Nothing Compares 2 U

Janelle Monáe, added to the Electric Picnic line-up earlier this week, does her finest Sinead O' Connor impression in the video for 'Cold War', the song that should, by right, see her crossover to universal adoration.



Well played.

Muddy, Bloody & Sprinkled With Glitter

On Wednesday, the line-up for Electric Picnic was announced and, as usual, was met with equal amounts of derision and excitement.

For the record, I'm planting myself firmly on the 'excited' side of the fence. I'm especially looking forward to seeing the likes of Jónsi, LCD Soundsystem, Fever Ray, Massive Attack, as well as checking out some of the names on the list I'm less familiar with.

The full line-up is as follows:

Roxy Music, Leftfield, Massive Attack, Gil Scott-Heron, Fever Ray, The Frames, Public Image Ltd (PiL), The National, Hot Chip, Jonsi, Caribou, Villagers, Imelda May, Mumford & Sons, Seasick Steve, Modest Mouse, Crystal Castles, Beach House, Redneck Manifesto, The Horrors, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Bad Lieutenant, Here We Go Magic, Memory Tapes, Field Music, The Big Pink, 808 State, The Low Anthem, Monotonix, Liquid Liquid, Steve Mason, Cymande, The Alarm, Messiah J & The Expert, Adrian Crowley, The New Pornographers, Edan, Breakestra & Chali 2 Na, Mr Scruff, Dublin Gospel Choir, Afro Celt Soundsystem, Booka Shade, Bloody Beetroots, Death Crew77, Steve Earle, The Waterboys.

The Electric Picnic line-up is inevitably going to be compared to the Oxegen line-up, these being the two largest draws in the Irish festival season. The consensus seems to be that Oxegen has attracted the more star-studded line-up this year but, according to some, this equates to a rowdier, more 'mainstream' crowd.

Personally, I don't see the point in this sort of snobbery. If you don't like the crowd, don't camp. I've spent some of the best weekends of my life at Oxegen (and indeed at 'Witnness') so you can bet your smelly wellies that I'll be back this year.

The full Oxegen line-up so far is:

Arcade Fire, Fatboy Slim, Eminem, Muse, Kasabian, Jay-Z, Black Eyed Peas, The Prodigy, Florence & The Machine, Paolo Nutini, Faithless, Stereophonics, David Guetta, Vampire Weekend, John Mayer, Calvin Harris, Newton Faulkner, Gossip, Temper Trap, Empire Of The Sun, Goldfrapp, La Roux, Wolfmother, Rise Against, The Coral,Broken Social Scene, Ellie Goulding, Two Door Cinema Club, Armand Van Helden, Steve Angelo, Simian Mobile Disco, Erol Alkan, Steve Aoki, A Trak, Aeroplane.

Provided I have the requisite funds, expect to see me at both Punchestown and Stradbally for the festivities. Who knows? I might even venture further afield...

Tickets for both Oxegen and Electric Picnic can be bought here.

[Imagea: Lomo D, Turgidson and Lavinia Amaldi]

Turn Me On With Your Electric Feel...

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]

Electric Picnic Timetable

Not too many clashes in this year's line-up, thankfully. My biggest disappointment is that I'm more than likely going to miss Lykke Li on the Friday. I've seen her twice before but she's just so damn good.

Ah, fudge.

Lykke Li

FRIDAY

Main Stage:

10:30-12:00 Orbital
8.45-9.45 MGMT
7.15-8:15 Zero 7
5.30-6.30 Michael Nyman Orchestra
4:00-4:45 Smash Hits

Electric Arena:

11:00-12:00 Rodrigo y Gabriela
9.15-10.30 Seasick Steve
7.30-8.30 Magazine
5:45-6:45 David Kitt
4:00-5:00 8 Ball

Crawdaddy Stage:

11:00-12:00 Luciano presents AEther
9:30 – 10:20 Duckworth Lewis Method
8:00 – 9:00 ABC
6:45 – 7:30 Lykke Li
5:30 – 6:15 The Temper Trap
4:30 – 5:00 Peter Broderick

Cosby Stage:

9:30-10:30 Dinosaur Jr
7:45 – 8:45 Efterklang
6:30 – 7:15 Richmond Fontaine
5:30 – 6:00 Jeffrey Lewis
4:30 – 5:00 Wave Machine

Little Big Tent:

01:00-02:00 Japanese Popstars DJ set
12:00-12:45 Potbelleez
10:30-12:00 Diplo
9:30-10:30 Buraka som Sistema
8:15-9:30 Fake Blood
7:15-8:15 Major Lazer
6:00-7:15 Boy 8 Bit
4:00-6:00 Tu-Ki

Jape

SATURDAY

Main Stage:

12.30-2.00 2ManyDJs
10.30-11.45 Madness
8.15-9.45 Brian Wilson
6.30-7.30 Lisa Hannigan
4.45-5.45 Kid Creole & the Coconuts
3.00-4.00 Baaba Maal
1.30-2.15 Tunng
12.30-1.00 Stee Downes

Electric Arena:

10.30-12.00 Chic
8.45-9.45 Klaxons
7.00-8.00 Bat for Lashes
5.15-6:15 Jape
4:00-4.45 Roots Manuva
2:45-3:30 The XX
1.30-2.00 Heartbreak [CANCELLED]
12.30-1.00 Cap Pas Cap

Crawdaddy Stage:

01:00-02:00 Chris Cunningham
11:45-12:40 Four Tet
10:15-11.15 Explosions in the Sky
8.30-9.30 Imelda May
7.00-8.00 Mundy
5:30-6:30 Billy Bragg
4:00-4:45 A Flock of Seagulls
2.30-3.15 Just Jack
1.30-2.00 Dave Geraghty
12:30-1:00 One Day International

Cosby Stage:

11.00-12.00 Neko Case
9.15-10.15 ESG
7.45-8.45 Whitest Boy Alive
6.30-7.15 The Walkmen
5.15-6.00 Magnolia Electric Co.
4.00-4.45 Marina and the Diamonds
3.00-3.30 Low Anthem
2.00-2.30 Julie Feeney
1.00-1.30 Lost Brothers

Little Big Tent:

12:45-02:00 Moderat
11:00-12:30 [TBC]
9:45-10:45 The Proxy
7:30-9:30 James Murphy and Pat Mahoney
6:30-7:30 The Field
5:00-6:15 Jazzanova (live)
3:30-4:30 Noze
2:30-3:30 Jon Averil
1:30-2:30 LRB and Conor G
12:30-1:30 Transmission DJs

Royksopp

SUNDAY

Main Stage:

10.30-12.00 Basement Jaxx
8.30-9.45 Bell X1
6:30-7:45 Alabama 3
4.45-5.45 The Wailers
3:00-4.00 Quantic and his Combo Barbaro
1.45-2.30 Introducing (DJ Shadow tribute)
12.30-1.15 Dublin Gospel Choir

Electric Arena:

10.15-11.45 Flaming Lips
8.30-9.30 Royksopp
6.45-7.45 Fleet Foxes
5:30-6.15 Florence and the Machine
4:15-5.00 Simian Mobile Disco
2:45-3:45 Nightmares on Wax Soundsystem
1:30-2.15 The Sugarhill Gang
12:30-1:00 Two Door Cinema Club

Crawdaddy Stage:

10.45-11.45 Damien Dempsey
9.00-10.00 Amadou and Mariam
7.15-8.15 Fionn Regan
5.45-6.45 Echo and the Bunnymen
4.30-5:15 Laura Izibor
3:15-4:00 Okkervil River
2.15-2:45 Mick Flannery
1.15-1.45 Villagers
12.15-12.45 Halfset

Cosby Stage:

10.45-11.45 Skream and Benga
9.00-10.00 [TBC]
7.45-8.30 Dan Deacon Ensemble [CANCELLED]
6.15-7.15 Bell Orchestre
4.45-5.30 The Big Pink
3.30-4.15 The Acorn
2.30-3.00 Micachu
1.30-2.00 Blitzen Trapper
12:30-1:00 Our Fold

Little Big Tent:

10:00-12:00 Erol Alkan
8:30-10:00 Zombie Nation
7:00-8:30 Duke Dumont
5:30-7:00 Aeroplane
4:30-5:30 [TBC]
3:30-4:30 Hypnotic Brass Ensemble
2:30-3:15 Ebony Bones
1:30-2:15 Arveene and Misk (live)
12:30-1:30 Barry Redsetta

Robot Rock

I was really hoping that Norwegian electro duo Röyksopp would be added to the Electric Picnic line-up and today I got my wish. Check out State for the full list of additions.

Röyksopp's 'Junior' is definitely one of my favourites albums from 2009 so far. The album features two duets with Swedish songbird Lykke Li who happens to be performing at Electric Picnic so hopefully we can look forward to Lykke getting on stage with the guys to perform the tracks. I was lucky enough to catch her Dublin gigs last year and she's an incredible live performer.

Another Swedish lady, Robyn, handles vocal duties on Röyksopp's upcoming single, 'The Girl and The Robot'. The track is unfathomably brilliant and has the potential to be Röyksopp's biggest hit to date.

This shot from the video looks very promising and there are some excellent remixes doing the rounds, including this wonderful mix by Chateau Marmont.

Would it be too much to ask for Robyn to being her robot-oriented amour to Stradbally?

[Image: Persona Sauna]

Crown Jewel

Marina & The Diamonds confirmed that she's paying Eclectic Fishness in a response to my comment on her blog. I have reason to believe this is a bit of an exclusive.

Things just keep getting better for EP '09. Dare I ask for Röyksopp to be added to the list? Too much?

Meanwhile, Nialler9 has a download of Marina's track 'The Shampain Sleeper' in this post. A gem of a tune.

[Image: Marina's Blog]

Get Excited: Electric Picnic Line-Up

(via Nialler 9)

Orbital
Flaming Lips
Basement Jaxx
Madness
MGMT
Fleet Foxes
Klaxons
BellX1
Rodrigo Y Gabriela
Chic - first ever Irish apperance
Seasick Steve
2 Many DJs
Explosions in the Sky
Lisa Hannigan
Alabama 3
Zero 7
The Sugarhill Gang
Erol Alkan
Roots Manuva
Billy Bragg
Bat for Lashes
Damien Dempsey
Lykke Li
Imelda May
Echo & The Bunnymen
ABC
Magazine
ESG
Moderat
Four Tet
Magnetic Man (Skream & Benga)
Simian Mobile Disco
Heartbreak
Halfset
Noze
Chris Cunnigham - A 55 minute performance, combining original and remixed music and film.
Okkervil River
Magnolia Electric Company
The Low Anthem
Villagers
Tunng
Jape
Efterklang
Micachu and the Shapes
The Whitest Boy Alive
The Walkmen
Michael Nyman - with a mini-orchestra,
Dublin Gospel Choir
Quantic Soul Orchestra
Jazzanova
Wavemachines

Are Picnics Electric?

Last weekend, approximately 32,000 revellers descended upon the sleepy Laois town of Stradbally for the fifth annual Electric Picnic festival and, for the first time, I found myself in their midst. After hitching a ride with about 20 students from NCAD down on the Friday, I pitched my tent and readied myself for a weekend I could sense was going to put my festival fitness to the test.

For most of the Friday, I wandered around gaping in awe at the bohemian wonderland that had been set up for punters. Previously, I had scoffed when I heard people claim that 'the vibes' at Electric Picnic were so much better than any of the other summer festivals but, after experiencing The Picnic first hand, I have to concede that this is indeed the case.

What really sets Electric Picnic apart from Oxegen and other such festivals is the attention to detail and the sheer variety of activities on offer. Among the most impressive features were a designated 'Body & Soul' chill-out area; campsites named after Charlie Chaplin, Jimi Hendrix, Andy Warhol and Oscar Wilde; a cinema, a circus, a theatre and a comedy stage; a wooden structure ceremoniously burned to commemorate victims of suicide and an inflatable church that holds weddings and 'lovely girl' contests.

Sarah models our contributions to a giant collage (mine's the pink one)

The acts I saw were:

Friday

• Wallis Bird - as mentioned in my previous post, she's won over a new fan.
• New Young Pony Club - a better live act than I would have expected. I'm not sure about their new stuff though.
• Tiga - so disappointing. I expected him to play songs from his 'Sexor' album but he basically just did a DJ set.
• Digitalism - simply boptastic.
  
• Sigur Rós - ethereal and otherworldly. I was in a bad mood for this set but could still appreciate their awesomeness.

Apparently scarecrows were required to protect the crop of... tents.

Saturday

• Super Extra Bonus Party - the people up the front seemed to be having a blast but to schedule this boppin' band at 1pm was a major faux pas methinks.
• Laura Izibor - not really 'my bag' but she has the potential to be Ireland's biggest soul/r'n'b export when she finally gets around to releasing her long-awaited début album early next year.
• Attention Bebe - their xylophone player is my friend Nigel and this gig was an unexpected highlight of my weekend. Covers of awful 90's songs by a big band? Genius.
• Fossett's Circus - especially entertaining viewing whilst drunk.
  
• Leanne Harte - such an awesome singer and lyricist. It's just such a shame that she doesn't seem to be writing or recording any new material.
• Grace Jones - was half an hour late onstage and the whole costume-change-per-song malarkey is done much better by Róisín Murphy. Over-rated.
• Santogold - highlight of my weekend. Old Santi completely redeemed herself from the 'Santobold' incident in June.
• Lucien Dossier Dancers - their burlesque circus act was right up my alley but possibly not quite as amazing as some people made out.

The wait for Foals is all too much for some...

Sunday

• Dublin Gospel Choir - sounded great but I missed half their set waiting in a queue for breakfast. Gotsta prioritise sometimes.
• You're Only Massive - the sound was terrible to begin with but their audience participation and endearingly amateur delivery won me over midway through their set.
• Hercules & Love Affair - this was an awesome live performance, the songs were updated from the album and the combination of the live elements (brass, guitar, drums and two singers) and funky electro beats made for an ambient mid-afternoon disco.
• Maeve Higgins - pretty much the exact same material she worked with in Edinburgh but I'll always have a soft spot for auld Maeve.
• Foals - the sound was a bit dodgy in The Crawdaddy Tent all weekend but their artistry and live energy shone through. I preferred them in The Academy in April but that was probably because I wasn't so deliriously tired on that occasion.
• Late of the Pier - they're so young it makes me feel completely inadequate. Another album I will be downloading for sure.
• The Gossip - I just caught 'Standing in the Way of Control' but was very glad that I did.
• Chromeo - another surprise highlight. These guys look like they've walked right out of Blues Brothers (in a good way) and sound like Prince crossed with Daft Punk (also in a good way.)

In the run-up to the festival, I came across many people bemoaning the lack of stellar acts on the line-up but I would agree with Team Electric Picnic that the money is far better spent on creating this 'boutique festival' paradise. The festival attracts a much more mature, arty crowd than Oxegen and, it has to be said, a lot less skangers and yobs in GAA jerseys. There are fewer drunkards but, in lieu of that, there are far more pill-poppers and I noted the distinct smell of marijuana at various points throughout the weekend.

The only regret I have was that I didn't manage to recover from my Edinburgh hangover a little more because, for large sections of the weekend, I felt like a bit of an over-tired zombie and that I was unable to properly engage with the other Picnic-ers or fully absorb the experience.

One thing's for sure though: I'm dead set on returning to The Picnic next year for more of the same.