September.

As is traditional, the festival will ramp up in intensity before culminating in the now legendary Session Trail on the weekend of the 22-24 September.

The festival also features a range of workshops, masterclasses, and jam sessions, showcasing guitar styles such as jazz, blues, rock, classical, folk, and trad.

As always, CIGF rejects the model of the green-field festival that sweeps into a town and leaves little but disposable cups in its wake. Instead, the town itself is the stage; pubs, cafes, and restaurants are the vendors; and locals are the stewards. The goal in the end, as the guitar dust settles, is that the town is left in a better state than it was before the fun.

Overall, what makes the CIGF special is its diverse line-up of artists, its intimate and inclusive atmosphere, the educational opportunities it provides, and the cultural immersion in the picturesque town of Clonakilty. It's a carnival of music, community, and the joy of guitar playing, making it a must-visit event for guitar enthusiasts and music lovers alike.