Electric Picnic 2024 **No Ticket Sales / Requests** - Waiting in line, terrible time, over familiar

Still Ill

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121728539#Comment_121728539

Are Picture This and Gavin James really getting paid the same as an internationally recognised act in the same spot? I find that seriously hard to believe. Picture This have been sub headliners. Doubt they got paid the same as Meghan Thee Stallion and Snow Patrol that year.

Fanirish

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121728558#Comment_121728558

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121728559#Comment_121728559

The numbers of festivals/summer concert series has exploded across europe since the first EP. Demand for artist who can sell tickets is crazy in the summer now.

EP has evolved, double in capacity in last decade and booking policy has naturally changed to capture a bigger audience. A lot of whom might not go to concerts on a regular weekly basis.

Wooderson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121728662#Comment_121728662

The festival is actively marketing to these non-music fans. Sales/streams/money over a quality event. Integrity out the window.

Seathrun66

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121728625#Comment_121728625

Whilst I’ve had disagreements with @Fanirish, and undoubtedly will again, I don’t regard him as a mouthpiece for FR. He’s got some stuff wrong, but much right and also offers lucid insights into the current running of the industry. The bottom line is that FR want to sell tickets and will put on whoever makes that happen.

My grievance with FR is that they can easily accommodate a lot of great stuff amidst the shite. It’s not hard to put on acts that keep everyone happy. Glastonbury has been doing for two decades.

.

Wooderson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121728687#Comment_121728687

His view is 1:1 with that of the cartel of promoters in Ireland. Profit all that matters.

As for FR in general, my view well documented. A maelevolent presence on our live music scene. Have ruined a once superlative event.

Seathrun66

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121728727#Comment_121728727

I can’t speak for him but I’m not sure if those are his views. It seems to me that he’s explaining their policy rather than condoning it.

Re FR I’m in complete agreement, they don’t seem to have the nous to have a more musically adventurous festival. Odd cos Latitude is still decent enough though a poor imitation of the early years where they really knew what they were doing.

EP still has enough but for me it’s saved by the non-FR element - Salty Dog, Jerry Fish, Trailer Park, Providencia and Croi. If those change then it’s gone.

Wooderson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121728833#Comment_121728833

His presence on this forum (to me at least) has a purpose. Industry PR. I doubt he'd meet you for a pint btw. He's not here like the rest of us out of love for live music.

dav09

I think looking back at festivals is somewhat tricky, there are festivals I've attended that at the time thought were decent lineup wise, but in hindsight think wow that was special and artists who back then that were tier 2/3 are now headlining festivals all over Europe due to growth in popularity, things always change and warp on reflection. While I agree festivals as a whole have dropped off quality wise, Electric Picnic has dropped off much more standard wise than most European festivals, R&L too although I actually think this year is the best in many years.

I also think there must be some conspiracy around Picture This though, I practically never hear them on the radio, personally despise their music, have very little Spotify listenership listenership, relatively poor charts records even in Ireland, they somehow headlined 2022, 2020 (planned), 2018 also played 2016 I think and pretty sure they played another time too. Kendrick Lamar, The Prodigy, Massive Attack, NERD and... Picture This. How FR shamelessly put them in a tier with that caliber/with them acts is unbelievable.

Seathrun66

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121728870#Comment_121728870

You may be right but I don’t think so. His own taste, from posts mentioned, is pretty interesting. I also doubt that FR are all that bothered about Boards.ie but who knows?

scruff monkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121728976#Comment_121728976

FR couldn't give less of a shite, we're a very very small subgroup of the target audience and would only be of interest if there was a massive fall off of certain age groups no longer buying tickets (and then this is not where you'd come, you have market research teams to get that info for you).

Fanirish

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121728899#Comment_121728899

Picture this sold out out 5 nights in 3 arena in 2018. FR put them in that tier cause they sold 70,000 tickets. If any act can sell that many tickets they are going to be headline tier. No matter how dreadful the music is.

Fanirish

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121728870#Comment_121728870

Haha I’m not industry/festival republic PR.

I probably go to more concerts than anyone on here. Usually go to 2 a week at least.

I’m not a fan of festival republic and by and large haven’t gone to EP for the full weekend since they took over in 2013/2014. Attended on day tickets in the last decade to catch specific acts that are only playing EP.

i don’t defend festival republic, but merely point out the rationale they have for certain booking policy’s and why x and y isn’t going to be playing EP.

to be Frank the golden era of the first decade of EP that a lot on here enjoyed as some of the greatest weekends ever was going to come to an end with or without FR. POD just could not sustain the losses they were making. EP needed to shift to capture more household name acts like the killers etc to guarantee sell outs.

there is now more festivals some even booked by former EP bookers like beyond the pale or ATN which is a continuation of the ordinal EP model.

C14N

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121728899#Comment_121728899

I went in 2018 and was also somewhat surprised to see Picture This headlining compared to the other big names up there (and imo much bigger names who sub-headlined like Dua Lipa or George Ezra). I wasn't that happy about it either because I couldn't stand their songs, but at the same time the fact that I had to hear their songs so often against my own will was a testament to the fact that they must have been popular with someone, at least at the time. I know that of the mid-20s group that I went with, there were more who went to Picture This and The Coronas than Kendrick Lamar who imo was the obvious biggest act at the festival.

(For the record, this fact did make me realise my friends have **** taste in music.)

dav09

I honestly can't remember that, that is unreal, how someone managed to promote them to sell that amount of tickets. Considering their Dublin/Cork shows look nowhere near sold out I'd say it was a fad, and the reason they headlined in 2022 was probably due to already being paid a deposit for 2020. As bad as some of the other usual suspects are, they also still seem to sell out decent gigs too.

I am mid/late 20s now I was also at 2018, can say out of 20+ people of various ages and groups I knew and bumped into, I think one or two mentioned Picture This and the Coronas. It probably mostly depends on your circles I suppose but also noticed the fact not one of those people I met in 2018 went in 2023 to my knowledge/I didn't bump any there, who went regularly many years up until recently.

In my opinion they've lost a huge demographic of people in their 20s and 30s who they've excluded through poor one dimensional booking policy. Not all of us are into medicare pop Irish bands and some people possibly less into music/gigs won't know or take a chance on some of the lower down less known acts on the bill.

Stillill42

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121728571#Comment_121728571

While I agree with the general direction Wooderson, they're still in credit for the care lavished on the site and the enduring quality of the outside areas. As regards the main arena lineup, it's hard to argue with that take.

Fanirish

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121729142#Comment_121729142

EP is also suffering from its own audience, a bunch of international bands have had terrible experiences at EP as the crowd shifted over the years. You’ve had the likes of slowdive play to no one as clashing with Mogwai.

Seathrun66

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121729489#Comment_121729489

Bands will always have bad experiences at festivals, the nature of the beast. Slowdive v Mogwai a particularly daft one, The Cure v The Horrors another pretty thoughtless one.

Stillill42

Yeah, there's a case to be made for saying EP just isn't what we want to think it is anymore, to the extent that it's pointless them announcing a lot of the stuff we'd like because people won't go to it. Up and coming interesting bands playing to 12 Boardsies probably isn't a viable business model going forward. And we've all been at gigs like that over the last few editions. Three quarters of the acts I saw at EOTR last year, fantastic acts, wouldn't have a home at EP. Well, Salty Dog sure but what international act is coming over for the Salty Dog? The Venn Diagrams just aren't lining up anymore. That sweet spot of interesting + general traction is getting narrower I think, the Idles/ Amyl/ Johnny/ Young Fathers sort of line from last year. I mean was that tent solidly packed last year? It's hard to find a home for the OV type act, and the Body and Soul reincarnation seemed to be waaay lighter on the cool stuff that used to be staged there. I can totally see why promoters wouldn't be arsed. They'd need to have a passionate interest in the value of the music itself. If everything has to prove itself in a monetary way, then we're certainly fucked.

Fanirish

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121730081#Comment_121730081

Yeah exactly. The days of EP booking Chris Cunningham, the whitest boy alive or liquid liquid are well and truly done.

its a different thing. A lot of people have a great weekend.

boomdocker

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121701079#Comment_121701079

They have, supported Blossoms in Dolans a few years ago, saw them

sh89000

They played their own headline tour here in 2021, caught them in the academy....Great live band

Dreamweapon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121729489#Comment_121729489

They didn't play to no one. I watched the first half hour of Mogwai then left to see Slowdive. Both acts played to smaller crowds than they would have anticipated due to the clash, but i'd have said Mogwai fared worse.

Mucker46

While I agree with almost everything said here, particularly how bad picture this are, I had a fabulous weekend at EP last year with only a few visits to the main stage. While we will not generally get the headliners we want as the promoters need them to work for a younger crowd the sheer spread of musical EP always ensure I get to see 30 or so gigs happy to see each year and always a few stand out experiences, Idles and Johnny last year. For me while the "bigger acts" are not as appealing as in the past EP music wise is head and shoulders above any other irish festival for me, and many foreign festivals. Havingvsaidcall that will still give out as bands announced

Dreamweapon

Speaking of Mogwai and Slowdive!

If they added some of those to that Lankum gig i'd be tempted.

Penfailed

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121730748#Comment_121730748

I also had an absolute ball last year. I was only at the mainstage area twice.

Seathrun66

Off the top of my head last year I caught Simple Kid (half set) , De Danann, Scullion, IDLES, Kila, Iarla Ó’Lionard, Johnny Marr, The Bootleg Beachboys, Rick Astley (Salty Dog), Gurriers, Lightning Seeds, The Murder Capital, The Last Dinner Party, Viagra Boys, Unlnown Mortal Orchestra, Mik Pyro, Basht, Billie Eilish, Wet Leg, Steve Lacy, Nia Archives, Chalk, Young Fathers and a few more. Only one act on the main stage I believe.

No festival on this island has ever been able to deliver something as varied and brilliant as that. There’s still plenty of life there.

scruff monkey

bawls, Elbow in Trinity on July 1st so no EP for them this year, means I'll need to book that day off too.

and I thought I was being smart by booking in for my next dental checkup at 08:00 on the 2nd cos of a day booked off for Suede/Manics ... feck!

Seathrun66

The Last Dinner Party’s album is number one in the UK midweek charts. May not stay there but that’s a successful debut and another case of EP getting an act before they break through. Their record for that is pretty impressive.

Stillill42

A dozen great acts you know, a lorry load you don't but are worth the homework. That's still the dream for the middle section of the EP poster. And before you start, Fanirish, I know. I know.

Seathrun66

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121733115#Comment_121733115

At least six Irish acts there, and you’ve got to assume that all (bar Lankum) will be at EP.

Fever Ray, Phosphorescent, Slowdive & Baxter Dury please.