Feast on the finest music this summer at the Elect

[earl]

Feast on the finest music this summer at the Electric Picnic

Indie and funk legends will join dance music stars this summer as the first set of confirmed acts have been revealed for Electric Picnic, Ireland's premier music and arts festival.
While organisers are still working feverishly to bring more artists to Stradbally village for the rock'n'roll circus in the last weekend in August, the artists confirmed already have sparked massive interest.
As with every year, the festival takes pride in showcasing the greatest music from around the world, iconic acts together with the hottest new acts. This year will feature the first ever Irish show of one of the most legendary acts of the twentieth century, the incendiary Sex Pistols, to the melodic, classical and experimental Sigur Rós, the Icelandic post-rock band known for its ethereal sound and lead singer Jónsi's falsetto voice.
The Sex Pistols changed if not the history of rock then at least its course and the lineup consists of the original four members, John Lydon, Glen Matlock, Steve Jones and Paul Cook.
Another iconic and influential band playing a very rare show are My Bloody Valentine whose critically acclaimed 1991 album Loveless was recently voted as the greatest rock and roll album of all time in an Irish Times poll. This is their first show here in 17 years and one of only a handful of shows they are doing across the world this year.
Scottish Indie rockers Franz Ferdinand unveil their eagerly anticipated third album with what is also one of a handful of shows they are playing globally this year.
Funk legend George Clinton & his astonishing 30 piece P-Funk Allstars will be showing us a thing or two about how it's really done. One of the most important innovators of funk music, next to James Brown and Sly Stone, he has been a major influence in the world of hip hop and beyond.
The scuzzy blues rock of Nick Cave's Grinderman appears in Ireland for the first time while the mighty Christy Moore makes his maiden voyage to Stradbally to further broaden the eclectic palette of the Picnic. Also appearing will be new Motown sensation Duffy.
Electro pop act Goldfrapp are welcomed back this year showcasing their more introspective new sound and dance icons Underworld join us for the first time. Amongst the other upb
eat party acts are The Gossip, Brazillian rock dance phenomenon CSS and the classic soul-tinged hip hop of Philadelphia's The Roots.
Alternative US rockers The Breeders return after a 6 year hiatus with their new album Mountain Battles. Other acts include Wilco bringing their engaging, no-frills blend of twang-encrusted guitar rock and ballads to the stage; Mali's desert warriors Tinariwen, a trio of Irish stunning female voices Lisa Hannigan, Sinead O'Connor & Cathy Davey. The newly reformed That Petrol Emotion make an exclusive Irish appearance this year; Conor Oberst (aka Bright Eyes) plays a solo show; the austere beauty of Tindersticks, feel-good soul diva Candi Staton, the legendary avant garde band Faust; and of course it would be no Picnic without the Dublin Gospel Choir to lift your souls for breakfast. More artists will be added to the bill in the coming months so stay tuned!

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Can't wait to hear the Sex Pistols belting out 'God save the Queen' ;D

[Jim]

Planning on going to this myself but waiting on my mate to buy the tickets and he's a lazy feck.

So far looking foward to the Sex Pistols and Cristy Moore, and any of the bigger electro acts that will be announced.

[earl]

I've gone to EP every single year since it started. It's absolutely brilliant and each year it gets better and better. There's a real laid back grungy/hippy atmosphere, no hassles and many folks bring their kids along too.

Do you like electronic Jim? If so, the best tent at it for DJ's and electronic acts is usually the Bodytonic tent. They've the best sound system out of any tent, EQed perfectly and they always get in decent acts. Last year Derrick May closed out the weekend there. Best set I ever heard. The year before Coldcut and Carl Craig were excellent.

[Jim]

Yeah I'm well into my electro stuff. I like everything, metal, rock, punk, electro, dance, etc. Most things other than RnB and Hip hop / Rap, can't stand that shite.

I've not went to EP before so looking forward to it if that pleb of a mate of mine gets tickets. Going to oxegen too but have heard its pish and full of hurley heads in gaa tops and 17 year olds, can't be arsed with that. Have been told EP is much more of a festival and does more than just music.

[earl]

Oxegen is full of knackers. You will either be slashed in your tent, burned in your tent, pissed on in your tent or have some drunken eijeet fall onto you in your tent.I went a few years ago and it was okay but it's gotten rougher over the last two years or so. It's too big. EP is far more manageable. It's on the first week of September when all the secondary schools are starting back, so all the teenagers are otherwise engaged, you can only buy the 2 day camping tickets, so it drives the price of going up and out of any knackers price range, and the festival has a smaller, more manageable crowd of around 32,000. I only eve have happy memories of EP, and have never once seen or heard of any trouble, bar the odd eijeet overdosing on drugs and half killing themselves.

[Jim]

If I catch someone slashing my tent I'll break their fucking neck. Have heard bad stories about the management at oxegen, taking peoples bands to get into the camping area then wanting a bribe to get it back.

[Jim]

I wanna beeeeeeeeeee anarchy!

Think my mate got the tickets, gonna be great seeing the pistols missed em in manc!