Friday at Electric Picnic

We should have gone down Thursday night. But we didn't. So we had to trudge a few miles the long way round to find our wristbands and campsite and lug the bags and talk the security men into letting us the wrong way through the gate, but they did and we got set up. It was windy and at one point, my feet actually left the ground as I experimented with the new sport of tent surfing. A nice girl from Belfast tethered me back to the ground.



What I like about EP is that there is so much going on, you end up missing some stuff you meant to catch but in the meanwhile, you catch new things you didn't know about. We wandered around a bit and the sun shone.

We watched the Michael Nyman Orchestra giving it loads on the main stage. They do ltos of film scores. We caught a bit of Lykke Li



in the Crawdaddy tent (very reliable for new, interesting bands) I'd never heard of her. She was cool. The crowd was enthusiastic, ready to be enteretained.

and some of Horse Meat Disco in the Bacardi Tent and my first mojito of the festival. Very cool barpeople. Somewhere I have a photo...



Then our first Clonakilty black pudding sandwich on their double decker up from West Cork. Followed by a filthy, neo-Nazi leather-clad drag queen in thisispopbaby. Washed down by some lovely Paulener. Love that stuff. Would they like to sponsor me?

And then MGMT on the main stage. They were very mixed, the sound not brilliant. Their crowd pleasers very pleasing - Electric Feel for me, but the new stuff, not so engaging.



Caught some Orbital on the main stage, not my thing. Shuffled out to try Rodrigo and Gabriela in the Electric Arena who were, in my opinion, nothing special. (so shoot me)

Off the wander around the delightful Body and Soul area with delightful Diva and delightful hubs. Wandered around the Zen garden and other lovely areas. This part ot of EP really showcases peoples imaginations, visual alchemy, vertical fireplaces, eco-havens, hot tubs. Watched an amazing Dance and fire, clowning and aerial acrobatics show on the stage there. Name anyone? They appeared the next day with Madness on stage. We let off one of the glow balloons floating up into the clear, night sky with the full moon. Brilliant. Cold. Layers everyone.