Talking heads

Leviathan, the brainchild of David McWilliams and Naoise Nunn, has expanded over the years to become an integral a part of the festival. Here you can expect to hear everyone from Booker winners and politicians to journalists and musicians speaking their minds. People come for a peep and stay for forget to leave, Nunn tells Shane Hegarty

HERE’S A THOUGHT: you could argue that over its short history, the most important artist at Electric Picnic has not wielded a guitar, has not belted out a tune, has never been a Canadian indie band with a wilfully quirky name. Unless, that is, David McWilliams has some Canadian indie-rock background he’s kept hidden until now.

When McWilliams became the front man for the Leviathan debates that began in mid-noughties Dublin, he’s unlikely to have thought it would end up with a regular stint at Electric Picnic. It has become more than that. It began in 2006 in one tent in the corner of the festival, so close to a campsite that it stank of urine by the end of the weekend. This year, though, it will be a hub of the festival, a place where people meet, talk, stay.

Naoise Nunn, who programmes five of the Mindfield tents, and who began the Leviathan “political cabarets” with McWilliams in 2003, says “the joke was that people are milling around eating, drinking, and then ask, ‘what, they have music here too?’”

As recently as 2008, Mindfield was in a quiet corner where the curious and the dedicated were regaled with literary discussions, political debate, slam poetry, some theatre and occasional star wattage from the likes of McWilliams, Des Bishop, Ryan Tubridy and writers such as Roddy Doyle and Anne Enright. It was very much part of the festival’s “music and arts” promise, but at times it did feel apart from it.

By last year it had become integral. “It’s down at one end of what is a really huge site, with an infinite amount of attractions, interests and quirky corners,” says Nunn. “It took a little while for some people to find, but once they did, those who discovered it stayed for the entire weekend. It has become a destination in itself.”

Leviathan started life in promoter John Reynolds’s Dublin venue Crawdaddy, becoming a one-tent affair at Electric Picnic in 2006. Three Leviathans over a weekend weren’t going to fill 60 hours of time, however, so with curator and MC Marty Mulligan involved, it built a programme of slam poetry, rap, spoken word, social, political and economic chat and a few points in between. It grew over the next couple of years so that it now comprises several tents, including spaces run by Hot Press, de Paul and the Science Gallery, as well as bars and cafes, so that the conversation has broadened as the crowds have grown.

“It’s appealing to another part of the brain. I think people like to come and find refuge, as it’s a relatively calm space – not as noisy. Couldn’t see it working at Oxegen. Electric Picnic is its home. It makes sense there and adds to other brilliant aspects that make the festival what it is.”

Its success coincided with the growth in spoken word and other DIY nights in Ireland, and it gives those artists a platform they wouldn’t otherwise have: 30,000 people settled in for a weekend, eager for new experiences. And yet it might not have worked without the bigger names.

How important were Des Bishop (his sets as Gaeilge were a big draw in 2008) and Ryan Tubridy’s daily chat show to bringing people in? Not as important as McWilliams, insists Nunn. “His role as commentator before, during and after the crash is appealing to a certain generation of Electric Picnic-goers affected by economic situation. Certainly others were important as well, though. People would come to see someone off the telly, but would hopefully stay for the conversation and questions and debate and all the rest after.”

Its list of contributors has always had variety, to say the least: Booker winners, politicians, journalists, musicians talking about books, writers talking about music. Nunn has learned that there are two general responses to his invitations. “The first is they’ll say ‘it’s a muddy field at a rock festival; I don’t think so. Don’t contact me again.’ But others love the idea of it. Jon Snow is a great case in point. The year before last, he had a great time, loved the experience and spread the word.”

The Channel 4 newsreader is Nunn’s favourite guest so far. “He was like a rock’n’roll star when he arrived. He had gone in to Dunnes to buy wellington boots, but they were all gone except for two – but they were both left feet. So he bought them anyway and wore them proudly when doing events. And when he was in the VIP tent, all these normally jaundiced hacks were lining up to have their pictures taken with him.”

On the eve of another Electric Picnic Mindfield, Nunn says credit must go to John Reynolds for not ditching an idea that could have been deemed surplus to requirements. “Fair play to him for hanging on to it, because there are very tough economic circumstances all around, and it’s difficult to keep with and maintain what might be seen as fringe aspects. But he recognises it’s an integral part, and if you took away Body Soul or Mindfield or the others, it just wouldn’t be the Electric Picnic.”

st mindfield.ie

st LEVIATHAN: THE DEBATES, hosted by David McWilliams, will include Bob Geldof on the music business, Luke “Ming” Flanagan among the panellists at I Predict a Riot: Economic Violence and Civil Unrest and UK blogger Guido Fawkes at a debate about the media.

st THE WORD STAGE this year will feature contributions from the Glór Sessions, Poetry Ireland, What’s on the Box, Brian Flemming, Kieran McMahon, Olaf Tyaransen, Tom Mathews (see page 8), Gerry Murphy: Wounded Bear, Nighthawks, The Hardy Bucks and a great many others.

st THE ARTS COUNCIL LITERARY STAGE Curated by Dermot Bolger. It will have Miriam O’Callaghan in conversation with John Banville, plus readings and talks from Irvine Welsh, Paul Howard as Ross O’Carroll-Kelly, Roddy Doyle, Arlene Hunt, Peter Sheridan, Eoin McNamee, Kevin Barry and Colm Keegan.

st THE THEATRE STAGE Programmed by Project Arts Centre director Willie White (the next director of the Dublin Theatre Festival). The drama will include Raymond Scannell’s Mimic; Gary Coyle’s At Sea, and I’m a Homebird (It’s Very Hard) by Talking Shop Ensemble.

st IGNITION STAGE This temporary home to the always exciting Science Gallery will feature highlights of the explosive Elements: The Beauty of Chemistry show. There’ll also the Irish Robotics Workshop, giant bubble and a range of soldering, LED and origami workshops.

st AN PUBALL GAEILGE The Irish-language aspect returns with Rónán Mac Aodha Bhuí hosting Cabaret Craiceálta from the Theatre Stage on Saturday evening. There is also Galway theatre company Fíbín’s new show Finscéal Fíbín; and Manchán Magan’s bilingual show Mother Tongue.