Electric Picnic 2021 - Cancelled :( **No Ticket Sales / Requests **

bodhrandude

DJ Sneak 2005.

rubick

Staying up listening to tunes until 5am Saturday morning.
Was dead on during the day but was asleep for 8pm Saturday night.
Readers, it's easier at a festival.
- rubick, (43)

endainoz

scruff monkey wrote: »

That could actually work quite well but.....

The Brits crashing out in a few months time is going to have a major impact on what smaller acts from there will be able to afford to come here (assuming they've survived the loss of a years income intact) and European acts that might visit here as an extension on a UK tour are not going to be bothering with the UK for a couple of years.

So we could be looking at: a mostly Irish lineup for groups to get decent recognition, a definite reduced capacity to cover social distancing, less corporate involvement because of reduced capacity?

Jeez lads I don't know about ye but I think that sounds brilliant.

johnnyskeleton

endainoz wrote: »

So we could be looking at: a mostly Irish lineup for groups to get decent recognition, a definite reduced capacity to cover social distancing, less corporate involvement because of reduced capacity?

Jeez lads I don't know about ye but I think that sounds brilliant.

Can they reduce capacity if it is already sold out at before-times capacity?

endainoz

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

Can they reduce capacity if it is already sold out at before-times capacity?

I know tickets carried over or whatever but it would be easy to give refunds if people want them. Guaranteed there would be people very much put off by the idea of being in a field with thousands of people around them now.

Or just refund everyone and put them on sale again.

Seathrun66

endainoz wrote: »

So we could be looking at: a mostly Irish lineup for groups to get decent recognition, a definite reduced capacity to cover social distancing, less corporate involvement because of reduced capacity?

Jeez lads I don't know about ye but I think that sounds brilliant.

So many Irish acts across all genres, many of them at sub-headliner or headliner status that all stages could be filled by them. Wouldn't leave any acts for other fests though.

Seathrun66

From todays Irish Times:

[EMAIL="https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/una-mullally-live-events-industry-has-been-abandoned-1.4347968"]https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/una-mullally-live-events-industry-has-been-abandoned-1.4347968[/EMAIL]

bodhrandude

Seathrun66 wrote: »

From todays Irish Times:

[EMAIL="https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/una-mullally-live-events-industry-has-been-abandoned-1.4347968"]https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/una-mullally-live-events-industry-has-been-abandoned-1.4347968[/EMAIL]

Subscription only.

Seathrun66

bodhrandude wrote: »

Subscription only.

Una Mullally piece:

The venues are silent. The festival dates have come and gone. Nothing is happening, and government support is curiously lacking. Multiple statements from government about the cultural sector have excluded music venues and festival settings.

It makes no sense that the number of people who can call around to your house for dinner is the same as the number of people allowed in the 3Arena, capacity 13,000.

The consequences of this neglect are serious.

There is of course the interruption to the trajectory of artists’ careers, for whom the live environment is essential to their livelihoods and their capacity to build and sustain careers. An amazing set at a festival, for example, can send an artist on a particular path that may not have been available to them before they stepped on stage. There’s lots of talk about milestones being missed this year, but less spoken about are the milestones artists were anticipating, or ones they couldn’t even predict.

In many ways, every show or event is a risk. Most of this cannot be learned in a lecture theatre or at a desk. This is hands-on stuff
Shutting down the live events industry is going to have a seismic social and cultural impact that is impossible to quantify right now considering we’re stuck in the eye of an endless storm. From an audience perspective, there is also a hole in Irish culture right now, as many people have had their primary pastime of attending live events eradicated. But the biggest blow has been to the workers in an industry that is worth an incredible amount to the Irish economy, and of course to our creative and cultural health and wealth.

In many ways, every show or event is a risk. It’s a hugely competitive industry composed of a vast array of highly skilled professionals. The level of detail that goes into risk assessment, health and safety, security, the duty of care to attendees, the logistics of crowd control, transport, access and so on are huge. That’s before you even begin to take into account the scale and level of expertise required to stage a large-scale production. Most people outside the industry wouldn’t know where to start. Years of training goes into everything. Most of this cannot be learned in a lecture theatre or at a desk. This is hands-on stuff.

Pub discourse
Vintners and publicans have all but dominated the discourse regarding what social spaces should or shouldn’t be opening up. We have become well-versed in the terminology of the moment; all “wet pubs” and “substantial meals”. But all pubs can technically open, as long as they serve food (an arbitrary rule that is constantly getting caught in its own spokes). This may not be practical for certain pubs that don’t have the capacity to prepare food on their premises, or access to a nearby takeaway or restaurant to team up with to serve food.

But nothing is stopping a pub from buying in sandwiches, for example, to serve with drink orders. Smaller premises, of course, come up against a very obvious issue. The classic Irish pub, a cornerstone of our social heritage, is cosy by nature. So of course many pubs simply cannot open, as adhering to distancing regulations is next to impossible, and at any rate, economically unviable.

One of the aspects of the live events sector is how so much of it happens – often literally – backstage
Publicans also have a good deal of lobbying power, not least due to the solidarity extended to them by politicians who are publicans themselves. People are also familiar with how pubs “work”.

But one of the aspects of the live events sector is how so much of it happens – often literally – backstage. Punters don’t observe the weeks of building that go into preparing a festival site. They don’t listen to the negotiations with agents. They don’t hear the tour buses trundling into a car park at dawn. They aren’t at production meetings. They don’t see the detail of planning programming lighting and pyrotechnics. They aren’t hunched over a sound desk or clipped into a harness rigging a stage. The walkways and fences and barriers and bars and sets and toilets and campsites and stages and stalls and medical tents and art installations all have multiple people behind them.

No reduction
It is now essential that there is no reduction in the €350 rate of the pandemic unemployment payment for live events industry workers. It is essential that the Government creates a fund to sustain the industry – albeit it comatose – until events can happen again. Workers need to be supported because otherwise the expertise contained within the industry will evaporate. Losing that expertise will devastate the industry and create an insurmountable cost of bringing in workers from other jurisdictions to produce live events here.

Why is the Government making things so hard for the people who design, build and deliver some of the best nights of our lives?
This is an industry of troubleshooters, characters and entrepreneurs. Because of the nature of the gig, the people who work in the sector are full of resilience, stamina, creativity, invention, energy and drive. They can work around anything with a decent phone signal and a roll of gaffer tape.

They are tough guys and no-nonsense women, the blunt and the brilliant. They’re the kind of people who can overcome seemingly any obstacle, from the harshest weather to the most bizarre band request. They are people who literally make things happen. Why is the Government making things so hard for the people who design, build and deliver some of the best nights of our lives?

Fatfrog

endainoz wrote: »

So we could be looking at: a mostly Irish lineup for groups to get decent recognition, a definite reduced capacity to cover social distancing, less corporate involvement because of reduced capacity?

Jeez lads I don't know about ye but I think that sounds brilliant.

I dont see a point where a reduction in capacity would make any difference in terms of social distancing, not unless its drastic like down to 10,000 capacity (Even this would just be a token to meet a gov requirement, my view is it's still a similar risk)

As we said I think we'll see some whacky ideas and proposals in the near future, but convincing the government and Laois locals will be the difficult part.

bodhrandude

Thanks for that Seath an interesting read and very true.

bodhrandude

Who did you listen to for the weekend, what streams or sets did you revisit. 23 acts, not too bad, sometimes I would see that amount of acts over the weekend.

For me:
Iggy and the Stooges
Royksopp
Mr Scruff
The Beastie Boys
DJ Sneak
Orbital
Fatboy Slim
New Order
Sparks
Soulwax
2ManyDJS
LCD Soundsystem (Picnic debut)
Leftfield
Ham Sandwich
Hot Chip
Andy Weatherall
The Japanese Popstars
Moderat
Amine Edge
Disclosure
Bat for Lashes
Chic
Crystal Castles

Bruce2008

Fatfrog wrote: »

I dont see a point where a reduction in capacity would make any difference in terms of social distancing, not unless its drastic like down to 10,000 capacity (Even this would just be a token to meet a gov requirement, my view is it's still a similar risk)

I don't see a reduction making any difference. If an artist is on stage I wanna be as close to the stage as I can. I don't want to be socially distanced 50 meters back with a sparse crowd in front of me mumbling the chorus like the responses at mass, not that I've been lately 🙄.
I want to be in the crowd.
That's what live music is all about. Being there in the middle of it all. Experiencing the feeling you get from being with a crowd of people who want to be where they are, listening to what they want to hear and ****ing lovin it.

Okay think I'll leave the rest of the cans till next weekend 🥴.

desk tidy

https://twitter.com/CommonsDCMS/status/1302896613694877696

Melvin will be giving evidence, starts at 9.30am this morning

Beechwoodspark

Ok so If there’s no sign of a vaccine in 2021 will elec picnic be allowed go ahead or not?

endainoz

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

Ok so If there’s no sign of a vaccine in 2021 will elec picnic be allowed go ahead or not?

I'd have to guess no, as was said here before, the big events will be the last to be allowed to happen. The potential sh!tshow of the forthcoming winter might open a lot of eyes. I hope I'm wrong obviously, maybe one might have to prove if they have taken the vaccine or not upon entry.

rubick

New Order - Be A Rebel, new single out today.


Sounds like a New Order track, will support.

desk tidy

Benn says we can't have festivals with social distancing - it has to be all or nothing.

There must either be a vaccine or mass testing before arrival.

Mass testing either:

a) Self test on an app - negative test QR code to gain entry - coming soon apparently
b) Testing centres (at 600 locations in the UK for Glastonbury)

Soundbite:

Chair: Earlier in the interview you stated that 100% of your income comes from festivals. Are you taking a risk with mass testing in pursuit of money?

Benn: I'm not chasing money, I'm chasing the replacement of a cultural vacuum caused by a pandemic!

Stillill42

Fair point from the chair. Nonetheless, he's right to be exploring all possible options. Hard to see such an app being immune (no pun intended) to manipulation or skullduggery. But of course I wish them God speed in their quest for a solution.

desk tidy

Stillill42 wrote: »

Fair point from the chair. Nonetheless, he's right to be exploring all possible options. Hard to see such an app being immune (no pun intended) to manipulation or skullduggery. But of course I wish then God speed in their quest for a solution.

Yeah testing seems like a pipe dream at the minute. A logistical nightmare, and wide open to misuse. Although there could be lots of advances in the testing technology and infrastructure between now and then I guess.

endainoz

Went to see the big man himself in the royal spa in Lisdoonvarna last night. An amazing show, filled with so many hits.

Rfrip

Have to say getting away last wkend did me the world of good!

optogirl

New Doves album out today

seanb85

Very sad to see that Frederick "Toots" Hibbert of Toots and the Maytals has passed away. Saw them play at the Picnic a few times and their set in 2016 was an absolute delight. RIP Toots.

desk tidy

seanb85 wrote: »

Very sad to see that Frederick "Toots" Hibbert of Toots and the Maytals has passed away. Saw them play at the Picnic a few times and their set in 2016 was an absolute delight. RIP Toots.

Fond memories of that lovely sunny afternoon at the main stage in 2016. His music was so joyous.



RIP Toots.

Fatfrog

Was there tickets on sale today?

bodhrandude

Sad news about Toots, had the ticket to see him in Dun Laoghaire this year, didn't realise he was ill and was lucky to get to see him 4 times two of them being at previous Picnics.

Suckit

bodhrandude wrote: »

Sad news about Toots, had the ticket to see him in Dun Laoghaire this year, didn't realise he was ill and was lucky to get to see him 4 times two of them being at previous Picnics.

Diagnosed with coronavirus 2 weeks ago and was placed into intensive care.
Very sad.
R.I.P
https://www.npr.org/2020/09/12/912245520/toots-hibbert-reggae-ambassador-and-leader-of-toots-and-the-maytals-dies-at-77?t=1599943585834
His last interview
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/sep/12/toots-hibbert-last-interview-dont-take-life-for-granted-be-careful-be-strong

Seathrun66

endainoz wrote: »

Went to see the big man himself in the royal spa in Lisdoonvarna last night. An amazing show, filled with so many hits.

Always excellent. Never ever seen him do a bad show and he probably never will. Varies his sets from night to night yet so many major tunes that you'll never be short-changed. And reliably brilliant covers - Ewan MacColl, Pogues, Radiators, Richard Thompson, etc.

Been watching him play for 35 years and he's probably the definitive intimate live performer from this island. Long may he reign.

Seathrun66

optogirl wrote: »

New Doves album out today

Been hearing great things about it. Hiking for the last few days so no chance but tomorrow is a Doves day.