Electric Picnic Preview: O'Rourke This Way

“I’m really looking forward to playing,” he says, with the same enthusiasm you can expect to see from him onstage.
“I’ve heard it’s a classy festival, a bit more upmarket, plus the line-up looks really strong.”
Of those playing, many are his personal friends – a side benefit of being in the close-knit Irish singer/songwriter community. But he’s not too keen on the backstage ligging.
“If you’re playing, you never get much time,” he explains. “Either people are busy or you’re busy, or you’re trying to catch a band.”
That didn’t stop him from making the most of his recent Glastonbury appearance. After playing on Friday, O’Rourke and his band had the luxury of a hotel in nearby Bristol for the night.
“But me and a friend decided to go back on the Saturday,” he says. “We woke up the next morning in mud.”
Covered in mud?
“No, actually in mud.”
What happened the night before?
All manner of things. Lots of cider, basically.”
A platinum debut album in Since Kyabram or not, O'Rourke knows he'll have to work hard to win over the discerning Electric Picnic crowd.
"It keeps me on my toes, it makes a welcome change to play to captive audiences,” he says.
With appearances at the aforementioned Glasto where bands are a dime a dozen, as well as Oxegen and the first Irish Woodstock, he’s had a fair bit of experience of reeling the festival-goers in - just make sure you’re one of them.