Knowing that I would most likely be flat broke by the time September rolled around, I got my ticket for
Electric Picnic way back in March. I experienced the Picnic for the first time last year and was determined to make it back this year, no matter how circumstances conspired to have me stranded in Dublin.
Unfortunately, because of work, by the time I down to Stradbally and set up for the weekend, I'd managed to miss
Lykke Li,
The Temper Trap and a few others. There was nobody else I particularly wanted to see, so I spent most of Friday just wandering around and getting my bearings for the weekend.
On Saturday, I kicked things off with
The xx. The London four-piece's debut album has already nestled itself among my favourites of this year but I was doubtful of their ability to cut it live after hearing reports that they 'lacked presence' on stage.
While its true that the band essentially stood still for the entirety of the set and banter was kept to a minimum, I really didn't think this detracted from their performance. If anything, cracking jokes and leaping around the stage would have jarred with the tone of their music. The chemistry between vocalists Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim was just as apparent as on record and, even if on a superficial level there wasn't much to see, I couldn't pry my eyes from the stage.
Next up was
Marina and the Diamonds, who, you may have noticed, I've been ferociously championing on this site. I've forced my obsession with this woman upon everyone and anyone over the past few months so, if she'd failed to deliver, I might have had some explaining to do.
Thankfully a stonking performance from Marina got me off the hook and helped her to win over a number of new fans. Prowling the stage in an outfit she repeatedly warned us could lead to 'camel toe', La Diamond performed a number of tracks likely to feature on her forthcoming debut album, including 'Obsessions', 'I Am Not a Robot' and 'Mowgli's Road'. She seemed a little surprised by the crowd's enthusiasm and promised us 'Emeralds' she'd be back in November for a couple of gigs.
The cancellations of Bat for Lashes an ESG led to a re-shuffle in my Saturday evening schedule but I managed to find some worthy substitutes. I'd be lying if I said my memories of
The Whitest Boy Alive and
2 Many DJ's weren't a tad hazy but I remember enjoying both sets.
Klaxons, meanwhile, offered a glimpse of an intriguing change of musical direction. There was a drastic difference between new tracks and the songs from their Mercury-winning debut and they seem to have ditched the 'nu-rave' clothing and glowsticks, even if their hardcore fans at the front didn't seem as willing to let go...
Irish act
Villagers kicked off my Sunday morning in a wonderful fashion. Conor O' Brien's new vehicle have been the subject of much hype since emerging last year and it's completely justified. Backed my some fantastic musicians, Conor's soaring voice filled the Crawdaddy tent and lifted spirits during one of the soggiest periods of the weekend.
Next on my hitlist were
Simian Mobile Disco, who had the misfortune of preceding Florence and the Machine in the Electric Arena. The duo tried to keep things interesting with some emphatic knob-twiddling and an impressive light show but the set never quite seemed to take off. The fact that the front few rows were made up of hardcore Flo fans, eager to get a good spot, probably didn't help their case.
Having been blown away by
Florence and the Machine at Oxegen, my expectations for their set this time around were fairly high. If anything, they raised their game even higher. Flame-haired singer Florence Welsh seems to be growing in confidence at a ferocious rate and she wears it well. Her movement was mesmerising, the set-list was spot on and her vocal delivery was nothing short of roof-raising. I honestly can't remember seeing an audience left so stunned by a performance.
I solved the dilemma of choosing between
Royksopp and
Passion Pit by catching half of each of their gigs. In some respects, this might have been a mistake because I wound up some distance away from the stage on both occasions. That said, both bands delivered strong sets. Royksopp expertly tailored their material for a live setting and used a combination of clever visuals and props (including a life-sized robot for 'The Girl and The Robot') to elevate their performance.
Passion Pit, meanwhile, overcame technical glitches to deliver a set that was, by all accounts, a drastic improvement on previous gigs they've played on these shores. Singles 'Sleephead' and 'The Reeling' induced mild hysteria in the crowd and Michael Angelekos's bizarre falsetto was fascinating to behold.
The last performance of the weekend I caught was
Basement Jaxx, whose hit-heavy back-catalogue helped them provide a cheesy but highly danceable big finish. Their set may not have been one of the memorable of the weekend but at least they were one of the few acts to avoid being swallowed by the Main Stage.
I've heard a few gripes about this year's Picnic being less fun as previous years but, honestly, I think maybe the mucky conditions impeded some people's enjoyment of the weekend. In terms of this year's line-up, the organisers certainly can not be faulted and you can bet your smelly wellies I'll be back for more of the same next year.
[All images: Heineken Music]
Remember circa 1996 when the question on everybody's lips was 'Who's your favourite Spice Girl?" Well, 15 years later (man, I'm old), I'm posing an equally divisive dilemma: Who's your favourite member of The xx?
