Friday of Electric Picnic 2011

Here are some of the stand out moments of Electric Picnic. Click away now if you're a bit bored and didn't go. Read on if you want a carefully unbiased reminder or the good, the bad and the ugly. The forecast was appalling so we arrived laden with much raingear and dry changes of clothes. It was sunny and almost warm. An Irish summer, all summer. Actually it did shower a little. As I said, an Irish summer. We started with pie, not Pieminister pie, which was a mistake, but Cully and Sully pie. Nothing to write home about. Shame as one of them was there. Then wandered around the Greencrafts area which you should always do.
Where they were doing crafts.

(Photo: Maeve O'Sullivan) Met one of the woodcarvers who was at Festival of Fires.

Little Green Cars (who I read as Little Green Lars, a lesser known eco-cousin from Norway) were a very good choice to start.

We stopped in to see Jim Crosby, a mellow singer and cousin of the Cosby's who own the house and land. All the rellies were there.

Mindfield was where I spent a lot of time. Here's the Literary Tents, Arts council funded (someone got paid) with pews.

Twin Shadow

The marvellous Marty Mulligan was in full swing on The Word stage. I have a crap, blurry photo I won't share with you. He had lined up a mixed bag of poets and spoken word artists, singer songwriters and all sorts. Not all hit the mark, it has to be said, but sometimes that's what happens. Some were more shout than substance. Low brow, middle brow, humour, common ground, wordplay. It takes all sorts. Caught the tailend of a political debate in the Leviathan. David MacWilliams, Kate Tempest, etc etc. Had to miss the Brad Pitt Light Orchestra

(Photo: Maeve O'Sullivan)
as everything was running late.
Got to the main arena to watch the fabulously unique PJ Harvey with half a dead bird as a headpiece. She was great to watch. I have a blurry photo...
Body and Soul seemed to be a bit smaller this year. Or is it the same as when you return to somewhere you used to know when you were younger. You've grown and everything else has shrunk. There was no ThisIsPopBaby which was a bitter disappointment, and the Chai Teepee with the fire was sadly missing. There were lights

and things in the trees

I think this is The Charlatans