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home » festivals » Electric Picnic » Electric Picnic 2008
Sex Pistols close Ireland's Electric Picnic with debut irish showElectric Picnic 2008 reviewWednesday 10th September 2008 It's Sunday already and the festival has flown by. I wake with a slight sore head after definitely not enough sleep. I spent most of last night around the body and soul area dancing my ass off with random festival mates until 4am then all the music stops and an array of instruments appeared from tents and the party continued unplugged well into the night like one big hippy jam. Everyone is really friendly. I have been to loads of festivals in the UK and Ireland but it's a surprise to find this one in my own back yard that probably tops the lot. Great organization, great alternative entertainment, facilities, food, no queues, good security and an amazing bill. Just a pity my hangover won't disappear! I've got so much I want to see today and a packed schedule to get through. First up is Candi Staton. She's an American soul singer. She is best known for her 1976 disco hit 'Young Hearts Run Free' but also for the remix of her 1992 hit 'You Got the Love'. She was good. I sat at the back of the crowd enjoying the music. A little annoying that at Electric Picnic they haven't seemed to have bothered with large screens so you can see the on stage action from afar but the music quality is superb and I guess that's what counts. Next I head to the Body and Soul area where I seem to be practically living at the minute to see Laura Marling. She a really talented girl and with her folk pop sound. She's collaborated with the Mystery Jets and Noah and the Whale recently and seems to be going places. She's great.  The next act I want to see is Gemma Hayes. There has been a lot of talk about her performance today on the Crawdaddy Stage as she one of the top Irish acts playing the festival. I had heard her talking on the radio about today's performance on the way down to the festival so looking forward to seeing her. The tent is packed with many having to put up with listening from outside. The sun has appeared for the first time this weekend so its not so bad. Gemma is immensely talented and has the looks to match. She's got some real heartfelt love songs and the way they transcend to the crowd. This has to be one of the most peaceful and tranquil moments so far.
The earplugs are handed out for My Bloody Valentine. We don't get much more from Kevin Shields than "hi" and then that enormous vicious wall of white noise, but that's ok. It is a different beast to their earlier reunion shows: the setting less controlled, the occasion not as unique. Up close it's an impossible feat of endurance, and those who are out of their depth are easily spotted. The middle of the tent, though, is where the music shimmers and the light show makes sense. There is no compromise whatsoever here: no effort at showmanship, no sense of the festival. Opener 'When You Sleep' begins the onslaught, and much of Loveless is aired. 'Only Shallow' is a savage gem: "I've waited sixteen years to hear that song live," shouts one punter, finger in ears. My Bloody Valentine are not really my thing but I'm glad I've made the effort to check them out. There had been so much hype about their reunion gig. As soon as I leave the Electric Arena I can hear the sound of the Sex Pistols coming on stage. It's hard to believe I'm about to go see the legends that are the are the Sex Pistols!
Although the Sex Pistols had bowed out on the main stage the headline dance acts where about to close the festival with rocking sets. Chromeo a Canadian electro rock group where in the Little big tent and DJ deadmau5 in the Cosby also a Canadian and respected as one of the best DJs out there at the minute where on at the same time but luckily in close proximity. I caught most of Chromeo. They played hits 'Fancy Footwork', 'Needy Girl' and 'Momma's Boy'. I really like this group but was a little disappointed much of the music wasn't being performed live and off a laptop. The crowd seemed to enjoy it anyway. I ran over to catch deadmau5's set. I caught the last 10 minutes from outside the tent because it was so busy but I caught his mickey mouse ears antics and his biggest hit of 2008 'Not Exactly'. Tiredness was setting in but this weekend had been amazing! This was the year that the Electric Picnic grew up and stopped being a boutique festival. In fact, 2008 was the year of some subtle and not-so-subtle changes at Stradbally Hall, all of which combined to make this the event's most successful outing to date. It began with the Picnic repositioning itself as a music and arts festival, a direct response to fierce competition for acts from MCD/Live Nation's Oxegen.  This was achieved by significantly improving and increasing what was on offer in the Spoken Word and Body & Soul areas, including bringing in some of the clout of the Arts Council to the former. This repositioning may also have been responsible for the downplaying of the Bodytonic dance stages, which were moved away from the main arena. Add several other new features, from a hugely popular cooking stage to a vastly improved arts trail, and a bigger concentration on non-music areas, such as the consistently busy comedy tent, and it's clear that the Picnic now has a range of attractions which cannot be simply replicated by another festival. However, it's the increased scale of the Picnic that is the most significant change. While the festival still flies the boutique flag in areas such as the chi-chi campsite, the Picnic is more akin to a bazaar these days with the amount of stages, stalls and sideshows. You're truly bamboozled by the quantity of things competing for attention. There is simply no way for anyone to take in absolutely everything. While some people may grumble that this overload means they miss out on bands or performers, it's clear that more choices and options are what the vast majority of people are after. It's a nice problem to have! I'd recommend this festival to everyone weather your from UK or Ireland. The Picnic remains the only Irish festival truly worth their time and euro. I can honestly say I'll be attending the festival for many years to come. Roll on 2009! 
review by Lonan O'Neill photos by Lonan O Neill / Matthew Boyle / Shane Boylan 
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