Festival Season : Electric Picnic Breakdown Part 1
So yesterday turned out to be very exciting didn’t it?! The G-Man blog had its busiest day ever with a 500% increase in traffic compared to a standard day so thank you all for checking it out.
The full line-up is now posted on the official site which is looking a lot more interesting than it has in the previous years so a big thumbs up from The G-Man on that front.
Further thumbs were raised aloft yesterday as the first acts were announced via Twitter, 2FM and various other sources.
The headliners seem to be touted as Roxy Music, Massive Attack and Leftfield.
Personally I am not a huge fan of Bryan Ferry & Co. but still I expect them to put on a good show as most seasoned performers do. Massive Attack are a great live band who will provide a magnificent spectacle on the main stage with plenty of guest vocalists and a great audio/visual show. The real catch are Leftfield who will only make four festival stops in Europe this Summer making their appearance as exclusive as most festival appearances go these days.
I suppose what we would call the second row is what peaked my interest for various different reasons :
– The National
A new album out this Summer and reknowned for a fantastic live show. I was gutted the year they played Oxegen so was delighted to see these added to the list.
– Modest Mouse
A surprise addition for some, Isaac Brock and the other Mice will return to Stradbally with an enhanced reputation after their performance in the Electric Arena back in 2007.
– LCD Soundsystem
James Murphy might as well buy a house in Laois as he seems to love the place. After a number of performances as LCD Soundsystem and last years James Murphy & Pat Mahoney’s Disco Set it is no suprise that the guys are back.
– The Frames
Love them or hate them The Frames have battled long and hard to get where they are now. A Best Of is due this Summer to celebrate their 20th anniversary so the only question is whether they will jam-pack the Electric Arena late one night or take to the Main Stage.
– Public Image Limited
The problem with the Sex Pistols announcement was that a lot of money was paid to a band who didn’t really seem to give a shit, going through the motions to pick up a bumper cheque for the retirement funds. However, if reports are to be believed, John Lydon is taking P.I.L.’s reunion far more seriously and reviews of gigs have been full of nothing but praise for their enthusiasm and energy which sorely lacked in the SP tour.
– Mumford & Sons
One of the acts that will play both Oxegen and Electric Picnic this year. Touted as this years Bon Iver, i.e. surprise massive-selling indie act, Mumford & Sons only played Dublin last week so are riding their current wave of popularity as high as they can. Difficult to see their passionate acoustic numbers on the main stage but I can see a crushed Electric Arena performance similar to Fleet Foxes last year.
