Scene and Heard

ELECTRIC PICNIC: For many people, this week has revolved around the back to school shenanigans, but a lucky few thousand were preparing bags of a different kind as they set out for the Electric Picnic.

he Stradbally event has the usual eclectic mix of music on offer, and among the must sees are: tonight, Fatboy Slim, 10.30pm; Saturday, Bjork (pictured) at 9pm and Disclosure at 12.30pm; Sunday, Black Uhuru at 2.45pm, and Arctic Monkeys at 10.15pm.

MUSIC NEWS: While Michael Jackson’s death hasn’t stopped record companies releasing a steady stream of his music, Timbaland’s recent hints that he is working on the late popstar’s tracks have whetted the appetite for what could be a very fruitful collaboration. Meanwhile, just a few weeks after Eminem thrilled the masses in Slane, he has announced a Nov 2 release date for his next album, The Marshall Mathers LP 2. A first single from the album, ‘Berzerk’ was released earlier this week. American actor Chadwick Boseman impressed as baseball player Jackie Robinson in 42, and has been announced as the lead actor in a major biopic of James Brown (above). Mick Jagger and film producer Brian Grazer secured the rights for some of the Godfather of Soul’s music, but the project has stuttered along for several years, with Spike Lee temporarily on board as director. Tate Taylor (The Help) will now helm the film, with a release date, yet to be set, for next year. Finally, ex Happy Mondays dancer Bez has long had a reputation for buzzing, so it’s probably fitting that his new passion is for bees. He has been promoting urban beekeeping in Britain and told The Guardian how it’s a useful way for him to get by considering his straitened financial situation after tax bills sucked up any money left from his time in the limelight.

GIG WISE: This year’s Kerrang tour will be headlined by Limp Bizkit, with Japanese metalcore outfit Crossfaith among the other acts at the Dublin leg at the Olympia on Feb 11. Californian band Haim have just announced a gig at the Academy on Dec 13. Also up for a gig at the Academy is Simon Green and his Bonobo project, one of the most interesting electronic acts of recent years. In Cork, Jimmy MacCarthy (pictured) will be performing his greatest hits at the Opera House on Oct 17, with the likes of ‘Ride On’, ‘No Frontiers’ and ‘Katie’ sure to be among the crowd-pleasers.

FILM TIPS: Sulan Film Society’s autumn season gets under way at the Briery Gap in Macroom on Sept 23 with Belfast-set film Good Vibrations. Over at Triskel Christchurch in Cork, this weekend’s roster includes the return of the Liberace film Behind The Candelabra, and several showings of Turkish movie Kuma. Next weekend, the venue has a screening of Morrissey 25: Live. The IFI’s Stranger Than Fiction festival returns on Sept 26-29 with a typically varied range of subjects includes the great Scottish hip-hop hoax and the Pink Panther gang, an audacious Yugoslav crime syndicate.

ALL AND SUNDRY: Tonight marks the beginning of Cork Opera House’s live link-up with the National Theatre in London for a screening of The Audience, starring Helen Mirren. The next event in the series, on Sept 26-27, will be of particular interest to Leaving Cert students, as it’s a production of Othello, with Adrian Lester and Rory Kinnear. The RHA in the South exhibition continues in the Lavit Gallery, Cork, until Sept 15, while tomorrow is the final day of the Analysing Cubism exhibition at the city’s Crawford Gallery.