WITH ELECTRIC PICNIC just days away, DailyEdge.ie headed along to the site to get a sneak preview of how it’s all coming together, asking the essential questions.
What to expect from the ‘biggest and best’ EP yet? What’s the mud situation like? Where can you watch the GAA? And most importantly, what mini food will be on offer?
We got to (eventually, once we got it going) boot it around the site on staff golf carts, and to be honest, it would make the festival-going experience at least a thousand times better if done on the regular.
Could I have sat on a piece of leather that may soon accommodate the bum of Florence Welch or Grace Jones? MAYBE.
First up, we were shown a room full of painted washing machines that festival go-ers can wash their clothes in while they rave around the launderette in a boiler suit.
The place bangs of paint and detergent so it’ll be a welcome change from the portaloo whiff too.
There’s also some kind of dating wall for socks.
Speaking of dirt, it was an absolutely smashing day. But halt.
There was still quite a bit of mud in places. Don’t think you can do without the wellies, you can’t.
All that carting around makes for hungry people. Trechtown belted out the reggae tunes and fed us mini jerk chicken nachos! Mini food is the best food.
Trenchtown have also brought in some sand to give it an authentic feel, but we feel it’s a little optimistic.
This year, the Trailer Park sees the return of the Car-au-vin, the Incredibly Mad De-Programming Machine and My Big Fat Redneck Divorce.
There’s also a new trailer decorated with computer parts and bottle caps and they’re bonkers.
Yes, it’s massively creepy, and there’s a graveyard outside. If you ever feel like giving yourself the Fear of your life, come here Sunday evening after a few pints.
Get in!
No, you get in!
- OH, two grown men.
This guy in a Bus Eireann jacket claims he crashed this bus from the sky, into the earth. A likely story.
It just doesn’t, stop, smoking, though.
OK, not really. But he’s got a new Magic Mushroom tent right beside the Body and Soul area and showed us a few tricks.
If you want to see how they’re done, you can pop this helmet on and be a fool no more (and ruin any sense of wonder you may have had). You can also watch them go around the festival pick-pocketing people in the campsites. They’ll give the stuff back… so they claim.
The builders and us all had one thing in common. We looked stupid swatting away at wasps. They were everywhere and they even stung a cameraman on the neck so they have NO MERCY. Be warned.
It’s a lot smaller up close, but the distance between the front row and the stage is massive.
The view is quite something. Is this how Amanda Brunker felt at Oxegen?
It’s essentially a load of trucks right now, and not a celeb in sight. We don’t know what we were expecting.
Look at this blissful scene. The sun shining, and the campsite green as the hills.
But they won’t be for long. Remember that.
You CAN however, catch the hurling in An Pubal Gaeilge.
Their little pod has a direct view of the main stage from the right and they are a complete shower of jammers.
If you want an almost-but-not-as-good view, the 3 Penthouse is still under construction but you can get into it to watch the big acts if you’re a member of 3 Plus. We’re told it will include ‘yoga sessions’ and a bed with a selfie camera on the roof.
Yes, really.
We’re not even being biased. The nicest lads you’ll ever meet fed us all to end the day of buggy racing and photo ops and it was like a little taste of heaven, if heaven was located in Pakistan.
You’re looking at a potato, aubergine, rice, a veggie kebab, and some other spicy unidentified-but-very-delicious things.
Good ol’ Melvin hinted that they might pull a ticket-Beyoncé (it’s a thing, ok) and release tickets for 2016 on the Monday after the picnic.
Learn your lesson.
By Nicola Byrne. Originally published on DailyEdge.ie.
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