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.

I Am a Bird Now

I once sat in a sushi bar in Dublin with a group of relative strangers and listened to singer Leanne Harte wax lyrical about some up-and-coming Irish singer, the curiously named Wallis Bird.

After seeing her perform at Electric Picnic at the weekend and checking out her myspace, I now understand why Leanne was so in thrall with this Wexford-born songstress.

Her jaunty guitar-driven pop songs and lilting ballads are wonderfully simple, untarnished by studio gloss and her lyrics are beautifully earnest and clever. A new obsession is born.

Anybody fancy joining me at her gig in The Button Factory on 30th of October?

Edinburgh: The Aftermath

Obviously, I'd rather have made my final Edinburgh post about a week ago but the past few days have been kind of mental (This will probably become clear later.) In some ways, it's probably a good thing to have put some distance between getting home and making this post because I've had a chance to reflect on my stint at the Fringe and last week I'd probably just have gushed mawkishly and incoherently about the whole experience.

My last two days in Edinburgh were pretty damn close to perfect although it really felt as though the whole experience came to an end far too abruptly. After a very drawn out process, I managed to get a ticket on Sunday afternoon for Enda Walsh's 'The New Electric Ballroom', which had drawn rave reviews from critics throughout the festival. It was easily the most professional theatrical production I'd seen throughout the Fringe, with an elaborate set, stylised costumes and actors that I can only guess are paid professionals.

The play focuses around two elderly sisters who both had their hearts broken by a big band singer in the sixties and the impact their subsequently hermitic existences have on their younger sister. The script featured repeated dialogue that wouldn't sound out of place in a Beckett play but was also imbued with Walsh's trademark verve. Although perhaps not as strikingly original as something like Disco Pigs, this play packs an equally powerful punch in its dramatic climax and certainly lived up to the hype. Try to catch this when it inevitably comes to The Abbey or The Gate.

Later on Sunday, I got to go to a special show at the Assembly Rooms performed by the newly crowned If.comedy Award winner David O' Doherty. O' Doherty was clearly still reeling from his win and really seemed to enjoy the set, eventually being goaded into giving a second encore. Later in the evening, we got to meet him and congratulate him on his well deserved success. It was so endearing to see how humble he was about the whole thing, claiming the £8000 will go some way towards paying back all the money he owes to his dad for financing his comedy career. International success generally greets winners of this prestigious prize so let's hope he manages to stay grounded.

The majority of my last day in Edinburgh was spent packing and then working. I foolishly booked my flight for 8am the next morning, which meant that I had to try and moderate my alcohol intake. Kind of challenging when it's me that we're dealing with and the lovely Ed Byrne puts £200 behind the bar for the front of house staff.

Obviously, I failed miserably and wound up fairly hammered midway through the night. I never made it to the third leg of our celebrations in Garribaldi's because I decided that four hours before I was due to leave Scotland was the opportune moment to make an advance on the colleague that I'd gradually become more and more enamoured with throughout the festival.

The way it played out probably would have been very romantic if I hadn't been so bloody drunk. We walked around the same block of buildings in Edinburgh city centre about four times before I finally got the courage to kiss him. In some ways, it might have been cool if we'd hooked up earlier on because it's been a long time since I fancied somebody as much as I liked this guy but in other ways, I'm kind of glad it happened the way it did.

Because of the fact that I was going home, our tryst could mean anything or nothing and it was a ittingly amazing end to an unbelievably awesome few weeks. After extensive lip-locking under archways, it was time for me to leave and he bundled me into a taxi so I could go pick up my stuff and head to the airport. As a result of these shenanigans, I deprived myself of the opportunity to say most of my drunken farewells. I got the boy but never got to say goodbye.

At the airport, Ryanair brought be back to reality with a bump my imposing another 'excess baggage' of £48 on me. I had checked in a second bag online but apparently this doesn't entitle you to any more weight. Oh well, you live and learn. Right?

So, that was my time at the Edinburgh Fringe. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say it was the best four weeks of my life so far. I certainly hope to be back for many more fringe festivals in the future.

As I've said before, there's a lot to be said for travelling on your own, under the right circumstances. The front of house job enabled me to meet so many fantastic people to socialise and see shows with whereas the Fringe environment was such that it was impossible to feel lonely, bored or homesick.

It's reassuring to know that I can survive in situations like this and, unlike on my work placement last year in Eagle Star where I was also starting off knowing nobody, I didn't feel a need to adjust my behaviour or play down aspects of my personality in order to fit in. I was just myself and people accepted that.

My decision to come to Edinburgh for the festival was made hastily in March at a time when my world seemed to be crumbling around me and I needed something to cling to. It's comforting to think that this incredible experience was borne out of a difficult time and that in the future I may be able to turn similarly frustrating situations into amazing adventures.

Until next year, Edinburgh.