Electric Picnic still has power to perplex and please
Ahead of the sell-out event — with some 47,000 attending, this is the largest Picnic yet — much curiosity had focused on 67-year-old Jones, who has been performing in the nude, streaked in blue bodypaint (critics have described the look as ‘demented Smurf’). In an era when pop stars are more interested in selfies than pushing boundaries, her presence was a reminder that music has the power to scandalise as well as distract.
But the opening evening was by no means a one-woman affair and, true to its tradition of eclecticism and artistic curiosity, the Picnic presented a feast for the senses. Quirky embellishments included a 3D art instillation by graffiti tagger Maser (described as an “imaginarium where adults can indulge their inner child”), a petting zoo exclusively populated by three-legged dogs, and a ‘rave in the woods’ — which, as per its name, is a dance party amid the foliage.
