After the rave-up, it’s the clean-up..
Soaked slane recovers from gig
IT was far from a Paradise City as a huge clean-up got under way at Slane Castle yesterday after 80,000 Guns N’ Roses fans pounded the venue. Showers soaked the Co Meath arena with Met Eireann recording 24mm of rain 30 minutes away at Dunsany. Drivers abandoned their vehicles in the gridlocked traffic between Navan and Slane and trudged the last few kilometres to the venue. Then they were met with stepped-up security and searched several times before they could access the grounds. The venue is now drying out and the site remains muddy but the security measures may have helped the clean-up in advance. Fans had been warned on the Slane Castle website they could not bring glass, cans or plastic bottles into the grounds. Other prohibited items included garden furniture, lightsabers and umbrellas. Fans of all ages later took to social media to praise the band’s performance in a gig that sold out in 24 hours last December. It’s been 25 years since the rock giants played Slane and frontman Axl Rose made headlines by arriving on stage late. Back then the weather stayed dry but on Saturday the group were welcomed following severe downpours. Slane Castle owner Lord Henry Mountcharles was not at the concert due to a chest infection but Axl did a special, “Shout out to Lord Henry!” during the gig. The band also paid tribute to the late singer Chris Cornell by performing a cover of his band Soundgarden’s hit Blackhole Sun.