Poetry Divas at Electric Picnic

The Poetry Divas are madly excited to be reading at Electric Picnic this year. We will be in Mindfield on the Sunday afternoon. You could spend the whole weekend in Mindfield, there's so much there for all the senses. But there's music too. And Art. And Comedy. And fabulous food. So we will venture out.

The Legend that is Marty Mulligan from Mullingar curates The Word Stage which is where you will find a plethora of spoken word and music from all over. So come and see us some time after 2.30pm. We have a cracking set which will surprise and entertain.

They say:

as ever, the MindField arena will return to Stradbally once again. Expect the usual mix of talks, theatre, poetry, literature, science displays and good eats.
The overriding theme of the 2014 edition, however, will be Africa: The Rising Continent.
At its centrepiece will be Fergal Keane Talks Africa, hosted by the BBC journalist and noted author, along with Ugandan publisher Andrew Mwenda and an eclectic panel.
David McWilliams will host his Leviathan debates, this time focusing on the threat to human rights defenders in Africa.
New additions come in the form of CoderDojo – the open source movement of free computer coding clubs for young people – and former 10cc man Kevin Godley, who will be demonstrating his WholeWorldBand App.
Add in Brunch with Miriam O'Callaghan, energetic five minute Ignite talks on the Science Gallery Stage and much, much more and you have a vibrant MindField that is going to be very easy to get lost in.

The Word Stage, hosted by the inimitable Marty Mulligan from Mullingar features a wealth of poetry, slam and musical talent including: Canadian poet and rapper, C R Avery, The Brownbread Mixtape, Dublin’s Underground Beat, Cúirt Literary Festival Showcase, The Monday Echo, Milk and Cookies, The Whitehouse Poets, Lingo Spoken Word Festival Showcase, Storymap, Come Here to me, Olaf Tyaransen, The Mary Coughlan Band, Ka Tet, Ska’s Good Gravy, Cronin, Mojo Gogo, Sinead White, Festival Favourites - The Poetry Divas, David Donoghue and Clive Barnes as well as many others.

Electric Picnic 2013

Finally, the write up for this year's fantastic Electric Picnic Weekend, Stradbally, Co Laois.

This year, all 35,000 tickets sold out. There were some generous early bird offers which I think must have helped. Keep an eye out for next year.

Friday
We arrived Friday.

We started with The Dionnes on the main Body and Soul stage, doing classic Motown covers in lovely shimmery silver dresses. Their voices were so fabulous, I wondered if they were from the Dublin Gospel Choir. Anyone know?

Then Hudson Hawk on the Main Stage who I really enjoyed. They started as buskers.

I also dropped into the Theatre of Food. It's always well visited; Nevin Maguire was doing his thing and seemed genuinely excited to be there. Also a wogious poet on The Word Stage. Ah well.

There were a couple of half-hearted showers but we sheltered at the Bacardi bar with the now traditional Mojitos. We had watched the lovely, bouncy barmen being trained early in the art of pouring a measure from a height. Try it at home! Then a lovely green chicken curry.

We caught a bit of Daithi earlier at the main Body and Soul Stage, a whizz on the fiddle, really popular with the crowd.

I didn't enjoy Friday so much. The other big tents were closed so it was only the Main Stage and Body and Soul so the crowd was jammed for Fat Boy Slim - all elbows in the boobs. And it was cold.

We saw Ronan O'Snodiagh later in the Irish tent in Mindfield who was fantastic. He had a kind of electric bodhran and also a Hang. His kids were joining in from the side too.

Saturday

Started off with the traditional coffee and people watching in Body and Soul.

There were some new art pieces dotted about the place and lots of red-headed men.

Caught some of Josephine's set at the Rankin Woods Stage (used to be Crawdaddy). There were lots of female singer-songwriters this year.

Felt like death. Got a massage.

Watch John Murry at the Rankin Woods Stage. He's a singer from Mississippi who's intensely personal album The Graceless Age has to be checked out on Youtube. A highly charged set left the audience mesmerised and made me tear up at the end.

Went to Fossetts Circus. I think this is the first circus I've ever been to. I decided that the type of performance (juggling, clowning, a very good magic show) is the same as the entertainment that they had in medieval times and earlier.

Pieminister Pies for lunch. And a few Paulener (strong)

Mindfield was dedicated to Seamus Heaney and in between the shows on the Literary Stage, the were playing poems read by the man himself. Quite a few of the interviewees read a poem too. We dedicated our happy death poem to him at our show. It was quite moving.

Met up with the Divas in the Literary Tent to see the writer Stuart Carolan (Love/Hate) and actor Aidan Gillen (Love/Hate, Game of Thrones and The Wire) Three of my top TV programs of recent years. They seemed taken aback by the crowds in the tent and hesitant at times. Interviewed by Sinead Gleeson.

Robert Plant - total legend on the Main Stage giving new twists to Led Zep classics.

And the highlight Bjork. Magical, genius, mad, amazing. Dress by Alexander McQueen. Backed by a 14 strong icelandic choir. Heaven. And moving. I teared up again.

 

Saw Prison Love, a super bluegrass kind of band on the Trailer Park stage late at night. I'm pretty sure I saw them last year. Great fun.

Sunday

Starting again with Body and Soul on an overcast day.

Then our Poetry Divas gig. (Photo castaboldeye) fueled by smuggled Diva fuel (Gordon's gin and tonic in a can.) We had a great reaction and an ever increasing audience. Lollipops and bubbles. High Shoes, Drinking and seductive potatoes - we had I all. We were propositioned from a red-headed man in the crowd and buoyed by the reception. It was great to meet some of the audience afterwards. Thanks everyone. Kate Tempest and BP Fallon both dropped by, which was nice but unnerving.

Kalle Ryan and the Brownbread mixtape show was a great mix of comedy and passion on The Word Stage.

I also then caught Erin Fornoff whose poem about catching coals with her brother I particularly liked.

Then Colm Keegan and Stephen James Smith, inveterate performers both who got a great audience reaction.

Chilling Out.
Eric Lalor on the Comedy Stage was disappointing. A Ballymun comedian who just wheeled out the old stereotypical favourites for stale laughter.

Hermitage Green on the Electric Arena Stage are an unsigned band (not for long) in the Mumford league.

I had a wander around the Green area. There was lots of craft but it was focused more on workshops so you only go to see people trying stuff out rather than the professional masterpieces.

And the grand finale - the inimitable poet Kate Tempest - a legend and a sweetheart. Fantastic.

Poetry Divas at Electric Picnic

Fresh from their triumphant appearance at Babble Festival in Cavan, The Poetry Divas will be making a welcome return to Electric Picnic.

When: Sunday 1st September
What time: 1.30 pm or thereabouts.
Where : The Word Stage, Mindfield

What: Start your Sunday off with some poetry. You know you want to.

Mindfield is that part of Electric Picnic where you never know what to expect. There's spoken word and cabaret, theatre and parliament, Science Gallery and the Theatre of Food. Make sure your weekend includes a taste of Mindfield.

Our buddies at Brownbread mixtape have two shows at Electric Picnic this year. The Word stage in Mindfield. 4pm Saturday and 5pm Sunday.  Well worth a look-see.

Nighthawks are also there and their lineup is a great mix. 5pm Saturday and 6pm Sunday.

And our friends at Caca Milis Cabaret are oozing with deliciousness too.

The Science Gallery always have events to spark ideas including the ever-popular Ignite.

Here's the full Mindfield lineup

We can't fit all 35,000 in The Word tent on Sunday around 1.30 but let's see how we get on.

I saw this tweet

If you liked [KEVIN, DONT FORGET TO INSERT MOST POPULAR BOOK AT TIME OF PRINT], you'll love this! #McSweeneysBlurb 

and it seemed like a great way to spread the word.

 

• If you're not into yoga, if you have half a brain then you'll LOVE the Poetry Divas
• If you like gin &tonic in a can/ Tiaras/ feather boas/ kick ass poems then you'll LOVE The Poetry Divas
• If you like a good funeral/ a good firkle/ a drop of the good stuff then you'll LOVE The Poetry Divas
• If you like bubbles/ lollipops/ goddesses then you'll LOVE The Poetry Divas
• If you like Barbara Kingsolver/ Catherine O'Flynn/ JRR Tolkien then you'll LOVE The Poetry Divas
• If you have ever suffered unrequited love/ changing room mirrors/ wine snobs then you'll LOVE the Poetry Divas
• If you like summer holidays/ doomed expeditions/ texting when drunk you'll LOVE The Poetry Divas
• If you like #Poetry about @IrishRedheads redheaded men/ camping/ flying then you'll LOVE The Poetry Divas
• If you like whiskey/ wine/ the Antarctic/ Princess Leia then you'll LOVE The Poetry Divas
• If you have ever failed/ given up/ picniced/ had sore feet/ watched Star Wars then you'll LOVE The Poetry Divas
• If you like pina colada and getting caught in the rain then you'll LOVE The Poetry Divas
• If you have ever camped with teenagers/ flown with children/ walked home in high heels then you will LOVE The Poetry Divas
• If you like potatoes/ mince/ wine/ swearing/ tiaras/ red headed men then you'll LOVE The Poetry Divas
• If you like Catherine Jenkins/ Catherine Deneuve/ Cat Deeley/ Kate Moss/ Kate Winslet then you'll LOVE The Poetry Divas
• If you like Kate Hudson/ Katniss Everdeen/ The Duchess of Cambridge/ Katie Taylor then you'll LOVE The Poetry Divas
• If you like Katrina and The Waves/ hurricanes/ cats/ Catherine Zeta Jones then you'll LOVE the Poetry Divas
• If you like Barbara Stanwyck/ Barbara Kingsolver/ Barbara Castle/ Barbarella/ Barbara Windsor, you'll LOVE the Poetry Divas
• If you like Kate Tempest/ Cate Blanchett/ Kate Bush/ Katie Perry/ Katharine Hepburn, you'll LOVE the Poetry Divas

MINDFIELD AT ELECTRIC PICNIC 2012

Excitement is rising about the impending Electric Picnic Extravaganze, Stradbally, Co Laois next weekend. It's not all music. You have to check out Mindfield.

The MindField spoken word arena returns again to Electric Picnic with a stimulating spark-filled programme designed to entertain, inform and inflame. Set among the ancient trees on the lawns of Stradbally Hall you’ll find an oasis of literary readings, political debate, performance poetry, science experiments, inspiring talks, news quizzes, public conversations and much more.

LEVIATHAN STAGE
At the heart of MindField is the Leviathan tent where economist, author and broadcaster, David McWilliams will host three special Leviathan: Political Cabaret events with panels of eminent international and Irish journalists, academics, politicians and commentators.
Topics include:

• Does Ireland Really Need a Second Republic? with Fintan O’Toole (The Irish Times), Carol Hunt (Sunday Independent) and Paddy Cosgrave (F.ounders);
• How Can We Solve the Global Economic Crisis? hosted by Gunther Grun of the ECB (aka Barry Murphy) with David McWilliams, Peter Antonioni (University College London, Economics for Dummies), Professor Brian Lucey (TCD), Norah Casey (Entrepreneur, Dragon’s Den) and Margaret E Ward;
• Democracy Next?: Revolution in the Muslim World with Libyan-Irish officer of the Tripoli Brigade, Hussam Najjair, who fought in Libya and more recently in Syria; Mary Fitzgerald, foreign correspondent of The Irish Times and others,

all with musical satire from Paddy Cullivan (Late Late Show House Band).
 Sunday’s Ryan Tubridy’s Picnic Brunch takes a jaundiced look at the Sunday papers and a review of the festival in the company of Miriam O’Callaghan, Paddy Cullivan and some of Stradbally’s most tired and emotional. 

Salon du Chat reprise their unique “speed-debating” salon of gourmet conversation chosen from a menu of provocative menu options. Engage in intense dialogue with complete strangers, make new friends and influence people.
The hugely popular Banter public talks series will present a special edition hosted by The Irish Times’ Jim Carroll on How the Irish Media Failed Ireland with Carol Hunt (Sunday Independent), Simon Carswell (The Irish Times), John Ryan (Broadsheet.ie) and Enda Leahy (Mail on Sunday)

The Cáca Milis Cabaret closes Friday night with its rambunctious “postmodern vaudeville” blend of music, dance, spoken word, circus clownery and classic cabaret and the Bradd Pitt Light Orchestra close Saturday and Sunday’s Leviathan proceedings.

SCIENCE GALLERY
Fresh from its critically-acclaimed contribution to the European City of Science celebrations at ESOF2012, Science Gallery returns to Electric Picnic this year with a spectacular line-up of live shows, stimulating workshops, and mind-bending events and enclosed in a spectacular inflatable tent.
Science Gallery’s HACK THE CITY exhibition will transform into HACK THE PICNIC, with artists and scientists bringing their DIY hacker mindset to build, tweak, and modify gadgets, gear, and the whole festival experience for the better.
Running over two days, the Science Gallery line-up has something for everyone, with attractions that include the brand new 100% Hammer-Free High Striker, a live recording of Futureproof, and festival favourite, Ignite.

### I will talking about Science Meets Poetry at the Saturday Ignite. Come and say hello.

There are also live dissections, the steampunk robotic busker, Scientific Sue’s Science Shows, 3D printing and the Science Gallery Shop.

THEATRE STAGE
MindField is privileged to welcome back Willie White, now Artistic Director of the Dublin Theatre Festival, to curate the Theatre Stage which features a programme of inspirational and entertaining shows, carefully selected for the Electric Picnic and MindField audience.
Shows include:

• Bears in Space, a new hour of madness from Collapsing Horse;
• Come Rhyme With Me, a verbal explosion of slams, jams, backhands and audience spam;
• Fight Night with Aonghus óg MacAnally;
• I Heart Alice Heart I (Project) Winner of two Absolut Fringe Awards;
• Journey to the End of the Night, written, directed and performed by: Dylan Tighe; and Make and Do return to Electric Picnic, 2012 to present a suite of specially designed festival games.

In celebration of festival reliables like wellington boots, random hook-ups and lots of food, we invite you to a lemon jousting contest, a gumboot dance challenge and a game of Love at First sight;
finally there’s a special preview of Singlehood, conceived and developed by Una McKevitt in collaboration with David Coffey, which premieres at the Absolut Fringe this year.

THE WORD STAGE
The original Word stage is back with a massive programme of drama, discussion, poetry, prose, comedy, rap, and rock ‘n’ roll, featuring:

• Velvet Revolution by Mick Donnellan,
• The Hero Returns, by Maedhbh Haicead,
• Sex, Lies and Sausage Rolls with Joe Rooney, Fran Healy and Sharron Mannion, plus specials guests;
• Jolt Theatre Company;
• Danny Dowling and Friends;
• The Brownbread Mixtape with their comedy sketches and poetry;
• Nighthawks hosted by Colm Keegan; and
• Irish Beatboxing champ Samir.
• There’s Olaf Tyaransen, Poetry Ireland with some of Ireland’s best-known poets;
• The Cúirt Literary Festival’s Slam Poetry Finalists;
• Poetry and beats with Marty Mulligan and The Aftermath and special guests.
• There’s live music with Crow Black Chicken, The Aftermath and guests plus many more poets, rappers, comedians, philosophers and dreamers.
• ### The Poetry Divas and their unmissable show at 2pm Saturday (or thereabouts) ###

Amnesty Ireland Amnesty Ireland moves to the MindField arena this year with an outstanding programme of film screenings and talks with their makers including:

• Conor Horgan with One Hundred Mornings,
• Juanita Wilson with As If I Am Not There,
• Darragh Byrne with Parked,
• Perry Ogden with Pavee Lackeen,

as well as lots of wonderful animation shorts including the Secret of Kells.
The central theme of this year’s Amnesty presence at the Electric Picnic is forced eviction with a special feature of a shanty hut at the centre of the MindField arena.