Electric Picnic 2023 **No Ticket Sales / Requests ** - It'll be grand

Mucker46

For there to be a few I would go see from such a small announcement is a pleasant surprise. I have given up on main stage in general so I am OK with today's announcement. However I do think the way EP is going is making my non-attendance closer but hopefully not just yet.

Fanirish

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119961014#Comment_119961014

quite simply ireland doesn’t have the population for a 70k glasto lite eclectic curated line up that appeals scattered across all demographics. Core audience of people who go to festivals in the tens of thousands is 18-30. EP line up is now chasing to capture as much of that audience with its bookings hence Billy eillish, Lewis,one direction guy etc.

tbh the curation era of EP ended when POD ended their involvement back in 2013. It’s been a weird hodge podge since with a few good bookings every year.

it’s also got a bad rep from a number of indie bands in last few years as they’ve been booked into a festival where audience is no longer interested in that sound or genre.

Stillill42

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119961241#Comment_119961241

That seems a fair enough summation of where EP is. Interesting last paragraph. Hard to be at gigs like White Reaper, Sports Team etc in 2019, the very types of mid bill act that most of us are lamenting the loss of and not be worried by the tiny crowds. Even in the tents, the likes of Bodega, Courtney Barnett had pretty small turn outs. Face it lads. They don't need us anymore.

Seathrun66

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119961241#Comment_119961241

EP remained eclectic after POD - 2014 for starters had Portishead, Chic, Beck, Mogwai, Simple Minds, Blondie, The Stranglers, Omar Souleyman, Stephen Malkmus, Slowdive, Kelis, Neneh Cherry, Sinéad O'Connor, the Pet Shop Boys and many more of the gently aged.

The eclectic festival for all-comers you describe is exactly what EP has been and remains, even at 70k. The mixture of genres and ages of acts hadn't changed this year, only the balance tipping towards poppier and younger performers. And I'm puzzled as to why you'd say that indie acts found disinterest at EP when two of the three headliners (Arctic Monkeys & Tame Impala) were such bands and attracted huge crowds as did Fontaines DC and Pixies in the EA.

Across the weekend you had a Smiths covers band pulling in circa 1,800-2,000 people, a Neil Young tribute having several hundred, Mik Pyro, Jeff Mills, Khruangbin, The Frank & Walters, Sleaford Mods, Mick Flannery & Susan O'Neill, Snow Patrol, Bright Eyes and others who won't see the other side of forty again. At all those acts there were lots of youngsters. At all the younger acts there were older representatives.

Most of us music fans are pretty fluid. We're not looking for the music of our heyday but the best of all available stuff across all genres, irrespective of the age of the artists. The same can be applied to a great many of the youth who often have a more eclectic range of taste than the narrow assumptions often afforded to them. Many of the regular young attendees would be pretty alienated by the thoughts of a weekend spent with Lewis Capaldi, Years & Years and Fred again. And now I'm feeling a rash coming on after writing that last sentence.

boomdocker

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119960726#Comment_119960726

Fred Again will "headline" the Electric Arena, I'm sure not main stage

Mucker46

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119961531#Comment_119961531

Agree while they drew a decent crowd it was to rankins wood so can't see them being big enough for main stage

Fanirish

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119961501#Comment_119961501

Actually had the year Pod still involved in booking 2014 and into 2015.

the balance is moving more and more towards acts that interest 18-30 year olds which as you said yourself is poppier and younger performers. These may not interest the board users here.

As for indie bands finding EP a terrible/disappointing experience in recent years I’m not talking about headline acts. A number of international acts who played Cosby and rankin in last few years have told me that reaction/experience was disheartening etc and not an experience they are keen to repeat.

EP has been in a weird limbo last few years and I’m sure many people here have noticed it, ever increasing crowds and disappointing turn outs for what would have been very traditional EP bookings.

LowOdour

Left extremely underwhelmed by today's announcement, and not much better with the ATN announcement. That one of the best acts announced for any Irish festival next year (Suede) is at neither EP/ATN does not make me a happy man

Seathrun66

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119961639#Comment_119961639

Onto 2016 then and you have The Chemical Brothers, Nas, ABC, Broken Social Scene, Super Furry Animals, Shane McGowan/Cronins, Mick Pyro, Phosphorescent, Animal Collective, New Order, Toots and the Maytals, Engine Alley, the Frank and Walters, Karl Blau, LCD Soundsystem, Noel Gallagher, The Shins, the Lightning Seeds and a few others who were and are a bit long in the tooth.

It's always been eclectic and was again this year, though the Covid fallout obviously affected the range of available international acts from further afield. It may well be similarly broad-ranging next year, we'll know in a few months. In terms of indie acts in the smaller tents I've seen both large and small attendances. Sleaford Mods and Khruangbin with crowds spilling outside. I've also seen decent indie bands get smallish crowds but that happened 10-15 years ago also and the only real debacle I remember is one of organisation where the introduction of the 3 For All Stage in 2019 had a dozen great young indie acts but no hype for the stage nor decent directions. The move inside this year was good.

And yes, you're right, the younger poppier acts hold little appeal for many here. Unless they're good. Most of us attended Billie Eilish and Lana Del Ray and I'd give Lorde a look if booked. It's the vapid, soulless ones I avoid but I've no issue with them if I have good alternatives. EP, please provide them.

scruff monkey

As a statement of intent, re-booking one of the current top acts in the world is a pretty decent one. I think I may have been at a few of those under attended slots in Rankins / Cosby.

Cannot fcuking abide idles but they at least show it's not all poppy yet

Rick Astley with Amyl and the sniffers are the start of a good weekend for me, bunch more like that and I'll be a very happy camper (once I've gotten round to actually buying a tent that is).

Noseygit

My 11 year old text me earlier begging me to bring her to it. I am happy to stick to my decision after the last picnic. Its a no from me.

Seathrun66

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119961811#Comment_119961811

On @Stillill42's recommendation I've checked out Steve Lacy who is pretty damn good. Rick Astley could be pretty entertaining particularly if he still does the odd Smiths track. Billie Eilish, IDLES and Amyl & the Sniffers are all great bookings for me so astonishingly it turns out not to be a bad day after all. Five acts already to see. I get to fifteen and a decent weekend is on offer.

Seathrun66

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119961416#Comment_119961416

In 2019 that new 3 All for Music stage was outside the main arena, badly signposted and little publicised. Nobody got an audience there and they smartly moved it beside the main tents this year.

Courtney Barnett was also up against it with the clashes that evening. I'm no fan of Florence but she's a Glasto headliner with huge pulling power. The brilliant Michael Kiwanuka was also on and The Streets' return to Ireland after their reformation. I've seen a few indie bands get small audiences at EP and I've been to plenty of festivals where a decent indie act doesn't do well but often it's down to clashes more than anything else.

And if EP is gearing everything towards twenty-somethings then I feel that to be a very risky move. When the last recession hit it was the people in their thirties and forties who kept going and saved the festival. Another recession hits and unfortunately the people hit hardest will be those same twenty-somethings. The festival may then be unable to attract back any older audience they'd forsaken.

EP can easily cater for all ages and all tastes. It's what made the event unmissable. It can continue to be.

(I'll give it a break now, I've kinda overdone the posts today. Apologies).

scruff monkey

Michael Kiwanuka was very badly served that year as was the 3 for music stage, saw one or two in there that i really enjoyed (fcuk knows who they were, it was a long time ago and I freely admit that i was very very drunk)

Ricosruffneck

Seems like September is bottom of the barrel season.

endainoz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119962371#Comment_119962371

Grim enough alright

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119962201#Comment_119962201

yeah i was highly surprised at the lack of a crowd at michael kiwanuka that year.... but with the clashes it makes some sense (Flo and the streets mainly)

he was very excellent though.

Dreamweapon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119960491#Comment_119960491

Every time i see those Shiiine On weekenders my immediate reaction is "Christ, that's grim and depressing." I always imagine them populated by middle aged men, who never kept up with music, attempting to relive their glory years down the indie disco.

All Tomorrow's Parties on the other hand, now that was good.

rubick

This was either a fever dream of I definitely read somewhere that EMF are on the nostalgia scene again and did a cover of the Mondays' Step On right before the Mondays came on but as I say I haven't been well this week.

Dreamweapon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119960970#Comment_119960970

Seen Idles in the Button Factory and Vicar St. Decided after the latter i had no need to see them again at their own gig but would go see them at a festival alright. Even in the confines of my sitting room that Glasto set was well impressive. Caught Amyl last month in the Olympia and she is fantastic; an in your face, f*ck you version of Miley Cyrus. Total star. However, in their 60 minute set i lost interest at the 40-45min. mark. The last quarter was superfluous. Great fun though and should be a crowd pleaser.

Looking forward to "The Billie 'Bally Kids" headline.

scruff monkey

From that horror show of a poster for Lollapucka, we had yer wan Aurora in 2016 playing to the square root of fcuk all in a mid afternoon slot in EA.

lovely in a poppy bjork'ish way.

Hadn't seen sight nor sound of her since, assuming she's reasonably popular on the continent?

scruff monkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119962542#Comment_119962542

He always is very excellent.

optogirl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119961664#Comment_119961664

Suede are playing forest fest in Emo

Dreamweapon

I've always wished Idles would put up a pic of Danny DeVito in homage to this classic TOTP moment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwcBkRUifmY

rubick

This seems to have a bit of crossover and the dates are close to the Picnic.

Anyone up for a Carpets Klaxon?

Seathrun66

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119962201#Comment_119962201

Pretty sure you were at Sports Team and Working Men's Club, maybe also Just Mustard who drew a decent crowd but far less than had they been in the main arena. Boardsies kinda took over that new stage in 2019.

bodhrandude

Quite happy with the Idles, Amyl and the Sniffers, Steve Lacey and Jamie XX, the others I'll give a wide berth, its only the first round of names so will be interesting what will get added.

Mucker46

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119963414#Comment_119963414

It was a great stage with beer on sale inside it. Just Mustard and Yonaka were brilliant but it's location definitely had a negative effect on attendance as didn't have the draw other voices had previously

scruff monkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119963414#Comment_119963414

lord knows, any of them lead by ladies?

There was defo a lass from NYC I think?

Seathrun66

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119962542#Comment_119962542

He's astonishing, for me amongst the top 4/5 artists currently recording. Would love him back.