REVIEW: Friday at Electric Picnic 2015

Electric Picnic

Friday 4th September, 2015

Stradbally, Co.Laois

The First thing we saw were two young kids, in a boxing ring, having a dance-off to Ant & Dec, in a corner of the festival dedicated to the 1990’s. The last thing we saw was five thousand people shouting ‘Woooo Hoooo’ along to no audible music whatsoever as Blur (we assume) was plumbed into the headphones of the crowd at the silent disco. Electric Picnic is a glorious, unpredictable and very curious three days in a tiny Co.Laois village where – it would seem – anything goes. For the 12th year running we’re here to have the time of our lives.

Veterans of EP at this stage, Dubliners HamsandwicH have the honour of opening the main stage. While singer Niamh conducts mass sing-alongs for the likes of ‘The Naturist’ and ‘Illuminate’, guitarist Podge is a wonderful liability, clambering about and down into the crowd, stealing headphones from bewildered security guards and doing his best Axl Rose impersonations across the edge of the stage. He’s in good form, explaining how he expected to be playing to ‘twenty people and some cousins’. Instead ATL witnesses the crowd swelling throughout, until they’ve several thousand people watching on from a Stradbally field.

As team ATL splits – in a vain attempt to cover even half the stuff we’d like to see – we make our first venture into the festival-within-a-festival ‘Body & Soul’. Galway producer Daithi is in full flow and the natural hollow at the centre of Body & Soul is rammed. There are guest vocals, improv fiddle loops and an audience entirely forgetting that it’s just gone 8pm on the first day of the festival.

On the main stage, The Coronas grace an audience on heads and shoulders. There’s a multitude of colourful balloons floating in the air as lead singer Danny reveals that it’s the first time the band have played at the picnic. They’re clearly loving it, the crowd too, singing along to every word.

At Rankins Wood, Oxford quartet Ride play to a full house of fans old and new, with lone appreciators swaying in the crowd. Asking who in the crowd had seen them first time around – over 25 years ago now – the band kindly comment that they still look well, before dedicating a track to any new fans in the crowd.

It’s over to visit The Salty Dog next, a ship wreck in the middle of the woods just outside the main site. The ship’s sails act as the venue roof and with the boat listing to its port side, the deck becomes the stage. Of course it does. Gangs are on and although we only manage to catch part of their set they remind us of The Cribs and the guitars a little of The Dismemberment Plan at times. We’re off and running and it strikes us that even though we’re only a couple of hours in, it’s the Irish DJs, producers and bands that are fast becoming the main focus. Which suits us just fine, of course.

Back at Electric Ireland and there is no-limit (sorry) of people trying to see 2 Unlimited. After managing to squeeze inside we’re greeted by the infamous refrain of ‘Techo Techno Techno’. Anita Doth is giving it stacks on stage and lets us know that it’s fantastic we still remember them.

On the main stage Grace Jones is in the form of her life – as she has been for 67 years. It’s spectacular jaw-dropping stuff from start to finish with incredible musicianship from her band, increasingly ludicrous costume changes and enough between-song-anecdotes to fill a memoir. At one point she’s covered in mirrors, reflecting light out onto the spellbound crowd. Then she is topless but for bodypaint and for the duration of ‘Slave to the Rhythm’ she keeps a hula-hoop spinning on her waist. It’s laughably brilliant.

It’s not long before we discover what becomes ATL HQ on day one – the Oxjam Stage, presented by State magazine. That means a selection of new Irish acts, with Belfast’s Robocobra Quartet being one of them. It’s the smallest stage we’ve been to but easily the loudest, so far. The spoken-word vocals are delivered with their usual aggression and the odd time signatures, two saxophones, bass and vocalist drummer make for unexpected and interesting viewing.

A quick stop off at Despachio is an odd experience. It’s basically 2 Many DJs alongside James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem in front of crates and crates of vinyl, in a special custom made arena with surround-sound and bespoke décor. The music is an adventurous, educating journey through house and disco, perfect for EP. Yet it’s strangely under attended, worryingly so for what is essentially two former headliners performing back to back. We try to work out whether this is indicative of changing musical landscapes, a new festival clientele or maybe they just wanted it done a little lower key.

Meanwhile, the Electric Arena is full of joy. Granted it’s been a while since ATL spent time in the company of Belle & Sebastian but when did Stuart Murdoch become so…happy? Backed with a dozen musicians he’s improvising lyrical updates, telling hilarious tales of unrequited love and generally being a charismatic ringmaster. ‘Dog on Wheels’ is a big moment, only overshadowed by a raucous ‘The Boy with the Arab Strap’, during which Stuart drags around 50 happy punters on stage to show him some moves. Who’d have thought this quirky folk group would end up the perfect entertainment for a Friday night?

Essentially gimmick free Underworld feel a little underwhelming, comparatively. The pulsating ‘Two Months Off’, the glorious euphoria of ‘Scribble’ and the inevitable ‘Born Slippy’ are all big moments, of course – but broadly speaking the presentation seems a little dated.

So, it’s back to Oxjam, just in time for a Belfast invasion and a little hip hop silliness courtesy of BeeMickSee. ‘We Took a Dive’ introduces his impressive live set featuring half the Wonder Villains and vocalist Ciara Donnelly. BeeMickSee’s thick Belfast flow is pretty…unique, with lyrical themes sometimes lost in translation – while the tuned in nordies get it, passing trade is bemused. But as he hurls himself into the crowd and drags us into his sphere, the formerly confused are suddenly number one fans. ‘Belfast Slang’ is the chaotic conclusion, followed by what can only be described as BeeMickSee being mobbed. Rightly so.

A mere six hours into Electric Picnic ATL is already a little dazed, trying to get our collective heads around the fact this has only been day one…and a half day at that. A joyous weekend lies ahead.

Across The Line