Putting the few hours of rain aside, lets talk about the weekend that was Electric Picnic 2009. The weekend saw some amazing performances from big names like Flaming Lips, Fleetfoxes, The Wailers, Basement Jaxx, Orbital, 2 Many DJs, Brian Wilson, Seasick Steve and some from new artists such as Marina and The Diamonds, Henrietta Game, Natty Wailer and countless others on various small stages throughout the festival.
Brian Wilson was the highlight of the weekend for many. He played all the Beach Boys classics from Help me Rhonda to Surfin’ USA. The entire crowd mounted their virtual surf boards during that song. He rocked the pet sounds out of everybody. 2 Many DJs were visually and aurally inspiring, Basement Jaxx opened with a crowd pleasing Oh My Gosh and mellowed out with an acoustic version of Romeo. Flaming Lips were in the Hotpress chat tent before their mind blowing performance, light heartily discussing the meaning behind their lyrics. The Wailers spread the reggae vibes bringing the festival back 30 odd years. Alabama 3 kept the beat moving and the crowd going as the rain began to fall on Sunday afternoon. Marina and The Diamonds rocked an excellent pair of sparkling hot pants for her set. Imelda May rockabillied to our hearts content. Hypnotic Brass Ensemble had the crowd doing the shimmy and singing Ole, Ole when the Irish win news broke. Every band or DJ gave it their all, that’s the best thing about the end of Summer festivals, for many of the acts its their last festival appearance until next year and they want to go out with a bang, plus they want to thank our sorry heads for dancing in the rain for them.
There were colored, arty flags everywhere. Any type of food you can imagine like yummy pies, ostrich burgers or tea in real cups from The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. There were posh toilets and hot tubs (bikinis provided!), wind chimes and lamp shades randomly hanging from trees, “abandoned” boats (left by pirates no doubt), weird lights, a stage made from pallets, wooden structures lit up provided a dry patch to catch a breather. There were dragons, a ferris wheel, a carousel, a mock fire station and the usual inflatable church type stuff. You could spend the weekend just relaxing in The Body and Soul area, especially at night when the odd fire would light your way or warm your hands.
The festival is still learning from their mistakes and gaining experience. There were no metal walk ways to stop the mud from taking over, so hopefully they learned a valuable lesson. Many first timers in runners certainly learned that there are 3 festival necessities – ticket, tent, wellies. You cannot go without at least 2 of these, the tent situation can always be sorted by making friends. Wellies are like a Terry’s Chocolate Orange, definitely not for sharing. Electric Picnic is about the experience, the music, the vibes, the love, the food, the comedy, the carnival and everything else you can imagine. But it still has a bit to go before it becomes a festival to be reckoned with.
Here’s some pictures:
