More power to the Picnic!
As Stradbally prepares to host 60,000 music fans, we tell you who to see at Ireland’s premier festival
Electric Picnic Stradbally,Co.Laois August 31- September 2
In just shy of a fortnight the midlands town of Stradbally will once again become a honeypot for the country’s music fans. Nigh on 60,000 people will journey to Co. Laois for this year’s Electric Picnic, the scale of which makes it the largest in its 14year history.
In Kendrick Lamar, they have installed one of the most acclaimed artists of this era as a headliner. N.E.R.D., The Prodigy and Massive Attack reinforce a belief that the organisers are more than happy to see, broadly speaking, dance and electronic acts, as the anchor attractions for another year.
Electric Picnic 18 sold out a matter of weeks after the first artists were announced back in February. There was always that ‘many more acts to be announced’ caveat on their website which often elicits a ho-hum reaction. That could hardly be said of the announcement of the additions made just a couple of weeks ago.
As well as The Prodigy there was the small matter of Ireland’s premier pop pact, Picture This. The 35,000 tickets for their June RDS show sold out in record time. A whole slew of other acts have been added too. As we will see, very hearteningly, the majority are Irish. It’s time to chomp down on just some of what this year’s picnic has to offer.
A HEADS-UP ON THE MAIN HEADLINERS
Kendrick Lamar has produced two of the finest albums of the last decade in DAMN! and To Pimp A Butterfly. The US hip hop artist is truly at the top of his game. As anyone who witnessed his 2017 Longitude show or his gig in the 3Arena will attest, his is a show not to be missed.
Trip-hop veterans Massive Attack appeal across the generations. From those who remember their Nineties heyday with albums such as Mezzanine to younger dance fans who engage with a form of the coolest dance music that is aging incredibly well. The success of singles such as Happy saw Pharrell Williams overshadow N.E.R.D. the band with which he first came to prominence. But the 2017 album No One Ever Really Dies found him back in the fold with founder members Chad Hugo and Shay Haley. Reviews of shows on their world tour have been very positive. One of many mustsees of the weekend. The Prodigy exist at the junction between dance and punk and are never less than an explosive live act. Firestarter is one of the most dangerously exciting dance tracks of the last 25 years and they’re guaranteed to slay all-comers.
The ascent of duo Picture This has been as swift as it is incredible. They were a social media phenomenon before radio and music scribes had heard of them. They are now a bona fide arena band after that sell out RDS show. The world awaits the Athy act.
MY MUST SEES
The headliners will draw the masses, but it is a festival this year that is uncommonly strong from the top down.
Like Kendrick Lamar, St Vincent followed up an album of the year with one which was its equal. Long players St Vincent and Masseduction were diverse, daring and emblematic of the genius of Annie Clark. Her solo Olympia shows in 2017 were sublime. With a full band behind her at the Picnic, she’ll knock it out of the park.
Chvrches’ album Love Is Dead is one of 2018’s best and a set full of tracks from what was their third album would probably disappoint few who go to see them. However, the albums Every Open Eye and The Bones Of What You Believe contain plenty of dance pop bangers.
Sleaford Mods aren’t just shouty controversialists, they are a duo that is cataloguing the events of Brexitera Britain with wit, guile and latterly no lack of melodic nuance.
Jason Williamson is an almost mesmeric stage presence while Andrew Fearn is the hammer that knocks the musical nail in.
He is ginger-haired and often just accompanies himself on guitar but that’s where any possible comparison between Archy Marshall aka King Krule and Ed Sheeran would properly end. However, songs such as Easy Easy and Rock Bottom could become every bit as popular with Picnickers as any of Mr Sheeran’s earworms come festival end. It’s your only chance to see him here or in Britain this year so shake a leg down to the Southwark man.
Recent comeback concerts have shown that there is still a healthy affection, nay love, for Gomez. Best known for their 1998 Mercury Prizewinning album Bring It On, the Merseyside band were prolific until disillusionment with the travails of the business prompted them to retreat from the limelight. Their signature tune Whipping Piccadilly will whip up a frenzy among fans on hearing that unforgettable opening riff. We like lovin’ yeah! Dua Lipa, George Ezra, Garbage, The Kooks and Wolf Alice are also crowd-pleasing big-hitters who are sure to draw huge crowds to their respective sets.
IRELAND’S FINEST ON ALL-IRELAND FINAL WEEKEND
While the Dubs and Tyrone will make it a truly all-island All-Ireland football final on the Sunday of the Picnic, the musical talents of the entire country are also very well represented at EP18. The aforementioned Picture This are on the up but there is a mix of stalwarts, old stagers and stunningly impressive newer Irish acts to embrace. All round nice guy Gavin James and his amazing falsetto can induce the shivers in a week old smoked cod. The Coronas are past masters of the full field call and response and Walking On Cars also know a thing or two about phones aloft anthems. Delorentos and HamsandwicH were late and welcome additions to the strong home contingent. The mighty Mik Pyro, Wild Youth, Columbia Mills and King Kong Company should also be on your list. Jerry Fish will play host to a plethora of the great and the good of the local scene. His Electric Sideshow will see sets by new tyros such as The Murder Capital, Bitch Falcon and David Keenan who will rub shoulders with The Frank and Walters, Engine Alley and Le Galaxie. Serious dance fans will get their fill at Casa Bacardi. Local luminaries Nialler 9, CiCi Cavanagh and DJ Flip vie for ruminfused love with Felix Da Housecat and Joey Negro. The same rules apply in the almost legendary Body and Soul and Salty Dog areas. Punk poet Jinx Lennon, Bronagh Gallagher and The Blizzards will need to be on their game to not to be outshone by Jobseekerz, Katie Laffan and superstars-in-waiting State Lights. Not forgetting Soule, Pillow Queens and the fantastic Fontaines DC. I could go on for as long as you have, but I will see you down the front, up and around and anywhere the good music is. Have a blast.
‘The musical talents of the entire country will be well represented at Electric Picnic’