Electric Picnic 2023 **No Ticket Sales / Requests ** - It'll be grand

A great point on the younger audience staying put and paying attention to the music @CoffeeImpala . Whilst there are the usual groups charging through when a big track comes on or a few pushing their way to the front only to leave five mins later this was very bearable over the weekend. And while there were done youngsters who’d wildly overdone it far too early there was far less carnage than in the youth of most of us Boardsies. Research consistently shows that they consume far less alcohol, cigarettes and drugs than we did. In fact they’d probably be disgusted at out behaviour at festivals in the 80s or 90s. Or even now.

Though that begs the question - does relative sobriety inhibit the critical faculties? This does not apply to the kids who’ve got a broader range of taste stretching beyond Niall Horan, The Wolfe Tones and Fred Again.

And I fully agree re the sound. Clearly some problem for Wet Leg but not from my standpoint. Universally good all weekend I thought. And for me it was louder than ever before, maybe down to ageing but also likely due to the greater spacing between stages allowing for an increase in volume.

Great feedback @CoffeeImpala and lovely to meet you again.

Yeah, i understand the Last Dinner Party being a little hard to stomach at times but they definitely have something. I arrived too late to catch them in Dorset but they seem to have gone down very well. I like a band that have an instinct for the dramatic. I think they're taking their cues from the right kinds of influences and I'll certainly be interested to see how they develop.

My money is on the guitarist (moustachioed). I seem to remember yourself talking about Enola Gay at one stage and if my faculties haven’t failed me (again), I think he (you?) stepped in to play with them at last year’s ATN in The Well, which was a manic one…

Ah. Fair ‘nuff.

Silently puts deerstalker and magnifying glass back in drawer…

So the pre-event, Friday and Saturday completed of the blog just the Sunday to do and hopefully you'll be able to read it tomorrow. :)

My EP festival review enjoy.

Great stuff BD sounds like you had a blast, and you have some very sound friends which is what these things are about

One of my annual highlights even better this year having met you!! 🙌🏻

@Seathrun66 I hope you didn't mind me using these photos for my blog and thank you.

Sorry @Reded I should have taken another. I promise to next time or we’ll forward one on here if I bump into you at a Galway gig.

Great to meet and I endorse your sentiments about us ensuring that EP continues to provide a broad range of acts. For starters the decent crowds at Croi over the weekend should ensure that Cian Finn gets another chance to curate next year.

I'd be concerned my love of altered states and cigarettes wouldn't go down too well with the rest of ye 😉

I missed Kerala Kitchen this year and tbh i too would skip a meal rather than fork over €15-20. Or at least look for a cheaper option.

Thought i spotted Idles' Joe Talbot in Temple Bar on Saturday night with two other dudes (possibly at least one other band member) as i was having a fag outside the Workmans Cellar during 75 Dollar Bill's midset break (2 hours of droning desert blues via one guitarist and a man sitting on a wooden box playing various homemade percussion on it. Very good).

That's twice i've seen Young Fathers at ep and they've done nowt for me, although i can see why people like them. I don't get any 'intense live experience' vibes off them though (someone said that earlier this year so that's why i mention it. Swans are the band for the 'intense live experience'!).

Gig packed Autumn coming up. Too much on really. Already a few clashes, but i'll struggle on...

Pretty sure that almost all on the thread have experienced altered states with some still indulging. As for cigarettes that’s about a third of the crew I think.

I don’t eat meat so had the Kinara Kitchen spinach & chick pea curry twice. Superb, and a bargain at €12 given the weekend’s prices.

Young Fathers very good at the Body & Soul stage just before they won the Mercury Prize. Better again when they returned and in the Electric Arena I think. They’re an interesting crew but I was just in the mood for Viagra Boys instead on Fri night.

Keep us informed on the gigs, however many I get to I am reassured that you’re giving way more cash to the artists touring our venues. Long may that continue.

For sure! I really hope that is the case with Cian he did an excellent job brought the “heart” back into it! On your earlier food truck point those you named will most likely not ever return I know 2 of them personally - it’s a terrible shame! Can’t beat kinara for quality and value! My friend is vegan and he was struggling to find something decent late Sunday night/Monday morning - the guys in kinara were shutting up shop we wandered over got the last 2 dishes going before they cleaned down and they gave it to us on the house too!!! Was so sound of them and it was delicious!!! Hard to pass them by! Miss Julia though!! Have to pay a trip to ennistymon where she’s resident at the moment in Pot Duggans! The good Irish food trucks will not hand over 30% / the galway prátaí lads did a great job up beside CROÍ! Think I might start a festival food thread 🤣

For various reasons, I missed The Murder Capital at EP. Were they any good? They've just announced a gig in Letterkenny in a couple of weeks.

Very good I thought, less posturing than before. I didn’t like their second LP but all the stuff came across very well in the tent and there was a decent mosh pit there also. I’d recommend going.