Pet Shop Boys and Outkast among acts to make Picnic go electric

The line-up for one of the country’s leading music festivals has finally been announced with headline acts appealing, not only to the young, but also the young at heart.

Thu, 20 Mar, 2014 - 00:00

Stephen Rogers

The top performers include Outkast, Beck, Portishead and the Pet Shop Boys, as well Chic featuring Nile Rodgers which proved such a hit with Irish audiences at the end of last year.

Portishead will be playing at Electric Picnic at Stradbally in Ireland in August. http://t.co/0ELrDogNmW
— Official (@Portisheadinfo) March 19, 2014

One of the acts likely to appeal to at least two generations of music fans is Outkast. Duo Andre 3000 and Big Boi are re-uniting to perform a number of their hits including ‘Ms Jackson’ and ‘Hey Ya’.

Another act to span recent decades is singer-songwriter Beck who has won critical acclaim, not just for his hit albums Mellow Gold (1993) and Odelay (1994) but also his 2014 release Morning Phase.

Two bands that will appeal to fans of music from the late 1970s and 1980s are Simple Minds and The Stranglers. The enduring appeal of Simple Minds is due in no small part to the quality of their live performances of hits, including ‘Alive and Kicking’ and ‘Don’t You Forget About Me’.

When it comes to The Stranglers, ‘Golden Brown’ is an enduring hit.

Fastforwarding almost 40 years, this year’s festival also boasts more contemporary top British female artists, Laura Mvula and Lily Allen. More acts may be confirmed later in the year.

Delighted to on the bill @EPfestival See you in Stradbally pic.twitter.com/CNZ4eP5C0U
— The Blades (@TheBladesBand) March 19, 2014

Organisers of Electric Picnic, which runs from August 29-31 in Stradbally Estate, Co Laois, are again rewarding loyalty of fans who return to the festival year after year.

Fans who buy their tickets before April 18 and can prove they have been to three or more previous concerts will pay €154 for a ticket.

That compares to €174 for those who can prove they have been once or twice before and €194 for those who have never been.