Electric Picnic Music and Arts Festival
Stradbally Hall, Co.Laois
Sunday 31st August
We've barely got settled before Sunday's first special moment. Ham Sandwich have been awesome throughout their Electric Arena set - welcoming and sweet, the gorgeous 'Illuminate' and 'The Naturist' perfect for the morning (well, afternoon) after the night before. But it's during the set closer 'Ants' that things get a little teary. Singer Niamh Farrello has spotted her little sister Amy in the crowd. Next thing Amy is onstage, spontaneously duetting as giant balloons rain down on a huge, arena-ramming crowd. Things like this only happen at Electric Picnic.
On the Rankin Woods stage, Neneh Cherry is an altogether different prospect. With just two musicians onstage, the delivery is minimal and futuristic. It's an admiral approach for an artiste whose latest record was her first in almost twenty years - but perhaps a little too challenging. A reworked, updated version of 'Buffalo Stance' eventually turns up to save the day.
Next door on The Cosby Stage, Drenge have an equally minimal set up but are comparatively rather fun. Their scuzzy brand of two-piece rock and roll is far from unique these days but there's more than enough hooks and charisma to take us through to tea time.
Not forgetting nordie duo The Lost Brothers, over on the Jerry Fish Electric Sideshow. Lashings of pedal steel works perfectly alongside the layered vocals and duelling acoustic guitars, to the point cycling all the way from Omagh to see this band (we're told that's the case with a few folk here today) becomes worthwhile.
As we insist on checking out as many new acts as possible, it's over to Jungle, who've arguably nabbed the tag of weekend 'buzz band' following the cancellation of FKA Twigs. Just a few moments of their set is enough to justify the hype - their slow groove a cappella something of a novelty. The problem is there's not much deviation and while the Bee-Gees-at-half-speed approach works for a bit, album number two will require something of a development.
No such problems for Lily Allen who, as a performer at least, seems a little all over the place. Those baby bottle props onstage and all the songs about 'real life' suggest she's keen to be branded a Very Normal Person. Yet she looks and dresses every bit the popstar while surrounding herself with scantily clad dancers. So which is it, Lily? The music is just as confused - her early material ('Smile' especially) still sounds fresh and wonderful, while recent releases ('Hard out Here' and '**** You' especially) make us think parents are right to cover their kid's ears - and not just because of the dodgy lyrical content. That said it is, for the most part, well received. In terms of putting bums on seats, broadening the festival's appeal and helping a sell out - she's worth her weight in gold.
Just outside the main festival arena and the Other Voices tent is still going strong. Nick Mulvey is introduced as ‘music for the head and heart’ by Other Voices founder Philip King - he's also an incredibly talented guitarist and musician. There's hints of flamenco along the way in this very enjoyable live set, his cover of Gillian Welch’s ‘Look at Miss Ohio’ in particular a real highlight. Next up for what's set to become a radio show on RTE 1 is St Vincent. Hers is a short set, only two songs, but we feel very lucky to see her in such a small room, ‘Digital Witness’ in particular sounding powerful.
One performer who's never been anything but ludicrously cool, is Beck. Considering his latest album is mostly acoustic and keeping in mind he's occasionally shyed away from playing his biggest hits in the past, there's mild concern as to how he'll work as one of three weekend headliners. An opening trio of a souped up 'Devil's Haircut', 'Black Tambourine' and the still-fresh-at-twenty-one 'Loser' destroy any concerns. Beck is flying about that stage, his band of merry men showing off their moves and generally winding each other up. This is going to be fun.
The beautiful 'Lost Cause' and new songs 'Blue Moon' and 'Wave' are the only offer of gentle respite before the mayhem restarts, Beck eventually wrapping the stage in crime scene tape after a riff-off between his two guitarists gets a little out of hand. 'Sexx Laws' and the daft sleaze of 'Debra' sound even more ridiculous tonight than on record. We're teased with bits of Donna Summer, Chic and Rolling Stones tracks while 'Where's it At' hasn't aged a day. Everything we hoped for and plenty more.
Also bringing lorry loads of the funk to Electric Picnic is Kelis, who's managed, unsurprisingly, to make the Rankin Woods stage a proper roadblock. It's way too small an arena for someone who's released tracks like 'Milkshake' and guested on ODB's 'Got Your Money' - both of which are performed in probably the best back-to-back of the entire weekend.
If anything, after all that, Outkast is set to be a bit of an anti-climax. That said, Andre 3000 looks amazing and there's plenty of justifiable drama and build up before he and Big Boi launch themselves onstage. 'B.O.B' is an explosive opener but following it with 'Gasoline Dreams', 'ATLiens', 'Skew It on the Bar-B' and 'Rosa Parks' is an early indication that we may be dealing with a headliner who doesn't have a particularly big arsenal of familiar songs outside 'Ms Jackson' and 'Hey Ya'.
Perhaps the problem was that the show had already been stolen. Many, many times over.
