On The Record

• From boutique to bazaar: the Picnic comes of age

  September 5, 2008 @ 9:58 am | by Jim Carroll

  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.

  Of course, they do have festival toilets, but complaining about the toilets at a festival is as pointless as complaining about the weather.

  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. For them, the Picnic remains the only Irish festival truly worth their time and euro. Roll on 2009.
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30 Comments »
1.
September 5, 2008
10:41 am
Why do I feel like we contributors have been a barometer for Mr Carroll’s piece?
While I’m not sure if the repositioning was handled ideally, I think for those who attended they can vouch that the whole experience was a triumph.
For those punters (like meself) who sold our tickets as a reaction to the line up, it was perhaps a signpost of what to expect in future.
The organisers are putting their hands up to say that the line up ain’t 100% to everyone’s taste but that what they lack in musical punch, they make up for in other extra curricular ways…
Incidentally, cool to see the old clock from D’Olier Street being lashed onto the front of the new IT offices….
Comment by James
2.
September 5, 2008
10:50 am
James - I think it’s safe to say that this is one of those rare times when my opinions and readers’s opinions have been in harmony.
Comment by Jim Carroll
3.
September 5, 2008
10:51 am
No-one Ive spoken to so far has complained of being bored, having nothing to do, not being stimulated and excited about their experience last weekend. Ive heard from someone who went for the first time, who is definately not missing it again. There may have been grumbles about the “weakness of the line-up” but there are those who also grumbled about not being able to see everything they wanted to! This years EP was the best of the 4 Ive been to (missed 05), and I cant wait for next year. Please dont make the mistake of booking the likes of the Sex Pistols again, and please bring the bodytonic back to the main arena, its carried the festival in previous years. A good festival got better, long may it continue to improve in this vein.
Comment by sponger
4.
September 5, 2008
10:57 am
Given the focus on arts and non music at EP this year, do OTR readers believe that there will be a certain type of person who will go to next year’s EP just for the arts side of the things, and not the music?
Comment by Sean
5.
September 5, 2008
11:12 am
I was asked to do a desert island style top 10 recently for a friend who wanted new stuff but not mainstream.
tindersticks, david holms, nick cave, wilco and elbow would have all featured or been strong contenders.
i saw little, or none, of these at the weekend. why ?
possibly the festival as a venue in never idea. … tindersticks in the national concert hall would be great but in a muddy field ? maybe not. kind of thing.
I believe the quality and sheer volume of the ‘arts’ side and the fun, of say, big bag of sticks in the village hall or ibrahim electric on the world stage beats all the main acts.
4th time there and i have to say EP was better than ever.
sean. yes. i do
sponger. agreed on bodytonic and the sex pistols.
/neil c.
Comment by Neil C
6.
September 5, 2008
11:13 am
Given the focus on arts and non music at EP this year, do OTR readers believe that there will be a certain type of person who will go to next year’s EP just for the arts side of the things, and not the music?
Frasier Crane types don’t camp.
There’s an idea, super luxury packages, POD puts assholes up in a nearby hotel and runs a shuttle bus. A separate dining area with wine, cheese, pate and canapes.
That reminds me, where was the cooking area? Were they giving out free grub?
Comment by Ian
7.
September 5, 2008
11:50 am
Not sure if the festival was see an influx of Fraisers and Niles. The festival has an incredible reputation going back five years and counting. I don’t think many have left stradbally saying never again.
Actually, has anything in Ireland ever attracted such universal praise? Besides Enda Kenny’s hair.
Comment by nerraw
8.
September 5, 2008
11:54 am
Agreed 100% on the BodyTonic tent location, and to be fair to them the ‘tonic organisers themselves held their hands up and said they weren’t happy about it.
Comment by Joe
9.
September 5, 2008
12:06 pm
This was the first year I’ve actually been able to make it to EP (out of the country or in deadline hell during previous fests) and I have to say I was blown away. The extra-curricular and off-kilter aspects of EP were incredible, they really add to the whole experience, and I reckon I’d go back each year for this vibe alone. I almost makes the big name music a bonus.
Comment by Jonny Tiernan
10.
September 5, 2008
12:11 pm
Actually, has anything in Ireland ever attracted such universal praise?
The Wire (because it’s been too many posts by Jim here since it was mentioned) and David O’Doherty are the only 2 bullet proof things in this country.
Comment by Ian
11.
September 5, 2008
12:12 pm
Jesus I definitely didn’t see any Fraiser types at the EP.
This was the first year I didn’t camp onsite and ended up being offered a room in a B&B of sorts half a mile up the road. I still ended up boozing with mates in the campsites til the wee hours but I was ecstatic to have a bed to get to and a shower in the morning.
This of course means I am a leper to the tentophiles out there. Apparently sleeping in a tent is an ‘experience’..
And as for the Sex Pistols, I said it already and I’ll say it again. I loved the performance. It was ridiculous, obnoxious and loud. Suited me perfectly at that hour of the night. Next year, gimme Sham 69.
Comment by adam
12.
September 5, 2008
12:21 pm
I know at least 3 people who left saying never again.
Comment by Bren
13.
September 5, 2008
12:36 pm
I might be wrong, but to me, at this stage, EP perfectly sums up the Celtic Generation and how the ‘youth’ are clinging on to fantasies of days gone by that they saw on BBC’s coverage of Glastonbury..
Now when I think of EP I think of the people in school who were never into tunes or gigs, but these days those dudes have donned their aviators, retro tees, combat shorts and flip flops while the girls have got their fancy wellies. It’s like the summer version of the ’ski trip’..and these people dictate the direction of the festival..’sure, who needs music anyway? we’ve got the cash..’ So the promoters are quite smart - “don’t bother forking out for fancy(good) lineups, this demographic will go regardless of who’s playing..”
The abscence of the Foggy Notions stage this year was the final nail in the coffin.
Don’t be fooled that EP’s emergence as an ‘Arts festival with some bands’ is an authentic gesture from the promoters. It’s just much cheaper for them to do this.
(By the way, I respect POD/Aiken for putting on great shows in Dublin - just don’t rate EP)
Comment by Chalkie
14.
September 5, 2008
12:39 pm
also - not aimed at you Jim, but is it impossible for journalists/bloggers to criticise music festivals as the next year you’d miss out on a savage w-e of liggin.??.like, where would the guardian journalists be without an all expenses paid w-e at Glastonbury?? Is there such a thing as a bad EP or Glastonbury??
Comment by Chalkie
15.
September 5, 2008
1:03 pm
The daytime in spoken word/nighttime at music setup worked very nicely for me.
also it was great that they put rollins on early. rollins>roots>malkmus>cave>mbv must’ve been the best few hours of acts at any festival i’ve been to
Comment by B'dum
16.
September 5, 2008
1:04 pm
Once massive complaint I have about the picnic and any other festival for that matter is the fact that they sell tickets with little or no information regarding the lineup, what’s new or different from the previous year and for the price of tickets this is a must for me. Yeah there is the atmosphere thing, anticipation etc but if you check out whats on across the country I think one’s money could be better spent if the organisers can’t provide that info - fringe festival, world cultural festival and a hell of a lot of gigs that are inexpensive.
Comment by Damien
17.
September 5, 2008
1:26 pm
Cool your boots Ian! Jaysus who rattled your cage? He he! What’s wrong with using the grey cells the odd time.
Wandering up Grafton St for me wine, cheese, pate and canapes lunch did make me think of one aspect that blessed EP this year. Looking at the manky weather that we’re getting in Dublin today, if EP had been on this weekend, it might have been a very different story…
I think it was the year New Order played and by sunday lunchtime, most folks were making the trek home…
Comment by James
18.
September 5, 2008
1:43 pm
Although I was a bit disappointed in the music lineup, I think the balance this year was pretty spot on. So much else to see and do that it didn’t matter a jot. It was also noticeable how much better the sound was most of the time. Well done on that. I’d like to see a few changes though -
Move Bodytonic back into the main arena. I didn’t get near it all weekend because it was so out of the way.
Have another look at the main stage policy - during the day, a few more big hitters would be nice. Elbow would’ve been perfect, for example. Booking Sex Pistols was a mistake as well. Faux-controversial has-beens like them have no place at the Picnic. Get rid.
There is plenty of Irish music on show, which is great, but a few more acts from the North would be good. This year, the only representatives were David Holmes, Cashier No. 9 and Bop Yestrum DJs (who both played the stage he curated) and Oppenheimer. Not really enough.
Open the campsite on the Thursday and give Friday the full works, à la Glastonbury, Reading etc. There are more than enough attractions to make it worthwhile.
Keep the bars open longer!
More and better toilets please. Actually, as horrific as the long drops were, they were a lifesaver on Monday morning as all the normal portaloos that were belatedly added in Charlie Chaplin were blocked. So they have their (limited) place.
All that aside, it was a wonderful weekend. So well done.
Comment by Chris
19.
September 5, 2008
5:28 pm
The Wire (because it’s been too many posts by Jim here since it was mentioned) and David O’Doherty are the only 2 bullet proof things in this country.
David O’Doherty is the most over-rated comic I have ever had the misfortunate to see. He’s even worse than Tommy Tiernan. Sorry to burst the bullet-proof balloon.
And if the Picnic had been on this weekend, the reviews would not have been so postive because it may well have been carnage down there. When we were leaving the site on Monday morning at 2.30am, the front of the main stage was a large pond. And this after just two hours rain and no people. Great weather - ie when it doesn’t rain - has an amazing effect on everyone’s outlook.
Comment by Jim Carroll
20.
September 5, 2008
7:39 pm
I agree that the improved emphasis on arts & alternative entertainment made up for the lack of headliners in a music line-up that was decidedly more low-key, but still diverse enough to make for a really fun and interesting weekend of performances. My only criticism: in expanding, they kind of wrecked the body and soul area. Last year it really was the alternative heart of the festival - this year although it was still a fun place to hang, it just didn’t have that magical vibe. I think it may be because of the merkaba, i don’t think that worked at all - having a techno set in the middle of the day was a really bad idea. Overall in the Body & Soul i think the organisers should have stuck with the more melodic/musical genres of dance music to get people happy and dancing, eg tribal / jazzy house and electro - summery stuff. Stuff that is naturally more . . . inclusive, maybe? i mean you have to be in the mood for techno and in the daytime loads of people just aren’t. For example i thought the Helios Jive set was brilliant fun and way more fiesta-like.
Comment by tiggyT
21.
September 5, 2008
9:09 pm
this is an except from a rant in the irish daily star today:
It’s hard to believe we didn’t have the bunting out at Electric Picnic, along with banners that screamed ‘Welcome home Johnny’ and ‘Welcome home Kevin’.
The most influential Irishman in the history of rock ’n’ roll, John Lydon and his fellow Irish Electric Picnic headliner Kevin Shields deserved it. Both had been blessed by genius in not one but two bands during their hugely inspirational careers.
Lydon’s impact fronting the Sex Pistols propelled punk explosion is well documented, but his achievements with post-punk forefathers Public Image Limited were also of immense value to pop’s forward march.
Their incendiary opening single Public Image – which had a huge bearing on the U2 template – and the krautrock-meets-dub meisterwork that was The Metal Box album – released as three 12-inch singles in a revolutionary film reel canister – are both hugely significant works; the latter remains peerless thirty years later.
Then there was the frenetic drum driven single The Flowers of Romance, one of the most intense and strangely alluring singles ever to grace the pop charts.
….
He ought to have had a homecoming like no other; a welcome party until dawn.
A bunch of mindless yobs decided to pelt this national hero with missiles, however, and others have incredibly spent the week not apologising to the singer but scolding him for clumsy remarks made in the heat of the moment as he tried to quell the yobs’ behaviour and stop them using his band as target practice for dangerous weapons.
Standing up on a vast stage makes you extremely vulnerable in such an out-of-control situation, and the hurled glass that smashed at the feet of the Pistols could conceivably have taken someone’s eye out or scarred them for life.
Those who have since claimed that this tiny minority of the crowd’s ‘punk-like’ behaviour was predictable and therefore somehow acceptable need a reality check.
Others have blamed the attack on ‘provocative’ English flags that adorned the Pistols equipment, but if that was the real reason then it is deplorable and illustrates how much growing up we have to do as a nation.
Thankfully for festival promoter John Reynolds and his wonderful team, who had spent months meticulously planning this marvellous three-day celebration of the arts, the vast majority of the 32,500 at Stradbally were not on hand to witness the unruly behaviour.
It’s often said that Oxegen – which this year had the best line-up on the planet – is the best rock ’n’ roll weekend of the year but that Electric Picnic is simply the best weekend.
This view was hammered home by the events of last Sunday night. Electric Picnic had unquestionably been the most enjoyable experience of the summer, but many music fans wished they could have seen their Irish heroes Lydon and Shields perform at Oxegen instead. With the bunting and banners they merited.
Comment by BetaTwo
22.
September 5, 2008
10:36 pm
You’re kidding right? They threw in a lot of cheesy sub burning man ‘art installations’, eco guilt businesses and cookery lessons to make up for a decidedly sub par line-up (presumably the fault of Oxygen nicking all the good acts, curses). Agree with you on David O’D and Tiernan, they may both be nice folks (ala Des Bishop) but neither of them approach funny.
Comment by Gareth
23.
September 6, 2008
10:08 am
Boutique festival electric picnic is not.
Any festival with 32000+ is not boutique so i think that myth and soundbite should be put to bed along with the idea that those going to see large mainstream musical acts are going to be entirely happy with the outcome of EP.
The festival has become something else entirely and in IMHO has is a lot closer to the Galway arts festival or glastonbury in the 1990’s which has in it’s time produced a festival with a similar positive thread and booking policy.
It’s clear and obvious form all the post’s about EP that despite the best intentions of the organisers and promoters they still after five years have very little experience about how to put the infastucture for a festival in place be that parking,onsite information,toliet’s,security,etc,etc and it’s the same old gripes which leads me to believe either the promoters don’t listen or are not willing to spend the money on fixing the problems no matter what people say.
The stages seemed to all run well and with few if any of the timing difficulties that have been commented on during previous years but once again the planning for the normal ticket purchased seems to be seriously lacking and my only guess is that the money has not been spent on what are basic needs like toilets and information.
Great festival that i hope will go from strength to strength with some added forethought about how it get’s run.
C
Comment by Cormac
24.
September 6, 2008
1:26 pm
Just at the Chalkie comments up there - I think EP made some gret choices given the amount of acts they were unable to get (thanks to some Oxegen snaffling) and if, on paper, the line-up may have looked patchy, when many of the acts got to the stage there were a huge amount of barnstorming performances.
Also, why would you exclude Jim from your journo/blogger dig? He’s man enough i’m sure to be incuded in the posse of people who get a few freebies along the way. And if the EP decided to exclude journos from future press passes because of a bad review, don’t you think that would probably get exposed quite quickly (probably here) and would do Aiken no good at all? If i or anyone else reviewing it had had a shit time, I’m sure it would have been published just as quickly as any other opinion…it just so happened many people seemed to really enjoy the whole weekend.
Also, on the Dave O’Doherty thing? I have never found his material funny. I saw him a few years ago live and that was enough for me. I was genuinely surprised to see that he won that former Perrier award in the usually cutting edge Edinburgh ahead of some stiff competition.
Comment by adam
25.
September 7, 2008
12:53 pm
Jim, didya see the essay David Simon wrote about Baltimore in the Guardian Weekend magazine? Stunning stuff.
I also completely fail to get David O’Doherty. His meandering whimsy might raise the odd smile, hardly a belly laugh? Also he strikes me as a bit of a contrived and sligtly creepy man child.
Comment by gardenhead
26.
September 7, 2008
2:05 pm
Was a good weekend but did lack a few things….
I did feel the line up lacked a tad and found that at certain times I was wandering around kinda aimlessly. Wasnt too interested in the arts or spoken word end of things, I was there for the music. Though i did digg the temple of truth and its burning. Really missed the Foggy Notions tent and their line-up this year. Thinking about it in previous years while there may have been a gap in bands I would have popped into the bodytonic guys and have always enjoyed myself in there but with them so far off I didnt make it over to them untill the sunday nite to catch the end of diplo and modeselektor. Didnt have any actual clashes this year which although a good thing may be as a result of the slightly weak line up! While Sunday evening was by far my busiest time of the weekend alot of the other times and days just felt like I was hanging around, though I did check out alot of the areas the just didnt do anything for me, I came to see bands and dance my ass off.
Didnt have any problem with the toilets though, it pretty much what you should expect from a festival.
I am looking forward to the festival next year but if the early bird tickets are 240 as compared to the 199 of this year there may have to be some second thoughts, how much are we expected and willing to pay? I am one of many who took trips to festivals in other countries this year and have no hesitation about doing it again. I do love the picnic but you have to draw a line somewhere…… €240+ ticket and a €12 program vs €90 and a free mini magazine listing everything handed to you when you walk in the gate?
Comment by Dolan
27.
September 8, 2008
12:48 pm
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had some brilliant times at EP the 3 years I went. It annoys me slightly that the EP organisers don’t seem to be able to have an original idea of their own for the festival and as such it really lacks the kind of identity that most of the other long-running festivals have. The first two years they had camping, 05 and 06, wandering around the site you were struck by just how hard it was trying to be Glastonbury. So many features were a carbon copy - right down to the fontage used on the signposts around the site. In subsequent years they seem to have moved on to pilfering whatever other good ideas they can find at other festivals. Last year it was the art trail, lifted wholesale from The Big Chill. This year it seems they liked Wickermans idea of burning a large structure at the end of the festival. Wickerman have in fact been doing this for nigh on 10 years now.
My prediction of what they’ll steal next… Big Chill FM, a round the clock radio station broadcast from the site which broadcasts the main stages during the day and mixes by
top djs during the night for the duration of the event (eg Norman Jay playing at 10am Monday when everyone is packing up and waiting in traffic etc) is one of the best festival ideas ive heard. will we be seeing EP FM next year?
Comment by beeker
28.
September 8, 2008
5:25 pm
This year it seems they liked Wickermans idea of burning a large structure at the end of the festival. Wickerman have in fact been doing this for nigh on 10 years now.
And they got the idea from Burning Man/The film of the same name. Oxegen stole the idea of getting good bands to play an Irish festival in the new millenium from EP.
Comment by Ian
29.
September 10, 2008
11:54 am
“The film of the same name”
spot on! Wickenman festival is held in the village where the film was made. Hence the name.
Comment by beeker
30.
September 11, 2008
2:55 pm
“This year it seems they liked Wickermans idea of burning a large structure at the end of the festival. Wickerman have in fact been doing this for nigh on 10 years now.”
Actually, the artist who built it, David Best, has been building those temples at Burning Man for the past good few years. There was a documentary about his work on there monday week ago, an excellent watch. The one they showed being built at Burning Man was about 4 times the size of the EP temple. Far as I can see, they did get him in to build it, so it’s not exactly that they’re ripping off other festivals, more that they’re commissioning an artist to create a piece at their own festival. Personally, I’m glad it was there, it gave me a moment’s reflection that I wouldn’t normally have experienced at a music festival.
Comment by Liam

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