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

Lotus Flower

fillup wrote: »

They're not Joy Division so why bother covering it in the first place if you're not going to do it justice

Why bother covering it if you're going to dance all over it with muddy festival boots?

I have issues with New Order and this cover kinda embodies what they are -

I guess you have issues with Macca performing Beatles songs, Roger Waters or David Gilmour performing Pink Floyd or any of the countless examples of this type of thing? Out of interest, what did they do to butcher the song so much? To me it was already the most anthemic and upbeat sounding of their songs

MyPeopleDrankTheSoup

I was giving out loads about the lineup and I still think it was bad and going to be worse next year probably, but I should have jsut went the full weekend. There was loads of cheap tickets last week. All weekend I was FOMOing bad and I decided to pick up 2 Sunday tickets in Limerick. I sold one in Galway Saturday night when no friends would go at late notice (bunch of losers!) and driving home 2fm played 'all my friends'. I'd to turn the radio off!

so headed up Sunday and it was great. saw talos, frankie cosmos, bit of animal collective (anyone got a setlist?), new order and skepta.

• lineup was bad enough that I finally checked out Mindfield and the comedy tent for the first time in 6 attempts! i can't help but feel contempt for the geriatrics who look like they're camped out for the weekend there! if you don't like music, don't come to a music festival!
• again attempted to try out Kinara kitchen but the queue is just too long. got some lovely stuff in Saba instead.
• i've never seen a bigger crowd outside a tent than Rankin's wood when i was at frankie cosmos. was trying to figure out who it was from reading here and i think it was picture this. fair play to them, Irish and all.
• couldn't understand how i spent so much, and i never checked my change. was probably shortchanged. pisses me off as i sometimes tip as well! i'd hate that i tipped someone who already robbed me!
• spent the rest of Sunday night in B&S and it was as good as ever, chatted to load of randomers. eventually the rain soaked through my jacket and it was cold as well. it was that hazy kind of rain that absolutely soaks you. i headed back to my hotel around 3am I think. even my jocks were soaked! that feeling jumping into that warm, dry bed with a fresh pair of jocks ahhhhhhh. €129 well spent
• i didn't really mind the extra crowds, it never seemed that packed. but a previous poster mentioned the old way of hanging out with friends outside Electric Arena or one of the other tents! that's such a distant memory, impossible now with the crowds.
• song of the festival was Your Silent Face. 3rd time seeing New Order and I was hoping they'd play more of the new album as I think it's class. but i suppose that's what you get with a festival set.
• despite the rain the ground held up spectacularly. stradbally always had good drainage. compare it to the slugfest of the mud at Body&Soul festival this year which was no fun.
• there was A LOT of Tipperary jerseys going around the Sunday. i thought it was tradition to never show matches at EP with people having to go into Stradbally. not complaining at all, just shows that the festival has changed

so i'm def buying tickets this Friday and going full weekend again next year. i'll go every year until they get rid of the Body&Soul area, that'll be the final straw

MJohnston

DC10555 wrote: »

One of the things that surprised me enough was the amount of kids there, I understand the festival is family friendly and provides a tonne of activities for them but I genuinely believe they should be out after about 8pm as it can get a little bit messier with people drunk and what not.

As many of us have said, this is really the first year that having kids out later has been a 'problem'. People are always taking lots of drugs and drinking too much (the latter being a far more annoying situation for everyone else around them imo), for me the difference this year is there were a significant amount more people in a too far gone state, and they were significantly younger and unable to deal with it as much.

Also, possibly the drug of choice has changed to something far less craic than in the past.

Art Fonzarelli

MadYaker wrote: »

It seems to be a problem they have with that stage so? Me and someone else noticed it at broken social scene too. I think it only affects bands? I saw Todd Terje and Skepta in that tent too and the sound seemed fine, although they were all on quite late and I was a bit mashed at that stage. It's frustrating that they can't get it right after several years with the same setup.

Yep, noticed it at BSS too.

I'm still not completely clear on exactly who I saw - mind's still not pieced itself back together enough for even a semi-proper account.

What I do know is that despite the questionable line-up quality, the capacity increase, changing demographics, rain, mud and corporate creep, I had a brilliant time. And that was largely down to the group of people I was with: it's the single biggest factor. I won't be buying a ticket until I know who else is going.

skD13

Ferris_Bueller wrote: »

the worst part of the weekend was walking from here to the pink moon campsite as we were walking through Oscar Wilde, Salty Dog etc.

Yeah, I don't understand all this routing through campsites to the arena/other camp sites. Surely there is enough space to create routes around these areas. It's a pain walking through them and it's a pain for those staying in the campsites.

Late at night also the exit was not clearly marked and you had to go through Hazel Wood to leave the venue proper. That was confusing.

ghostdancer

Ferris_Bueller wrote: »

the worst part of the weekend was walking from here to the pink moon campsite as we were walking through Oscar Wilde, Salty Dog etc there was a lot of foot traffic coming the other direction, took forever with our bags and drink, I think they really need to sort the car park situation as friends of mine who wanted to go to red ended up in green and ones who wanted to go to green ended up in red (this was the only negative I had all weekend)..

why didn't you just walk along the Abbeyleix road outside the festival gates which brings you to the paintball entrance?

scruff monkey

There was actually a route laid out from the red car parks to the paintball entrance but it was not sign posted at all and meant that you didn't need to cut through the other camps to get to the paintball entrance. I was parked at the back of red in B6 and it meant a long but pretty clean walk to that entrance, didn't need to go near the other one at all.

That's something that could well be improved/signposted.

MJohnston

georgiecasey wrote: »

if you don't like music, don't come to a music festival!

Ferris_Bueller

ghostdancer wrote: »

why didn't you just walk along the Abbeyleix road outside the festival gates which brings you to the paintball entrance?

scruff monkey wrote: »

There was actually a route laid out from the red car parks to the paintball entrance but it was not sign posted at all and meant that you didn't need to cut through the other camps to get to the paintball entrance. I was parked at the back of red in B6 and it meant a long but pretty clean walk to that entrance, didn't need to go near the other one at all.

That's something that could well be improved/signposted.

Didn't really know that was an option to be honest. As scruffmonkey said, not signposted from where I entered anyway. I would definitely think the carparks could be sorted out a bit better as a lot of people know before they arrive which campsite they intend on staying in.

fillup

Lotus Flower wrote: »

fillup wrote: »

They're not Joy Division so why bother covering it in the first place if you're not going to do it justice

Why bother covering it if you're going to dance all over it with muddy festival boots?

I have issues with New Order and this cover kinda embodies what they are -

I guess you have issues with Macca performing Beatles songs, Roger Waters or David Gilmour performing Pink Floyd or any of the countless examples of this type of thing? Out of interest, what did they do to butcher the song so much? To me it was already the most anthemic and upbeat sounding of their songs

i said i had issues with New Order not with people performing songs from previous stages of their career - not sure how many Lennon penned song Macca plays in his regular set and i'm still to frazzled post picnic to even contemplate Pink Floyd *shudder*

i'd hardly call Love will Tear Us Apart upbeat, anthemic yes but not upbeat -

The original is in a minor key and it's about as melancholic as it gets

But the version New Order are hawking seems to start in G major rather than the E minor original - plus its far too bombastic and c0ckr0cky.
Macca would have too much respect for Lennon to rework one of his or even their songs in that manner

But.... apart from that (and the shameless plugging of their new bass player - Stalinist revisionism anybody?) i did enjoy New Order

MeatTwoVeg

Does Pink Moon only seem great because the other campsites are so unbearably awful?

The prices they charge against what you actually get for it seems extortionate.

Canneverfindit

MeatTwoVeg wrote: »

Does Pink Moon only seem great because the other campsites are so unbearably awful?

The prices they charge against what you actually get for it seems extortionate.

I'm trying to figure this out too.
Also (to help me to decide on 2017) is it typical that you can openly decant your beer into plastic pint glasses leaving PM to go into the arena or was that just something that happened when I was there Saturday evening? I'm so surprised I havent heard about this part before?
if this is the norm, it'd be so worth it as you'd never buy beer 'inside' you'd just tip back into PM every now and then.
Security were pouring it from cans to cups for us..

Reggie noble

bodhrandude wrote: »

Well I enjoyed my weeks stay in Stradbally but like others mentioned I noticed a much younger clientele at EP this year. Absolute madness but couldn't score any pills the whole weekend, wandering about Todd Terje's gig and then the Chemical Brothers gig, half the audience hyper ventilating but no joy although the gigs were tremendous. It was the same at Daniel Avery's gig, trying to score a pill and all I do is get mocked by a bunch of 18 year old scum bags calling me granddad, I wanted to scream at them that dance music has been about since 1987 or possibly longer if you take in the evolution of Chicago House, not taking away from Avery's gig which was splendid. I also heard of creepy stories of spiking, two 18 year old girls who were volunteers who apparently got spiked by someone in the Trenchtown crew as they woke up in the Trenchtown crew campsite, luckily they weren't interfered with or raped. I also heard one of my neighbours, a young fellah in the crew campsite was spiked too and ended up in the medical tent. This is new and not welcoming news for EP. Also the path through the hole in the wall coming from crew camp badly suffered from the rain, no wood chippings laid at all, I belted my left shoulder on Sunday night when I slipped on the way to see New Order. And changes as well for crew I had cans removed from my bag by Specialised Security on the way into the arena, this never happened before, fecking leave the crew alone who have been down there all week, at 7.20 and 7.40 a pint no bloody wonder we take in our own drink.

Highlights or acts I caught:
Friday
Booka Brass Band and Skipper's Alley (trad band) at Other Voices stage.
Shah Smooth at Salty Dog and went for a wander into Hazel Wood which is a nice chilled area.
Todd Terje
Chemical Brothers (I got a bit of a headache from their lights but they were excellent.)
Wandered slowly about Body & Soul and Trenchtown for Friday night.

Saturday
Wandered up to Electric Ireland to watch a bit of Bananarama, curious like and took some video clips for my sisters who liked them back in their time, they actually put on quite a good show to a packed out tent.
Caught a bit of Dylan Moran (Don't really know what to think of his set, it was alright.)
Had a few tunes at the Bog Cottage in Body & Soul with tin whistler Liam Lyons and another fellah which was good for my soul.
DJ EZ ( he was good but a bit cheesy, well using Xfactor sounding female vocals at the start, didn't hang around long enough to see him do the scratch hip hop stuff as it was fairly packed and wild in there and what the actual fcuk is this Whooomp there it is carry on, it practically drowned out the actual music.)
Noel Gallagher (I actually enjoyed his set and he had a nice tight band)
King Kong Company (Watched a bit of their set outside the Cosby Tent, the tent was absolutely rammed and it wasn't raining at the time, a great set.)
LCD Soundsystem (They were fantastic, the main stage had a superb sound and I loved the way they dipped into their last three albums, it was brilliant to hear Someone Great live for the first time. We split after that as I know only too well that Daniel Avery's gig would be jammed. A question here, why did they change the Little Big Tent back to the smaller marquee.
Daniel Avery (A phenomenal gig, two tracks from Drone Logic bookending the gig and probably about another album and a half worth of material played on the night and my god it was hot in there.
Myself and my mate decided to head for crew camp after that as we wanted to get rested and be up at a good time tomorrow to catch the legendary Toots and the Maytals.

Sunday
Toots and the Maytals (Bloody magnificent, they are my favourite reggae act, Toots Hibbert still has an amazing voice and they pulled a nice crowd for the Sunday afternoon reggae act, plus it stayed dry and warm although the sun didn't come out.
Kelly Anne Byrne (Really enjoyed her set at the Bacardi bar, playing soul, funk house or as someone else described it as uplifting house, but the music was more reminiscent to her Saturday radio show on Today FM rather than her Sunday show.) By then slight intermittent drizzle and hotish dry weather.
New Order (Were magnificent, amazing visuals and some classic tracks) Would have caught more of the set if it wasn't for that stupid specialised security guard holding me up and causing me to drink my Spanish absinthe outside of the arena, probably also the intoxicating effect too.
Skepta ( I enjoyed Skepta a lively and wild gig, I wouldn't really know any of his material but his music was pumping, the audience were slightly demented and crazy, a bit much for an elder like me as you will see when I upload the video clip, camera shake not by me by the way ha ha.)

Couldn't take anymore rain after this, my jacket was soaking right through and I lost ambition to go exploring fearing I would get pneumonia and headed for the crew camp.

Prepare ur area man, have the bangers bought in advance

MJohnston

MeatTwoVeg wrote: »

Does Pink Moon only seem great because the other campsites are so unbearably awful?

The prices they charge against what you actually get for it seems extortionate.

Well it's mostly that, plus a pre-erected (oooh) tent is a massive bonus if you're arriving with a backpack.

As a comparison, I did Pink Moon camping at EP last year, and regular general camping at Body and Soul festival last year, and there wasn't much difference between the two. EP just has significantly fewer camping areas where you're guaranteed a bit of chill.

Lemsiper

I'd just like to weigh in on the subject of the standard campsites bing terrible, I was in Joplin and it was grrat. Not many "lads" & "hunzos" knocking about.

I'll just add I'm usually in Hendrix but think I'll be unlikely to camp there in future.

scruff monkey

The only campsite i went in to visit was Wilde, it was minging

....shiver....


(note : think PM has an advantage over some of the other sites as it's on a gentle incline, even in the pissing of rain it stayed decent)

MJohnston

The more I think about it, the more I wonder if the Hendrix/Warhol campsites (and the Sunday crowd plus the Sunday weather) just messed with my perception of the EP crowd as a whole. I don't think it was a *bad* crowd this year, I just think it was enough to put off a lot of the older attendees, and the families, which will make things even worse next year.

maximoose

Lemsiper wrote: »

I'd just like to weigh in on the subject of the standard campsites bing terrible, I was in Joplin and it was grrat. Not many "lads" & "hunzos" knocking about.

I'll just add I'm usually in Hendrix but think I'll be unlikely to camp there in future.

Yep was also in Joplin and I found it was grand. Friendly atmosphere about and wasn't too mental at night.

Normally in Warhol as it's usually fairly empty when we arrive around 12pm-ish, but it was nearly full when we arrived this year.

bodhrandude

MadYaker wrote: »

Jaysus bodhrandude, get your stuff sorted before you go to the festival! There's no way in a million years id go wandering around asking randomers for pills, asking for trouble that is.

Plans fell through at the last minute before heading from Galway for the festival site, seemingly this happened to a lot of people planning their weekend at EP and always does happen unless you are already with a largish group of people.

scruff monkey

MJohnston wrote: »

The more I think about it, the more I wonder if the Hendrix/Warhol campsites (and the Sunday crowd plus the Sunday weather) just messed with my perception of the EP crowd as a whole. I don't think it was a *bad* crowd this year, I just think it was enough to put off a lot of the older attendees, and the families, which will make things even worse next year.

Think I said it earlier, I thought the crowd was less rough/aggressive than last year and the year before esp around the main stage, plenty of people (esp kiddies) completely borked out of it but less aggressive.

Canneverfindit

MJohnston wrote: »

The more I think about it, the more I wonder if the Hendrix/Warhol campsites (and the Sunday crowd plus the Sunday weather) just messed with my perception of the EP crowd as a whole. I don't think it was a *bad* crowd this year, I just think it was enough to put off a lot of the older attendees, and the families, which will make things even worse next year.

Yeah, last year was my husbands first EP (not mine) and it really put him off wanting to go again (stayed in Wilde). Convinced him to come this year and stayed in Chaplin - he absolutely loved it so yes - I think the campsites can screw your perception.

Was Warhol bad?
I've always been under the impression that Warhol, Chaplin and Joplin are grand.

To never, ever, ever venture near Hendrix and that Wilde is a **** hole....

ghostdancer

MeatTwoVeg wrote: »

Does Pink Moon only seem great because the other campsites are so unbearably awful?

The prices they charge against what you actually get for it seems extortionate.

i've done glamping/boutique camping elsewhere and have found it worth it, but having seen the prices and actually been in Pink Moon for a little while this year, I'm extremely glad I didn't go for it in the end.

we stayed in the Eco campsite which had security and wristband only entry, loads of space, lovely and clean and was completely quiet where we were camped.
showers were the only thing "missing", but we do hot tubs in B&S on the Saturday and Sunday which have showers there, so made no difference really.

quite glad we didn't pay a few hundred quid just for having an overpriced bar/restaurant nearby and saving 10mins putting up a tent TBH.

fourmations

pink moon is worth the money for space you are allocated alone IMO
ive never camped anywhere else but a few walks through wilde & hendrix
confirms i never will, no tripping over guy ropes, people invading your space etc, pink moon defo has a more mature crowd, still a good mixed bag
and plenty of people having fun

i was getting sent to red after the vicarstown approach was closed
i just asked the garda on point can i get to green,
he was sound, he just told me to go around the block
and id get on the road to green
ask and you will receive!

team_actimel

Canneverfindit wrote: »

Yeah, last year was my husbands first EP (not mine) and it really put him off wanting to go again (stayed in Wilde). Convinced him to come this year and stayed in Chaplin - he absolutely loved it so yes - I think the campsites can screw your perception.

Was Warhol bad?
I've always been under the impression that Warhol, Chaplin and Joplin are grand.

To never, ever, ever venture near Hendrix and that Wilde is a **** hole....

I was in Warhol again and found it grand. No problems with neighbours, good craic and we were lucky to pitch out tent in a spacious enough area. Personally, I wouldn't book pink moon as I love the atmosphere of general camping!

Lotus Flower

fillup wrote: »

i said i had issues with New Order not with people performing songs from previous stages of their career - not sure how many Lennon penned song Macca plays in his regular set and i'm still to frazzled post picnic to even contemplate Pink Floyd *shudder*

i'd hardly call Love will Tear Us Apart upbeat, anthemic yes but not upbeat -

The original is in a minor key and it's about as melancholic as it gets

But the version New Order are hawking seems to start in G major rather than the E minor original - plus its far too bombastic and c0ckr0cky.
Macca would have too much respect for Lennon to rework one of his or even their songs in that manner

But.... apart from that (and the shameless plugging of their new bass player - Stalinist revisionism anybody?) i did enjoy New Order

I had a listen to it on YouTube out of curiosity and I concede you have a point...

chicken foot

ghostdancer wrote: »

glad we didn't pay a few hundred quid just for having an overpriced bar/restaurant nearby and saving 10mins putting up a tent TBH.

I really dont view it as paying for an overpriced bar. We paid for a sense of security and cleanliness that is most definitely not present in Hendrix. Im sorry, theres no comparison on the two.

Walking through Hendrix would depress you. It was an absolute **** hole and I wouldnt strike a conversation with most who I saw in there whereas in PM I would have random conversations with people in the Charging Tent, at the hair cubicles etc. There was also a lot of exchanging of pleasantries and smiles as you passed each other going to and from your tent..this all adds to the weekend experience. I really enjoyed it, it was my first EP but if I were staying in Hendrix i would not be back.

I did hear that someone was robbed in PM. Money and a phone taken. I have to wonder, why in the name of god would you leave money in an unattended tent? I mean come on! I dont leave money at home, i most definitely wouldnt leave it in a tent - Pink Moon or not!

As for the overcharging, thats scandalous, there really needs to be a forum or hasHtag or something to highlight this officially to EP, does anyone want to start one??

I loved the whole "outside" of EP - Salty Dog, Trenchtown etc. Theres a great feel to the place after dark I must say. Didnt manage to stay up for any Rave in the Woods, thats my aim next year!

Ferris_Bueller

Meant to say actually, what an unbelievable moment when Todd Terje played Stand Back by Stevie Nicks!

ghostdancer

chicken foot wrote: »

I really dont view it as paying for an overpriced bar. We paid for a sense of security and cleanliness that is most definitely not present in Hendrix. Im sorry, theres no comparison on the two.

Walking through Hendrix would depress you. It was an absolute **** hole and I wouldnt strike a conversation with most who I saw in there whereas in PM I would have random conversations with people in the Charging Tent, at the hair cubicles etc. There was also a lot of exchanging of pleasantries and smiles as you passed each other going to and from your tent..this all adds to the weekend experience. I really enjoyed it, it was my first EP but if I were staying in Hendrix i would not be back.

I did hear that someone was robbed in PM. Money and a phone taken. I have to wonder, why in the name of god would you leave money in an unattended tent? I mean come on! I dont leave money at home, i most definitely wouldnt leave it in a tent - Pink Moon or not!

I didn't compare it to Hendrix though, I compared it with the Eco campsite, which had security, space and cleanliness and cost nothing. lots of nice people too, loads of families and people conscientious enough to be clean and tidy and recycle their rubbish in the correct bins provided.

scruff monkey

ghostdancer wrote: »

I didn't compare it to Hendrix though, I compared it with the Eco campsite, which had security, space and cleanliness and cost nothing.

Eco though has far less spaces though doesn't it?

ghostdancer

scruff monkey wrote: »

Eco though has far less spaces though doesn't it?

it's smaller, but there was lots more free, open space than in Pink Moon.

e: or do you mean numbers of people? there were definitely far fewer people in Eco than in PM.