My Bloody Valentine, Grinderman and Sinead O'Connor all star on Sunday, but the abiding question remains: were the Sex Pistols any good?
In more sedate times, Stradbally would be woken by church bells of a Sunday morning. Pity the poor campers, then, who awoke to a My Bloody Valentine soundcheck. The day is a scorcher and finally, finally, finally the atmosphere arrives to match the occasion.
The perennial Dublin Gospel Choir provide spiritual cornflakes first thing on the main stage, with ‘Oh Happy Day’ and ‘When The Saints Go Marching In’ lifting the mood. The excellent Dublin Big Band are to be found off the beaten track in the IMC World stage. With repertoire from John Coltrane and Count Basie it’s perfect Sunday afternoon music, further improved when the band leader encourages us to “enjoy the Sex Pistols.”
Adrian Crowley and Mark Geary present their singer-songwritery wares, before the sexed-up New York groove of Hercules and Love Affair in the Electric Arena brightens up affairs.
“This is going to be a soft, gentle set… I hope it’ll make up for a lot of the stressful music you’re gonna hear later” says Sinead O’Connor, backed by a guitarist and keyboardist. Sensibly closing with ‘Nothing Compares 2U’, the singalong is mighty. Then it’s over to the main stage for Michael Franti and Spearhead, a feel-good performance set against the backdrop of two fingers giving the peace sign. Relentlessly entertaining, Franti takes on ‘Pass The Dutchie’ and leaves thousands smiling.
Krautrockers Faust embody a different brand of crowd interaction though. Kicking into an industrial dirge that hardly ever lets up, things plod along in the same vein before, very suddenly, all hell breaks loose. A chainsaw is produced, and sparks begin to fly as it meets the metal of an old oil drum. There are two huge canvasses onstage, and Dulux is applied liberally. Jean-Hervé Péron tosses bundles of cut grass into the front rows, and chucks a slab of Kingspan insulation in there too. This may be the “stressful music” Sinead O’Connor had warned us about.
Grinderman, in their own rock and roll way, are no less frantic. Essentially fronting a stripped down Bad Seeds, the unstoppable Nick Cave is matched by the lunatic energy of Warren Ellis, who repeatedly smashes cymbals with a pair of maracas. ‘No Pussy Blues’ is deranged – as is all of their set, save for the poignant but no less twisted ‘Man On The Moon’. “That was the last Grinderman show for a while”, says Cave, but relents for a surprise encore of Bad Seeds standard ‘Tupelo’.
The earplugs are handed out for My Bloody Valentine (pictured). We don’t get much more from Kevin Shields than “hi” and then that enormous vicious wall of white noise, but that’s ok. It is a different beast to their earlier reunion shows: the setting less controlled, the occasion not as unique. Up close it’s an impossible feat of endurance, and those who are out of their depth are easily spotted. The middle of the tent, though, is where the music shimmers and the light show makes sense. There is no compromise whatsoever here: no effort at showmanship, no sense of the festival. Opener ‘When You Sleep’ begins the onslaught, and much of Loveless is aired. ‘Only Shallow’ is a savage gem: “I’ve waited sixteen years to hear that song live,” shouts one punter, finger in ears. The wings of the stage tell another story: from Grinderman to Louis Walsh, a lot of people have waited sixteen years to hear that song live.
Why leave early? To go from one nostalgia trip to another. The Sex Pistols’ main stage headliner is a triumph of farce over festival spirit. Arriving onstage to ‘When Irish Eyes Are Smiling’, they open with a pisstake country bumpkin version of ‘Pretty Vacant’ before the real deal hits like a bomb: Steve Jones’s guitar sound is immense and the whole band is on the money. Court jester Johnny Rotten, dressed like a military Big Bird in camouflage attire, provokes and insults an audience there to be entertained rather than confronted. Swigging from a bottle of brandy, you either get it or you don’t: mooning the crowd is either an act of defiant nonconformist brattishness or a joke fallen on deaf ears. Bottles are thrown, giving Rotten the opportunity to harangue the crowd further, walking off on two occasions.
No matter. That’s all part of the occasion, all part of the deal that allows a band who released their only album in 1977 come along 31 years later and headline a festival. They run through the hits and covers from ‘Holidays In The Sun’ through ‘No Fun’ and beyond ‘God Save The Queen’. They sound great.
Yes, but is it a great spectacle or complete rubbish? Oddly, it’s both. It’s the cheesy pantomime you can’t help but watch, with Rotten cast as the villain. Who’s the hero? Perhaps the audience. A weekend spent at the midpoint of infinity is tiring, and after three days’ revelry their faces bear the mark of happy exhaustion. The abiding, abhorrent memory? Johnny Rotten’s backside beaming over thousands of pogoing people stuck between love and hate.
Five years of Electric Picnic. Five years at the midpoint of infinity. Here's to five more.
Stuart Clark reflects on day one of the Stradbally action...
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Tents have studiously been set up, sound checks are in progress and, praise be to God, the sun is shining on Stradbally!
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Now in its 13th year at Electric Picnic, the Casa Bacardi stage has firmly established itself as the best locations in Stradbally to get you dancing. In preparation for the weekend, we got the man who's closing the Stage on Sunday night to talk us through it.
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The famous couches are being put in place at Stradbally, and the line-up so far is looking HUGE...
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Electric Picnic opened its gates to members of the media and Hot Press has heard some of the exciting features at this year's festival set-up.
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Electric Picnic stage times have been revealed for this year's Theatre of Food, Mindfield and music arena below:
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Now in its 14th year at Electric Picnic, the Casa Bacardí stage has firmly established itself as one of the must-see venues with a great party vibe.
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With EP kicking off next Friday, stage times have arrived for the Casa Bacardí arena, where Latin street-culture meets modern day legends of sound.
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Electric Picnic have announced a series of final acts to Stradbally next month. Some are surprising new additions, others were badly kept secrets.
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Phil Jupitus, Annie Mac, The Strypes and John Connors are just some of the guests that we'll have on the Hot press sofa at Stradbally!
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BACARDÍ® rum has just announced the hotly anticipated line-up for the award-winning CASA BACARDÍ stage at Electric Picnic 2017, where Latin street-culture meets modern day legends of sound.
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The Electric Picnic runs from September 1 to 3 this year.
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RTÉ 2FM returns to Electric Picnic this year with the best of new Irish music. In a new refreshed format Play the Picnic will showcase up and coming bands after a nationwide search in June alongside more established acts. Thirty unsigned acts will have the opportunity to compete and win the musical opportunity of a lifetime to play a coveted live set at Electric Picnic, while Play the Picnic will also host established new acts such as Roisin O, Ivy Nations, David Keenan, Chasing Abbey, Wolff, Marcas Carcas, Brave Giant and Military Road with many more to be confirmed.
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The Diverse Individual Visual Artist (D.I.V.A) bursary will be awarded to four selected professional artists who will provide visual pieces to be exhibited at the festival.
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The Stradbally Festival seems to grow in both acclaim and demand every year, with 2017 being no exception.
Read More Tickets go on sale at 9am this Friday
Read More If you're heading home from Electric Picnic this afternoon, you can do your bit for refugees in Calais by leaving your tent behind. The "Tents for Calais" initiative will ensure that your old tents will be put to good use by sending them to the under-resourced refugee camp in northern France.
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We're up bright and early to begin Day 2 of the Stradbally spectacular – and already, a plan of attack is beginning to take shape, with Noel Gallagher, Joey Badass and the sensational LCD Soundsystem leading the way
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ABC's Martin Fry, Booka Brass Band and Ryan Sheridan are just a few of the names ready to come calling today
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It's full steam ahead for Day 3 in Stradbally – and our own energiser bunny has been up early, perusing the line-up for the cream of today's crop. Lana Del Rey, Wild Beasts and Nathaniel Rateliff feature, but it could be a late night...
Read More Every time for every stage in one spot – happy Picnicking!
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Another eclectic mix of acts line up to take to the atmospheric stage on Day 3
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A very special guest will close the evening out, but with the nation's finest dance band and a fast-rising rock trio confirmed, it can only be another magical day
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Ireland's hottest hip-hoppers close the bill - and the nation's finest horn-blowers fire the unmissable opening shot!
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Some major leg-shaking awaits to close the evening – but not without Ireland's hottest new act getting involved earlier in the day
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Dance, rap, and plenty in between – it's a feast for the senses as Rankin's Wood opens its tent flaps
Read More One of Ireland's finest live bands close the show, but there's a superstar bill leading up to its grand conclusion
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From a rising Irish star to veteran party-starters, a true feast of musical goodness awaits on Day 2
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Topped by the experimental dance duo, it's a stunning start for the perennial festival highlight
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Sure, there'll be a tear shed towards the end of another year – but what a way to finish!
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A typically stellar cast takes to the centre of operations for Day 2 – capped off by a truly glorious comeback
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One of our own kicks things off – while the final bow is left to veterans of the festival arena
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Pantha du Prince promises a stellar finish to matters – but there's plenty more star turns to look out for
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Dance don Avery will close the show - but a series of awesome Irish acts can be seen earlier in the day
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From synth-pop to ol' fashioned rock'n'roll, a veritable smorgasbord awaits as the action concludes
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It might be taking a rest day to begin – but the stage explodes into life from the start of Day 2!
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The second stage closes in style with the grime man-of-the-moment in centre stage
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The second stage sees a healthy mix of international superstars and homegrown heroes on Day 2
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The second stage kicks off with an almighty bang as Wales' finest close matters out for night one
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The show closes at the perennial highlight – but not without an appearance from the comebacking Mullingar men
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The action continues over at the weird and wonderful attraction – including a star turn by Cavan's finest
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The host with the most will be leading the party as another year of one of the fringe highlights kicks off
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There's one more day left to climb aboard – but there's certainly a welcoming gang of fellow passengers awaiting!
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The good ship continues on its path – check out the superlative performers on deck for the middle day of the weekender
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All the need-to-knows as the famous ship sets sail on the first day
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If you're looking to get some giggles in before heading home, then look no further – your choices are right here
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Check out who'll be on rib-tickling duties as the tent opens its flaps for its first day
Read More The Comedy Tent and the Jerry Fish Electric Sideshow are among the final stages to have their timetables revealed
Read More Some of the world’s greatest acts will assemble for this year’s festival; we pick out the ten you can’t afford to miss.
Read More It's not just music to be looked forward to in Stradbally; check out the schedule for the Theatre of Food, Leviathan and more
Read More The countdown is heating up, and there's more times and dates for your diary now!
Read More Start planning your weekend at Stradbally right now, as the timetables for some of the biggest stages have been confirmed
Read More LCD Soundsystem, Lana Del Rey and The Chemical Brothers are among the hundreds of acts set to play Electric Picnic next weekend.
Read More The app will give you the opportunity to explore this year's festival at the touch of a button.
Read More Pack your trunks if you're headed to Stradbally this year
Read More This year's highlights include Wastefellow, Anna-Meike Bishop, Jem Mitchell, Witch Trials to name but a few. We will be screening Atlantic, the important new film from the creator of The Pipe, and Voices Rising our performance poetry showcase will this year include Temper-Mental MissElayneous, Fergus Costello and Cormac Lally.
Read More Featuring the likes of CC Brez, Cirque du Sol, The Young Folk, Emma Lou & The Agenda, Lethal Dialect, VOXX, The Luna Boys, Dylan Tighe and The Bloody Quills
Read More Get your taste buds ready for the Theatre Of Food at EP this Autumn
Read More Hot Press favourite Cian Finn will perform his outstanding album 'This Applies' in full.
Read More Our compilation includes LCD Soundsystem, New Order, Lana Del Rey and Gavin James
Read More With the Electric Picnic announcement due shortly we've picked the 10 acts we'd most like to see on this year's bill
Read More Social media is in a tizzy trying to figure out who's performing at this year's festival.
Read More You on the cover of Hot Press at Electric Picnic 2015
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The full Stradbally interview with the Cavan rockers.
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In between two Stradbally sets, the Lucan rockers stopped by for a chinwag.
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Watch the always dapper and genial William Doyle in conversation.
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See Lizzy and Max charm the pants off Stradbally.
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Watch the reunited Oxford act chat Creation Records, Alan McGee and finally being able to hear themselves play for the first time.
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As good a raconteur as he is a rock star, watch The Boomtown Rats' frontman in flying form.
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The rib-tickler extraordinaire popped by our tented abode ahead of hosting the Comedy Stage at Electric Picnic, hoping for a more peaceful festival than he'd experienced earlier this summer
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The Irish shine during a jam-packed finale in Stradbally...
Read More Saturday at Electric Picnic - Glen Hansard Surprise Set & The War On Drugs
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Colm O'Regan tells us the highlight of last night and what we're looking forward to tonight
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It was the busiest opening day in EP history and we were there to catch it all!
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Onstage with the Riptide Movement - Saturday of Electric Picnic
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Lost Brothers, The Riptide Movement, SOAK, CHVRCHES and Natalie Prass coming up!
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HamsandwicH and Andrew Stanley in the Hot Press Chatroom
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Grace Jones, Ride & HamsandwicH were among those tickling Hot Press' fancy!
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The jokers you really have to catch at Stradbally.
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All the times for all the stages in one handy place...
Read More With just days until we decamp towards Stradbally, the stagetimes for three of the stages have been confirmed
Read More Ahead of a series of massive events - none bigger than next weekend's Electric Picnic - fans are warned to be vigilant
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More timetabling to be done ahead of Electric Picnic
Read More Cathy Davey, Gavin Glass and Marc O'Reilly among those set to hitch their wagons to the creative cluster in Stradbally
Read More The winner of the first Hot Press Treasure Trail has been called and notified.
Read More Featuring interviews with the Stradbally-bound likes of Bob Geldof, Chvrches, Shamir and Gavin James.
Read More Florence and the Machine, Blur, Sam Smith, Chvrches and Grace Jones are just some of the acts set to grace the Electric Picnic stages
Read More 90s fans are in for a major throwback treat as Mark McCabe and The Vengaboys have been added to the Electric Picnic line-up
Read More Shortlist of 30 remain in the hunt for Stradbally spot
Read More Once again, the Stradbally weekender will be a Fairtrade festival
Read More An array of DJ talent lined up for Stradbally weekender
Read More Over the weekend organisers of the Stradbally festival announced that the event was sold out.
Read More 15 weird and wonderful wheeled creations set for Stradbally
Read More An international feast set for Stradbally
Read More A great line-up has just gotten even better!
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Stradbally organisers have just rolled out the heavy-hitters.
Read More Designers, architects, illustrators and technicians unite! Your services are required
Read More After taking a seven-year break, Arklow songstress Róisín Murphy is back with a new album and, just as importantly, a visit between September 4-6 to the Electric Picnic.
Read More The two Irish events are nominated for European Festival Awards
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The singing-songwriting sensation stopped by for a chat at this year's Electric Picnic and you can check out the exclusive video interview right here!
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It was an amazing weekend at Stradbally, with highlights coming thick and fast. The Hot Press Chat Room was buzzing all weekend long and the music was phenomenal. What was your favourite musical performance of the weekend?
Read More It was all go at Stradbally as Beck wowed the crowd with a stunning set. Stuart Clark gives the rundown.
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The self-described "sultans of slack" get gloriously sloppy on the Rankin's Wood Stage.
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A spirited, soulful performance that confirms Sinead as a revitalised force.
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The Dubliner delivered magic to a jam-packed Electric Arena tent at EP 2014.
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An ebullient, cancer free Nile Rodgers turns Stradbally into Studio 54.
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They operate best under cover of darkness, but still put in a strong show as the sunshine appears...
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Live from Electric Picnic, Craig Fitzpatrick gives the verdict on Hozier's Main Stage performance from earlier today.
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Hysterical set from the Limerick duo in front of a packed-out comedy tent.
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Due in our chatroom at 6pm, duo put on powerful performance
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Friday leaves us dancing as Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe bring plenty of bangers and a host of classics to the Picnic party.
Read More It was a terrific start to the Stradbally weekend and our team of snappers caught plenty of the action.
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Once adored by the indier-than-thou crowd, Foals are now a mainstream proposition in the best possible sense.
Read More Out and About at Electric Picnic 2014 - Saturday August 30
Read More Electric Picnic, Saturday - Hot Press Chat Room
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A stunning set from the Dublin four-piece on the Body & Soul Main Stage.
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Merrill Garbus lit up Body & Soul on Friday night…
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Live from Stradbally, Roisin Dwyer gives us her take on Blondie's blockbuster performance.
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Cork five-piece announce their time to shine
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The Hot Press Chat Room @ Electric Picnic kicked off with what can only be described as the biggest bang going as Blondie were the first guests of the weekend.
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With the sun shining in Stradbally, the Hot Press Chatroom was at full capacity when Blondie stopped by for a chat.
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The "interstellar" Irish supergroup open the Main Stage with an electro-rock bang.
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Colm O'Regan touches base from Stradbally as Electric Picnic 2014 kicks off
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This is our current timetable for the Hot Press Chat Room. There will be more attendees added, but check in with us on site, or follow us on Twitter for continued updates.
Read More You can see who's doing what and where now online.
Read More This year’s festival may be totally sold-out, but you can bag tickets for the 2015 Electric Picnic on Monday at noon.
Read More We will shortly announce here the winner of the final Hot Press Treasure Trail.
Read More Line-up includes Le Galaxie, The Minutes and Kelis
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The new app will house timetables, reminders, news and you'll be able to chat with other Picnicers.
Read More For the last 48 hours there's been a veritable rampage down the Hot Press Treasure Trail as people tried to sleuth their way to a pair of tickets to Electric Picnic.
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Get involved with the Hot Press Treasure trail right now.
Read More The Irish Times have unveiled the day-by day-breakdown and stage times this morning.
Read More Check out the lay of the Stradbally land for this weekend.
Read More For the last 72 hours there's a a whirl of activity on the Hot Press Treasure Trail as people tried to sleuth their way to a pair of tickets to Electric Picnic.
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Pick up the latest issue in Eason and get an exclusive Electric Picnic compilation.
Read More Before Brooklyn arrives at Electric Picnic, a taste of things to come…
Read More For the last 39 hours there's a a whirl of activity on the Hot Press Treasure Trail as people tried to sleuth their way to a pair of tickets to Electric Picnic.
Read More In its tenth year at the highly anticipated Stradbally favourite, CASA BACARDÍ has unveiled the stage times for its line up of top international and homegrown DJs.
Read More RTÉ Two, RTÉ 2fm and the RTÉ Player will get you as close to the Stradbally action as possible without a ticket.
Read More Just when you thought that the Electric Picnic bill couldn't be any more tasty they go and announce 17 additions!
Read More With Electric Picnic only two weeks away, we want to gauge the mood of the nation
Read More The bill is set to include Camille O'Sullivan, Richard Egan and The Frank & Walters.
Read More A host of interactive debates and talks on the continent will be a key feature in the Electric Picnic arena this year.
Read More The Stradbally festival sold out in record time this year.
Read More James Vincent McMorrow heads the acts added to the Stradbally bill.
Read More The lineup for the stage will consist of international headliners and popular homegrown talent.
Read More The festival is offering volunteers full access to the festival in exchange for 24 hours of service.
Read More At the Electric Picnic Launch Party 2014 in The Chocolate Factory
Read More The first batch of acts have been revealed for the Electric Picnic, which returns in all its boutique festival finery to Stradbally from August 29 – 31.
Read More Early Bird tickets for the Electric Picnic will go on sale at 7pm on Wednesday March 19. The bill itself will be announced at noon tomorrow so keep your eyes peeled on hotpress.com.
Read More The winners of the Irish Festival Awards have just been announced, with the Electric Picnic top of the pile with three wins.
Read More Electric Picnic is on the lookout for "artists, designers, dreamers and makers" to be part of its creative team in 2014. They are inviting you to design an "art caravan", to be a part of Trailer Park.
Read More Lest there be any doubt, Electric Picnic has confirmed that it will be back next year from August 29 – August 31.
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Olaf Tyaransen got up close and personal with the Cavan teens in the Hot Press Chatroom.
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Kodaline were one of the many big names to stop by the Hot Press Chatroom @ Electric Picnic 2013...
Read More Electric Picnic organiser Melvin Benn is hoping to increase crowd numbers at the 2014 festival following this year’s 35,000-capacity sellout.
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Act-of-the-weekend Savages hypnotising a packed Cosby Tent, a shambolic Palma Violets charming all, Hudson Mohawke providing the coolest late night soundtrack around – Craig Fitzpatrick caught it all at a beautiful Saturday Picnic.
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Check out all the action from Day 2 in the Hot Press Chatroom...
Read More A statement has been issued by he organisers confirming the death of a young man at Electric Picnic last night.
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Our photographers were busy catching all the action in Stradbally on Day 1...
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Our man Stuart Clark gives us the low-down on Day 1 at Stradbally..
Read More Picnic organisers warn festival-goers of dodgy ecstasy pills...
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Live from Stradbally, Hot Press' Roe McDermott gives us THE HOT TAKE on Bjork's stunning performance at Electric Picnic!
Read More The sad Electric Picnic news is that Friday night Electric Arena headliner Giorgio Moroder has been forced to cancel his maiden voyage to Stradbally.
Read More Each Picnicker will get their own cake...
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The gates are open in a sunny Stradbally for Electric Picnic 2013...
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First Photos from Electric Picnic 2013, Friday 30th August featuring Miles Kane, Wu Tang Clan & others
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First 4 acts @ The Hot Press Chatroom, Miles Kane, Daithi, The Aftermath & Neon Wolf. More to follow.
Read More Electric Picnic has issued an urgent warning about fake tickets circulating on a number of websites and social media.
Read More We’re thrilled to be able to confirm Ellie Goulding and Two Door Cinema Club for the Hot Press Chatroom @ Electric Picnic.
Read More With the stage times for the Cosby Stage and Rankin's Wood Stage just announced, we've compiled the entire rundown of times and acts on all the major Picnic stages...
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Come join us for what promises to be a fantastic weekend of live music and interviews from some of Picnic's finest acts...
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Check out the full breakdown of events over the three days...
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We hope you have your tickets because Electric Picnic 2013 is officially SOLD OUT.
Read More Electric Picnic 2013 is just around the corner and word is just in that Sunday day tickets are now sold out and it's not hard to figure out why...
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With Electric Picnic just around the corner, we give you the lowdown on the big acts playing at the Stradbally festival and talk to Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos and superstar DJ Fatboy Slim...
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Hot Press can exclusively bring you the day by day breakdown of the acts playing the Electric Picnic, which takes place in Stradbally from August 30 – September 1.
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Matthew E White, RSAG, Last Days Of 1984 and Overhead, The Albatross will all play the Body & Soul village.
Read More This year's comedy line-up for Electric Picnic is undoubtedly the best in the 10 year history of the festival.
Read More Kodaline, Giorgio Moroder & Two Door Cinema Club added to Stradbally lineup. The Electric Picnic have just made their August 30 – September 1 line-up even tastier!
Read More The guys from the Stradbally shindig are looking for acts..
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The line-up for the 2013 Electric Picnic has just been revealed...
Read More My Bloody Valentine, Wu-Tang Clan, Black Uhuru and The Knife are the first group of acts to be added to Stradbally's already strong line-up
Read More After much “will it/won’t it?” speculation, this year’s Electric Picnic is definitely going ahead with a line-up announcement on Thursday April 25. Needless to say, hotpress.com will be all over it like a rash!
Read More The court case between POD Music Ltd. and Festival Republic Dublin Ltd. was adjourned yesterday in order to allow the parties to enter into mediation.
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If you're still feeling those post EP blues, this heart warming video of Picnic highlights is sure to cheer you up.
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Out n About at Electric Picnic with drinkaware.ie
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The Kells act joined us in Stradbally over the weekend...
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All the best of the action from around the stages on the final day of Electric Picnic 2012
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The boys stopped by ahead of their must-see performance last night...
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The English bard called in, not once, but twice!
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In conversation with one of Ireland's hottest up and coming bands...
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Roving reporters Craig Fitzpatrick and Celina Murphy reveal their festival picks for this year's Stradbally extravaganza...
Read More The download timetable has just been released - a day early! - for the Electric Picnic.
Read More Joe Duffy will conduct an hour-long interview with the Booker Prize winner.
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Only three weeks to go, it's time to get excited....
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Cathy Davey, Cashier No. 9 and Davit Kitt have joined the party...
Read More Including dj set from former LCD Soundsystem front man James Murphy…
Read More The Market Bar, Dublin was the venue for the launch of this years line-up
Read More We're already looking forward to the end of the summer!
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The rum company picked it up for the Bacardi Get Together Arena at this year's Electric Picnic.
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If one of our photographers nabbed you for a photo over the weekend, you might well feature here...
Read More Three great days of music and chat have drawn to a close in Stradbally
Read More All the best of the action for the second day of this year's Picnic
Read More Pulp were the main attraction on the final day of this years festival
Read More We've got Mundy, Ham Sandwich, Death In Vegas and OMD in the Hot Press Chatroom...
Read More Live shots from Friday, Electric Picnic, Stradbally, Co. Laois
Read More We've had a great Saturday in the Chatroom - and it's not over yet!
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The Hot Press Chatroom is gearing up for one star-studded weekend!
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Electric Picnic's spoken word area looks set to be buzzing this weekend
Read More Check out the line-up at the stage's festival debut!
Read More The full rundown on who is talking and when, right down to the minute.
Read More 300,000 mint leaves, 17 tonnes of ice and 200,000 limes are making their way to the Bacardi Get Together Arena at Stratbally.
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Tandem Felix, Eatenbybears, The Depravations and Leaders Of Men will fight it out for an Electric Picnic spot at the Heineken Music and POD’s Pick for the Picnic at Crawdaddy on September 1.
Read More Yet another big musical name will be stopping by at Stradbally
Read More One of four bands will secure a slot at Electric Picnic when they battle it out on September 1
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Shortlisted finalists announced for ERP Electric Picnic Art Competition.
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Santigold, Best Coast, Public Enemy, Joan as Policewoman and more....
Read More The full line-up has just been revealed and we reckon it's pretty knock-out!
Read More Declan Forde on this year's festival, and securing one of the most celebrated bands in the world
Read More Our columnist takes issue with John Waters' negative comments about Electric Picnic
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See if you can find yourself in our first lot of Out n About pics from this year's Electric Picnic
Read More Electric Picnic is known for it’s great line ups, but also for it’s fringe acts. There were so many highlights over the weekend.
Read More We round off what was a brilliant weekend of live music with shots from across the stages at this year's Electric Picnic
Read More The second day of the festival brings highlights from Imelda May, LCD Soundsystem and The Frames among others
Read More Here's the first of our live galleries with all the action from Electric Picnic 2010
Read More We've got another impressive line-up at the Hot Press Chatroom for your enjoyment!
Read More The group stopped in for an electrifying performance, which went down a storm!
Read More Paul from the Waterford/Cork collective will also perform an acoustic set
Read More It's been an amazing day here - now to hit the arena for some Massive Attack, National and UNKLE
Read More The sister act will replace The Tallest Man On Earth in the Crawdaddy tent
Read More The Mighty Stef played a few choons in our Chatroom - including a haunting rendition of Lady GaGa's 'Bad Romance'!
Read More There may have been a few "sun" showers this morning at Stradbally, but otherwise we feel a brilliant day coming on
Read More Chris and Tony from And So I Watch You From Afar are our latest Chatroom alumni
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The night is really just beginning here at Stradbally, but we're finishing up Saturday's Chatroom on a high...
Read More We're please to announced the initial timetable for the Hot Press Chatroom @ Electric Picnic.
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We'll be open for Stradbally business on Friday!
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Mr. Murphy will be dropping into us on Saturday.
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We'll be announcing our next winner at 5pm - and they'll have 15 minutes to claim their tickets...
Read More Congratulations to Sarah Emerson who has claimed her prize and is officially Stradbally bound!
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We suspect they're going to be rather busy at 10 o'clock on Friday night!
Read More Team Hot Press can now reveal the lucky winner of those golden Electric Picnic tickets...
Read More Cyclists will power the sustainable showers at this year's Electric Picnic - so don't forget to pack your bikini!
Read More The Electric Proms take place on the Sunday at Stradbally
Read More Omar Souleyman & our old mate John Cooper Clarke are both on the bill.
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The good news just keeps coming - we can now confirm that Imelda May, current cover stars Fight Like Apes, Cathy Davey and Stars will also be stopping by!
Read More The Soft Cell man is appearing as part of the THISISPOPBABY festivities.
Read More Headline duties are being taken care of by DJ A-Skillz.
Read More The equally fabulous Neon Indian have also joined the September 3 to 5 line-up.
Read More Ryan Tubridy, Mike Scott, Irvine Welsh & Howard Marks are among the attractions.
Read More More acts have been added to the Electric Picnic, which takes place between September 3 and 5.
Read More The Stradbally Hall line-up just gets better and better!
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Line-up includes Roxy Music, The Frames, PIL, Massive Attack, LCD Soundsystem, Leftfield, The National, Modest Mouse, Mumford & Sons...
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We get up close and personal with the crowd in Stradbally
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The best bits from from day one of the Electric Picnic 2009
Read More A collection of the choice shots from day two of Electric Picnic 2009
Read More Elecrtic Picnic mainman John Reynlods has declared this year's event a sell-out.
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We're going to be seeing them and you at the Picnic!
Read More Trainspotting author as well as Stradbally owner to appear.
Read More Here's something to keep you occupied until knocking off time!
Read More Get in the mood for this years shenanigans in Stradbally by revisiting the best live photo from Electric Picnic 08
Read More Bell X1, Damien Dempsey & Dinosaur Jr. are among those meeting their public at the Electric Picnic.
Read More Passion Pitt, The Hacker and David Kitt are among those joining the bill.
Read More Dark Room Notes, Neosupervital & Miss Panti are among those doing it for the kitsch!
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There's some very good news for Jon Snow fans!
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Orbital, Flaming Lips, Basement Jaxx, Madness & MGMT are among the headliners.
Read More All the thrills and spills from the Hot Press Chat Room at Electric Picnic 2008 ...
Read More Electric Picnic has become the only Irish festival to win a Greener Festival International Award for 2008
Read More Next month will see the release of a limited number of Early Bird tickets for Electric Picnic '09.
Read More Check out Dermod Moore's shots from around the festival site over the Picnic weekend – taking in the fun, frolics, bubbles and bananas...
Read More All the best live shots from Friday at the Electric Picnic, featuring Christy Moore, Goldfrapp, Jape, Kíla, Sigur Ros, The Stunning and more...
Read More The cream of the crop from Saturday's live pictures, taking in Crystal Castles, Elbow, Duffy, Franz Ferdinand, Grace Jones, Lisa Hannigan and tonnes more!
Read More Sunday's top Picnic shots bring you The Gossip, Cathy Davey, Foals, CSS, Faust, Sex Pistols, My Bloody Valentine and Grinderman, among others.
Read More The sun shone on our Sunday Chatroom, with talkative adventures aplenty and guests The Flaws, Gemma Hayes, Mark Geary, Hadouken, Foals, The Roots, Michael Franti and more!
Read More Friday at Electric Picnic saw Sigur Ros pull off a spellbinding main stage performance, Christy Moore lift the mood of all, and many comings and goings at the Hot Press Chatroom.
Read More Day two, and Franz Ferdinand provide pure entertainment, That Petrol Emotion win the attention of a new generation and the Body And Soul area hosts the mother of all night parties.
Read More With just a few a minutes to go till the punters arrive, the Hot Press Chatroom is looking fab, and we're ready to rock 'n' roll, with times confirmed for this evening's acts.
Read More We have a winner – the first pair of Electric Picnic tickets are officially gone!
Read More With just hours to go until Electric Picnic 2008, Hot Press has announced provisional times for the ever-popular Hot Press Chatroom.
Read More We have a winner – the final pair of Electric Picnic tickets are officially gone!
Read More The Electric Picnic organisers have released full stage times for this weekend's Stradbally soiree.
Read More Math-rock heroes Foals are the latest addition to the Hot Press Chatroom at this weekend's Electric Picnic.
Read More Hotpress.com are giving away two pairs of tickets to this year's sold-out Electric Picnic.
Read More David Holmes, whose latest album The Holy Pictures received a resounding thumbs up in the latest issue of Hot Press, will join the Hot Press Chatroom at the Electric Picnic.
Read More Oppenheimer, Jinx Lennon, Joe Rooney and his very special comedy guests are the latest additions to the Hot Press Chatroom at this weekend's Electric Picnic.
Read More Radical US musician Michael Franti has just been added to the Hot Press Chatroom lineup at the Electric Picnic.
Read More The Hot Press Chatroom at Electric Picnic line-up continues to swell, with two new additions.
Read More Amnesty International are to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with a series of events at Electric Picnic.
Read More The Bacardi B-Live gang have announced full details of their Arena lineup for the Electric Picnic, with Tom Middleton, Krafty Kuts and Norman Jay among the highlights.
Read More This Thursday (August 14) Dublin's Radio City will host a warm-up party for the groups who've been commissioned to build a full-scale temple to be burnt at the end of the festival.
Read More The countdown to the Electric Picnic starts in earnest on Thursday August 14 when Hot Press unleashes its bumper Stradbally Hall special.
Read More The Bodytonic gang have bolstered their Electric Picnic village with a slew of new additions.
Read More As the countdown to Electric Picnic continues, line-up additions are gathering pace, with dozens of acts added in the last few days.
Read More Concerts supremo John Reynolds has confirmed to Hot Press that there is absolutely no danger of this year’s Electric Picnic being cancelled.
Read More The wrangle between POD Concerts and the Irish Music Rights Organisation over royalty payments has been resolved.
Read More POD Concerts supremo John Reynolds is one of the founding board members of the Association of Independent Festivals.
Read More The Electric Picnic festival, set for Stradbally at the end of August, has officially sold out for the third year running, Hot Press has learned.
Read More Pics: Graham Keogh, Andrew Duffy, Naomi McArdle
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If you haven't exactly earned your Boy Scouts camping badge yet, why not consider Electric Picnic's luxury alternative?
Read More The Sex Pistols are back! In what has the look of a major coup for the event, punk’s great trailblazers are among this year’s headliners at Electric Picnic 2008, which takes place in Stradbally over the final weekend in August.
Read More Tickets for this years Electric Picnic go on sale this Friday, with confirmed appearances from My Bloody Valentine, Faust and Tindersticks.
Read More The results of the first ever Irish Festival Awards are in, and Electric Picnic was among the winners, scooping the top prize for Best Large Festival.
Read More A limited release of early bird tickets will be available from next week.
Read More In between all the gigs, there was a multitude of intriguing non-music events at the Electric Picnic.
Read More From the goodtime vibes of Hot Chip to the full-on sonic assault of Primal Scream, this year's Electric Picnic achieved the impossible by being even more fab than its predecessors.
Read More From the goodtime vibes of Hot Chip to the full-on sonic assault of Primal Scream, this year's Electric Picnic was even more fab than its predecessors.
Read More From the goodtime vibes of Hot Chip to the full-on sonic assault of Primal Scream, this year's Electric Picnic was even more fab than its predecessors.
Read More The mood on Sunday morning in Stradbally was sombre as Picnic-goers woke up to the tragic news.
Read More Hotpress.com can announce two new additions to the Hot Press Chatroom lineup at Electric Picnic: The Polyphonic Spree and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah.
Read More RTE's digital radio station 2XM is set to re-broadcast select live performances from Electric Picnic in the week following the event.
Read More The Manic Street Preachers are set to kick off a packed lineup at this year's Hot Press Chatroom at the Electric Picnic.
Read More Scottish three-piece The Aliens are the latest act to be confirmed for the Hot Press Chatroom tent at Electric Picnic.
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The first confirmed acts for the Hot Press Chatroom at this year's Electric Picnic have been revealed.
Read More Here's what went down in the Hot Press Chatroom at last year's Picnic...
Read More War Child Ireland are offering Electric Picnic-goers the chance to attend the festival in style - and meet a headliner.
Read More Simple Kid is among the slew of new acts confirmed to play this year's Electric Picnic.
Read More The latest addition to the Electric Picnic line-up is the Nokia Trend Lab stage, featuring Simple Kid, Nouvelle Vague and 65 Days Of Static, among others.
Read More Manic Street Preachers are among the new acts set to play the sold-out Electric Picnic.
Read More Hot Press has learned that Electric Picnic 2007 is a complete sell-out.
Read More After plenty of industry speculation, the initial line-up for the Electric Picnic has been announced.
Read More There’s good news for people who don’t do flysheets and guy-lines with the Electric Picnic unveiling a range of luxury camping options.
Read More Annual article: The Electric Picnic wasn’t just one of the musical events of the year; it also let us chow down and have a natter with some of the top pop combos of the day, including Bloc Party, Gang Of Four and New Order.
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Ireland's most innovative troubadour Duke Special is in the hot (press) seat.
Read More More stars descend on the Hot Press than are in the sky. Yes, really.
Read More Kele Okereke, Gordon Moakes, Russell Lissack and Matt Tong, collectively known as Bloc Party, descend from their heavenly planes to the Electric Picnic.
Read More Just before headlining the main stage on Saturday night, New Order - all of them - drop into the Hot Press chat room to regale us with their rock'n'roll tales.
Read More We couldn't fit them all in, but at least some of Broken Social Scene get a Hot Press style grilling.
Read More We're not worthy! New York's The Rapture come in for a cup of tea and biscuits. Or a beer and some chat.
Read More DJ Shadow comes out of the shadows for a rare interview with Karla Healion.
Read More Ireland's adopted son gives us a candid interview.
Read More Manchester's finest entertain the intimate crowd in the HP chat room.
Read More The legends - yes, legends - that are Gang Of Four are quizzed. But be warned: they request the lighting to be turned off, so this is more of an audio thing and less of a video thing...
Read More They said it couldn’t be done, but this year’s Electric Picnic achieved the impossible by being even more joyous, vibey and action-packed than its predecessors. Hot Press was in the thick of things as 200 acts and 30,000 music lovers descended on one very big house in the country.
Read More The last day of Electric Picnic was marked by sunny skies and chilled-out vibes.
Read More Rain didn't stop play on the first full day of the festival.
Read More Electric Picnic 2006 began yesterday (September 1) in fine style.
Read More Going to the Electric Picnic this weekend? Send us your photos!
Read More If you missed out on a ticket to this weekend's Electric Picnic, you can still catch the action on RTE Two.
Read More We hope you're feeling hungry because on September 1, 2 and 3, over 50 of the hottest live acts and DJs around are descending on Stradbally Estate in Laois for the Electric Picnic.
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All 30,000 tickets for the Electric Picnic in Laois have officially been snapped up.
Read More If you missed the Electric Picnic Festival in Co. Laois last September - or if you're just aching to relive the experience - here's your chance.
Read More The boutique festival just gets bigger and better, with some top Irish and international acts being added to the bill.
Read More The Electric Picnic bill gets better by the day.
Read More Irish fans will be able to catch a live earful of the new Rapture album when the New Yorkers jet in for the Electric Picnic, who lead the new set of acts on the bill.
Read More The Electric Picnic has scored another major coup by snapping up Gnarls Barkley for their debut Irish appearance on September 3.
Read More The time has come: the main bands set to play the increasingly popular Electric Picnic have been confirmed.
Read More Relive one of the highlights of 2005: the Hot Press tent at the Electric Picnic.
Read More As revealed by Hot Press shortly after this year’s bash, the 2006 Electric Picnic will be a three-day event running from September 1 to 3.
Read More Along with the music, beer and scoffing, there was some serious talking done at the Electric Picnic. Shilpa Ganatra was taking notes as The Chalets, Flaming Lips, JJ72, Bob Mould, James Blunt, Tommy Tiernan, Declan O’Rourke and The Devlins were subjected to a public grilling by the Hot Press journalistic elite. And John Walshe.
Read More Following on from the runaway success of this year’s event, the organisers have confirmed that the 2006 Electric Picnic will be a three-day affair running from September 1 to 3.
Read More Electric Picnic is sadly over for another year now, but the second and last day rounded off the festival in fine style.
Read More The first day of Electric Picnic went according to plan, with some top-quality musical entertainment - and great weather.
Read More Electric Picnic has kicked off to a sunny start, including the Hot Press chat room...
Read More Check out all the latest goings-on from the festival, taking place on 1, 2 and 3 September 2006.
Read More Check out all the latest goings-on from the festival, taking place on 3 and 4 September 2005.
Read More Photos: they're the next best thing to being there, and an even better thing in you were actually there. Our resident snappers Andrew Duffy, Graham Keogh and Karla Healion are on hand to catch all the action. See the fruits of their labour here...
Read More It’s Electric Picnic time again, and this year Hot Press are planning something pretty spectacular if we do say so ourselves.
Read More We hope you're feeling hungry because on September 3 and 4 over 50 of the hottest live acts and DJs around are descending on Stradbally Estate in Laois for the Electric Picnic.
Read More All you need to know about getting to Stradbally Hall, and having a blast while you're there!
Read More Matthew Herbert Big Band and James Blunt are among the new additions to the Electric Picnic bill
Read More Roisin Murphy, Dangermouse and The Chalets are among the new bunch of recruits
Read More Fatboy Slim, Flaming Lips, Damien Dempsey, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Mercury Rev and Public Enemy are some of the heavyweight attractions at the Electric Picnic, which this year is a two-day event taking place on the Stradbally Estate, County Laois on September 3 and 4.
Read More Announcing a new festival for the faint-hearted but funky-ass masses: Groove Armada, Super Furry Animals, Jurassic 5, Grandmaster Flash, Arrested Development, Lee Scratch Perry, Solwax + more!
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