Electric Picnic rant....

what2do · 04-09-2008 12:50PM

I was in the Tangerine fields and although way more people that last yr, the facilities were better. Last yr there were no seperate toilets or showers. This yr I'm trying to recall but I think 6 proper porcelain, flushing toilets (3 men, 3 women) plus approx 10 portoloos in surprisingly good condition! Its a festival - that number of toilets keep me happy;-)

Wazdakka · 04-09-2008 03:25PM

penexpers wrote: »

They've never had big screens at Electric Picnic.

LIES!!!

Massive screen and display for Chemical Brothers last year.
Not to sure if it classifies as a "big screen"

But it was Awesome.

Edit.. And there

penexpers · 04-09-2008 03:39PM

Wazdakka wrote: »

LIES!!!

Massive screen and display for Chemical Brothers last year.
Not to sure if it classifies as a "big screen"

But it was Awesome.

Chemical Brothers brought their own screen.

eth0_ · 04-09-2008 04:11PM

How on EARTH do you know who brought their own screens and who didn't?!?

thecommander · 04-09-2008 04:14PM

eth0_ wrote: »

How on EARTH do you know who brought their own screens and who didn't?!?

if there was a screen on stage, then they brought it? not like it was hidden back stage

McNuggy · 04-09-2008 11:38PM

danniemcq wrote: »

Tent stealing bastards, somewhere on Sunday night someone stole not only my clothes but my tent, the whole thing. Gone. no trace of anything except my towel 50 ft away. Fecking ragin but look if you did this or know who did i don't really care about anything except one of the tshirts that was in the Rucksack. it was black with a stick figure playin guitar and said rock on the rock on the rock on the back and has a lot of sentimenatl value. It was at the edge of the blue/red camp near the tree, a green tent and blue rucksack. Can anyone help?

i actually saw the gust of wind everyones talkin bout and a pair of jeans flying in the air.. no joke... i thought i was seeing things!!!

and to the OP... dude you shudve roughed it out in the tent like the rest of us wit a blow up bed.. just as comfy .. also.. as for the toilets.. did anyone see the "happy crapper" in Hendrix/warhol site.. €4 for one go of a luxury toilet ... it was like heaven on earth after my first days attempts of using the portaloos... and you could buy a wristband for it so as u cud use like.. loads o times.. and only cost €18... it was sooo worth it... they didnt smell and got washed after EVERY person taht used it... ah bliss..

paddylonglegs · 05-09-2008 12:02AM

McNuggy wrote: »

i actually saw the gust of wind everyones talkin bout ..

Was it this guy?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IjUkNmUcHc

paddylonglegs · 05-09-2008 12:05AM

spiderdan wrote: »

But my biggest problem was the state of the line-up; total joke, Pod/ Aiken are just being so miserable and scabby, totally living off their whole boutique bull**** experience- thus getting away with a ****e line-up, really pisses me off. There was about 20 in our group and everyone was in agreement that they're beginning to take the piss. The really have up their game next year for all of us to go back. Its easy to sell it out as there are only 32k tickets so I reckon things wont change much. Bestival kicks the **** out of EP this year and its cheaper. I reckon its the obvious alternative.

Have to agree here, line-up was extra sh1tty this year compared to previous.

zuroph · 05-09-2008 12:11AM

McNuggy wrote: »

i actually saw the gust of wind everyones talkin bout and a pair of jeans flying in the air.. no joke... i thought i was seeing things!!!

Weird that this would happen at two festivals!

Third_Echelon · 05-09-2008 01:55AM

McNuggy wrote: »

<snip>. €4 for one go of a luxury toilet ... it was like heaven on earth after my first days attempts of using the portaloos... and you could buy a wristband for it so as u cud use like.. loads o times.. and only cost €18... it was sooo worth it... they didnt smell and got washed after EVERY person taht used it... ah bliss..

Jayzus.... How many times did you have to go for a 'Barry White' all weekend?

I just required the one occasion on the Saturday I think it was...

McNuggy · 05-09-2008 02:01AM

Third_Echelon wrote: »

Jayzus.... How many times did you have to go for a 'Barry White' all weekend?

I just required the one occasion on the Saturday I think it was...

haha..its lovely to know how many times you relieved yourself.. it wasnt about the barry white as you say *gross btw ha* it was the sheer pleasure of after feeling like your nose was being eroded by the sting of the smell from the portaloos...being able to go into this happy crapper and.. be happy ? not that youd be happy in a toilet.. but you get me...
and i didn buy the wristband but i would have had i known about this marvel from the start!
also im a girl .. so peein against a fence like every male at EP wasnt really an option 4 me!!

Third_Echelon · 05-09-2008 02:19AM

McNuggy wrote: »

haha..its lovely to know how many times you relieved yourself.. it wasnt about the barry white as you say *gross btw ha* it was the sheer pleasure of after feeling like your nose was being eroded by the sting of the smell from the portaloos...being able to go into this happy crapper and.. be happy ? not that youd be happy in a toilet.. but you get me...
and i didn buy the wristband but i would have had i known about this marvel from the start!
also im a girl .. so peein against a fence like every male at EP wasnt really an option 4 me!!

Lets not get into stereotyping here

zuroph · 05-09-2008 02:27AM

McNuggy wrote: »

also im a girl .. so peein against a fence like every male at EP wasnt really an option 4 me!!

http://www.homeandweb.com/p-mate.htm

Third_Echelon · 05-09-2008 02:47AM

zuroph wrote: »

http://www.homeandweb.com/p-mate.htm

Didn't they have these a few years ago at EP? or was that 'the festival we shouldn't speak of'?... I definitely remember them being at a festival I was at...

John Mason · 05-09-2008 12:10PM

thecommander wrote: »

Free ticket? And tent? And lift? And the food you brought was free too?

okay paid for the ticket,

Borrowed a tent and all the equipment. €24.00 on beer (18 cans of fosters) and about €20.00 on food and €9.00) on BBQ's, early bird ticket

so still cheap enough:) these things are only as expensive as you make them

Phlann · 05-09-2008 06:38PM

spiderdan wrote: »

But my biggest problem was the state of the line-up; total joke, Pod/ Aiken are just being so miserable and scabby, totally living off their whole boutique bull**** experience- thus getting away with a ****e line-up, really pisses me off. There was about 20 in our group and everyone was in agreement that they're beginning to take the piss. The really have up their game next year for all of us to go back. Its easy to sell it out as there are only 32k tickets so I reckon things wont change much. Bestival kicks the **** out of EP this year and its cheaper. I reckon its the obvious alternative.

I didn't think much of the line-up and had an amazing weekend. It was even more fun than last year when there were loads of acts I like playing. The line-up wasn't up to scratch but as an experience I think it's the best thing I've been to.

If this is Aiken taking the piss then long may it continue.

Sonnenblumen · 05-09-2008 07:37PM

irishbird wrote: »

okay paid for the ticket,

Borrowed a tent and all the equipment. €24.00 on beer (18 cans of fosters) and about €20.00 on food and €9.00) on BBQ's, early bird ticket

so still cheap enough:) these things are only as expensive as you make them

WOW, 18 cans of Fosters at a 3 day festival, how did you survive?

€ 20 on Food :eek: FFS did you tie your gut?

A slice of Pizza was € 4.50 and a decent Krakauer/Riesenbratwurst were € 5.00, a crappy ciggie pack size toastie sambo € 6.00.

edanto · 06-09-2008 12:19AM

We had a bleedin blast. Well clear where the ticket price went - it was buzzorama in there, with everywhere you looked there being some other fun distraction. I met hundreds of people, plenty of folks that had been to festies on the continent and they had great things to say about de ol Picnic.

Some highlights for me were the nonstop drummin outside de chai chapel in the body n soul, some smashing bands that I only found out over the weekend and well a holiday in a field with your mates is always good craic when there's nothing to worry about only maybe a smelly crapper.

go on the picnic.

run_Forrest_run · 06-09-2008 09:11AM

I've read all posts here and I can understand the OP's gripe, If I paid big bucks for decent facilities I would be annoyed also. But I went down the ordinary camping route, bought a tent online and off I went.
It was my first Picnic and compared to 'other' festivals in this country I was blown away.
OK, the lineup wasn't the best but I was loving all the other attractions. The Body & Soul arena at the early hours of the morning was brilliant, watching the crowds all congregate to some cool music (was that Donal Dineen Saturday or Sunday night, can't remember!) was great.

I loved Underworld, Roots and the selection of DJs was impressive.
Pity they moved the burning of the temple to 2am, I was in a camper van boozing with folk and was about to head out to see it when the heavens opened

I was knackered from all the walking (the far corner of Blue/Warhol to carpark C1 to the main arena is a lengty one!) and why on earth did they turn off the lights on the walkway between the forest and the Blue site at the wee hours of the morning?

Anyway, I had a ball and I'm only recovered now.

Irjudge1 · 06-09-2008 10:11AM

I can understand peoples disappointment with the line up. Personally the big disappointment was that the Sex Pistols was the Headline act. I thought they should have been lower on the bill as a sideshow.

IMO Electric Picnic is never going to draw the same level of current acts if it restricts the numbers to 30 - 40K as they won't be able to pay the big acts. But I would guess that if they increased the capacity to 70 -80K the whole atmosphere would get lost. The crowds would be too big to cater for the same way as they are catered for at the minute, it would probably have to leave stradbally and by attracting the current acts you are going to get a change in the age priofile. i.e. lower, drunker and generally messier (you think the toilets are a mess now.)

I started going in 2006 ( I missed the much praised 2005

) and yeah this year was a poorer music line up in terms of names but the quality of music was still there. Acts like Herbaliser, Booka Shade, Kormac are all new to me and I shall be adding them to my CD shelf or Harddrive.

Plenty of acts that would be one offs but great to see - George Clinton ,Grace Jones, Hayseed Dixie, Candi Staton. Plenty of memory bands for those of us who are in our thirties -The Stunning, Christy Moore, That Petrol Emotion.

Add to that solid bands who play good music ( Sigur Ros, Grindermand, MBV, Gomez, Elbow, Conor Oberst, The Gossip) yeah they're not topping the charts. AND the comedy stage, spoken word, Body and Soul for chill out, Cinema tent, Circus, Silent Disco, Happy Happy People.

In summary M'lud.

Good Music of all sorts €100
Side shows freaks and weirdos €50
Not having to worry about the kids or work for 3 days €50
Reliving your youth with the one you love and thousands of people just like you. PRICELESS.

donegalboy · 06-09-2008 09:48PM

Like Irish Bird, you have completely missed the point here.
The issue is not a lack or running water or showers at a rock fest... Its about a lack of same in a so called 'luxury' campsite where we paid EXTRA money. We didn't get what we paid for, and that was the general feeling of most if not all the people in Tangerine Fields.
My first rock festival was the Trip to Tip in 1992 (I think) and we camped with all the rest of the muckers. The facilities were a different class back then!

Third_Echelon wrote: »

Lets get things in perspective here...

You are at a music festival for 3 days. Not a weekend in the Morgan...

Seriously. If you let things like this get in the way of your weekend, you aren't going to have a good time.

The vast majority of the people that I went with and met there had very few complaints about the facilities. We all know that there are going to be queues for the loo. They didn't seem any longer than any other year I've been there. They seemed to try a different layout/approach for the campsite loos this year, but I didn't think that they were down any capacity.

The loos do stink. Guess what... 30,000 people are crapping in them

Of all the festivals I've been to over the years, and I have been to quite a few... without a doubt, Electric Picnic is the best run and has had the best facilities onsite for the festival. I've been to some festivals in England for example, where actually emptying the loos every morning is not done... At least they do this at EP and clean the inside as well.

For those that paid for the posh camping... You aren't actually getting your money's worth no matter if they had running water and 15,000 showers. Is having a tap worth 500 Euro to you for 3 days?

donegalboy · 06-09-2008 09:55PM

Like Third_Echelon, you have completely missed the point here.
The issue is not a lack or running water or showers at a rock fest... Its about a lack of same in a so called 'luxury' campsite where we paid EXTRA money. We didn't get what we paid for, and that was the general feeling of most if not all the people in Tangerine Fields.
My first rock festival was the Trip to Tip in 1992 (I think) and we camped with all the rest of the muckers. The facilities were a different class back then!

irishbird wrote: »

Oh noes, there was no running water at a rock festival.
the horror of it all
(PS: i am in my thirties also - so i am not sure what exactly that has to do with anything, as most people there were)

donegalboy · 06-09-2008 10:06PM

Yeah wrote to the tipi people about a refund/discount. Even it was the organisers fault, it was them that got my hard earned cash.
The girl i pod was a bit arrogant when I complained I must say. Also penning a letter to them too.
Ps The picnic was officially 'Sold Out' back in June, however, my mate bought a ticket at the gate on Friday. Is this really a 'small boutique' festival anymore??????????

gaf1983 wrote: »

I was wondering was that the reason too. I don't think they're really that necessary, the crowds were never so big near the main stage that people had to be very far from the stage.

I do agree though that there was a lack of running water in some of the campsites.

To the opening poster - are you going to try and get reimbursed for some of the money you forked out for the so-called luxury camping facilities?

Saying that, I thought the organisation was generally top notch.

Electric Picnic rant....

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