Stradbally-bound Electric Picnickers might be preoccupied with the bigger names on the marquee this weekend, but spare a thought for the little guys. Several unsigned bands that have slogged it out in various competitions over the past few months will fulfil their dream of playing at the festival.
One such act is The Little Smoke (breakingtunes.com/ thelittlesmoke), who recently triumphed at the Laois Bands for Electric Picnic contest organised by Laois Music Connect. The band will open the festival at the Cosby Stage today. Lead singer Stephen Brennan said that they had "goosebumps" in anticipation of playing the festival they've attended as fans for years.
Meanwhile, Declan Forde of POD was upbeat about the weekend's festivities, despite the forecast for rain tomorrow. "There seems to be a massive buzz and energy this year, even more so than usual," he said. "The atmosphere and the energy of the crowd themselves is one of the things that makes Electric Picnic so special, and everyone should take pride in that. It's a uniquely Irish event – let's all make it one to remember."
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