Much praise as Electric Picnic revels in success

GARDAÍ ON site at Electric Picnic praised Stradbally locals, organisers and festival-goers alike, saying all groups deserved to be complimented such was their content with how the music and arts festival passed off over the weekend.

With proceedings winding up in the early hours of this morning amid sporadic rain showers, it proved to be another successful three days in Stradbally.

If water (in the form of heavy evening rain) had typified the first day, it was fire that became the main element at play as the weekend progressed. On Saturday night, Arcade Fire had a sort of homecoming to Laois with their Main Stage slot. The Canadian indie superstars were hoping to recapture some of the magic of their 2005 tented performance here, a gig that lead singer Win Butler said changed their lives. Expectations were high, and that’s probably why Arcade Fire launched headfirst into an exhilarating performance that bristled with energy.

Sparklers held aloft in the crowd threw flickering lights into a clear Stradbally sky as the audience played a crucial part in the atmosphere of the gig. An hour earlier, Butler had stood unnoticed at the side of the crowd watching Swedish songstress Lykke Li.

Off site, there was another fire, but this was the real thing, as a shed went up in flames near one of the festival car parks. At least three fire engines attended, and even after pelting rain on Sunday morning, the scene was still smouldering several hours later.

There were fires in the Body and Soul area of the festival too. The sanctum of Stradbally that has its own unique vibe, several stages, hot tubs, a treehouse, a chai cafe, a sit-down sushi restaurant, sculptures made from moss, mud and animal skulls, a herb garden, had smatterings of campfires encircled by lounging punters. There were no flames on stage, but we did have Moths, an 18-year-old from Kildare who also goes by the name of Jack Colleran. With just a handful of gigs behind him, Moths was one of the most anticipated Irish acts of the weekend, at a festival where quality Irish music excelled. With plenty of hype on his young shoulders, Moths triumphed on Sunday afternoon on Body and Soul’s main stage.

For the first time, yesterday daytrippers arrived, with organisers Pod opting to sell day tickets for the final day of the festival. Last night, veteran indie act Pulp were set to take the Main Stage crowd back to an era of Disco 2000and Common People,with Mogwai, Zola Jesus, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Adam Beyer offering alternative gigs at the same time.

In an era where live music events – once a banker in a struggling music industry – are finding it harder and harder to pull punters in, considering a weekend at a local festival costs almost as much as a package holiday in the sun, Electric Picnic held its own.

The attention to detail on site, along with a chance to expand one’s knowledge in the Mindfield area where John Banville, David McWilliams, Miriam O’Callaghan, the Science Gallery, a farmers’ market and contemporary theatre shared the bill, ensured there was no need to be up on everything in music to enjoy the weekend. The Soul Kids area was also consistently praised. But most importantly, it was that key ingredient needed for any Irish festival – several hours of sunshine – that sent campers packing contently.