Electric Picnic 2006: First bands confirmed

Now in its third year, the festival will take place at Stradbally Hall in County Laois on Friday 1 to Sunday 3 September.
As previously revealed by hotpress.com, Ireland's most internationally famous singer/songwriter, Damien Rice, will be curating his own section for a night - monickered The Big Tree - and will be joined by the following (as Pod/Aiken Promotions JUST confirmed) *VERY DEEP BREATH* Pet Shop Boys, Massive Attack, The Frames, Basement Jaxx, Antony & The Johnsons, Gary Numan, Groove Armada, DJ Shadow, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Frames, Devendra Banhart, Super Furry Animals, Belle & Sebastian, Rufus Wainwright, Bloc Party [above], Alabama 3, The Rapture, Mad Professor, Saul Williams, Tom Vek, Gang of Four, David Kitt, Rachid Taha, Elbow, Graham Coxon, dEUS, The Rags, New Order, Dublin Gospel Choir and Blue Nile (in their only appearance in the world this year!)
In addition to the music stages, the Body & Soul Village will be enlarged, the burlesque fun of Lost Vagueness will return, as will the International Comedy Club stage, once again hosted by Des Bishop.
The Hot Press chat room is also returning, where top HP journos will conduct interviews with choice bands (last year's interviews - which include the likes of Wayne Coyne from the Flaming Lips, Bob Mould, Damien Dempsey, Tommy Tiernan, The Chalets and more - can be found here).
Tickets go on sale at 9am on Friday March 24 priced €175 for the three days, including camping.
Stay tuned to hotpress.com for more acts and full details of this year's Hot Press chat room.