This year was my tenth Electric Picnic. That’s a lot of weekends spent in a field in Stradbally, so arriving on site early on Friday at lunchtime, I had the touch of a jaded cynic, who had seen it all before, who could walk the festival with eyes closed.
Yet, despite the noticeable amping up of obnoxious brand areas this year, clueless security and some high beer prices somehow, Electric Picnic still surprised me. It was the little things and the big things.
Most notably, Despacio. A dancer’s dream, the tent manned by James Murphy and the 2ManyDJs brothers built with a dancer in mind, featured McIntosh speaker stacks surrounding a dancefloor overlooked by a huge disco ball. The DJ played from a booth up front but you had to look for them and a sign discouraged capturing the moment you did. Stand in the middle of the dancefloor and you could still converse with the person beside you while being physically engulfed in the music. Despacio (which translates to ‘slowly’) was the place to hear some slow disco, some weird electro, upbeat house or an exclusive Soulwax Tame Impala remix at 3 in the morning. It was a living breathing air-pushing reminder of what a club should (and used) to be. Phenomenal.
Away from the custom dancefloor, there was much to love.
Kelly Lou Cakes, a seaweed bath, Natasha’s Cacao Energy Balls, Trailer Tower, installations everywhere, Home Fries, AirBnB’s Archipod oasis, the many lovely people I met over the weekend, DJing at the Just Eat Retreat on Saturday, meeting friends old and new.
As for the music? Daithí delivering a career-best performance at Body&Soul on Friday, the theatrical powerhouse in her late-sixties Grace Jones, ‘Born Slippy’ by Underworld on the main stage, the dastardly punk energy of Ho99o9, the corrugated church sanctuary of Other Voices which I didn’t spend enough time in, the sun coming out for a triumphant Future Islands set, the costume-changing art-pop of Roisin Murphy doing things at her own pace, the magnetising presence of FKA Twigs and her moves, the Hula-hoop-assisted (and crowd-assisted) Jon Hopkins, the high-pitched disco/electro of Shamir, the psych-electronic gold of Tame Impala, the Gold Party in the Glasshouse; a Saturday sanctuary of sound(ers), the UK contingent of Jack Garratt and Lapsley, the American girl sweet screech alt duo Girlpool, always welcome sets from Jape (with backing singers) and Le Galaxie (with segways) and Hundred Waters‘ floaty beautiful music drifting into the Sunday night sky at Body & Soul. There is still much magic to experience in Stradbally.
Most of it is here in photos of the festival by the relentless Ruth Medjber.
An Electric Picnic reprise? This Friday evening with Interskalactic, Stomptown Brass, I Have A Tribe and Saint Sister in Wood Quay .
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005 . He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Cara Magazine, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, founder of Lumo Club, club promoter, event curator and producer of gigs, listening parties & events in Dublin.
Great review Niall and these photographs are sublime. Saw some really great new (to me) music. Delighted.
Grea,t what more can you ask for?
Couldn’t agree more. This was also my 10th EP and thought the branding was OTT, beer way too dear and there were a number of crowd pinch points that were an accident waiting to happen.
Despite all this I’m glad to say the Picnic has retained its magic, soul and charm.
It’s seldom that the headliners would be my “picnic moment” but this year it goes to Blur who looked to be having as much fun as the crowd they were playing to.
Keep up the great work.
I don’t mind the general increase in commercial aspects too much as the festival needs to be profitable I suppose, and they’ve done a good job of keeping it out of the Body and Soul area, but that E-Lites thing was a shambles. Too loud, too tacky, drowned out a lot of acoustic acts I went to see in Body and Soul.
Superb weekend otherwise, one of my favourites in 11 years of going.
The E-Lites thing was dodgy, but I will give them credit for showing the football and hurling. Yeah I know that stuff has no business at a music festival but judging by the crowds at it there certainly was demand.
I remember they’ve shown sport in the past at EP without it being connected with a specific brand though.
True. True. Used to be in the Cinema tent if I recall correctly. But they haven’t done it at all the last few years because it disrupts other scheduled stuff. Doesn’t really bother me if it’s associated with a brand, as long as they’re paying for it!
It was about the only clever thing that eLites place did. I wonder how John Gibbons managed to sway that he got to DJ there all weekend and brand the screens too. Impressive hussle.
Been to every one since the first (one day) festival back in 2004 – I guess that makes it 12, of which I can remember most. This was the best one yet – the extra capacity worked well and the commercial zones are just an artefact of a festival growing up. I personally think the security were grand – I forgive them for not knowing their way around – after all the years I barely grasp it myself – and they were very friendly! The beer was on the expensive side but I drank too much (from my own supply) over the weekend anyway.