Electric Picnic 2019 **Discussion Only // No Ticket Sales / Requests **

Acosta

If I wasn't going for the music I'd go to a cheaper, smaller festival like Indiependence which the couple of times I went had a much better atmosphere and vibe than any of the many EPs I went to, even the early ones. That line-up is rubbish, but they don't need to push the boat out of it sells out well in advance each year on the back of very average previous line-ups. If I'm paying top dollar I want top acts. But sure if people enjoy it every year regardless then so be it. Last time I was there I found it way too overcrowded for my liking.

PabloAndRoy

Acosta wrote: »

If I wasn't going for the music I'd go to a cheaper, smaller festival like Indiependence which the couple of times I went had a much better atmosphere and vibe than any of the many EPs I went to, even the early ones. That line-up is rubbish, but they don't need to push the boat out of it sells out well in advance each year on the back of very average previous line-ups. If I'm paying top dollar I want top acts. But sure if people enjoy it every year regardless then so be it. Last time I was there I found it way too overcrowded for my liking.

I always call Indie "music in a field". Very little other than music. EP has B&S, Mindfield, theatre, spoken word...

I am not shy of a bit of EP bashing but the atmosphere at EP is way above Indie.

YMMV but you are probably using sub-par fuel.

ILIKEFOOD

ghostdancer wrote: »

basically a rip-off of the SE corner at Glastonbury/Boomtown

tbf melvin benn ran glasto for years.... perhaps not totally unoriginal..

*should say I hate Festival Republic and their dominance here can't be good for the festival scene.

fourmations

PabloAndRoy wrote: »

I always call Indie "music in a field". Very little other than music. EP has B&S, Mindfield, theatre, spoken word...

I am not shy of a bit of EP bashing but the atmosphere at EP is way above Indie.

YMMV but you are probably using sub-par fuel.

lol

Acosta

PabloAndRoy wrote: »

I always call Indie "music in a field". Very little other than music. EP has B&S, Mindfield, theatre, spoken word...

I am not shy of a bit of EP bashing but the atmosphere at EP is way above Indie.

YMMV but you are probably using sub-par fuel.

To be honest I find all this stuff in the woods, mindfield, blow up churches, spoken word etc just background noise. Grand to check out once or twice but that's about it.
I always had plenty of fun at festivals when it was just stages for the bands, a camping site and food vans..oh and toilets obviously. EP is perfect for the event junkie non music lover as there's so much other stuff on, which is grand if that's what your into.
The last 3 times I was at EP was in the camper van site and TBA the camper van site at Independence and even Oxegen was a much better laugh.
I think there was just a much better mix of people. EP crowd in general not as friendly as other festivals I've been to. A bit more standoff ish compared to others.

thebusher

Any thoughts on the nights for headliners?
Hozier on Sunday for the daytrippers?

Eod100

Is that Freetown just an extra stage? Won't increase camping capacity or anything?

gauralordon

Eod100 wrote: »

Is that Freetown just an extra stage? Won't increase camping capacity or anything?

It’s being built on the Wilde site so assuming they’ll dedicate another site for camping - maybe bigger than Wilde or Hendrix considering they increased the capacity by 2,500 this year

BullBlackNova

thebusher wrote: »

Any thoughts on the nights for headliners?
Hozier on Sunday for the daytrippers?

Hard to say without knowing who else will be added. Last year, Picture This and Prodigy didn't get added until August so could well be some more to add.

This line up is definitely missing a big, late night electronic/party act.

Also have to factor in that these acts could already booked elsewhere this weekend.

Milano Rocks has Florence and the 1975 both down to play Friday, August 30, and Billie Eilish is there on Saturday, September 1.

Florence has previously closed out the main stage at EP on the Sunday (was it 2015/16? Tame Impala were in the Electric Arena at the same time and I regret not picking them!) so it wouldn't be a surprise to see here there again, especially if she can't perform on the Friday.

MadYaker

Acosta wrote: »

To be honest I find all this stuff in the woods, mindfield, blow up churches, spoken word etc just background noise. Grand to check out once or twice but that's about it.
I always had plenty of fun at festivals when it was just stages for the bands, a camping site and food vans..oh and toilets obviously. EP is perfect for the event junkie non music lover as there's so much other stuff on, which is grand if that's what your into.
The last 3 times I was at EP was in the camper van site and TBA the camper van site at Independence and even Oxegen was a much better laugh.
I think there was just a much better mix of people. EP crowd in general not as friendly as other festivals I've been to. A bit more standoff ish compared to others.

You should give Body&Soul a go if you haven't. Definitely a nicer more mature crowd. Though I've never had problems with anyone at EP.

Fatfrog

Man Vs ManUre wrote: »

Only went to EP once and ended up going home on the Saturday evening. The toilet situation was really disgusting there.
Also was disgusted as the 1 act I really wanted to see, Bat for Lashes, was announced as being cancelled few mins b4 she was due to take to the stage. Instead David Kitt played a 2nd gig in her place.
Florence and the Machine were playing in the tent the following evening, but still not enough to make me stick it out with those toilets.

Can I ask if you're male or female?
Can I also ask HOW THE **** COULD YOU VOLUNTARILY LEAVE THE PICNIC? I still don't want to leave on the Monday!!

MadYaker

Some people don't like to get down and dirty

Seathrun66

Acosta wrote: »

If I wasn't going for the music I'd go to a cheaper, smaller festival like Indiependence which the couple of times I went had a much better atmosphere and vibe than any of the many EPs I went to, even the early ones. That line-up is rubbish, but they don't need to push the boat out of it sells out well in advance each year on the back of very average previous line-ups. If I'm paying top dollar I want top acts. But sure if people enjoy it every year regardless then so be it. Last time I was there I found it way too overcrowded for my liking.

EP always has top acts. Whether you like them or not is subjective but this year we have:

Hozier - currently number 1 in the US.
Florence - a recent Glastonbury headliner.
The 1975 - headlining festivals everywhere in 2019.
The Strokes - headlined Primavera sound recently and will play top slots at lots of European festivals this Summer.

There's also a good chance that we'll get Tame Impala in a later announcement plus a dance act. My tip is the Chemical Brothers given their tour dates.

You can continue whingeing about overcrowding and your subjective lack of vibe. But not about major acts. EP has them this year and every year and that won't change.

Seathrun66

bemmet wrote: »

Couldnt agree more- went last year and waited for the line up this year to see would it improve at all . The reality is its becoming a younger and younger festival merely by consistently reducing bands from an older vintage. Thinking new order ,Grace J ,Pretenders ,decent raggae icons ,David Byrne ,the stranglers ,divine compdy ,Pete Tong ,Portishead ,Bjork etc etc etc .
Dont get me wrong I always enjoyed wandering and finding new music ,however there always was a number of ones for me as must sees (and many more too judging by crowds at those above ) .
Anyway -message received loud and clear .Time to move on .
It was a great decade for me whilst it lasted.

Two more big announcements to come. There'll be plenty of names to fit into the vintage category. Fair chance of the Specials and Flaming Lips joining the lineup.

bodhrandude

thebusher wrote: »

Any thoughts on the nights for headliners?
Hozier on Sunday for the daytrippers?

It looks like the 1975 are closing Sunday night, judging where the headliners are in the poster.

Lotus Flower

For anyone who was at the IDLES gig in the button factory last October, Heavy Lungs were the support.

Some decent names and though the Strokes haven't released anything decent since 2003 they'll be a blast

scruff monkey

bemmet wrote: »

The reality is its becoming a younger and younger festival merely by consistently reducing bands from an older vintage.

The trouble with getting older is that your heroes also get older.

Some one had flagged that the B-52s were touring, they're in their late 60+s now (Kate Pierson is in her 70s). For those of us of a certain age who still think the bands we listened to in the 70s/80s would be great to see, simple fact is that they've never been heard of by vast swathes of the actual ticket buying public.

Bands from the 90s are now vintage acts, time is an utter bitch.

Paddy2012

The Specialist wrote: »

Sets the standard though for whatever else will be announced and that's a pretty **** start to be honest.

The Strokes? Nope, not in a million years
Florence? Let an owl loose in a wind chime shop, same result
1975? Definitely not a headliner act, mid-card at best
Hozier? Thought a headline act is generally supposed to lift the roof off a gig, not put everyone to ****in sleep.

I'm just wondering, what headliners were you hoping for?

The Nal

Paddy2012 wrote: »

I'm just wondering, what headliners were you hoping for?

McCartney (with Ringo), Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd would've been better.

Eod100

gauralordon wrote: »

It’s being built on the Wilde site so assuming they’ll dedicate another site for camping - maybe bigger than Wilde or Hendrix considering they increased the capacity by 2,500 this year

Ah cheers. But won't lead to extra capacity being added for new tickets?

Acosta

Seathrun66 wrote: »

EP always has top acts. Whether you like them or not is subjective but this year we have:

Hozier - currently number 1 in the US.
Florence - a recent Glastonbury headliner.
The 1975 - headlining festivals everywhere in 2019.
The Strokes - headlined Primavera sound recently and will play top slots at lots of European festivals this Summer.

There's also a good chance that we'll get Tame Impala in a later announcement plus a dance act. My tip is the Chemical Brothers given their tour dates.

You can continue whingeing about overcrowding and your subjective lack of vibe. But not about major acts. EP has them this year and every year and that won't change.

I don't care how big an act currently is. Mainstream pop music is as good as dead. This is the worst era for pop since it began in the 1940s or 50s so I wouldn't use chart success in todays music as a measurement for how good the line-up is. The former promoters of EP were not concerned about who was US number 1 and would have actively avoided many acts that have played in recent years, but it is of course subjective to taste. They are going for a much more mainstream MOR crowd now and that is of course their right.

Hope you all enjoy it anyway.

MadYaker wrote: »

You should give Body&Soul a go if you haven't. Definitely a nicer more mature crowd. Though I've never had problems with anyone at EP.

I've never had any major issues at EP and while it was usually good fun, I just preferred the atmosphere elsewhere. There's usually one or two things I'd like to see at Body And Soul but never enough to make me want to make the treck up to it. I have heard good things though.

declanleo

The Davestator wrote: »

That's what is so surprising to me.

Everyone knows that this is the first line up announcement, but there seems to be a collective amnesia every year about it.

Previous later announcements have included Blur & prodigy so I am happy to wait and let the excitement build

Personally, there is nothing to get excited about bar Jarvis four yet and the streets. Hozier for me is a early evening act. The 1975 ?pass me a bucket. Florence will always be decent. Compared to the 1st announcement below,I think it's very weak. Yes,there will be more announcements but it will take a lot more to sway me towards buying a ticket. Very disappointed.

declanleo

Ferris_Bueller wrote: »

The Cure, Foals, New Order, Doves all playing Irish shows already so were never in the mix.

Bodega and Parquet Courts are announced, Johnny Marr more than likely now after being on another poster.

Ash played last year so unlikely to play again. Eels playing other gigs in Europe that weekend.

That leaves The Specials, Bloc Party, Basement Jaxx (dj set), The Hives, Badly Drawn Boy, The Futureheads, Sharon Van Etten and Cate le Bon from the others in your list.

Touché

Acosta

That New Order gig in 2006 at EP in 2006 was class. Probably the best gig of there's that I saw. The Cure are great and all but tbh I wasn't blown away the time they played Oxegen. Doves are always great live. Nice to have them back. Eels were the first band I ever saw at a festival and are brilliant live.

Paddy2012

The Nal wrote: »

McCartney (with Ringo), Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd would've been better.

Yeah don't forget The Rolling Stones too. The thing is Bob Dylan and Neil Young are playing this year too and there are complaints about that gig as well, its impossible to please some people. I think the initial line up is great and if you take out the poppier acts it holds its own against ATN (well except for Patti Smith who is a great booking) and is far stronger than a lot of the UK lineups this year like Green Man, Latitude, TRNSMT and End of the Road (which cost about the same price).

Stillill42

Bless. It's a time for venting. Some Facebook wag memorably compared last year's initial EP line-up unfavourably to the line-up for Carlow freshers week. I haven't seen what the Carlow lads have in store for 2019 but they must be rubbing their hands tonight.

Spreece

It’s a fantastic line up, all the way down the bill. So much better than I expected and more to be added. I’m not mad about the headliners but they are big acts and typical festival headliners.

bodhrandude

Stillill42 wrote: »

Bless. It's a time for venting. Some Facebook wag memorably compared last year's initial EP line-up unfavourably to the line-up for Carlow freshers week. I haven't seen what the Carlow lads have in store for 2019 but they must be rubbing their hands tonight.

Well Facebook is down at the moment so maybe the thread will get some new users to vent on here. :pac:

Seathrun66

Acosta wrote: »

I don't care how big an act currently is. Mainstream pop music is as good as dead. This is the worst era for pop since it began in the 1940s or 50s so I wouldn't use chart success in todays music as a measurement for how good the line-up is. The former promoters of EP were not concerned about who was US number 1 and would have actively avoided many acts that have played in recent years, but it is of course subjective to taste. They are going for a much more mainstream MOR crowd now and that is of course their right.

Hope you all enjoy it anyway.



I've never had any major issues at EP and while it was usually good fun, I just preferred the atmosphere elsewhere. There's usually one or two things I'd like to see at Body And Soul but never enough to make me want to make the treck up to it. I have heard good things though.

You used the term Top Acts and EP has always had such acts. That they're not to your taste is irrelevant but the four mentioned are undeniably top acts.

EP is not going for a MOR crowd at all. Never has. It's going for the Glastonbury model of appealing across the board. We're far from the end of acts for 2019 (approx 20% of the main arena acts announced) so let's look at the full lineup from 2018 and the supposed mainstream acts - The Prodigy, Sleaford Mods, Massive Attack, Kendrick Lamar, Versatile, Benjamin Clementine, Fontaines DC, Murder Capital, Seamus Fogarty, King Krule, The Blaze,Colter Wall, Kojaque, Montauk Hotel, Pillow Queens, Gwenno, David Keenan, Bitch Falcon, Peggy Gou, Mango X Mathman, Scarxlrd, La Femme, Death Grips, St. Vincent and many many more.

This festival is far from conventional in terms of acts, just dig a little deeper. Of course if you're into avant garde Norwegian dungeon BDSM death metal then the above will appear a little tame.

Seathrun66

Mr.S wrote: »

I think the headliners are solid, you can't fault them - all worthy to be there imo.

I don't mind Hozier headlining, it's nice to see Irish acts at the top of a bill - and there's deffinetly a demand for it. Didn't he pull in one of the largest crowds of the festival during the day at EP when he played last?

The non-headlining acts are piss poor though. There is nothing bar 1 or 2 acts that would interest you.

Have Jess Glynne / MO / Years & Years been touring every summer for the last 5 years?

Still, early days. EP is delivering what EP is, a mainstream festival festival with some gems.

I'm not a fan of Hozier but went along that day for a look. I've been to fourteen Picnics and not seen anyone pull as big a crowd as he did that day. Given his recent success you'd expect him to again have the biggest audience of the weekend.