Electric Picnic 2016 // **Discussion Only / NO Ticket Sales / Requests** //

scruff monkey

Pickpocket wrote: »

Well not everyone with a working-class accent is a knuckle-dragging scumbag with a tiny mind.

Indeed, not everyone with a so-called posh accent is a spoiled brat.

But class is very much alive in Ireland and not even the love and positivity of a soggy Laois forest can make us leave it at home.

Note : I didn't say a damn thing about accent.

Pickpocket

I've just realised that LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy has performed at the last three EPs. He played a DJ set in 2014 and then Despacio last year.

Can anyone think of another artist of his stature that's played three or more back to back EPs?

skD13

EoineyM wrote: »

I think you should be able to bring kids to festivals. My eight year old loved it and she had her own list of bands that she wanted to see.

Yep, I think you should too. I also have an 8 year old who would love to see some of the bands there but after what I experienced at EP this year, I'm gonna hold off for something a little smaller like that Groove festival that was on in Killruddery House a couple of years back. Something of that ilk would work well I'd say as an intro for the younger ones.

Mince Pie

So back at home now. Not a vintage year by any measure. So over the mud this year.
Travesty getting in, bottlenecked in the field before you get into the wristbanding area coming from the red car park.
Then they closed off Charlie Chapling camping saying it was an overflow campsite. Ridiculous as there was no way we were camping in Hendrix or Wilde. So managed to get in when security decided to turn a blind eye to allow about 30 of us in before closing it again.
Surrounded by non stop chatters and fecking Alan and Steve all weekend.

Seriously reconsidering whether or not to go next year. Not sure if its just me but thought the food selection was much poorer this year. No fecking Churros!

Highlights - LCD Soundsystem and Savages
Lows - mud, rain and gob****es who can't shut up in the campsite.

Pickpocket

scruff monkey wrote: »

Found it really funny last night that a bunch of utter knuckle draggers beered out of their tiny little minds were repeating a chant of "waaaaan maaare choooon" over and over again at the tops of their voices

scruff monkey wrote: »

Note : I didn't say a damn thing about accent.

It's fine. I done it as well. It's okay to have an axe to grind or a chip on your shoulder.

StringerBell

Suppose it depends on what you are going to a festival for, if you are going to let loose totally and get drunk/high and dance the weekend away without a care in the world I wouldn't bring any kids. If you are going to try do something a bit different for a weekend and are introducing them to some culture/music/art they won't normally get to experience that is a good thing surely.

The problem I would have is that Irish gigs, and festivals in general are not geared toward this. I suppose to an extent its a culture thing of our own, but I have been to festivals in Spain, in Poland, in Germany and France and have experienced very, very little of the same kind of tension, or anti-social behaviour that I have at Irish festivals, less people out of their minds etc

I was part of the last couple of Witness festivals, and a card carrying member of the Oxegen, (plenty ****ed up, not remembering much when I got home) crowd. There is absolutely a market for that kind of thing, but as I am now older and have a couple of kids of my own I would love a more continental feeling festival here to bring my kids to. They can be such a great experience but not pleasant at all when the darker side comes to the fore as with the last couple of years of Oxegen, in which I had moved away from getting as ****ed up as possible and wanted to actually experience and remember the music!

TLDR

Irish festivals, and events in general do not lend themselves to family friendly for me. It would be great if there was some that I wanted to go to now that I am old and boring!

Lemsiper

Pickpocket wrote: »

It's fine. I done it as well. It's okay to have an axe to grind or a chip on your shoulder.

What accent is bold in? I'm not familiar with it.

scruff monkey

Pickpocket wrote: »

It's fine. I done it as well. It's okay to have an axe to grind or a chip on your shoulder.

Well if you have one, then don't project it on to me.

The Nal

MJohnston wrote: »

Just on the whole "the crowd has changed" thing - I've been going to EP for 11 years now, and that statement has always been true to a certain extent, but I've always shrugged it off because the festival itself maintained plenty of the right feeling. This year I noticed a big jump in the negative direction - there was a bit of a lack of the friendly festival camaraderie, lots of people too ****ed early in the day, and of course the worst sign: people singing Oasis songs all over the place without the snipers getting them.

Anyway, this year proved to me that an Oxegen revival would be very popular and profitable, and they could and should bring that back and let EP return to a more balanced attendance figure of 30-40k. Otherwise the family crowd will drift away, and EP will just become Oxegen. Be a real shame if that was the case!

I thought that in 2008 when there were people throwing glass bottles at the Sex Pistols, puking in the crowd and then there was a fight.

The year previous a gang of scumbags walked through where we were camping at 6am and robbed a load of our stuff. When I got up to go over to them and get it back they were well ready for a fight.

Theres always a percentage of Irish people who don't know how to behave at these things.

Effects

princemuzzy wrote: »

Do agree about the crowd it's not quite oxygen yet but getting there

It is becoming somewhat like Oxegen crowd wise. There's still areas such as the green crafts area and mindfield, which were never at Oxegen. Good places to entertain kids.
That said, I wouldn't bring kids if it was me. We also had our heads wrecked on Sunday morning by a kid crying for his daddie for half an hour. Then when they were packing up they played Katy Perry and other such music on youtube with an iPad at high volume. I understand it keeps the kids focused, but didn't do my head any good!

Pickpocket

The Nal wrote: »

I thought that in 2008 when there were people throwing glass bottles at the Sex Pistols, puking in the crowd and then there was a fight.

It was probably manufactured disorder, just like Johnny Rotten's manufactured personality.

Pickpocket

scruff monkey wrote: »

Well if you have one, then don't project it on to me.

Alright bud.

The Nal

Pickpocket wrote: »

The Nal wrote: »

I thought that in 2008 when there were people throwing glass bottles at the Sex Pistols, puking in the crowd and then there was a fight.

It was probably manufactured disorder, just like Johnny Rotten's manufactured personality.

Very clever......

snowbabe

Anybody still in red car park ? Daughters car won't start just need jump leads please??sorry green car park !!

Pickpocket

The Nal wrote: »

Very clever......

Nah, not really.

I actually like the Pistols and Johnny Rotten. He's an interesting character when he's not trying to live up to his persona. But the Pistols were a manufactured band and unfortunately he had his personality created for him and he never really broke free of it. I like to think that the Johnny you hear with PiL it the real person. He certainly sounds happier on record.

The Nal

Pickpocket wrote: »

The Nal wrote: »

Very clever......

Nah, not really.

I actually like the Pistols and Johnny Rotten. He's an interesting character when he's not trying to live up to his persona. But the Pistols were a manufactured band and unfortunately he had his personality created for him and he never really broke free of it. I like to think that the Johnny you hear with PiL it the real person. He certainly sounds happier on record.

Yeah love PiL. Don't think the Pistols were as manufactured as people think but I take your point.

Either way, no excuse for chucking 1L glass bottles at him! Think that could've been the last time I was at The Picnic. No desire to go back either going by recent lineups.

Pickpocket

Pickpocket wrote: »

Nah, not really.

I actually like the Pistols and Johnny Rotten. He's an interesting character when he's not trying to live up to his persona. But the Pistols were a manufactured band and unfortunately he had his personality created for him and he never really broke free of it. I like to think that the Johnny you hear with PiL it the real person. He certainly sounds happier on record.

A bit of incidental trivia on the subject for anyone that's interested...

Just after The Sex Pistols blew up Rotten was asked to guest present a special on a London radio station (can't remember which one). When he turned up he played loads of lover's rock reggae, dub, and various other bits and pieces that showed the depth of his musical taste and a sensitive side to his character. But the Pistols manager, Malcolm McLaren, went ape over it and tried (or perhaps he succeeded) to have the show pulled before it went out. It just didn't gel with the Pistols image and the personality that he was creating for John Lydon. Very sad and an ironic, ugly little anecdote regarding a genre that was meant to be the very antithesis of that type of myth making.

Pickpocket

The Nal wrote: »

Yeah love PiL. Don't think the Pistols were as manufactured as people think but I take your point.

Either way, no excuse for chucking 1L glass bottles at him! Think that could've been the last time I was at The Picnic. No desire to go back either going by recent lineups.

Absolutely. Disgraceful behaviour.

Pickpocket

The Nal wrote: »

Don't think the Pistols were as manufactured as people think but I take your point.

Ah yeah, there's certainly enough anecdotes and information to tell two different types of stories.

But I've a penchant for tragedy and I love the idea of Lydon, the gutter artist, being stifled by Mclaren, the ruthless money-driven overlord.

The Nal

Pickpocket wrote: »

Pickpocket wrote: »

Nah, not really.

I actually like the Pistols and Johnny Rotten. He's an interesting character when he's not trying to live up to his persona. But the Pistols were a manufactured band and unfortunately he had his personality created for him and he never really broke free of it. I like to think that the Johnny you hear with PiL it the real person. He certainly sounds happier on record.

A bit of incidental trivia on the subject for anyone that's interested...

Just after The Sex Pistols blew up Rotten was asked to guest present a special on a London radio station (can't remember which one). When he turned up he played loads of lover's rock reggae, dub, and various other bits and pieces that showed the depth of his musical taste and a sensitive side to his character. But the Pistols manager, Malcolm McLaren, went ape over it and tried (or perhaps he succeeded) to have the show pulled before it went out. It just didn't gel with the Pistols image and the personality that he was creating for John Lydon. Very sad and an ironic, ugly little anecdote regarding a genre that was meant to be the very antithesis of that type of myth making.

Suppose punk was a very very short lived thing that served a purpose at the time. Their album is the story of punk in a way. They were a parody once Sid joined. They only have 12 tunes!

Pickpocket wrote: »

The Nal wrote: »

Yeah love PiL. Don't think the Pistols were as manufactured as people think but I take your point.

Either way, no excuse for chucking 1L glass bottles at him! Think that could've been the last time I was at The Picnic. No desire to go back either going by recent lineups.

Absolutely. Disgraceful behaviour.

Not even sure I saw that during some of the bad times at Oxegen.

As for "we need another Oxegen" - we don't. Not ever.

Pickpocket wrote: »

The Nal wrote: »

Don't think the Pistols were as manufactured as people think but I take your point.

Ah yeah, there's certainly enough anecdotes and information to tell two different types of stories.

But I've a penchant for tragedy and I love the idea of Lydon, the gutter artist, being stifled by Mclaren, the ruthless money-driven overlord.

haha yeah. A good thing though. Pistols were spent and it meant we got Metal Box so all good.

Pickpocket

scruff monkey wrote: »

Found it really funny last night that a bunch of utter knuckle draggers beered out of their tiny little minds were repeating a chant of "waaaaan maaare choooon" over and over again at the tops of their voices

Lemsiper wrote: »

What accent is bold in? I'm not familiar with it.

Sandymount.

That fresh sea air is torture on the larynx.

scruff monkey

when they stopped roaring, i would have thought cork but there you go.

The Nal

Sounds more like someone from Louth. Or Navan.

Animals.

Pickpocket

The Nal wrote: »

They only have 12 tunes!

That's still quite difficult to get the head around. What a legacy from a dozen tracks.

Beechwoodspark

Just in portlaoise itself waiting on a lift back to reality haha...odd wkend. Mixed bag. Veteran of ep and yes as people have been saying there's def a shift in the crowd over the last few years but I wonder (sleep deprived and hungover so be kind) did the lana del Ray addition to the line up inevitably mean there's gonna be loads more of her demographic of fans at stradbally this year. Under 21s seemed to make up a bigger part of the crowd. I'll do a full review later on this evening but just some thoughts for now

First thing I think the crowds levels were too much for the site this became more apparent with the crap weather last night. Few more bits of wood chippings wouldn't have gone amiss as the wkend went on.

I agree with the poster complaining about the security. Most of them were unhelpful and or ignorant of directions.

I got pulled up by one of them late on the sat night around 3 am maybe as I was entering the Hendrix site-apparently 5 mins earlier there'd been a of a fight along there and they scarpered when security got over to them. So he seemed to think I was one of the trouble makers even tho I told him about 10 times I was literally just after arriving back to the camp site having had a most pleasant time chilling in body and soul. The security seemed abosutly stressed to the max, shouting in people's faces to move off, losing control of the situaion type of vibe. Pulling and pushing ppl. All abide much. Sense of anarchy almost.

Anyway a buddy of mine who was with me and a gang in body and soul followed over and vouched for me, they had the wrong "guy in the baseball hat" as they told me the description was wtf?!didnt need my body and soul buzz wrecked but there ya go.

Didn't need that kind of stress really on my sat night buzz at the picnic it was all ott but anyway that's just a small example of how the atmosphere has changed from the picnics of yore.

Also there was a def dofdgy element around by the very far end of the area designated for the main stage audience(hope that makes sense) heard of a girl pick pocketed when a crowd of them surrounded her, another lad was hit for no good reason, sh1t happens I guess but still ep should be about having a good aul time not the other stuff

Music highlights loved lcd , glass animals were a revelation, the accordion guy in body and soul, I think , wow, new order were very good, didn't watch lana. The rain def makes or breaks it, we just were on the short straw this weekend I think.

Agree for sure the choice of food offering was less this year. Prices for food and drink mental but that's always the way.

Would I go back-depends hugely on the line up. Friends said to me they wouldn't come back but roll around Feb March time and they prob will ! Friday evening getting the first can open after the tent up, hard to beat that feeling with the full wkend ahead of ya.

scruff monkey

Pickpocket wrote: »

That's still quite difficult to get the head around. What a legacy from a dozen tracks.

Right place, right time culturally?

The Nal

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

Friday evening getting the first can open after the tent up, hard to beat that feeling with the full wkend ahead of ya.

Get to Glastonbury. Those cans are opened on a Wednesday.

Lemsiper

The Nal wrote: »

Sounds more like someone from Louth. Or Navan.

Animals.

Was thinking Atie laaaad.

MJohnston

People giving out about people bringing kids - leave it out. Electric Picnic has always been a festival designed to be family friendly (hence the free entry for U-12s) and indeed, when I first started going in 2005, it was one of the biggest things that appealed to me about the festival - it was relaxed, friendly, and artistic enough to be a great place to bring some kids. Maybe you think kids only listen to ****ty pop music, or like to watch iPad cartoons? Well, good luck raising yours then, but that's not the way everyone wants to do it. Me and my wife brought our 10 week old, and he loved it - he was more relaxed than he ever has been at home, and the amount of new sights and sounds he had to experience will help his development greatly. He really enjoyed the campervan experience too! We brought little baby ear protectors to keep his hearing safe, and he was in a baby carrier which let him sleep all he wanted (and he did plenty even in the main arena) - when you have kids you'll understand that they'll sleep anywhere they want to, those little toddlers sleeping in the pull along carts are just as happy as if they were in a real bed. In short, some parents want their children to have broad horizons and EP in the past has been a perfect place to show them that. Seeing a few people mashed off their donkeys on whiz-whaps isn't going to break their brains, they'll ask you whats going on, and you'll explain, and maybe when they get a bit older, they'll not think of drugs as some rebellious act of teenagehood.

In short - the day EP becomes too unfriendly to bring kids along is the day that it has changed far too much for the worse.

Pickpocket

scruff monkey wrote: »

Right place, right time culturally?

Yeah, possibly. The usual story is that prog rock had become so bloated and self-regarding that something had to give. It was just a matter of when and who.