Electric Picnic: if you need a break, slip away to Mindfield

EP can be an attack of the senses. Noise. People. Fun. Ugh. Every chip stall is a audio visual display. Tea suppliers have sound systems, cajoling people too sing for their supper. It’s a lot to take in and if you need a break, slip away to Mindfield. Once you pass under their arch, calm ensues. Conversations are at room level, except for the people with microphones.

Talks, lectures, civilisation. It’s all here. Science Gallery’s tent is a great hideaway, with actual carpeted floors included. Coder Dojo sessions allow parents to drop off their kids for a couple of hours, to learn about technology and this thing called the internet, so they can have a still moment themselves. Saturday’s chat line-up included the Ignite presentation series, where different guests have to run through a topic of their choose over 20 slides… but the slides automatically flash on every 15 seconds.

Dr. Brian Caulfield, from Trinity’s School of Engineering, explored the notion of running a Netflix-type subscription to cars, rather than leaving them unused (which we do 95% of the time, apparently) and the charming Boyle sisters, Judith and Susan, tested our taste buds but handing out pickled onions for us to nibble on, to awaken the sour sensor in us, only to kill it off with a Miracle Berry tablet, which turns anything sour-tasting into a sweet treat. And then some bint spoke about selfies. Reader… it was me.

Sunday’s line-up will introduce us, if you don’t already know, to The Science of Sinead. Sinead Burke is one of those people who continuously excels in whatever the hell she’s doing. Her recent TED Talk, Why Design Should Include Everyone, a talk in how design hugely impacts the life of a little person, has over one million views. She’s flipping great. Pencil this down and wander into the tent at 3pm to be won over by her charm.

Bicep fails to show true EP muscle

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It’s a quiet eruption for Friday’s EP headliners, The xx

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This might be our favourite place at the Picnic

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And then, well it’s all over, roll up your sleeves and get pumped up because you have to reenter the arena for the madness and the mayhem. As you exit Mindfield, your casual stroll will immediately turn into an eager dance-sprint. Whatever knowledge your brain absorbed will immediately rush to your feet and unfortunately, there’s no known cure for this other than dancing your little face off. It’s a pity. Because it was such a lovely face too.