‘No place I’d rather be’ sums up this Electric Picnic
Bigger, yes. Better? Depends. Every Picnic attendee will tell you nothing compares to the first time, but with the likes of Paolo Nutini, Outkast and Beck headlining the main stage, and an incredible array of acts on offer in the other arenas, there really was no excuse for not lapping up a feast of incredible music.
Even the weather gods smiled on the Picnic this year. Showers on Thursday and Friday threatened to turn the site into a mudbath, but by Saturday afternoon the sun was shining and the ubiquitous wellies could almost be packed away.
Saturday night seemed a particularly debauched affair, and it was impossible to tell if the people drinking cans of beer at 7.30am on Sunday were having an early breakfast or a late supper. That said, there were more than 1,000 children at this year’s event — many based in special family camping areas — and their antics added to the good vibes of the daytime events.
Of course, there were casualties, with the First Aid areas experiencing a busy weekend. Among the most serious incidents was a fire in one of the campsites on Friday, when a man and woman were injured in a blaze that was reportedly caused by a candle in their tent.
Though the Picnic primarily a music festival, the comedy arena enjoyed healthy crowds over the weekend, with the Rubberbandits hitting the perfect pitch with their combination of madcap humour and quality beats. As well as faves such as ‘Horse Outside’ and ‘Dad’s Best Friend’, the Limerick duo got huge cheers for their catchy little ditty ‘Sometimes It’s Better Not to Express Your Opinions On Abortion’.
And if festival food wasn’t your fare, there was a five-course fine dining experience for €120, with Michelin-starred chefs Derry Clarke and Ross Lewis manning the kitchens, and proceeds going to suicide charity Console. Clarke lost his 16-year-old son Andrew to suicide in 2012.
For all its reputation as a hotbed of avant-garde quirkiness, the Picnic has never been sniffy about mainstream entertainment. This year, the closest to a contemporary pop star is Paolo Nutini, a flinty Glasweigen with the bluesy rasp of a young Rod Stewart.
Still, despite a committed turn, with lots from angsty new LP Caustic Love, it feels Nutini is eclipsed before he even sings a note. The stand-out solo performance had already been delivered, by Hozier, whose 5.30pm slot drew one of the largest weekend attendances.
As darkness tinged the horizon on Saturday, the Jerry Fish-curated Electric Sideshow welcomed Cork indie doyens The Frank and Walters while, in the vast Rankin Woods tent, Dublin-born BBC DJ Annie Mac delivered a slamming set (in Tweeting hipster verbiage, she ‘killed it’).
Saturday headliners Portishead had a steep task. Their comedown pop is deservedly iconic, but is it appropriate for the prime slot at a relatively mainstream music festival? Portishead assuaged fears in seconds. It was brooding and portentous — absolutely not what you imagine succeeding at a fest. And yet, somehow, it did.
Sunday was closed out with Beck and Outkast, but the tune of the weekend probably goes to Clean Bandit’s ‘Rather Be’. It was hard to escape that summer smash in recent months, but its catchy chorus of “No place I’d rather be” probably summed up sentiments on this year’s Electric Picnic.
