On the record

Jim Carrollon music

Picnic tickets go on sale today - for August 2008

It may seem like only yesterday that thousands were tramping through the fields in Co Laois, yet tickets for Electric Picnic 2008 go on sale today.

A limited number of early bird tickets are now on sale at €199 a pop for next year's three-day festival, with a more expensive ticket due once the first acts are announced next spring.

By comparison, there is no word yet about tickets for rival festival Oxegen. The Punchestown gathering's sister festival in Scotland, T In The Park, sold out of its early bird allocation in less than an hour in July.

While many will welcome the opportunity to get their hands on tickets for a festival which always sells out (and gets consistently rave reviews), there is little doubt that such a move has an effect on local gigonomics.

For Electric Picnic promoters POD Concerts and Aiken Promotions, it's money in the bank. But many who purchase next summer's festival tickets now may well decide to miss out on shows in the coming weeks to make up for that rather large splurge.

As things stand, an unprecedented number of shows is scheduled between now and year's end.

Many of these shows are ambitious undertakings and there is growing unease among both gig-goers and live industry observers that supply may have outstripped demand.

Unreasonable ticket prices are cited again and again as a reason for punter unhappiness. There was much fuming on the On The Record blog this week about PJ Harvey's forthcoming Dublin show. With ticket prices of €64.80 and €54.80, you could easily go to three other concerts for the same price.

There are strong indications already that next summer will see even more outdoor events, with at least one, if not two, extra multi-artist festivals mooted for Belvedere House, Co Westmeath.

Add in the big artist shows such as Celine Dion and Westlife at Croke Park and you have the makings of a hectic season on the live music beat.

It remains to be seen, though, if there are enough punters to go round.

Republic of Loose go Dutch

Four Irish acts will be going Dutch in January at Eurosonic, the best new music showcase in Europe.

2FM have selected Cathy Davey and Republic Of Loose for the long-running talent pow-wow, held in Groningen in northern Holland, while Halves and Si Schroeder are also on the bill.

Eurosonic has become an important player in the European music business in recent years, thanks in no small part to the growing heft of the live sector. Attracting festival bookers, promoters and radio stations, the festival is an ideal opportunity for good live bands to shine abroad.

Around 250 acts from 2,117 applicants will play at Eurosonic 2008. Expect to hear mention in the post-festival despatches of noisy Icelandic scamps Jakobinarina and Danish thrillers Who Made Who.

Eurosonic takes place from January 10th to 12th. More info at www. eurosonic.nl

Vinyl countdown

Who said no-one buys CDs or vinyl anymore? The people behind the long-running Music, CD & Record fairs would beg to differ.

Attracting serious collectors and casual browsers, the fairs have built up a fine rep over the past couple of years.

The 37th fair will be held at Filmbase in Dublin's Temple Bar (opposite the Button Factory) on November 24th and 25th. More than 45 dealers have already confirmed their attendance so if you're in the market for U2 or Elvis rarities, this is definitely for you.

Alison takes to the road

Our favourite indie jockette is hitting the road. Today FM's Alison Curtis will be taking her excellent Last Splash radio show to Cork and Galway later this month.

The Leeside date is on November 21st with Nine Black Alps playing in Cyprus Avenue, followed by David Kitt, Calvin Harris and Hooray for Humans in The Savoy.

On November 24th, the Last Splash roadshow reaches Galway where David Kitt, Disconnect 4 and Donal Dineen play the Róisín Dubh, with Calvin Harris, Dark Room Notes and Duke of Decent in Cuba.

The Last Splash is on Today FM on Sundays at 8pm.