Live Report: Lord Huron transport Electric Picnic to another world with mystical 3 Music Stage set

For 45 minutes, the 3 Music Stage at Electric Picnic was no longer in Stradbally. American indie folk-rock band Lord Huron transport the crowd to a mystical dimension; somewhere hanging in the veil between our world and another, somewhere where desert winds blow through haunted forests and mysterious spirits speak through telephone booths.

A payphone is indeed a feature of the set, along with a flickering jukebox labelled "The Cosmic Selector" (a nod to their album released last month, The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1). The journey begins on a misty western prairie shown on screen, with an abandoned bar in the background and tumbleweeds bouncing over desert sand. Storming onto stage under deep blue lights, frontman Ben Schneider seizes the phone and sings the first verse of 'Who Laughs Last' into it— it’s a microphone, but of course. It’s the kind of tongue-in-cheek trick that dedicated fans love about the band.

Lord Huron at Electric Picnic. 30 Aug 2025. Photo: Liam Murphy/hotpress.com

"Thank you, thank you, folks, how the hell you doin' out there?" says Schneider in his characteristic old-timey radio host drawl. "I won't jibber-jabber, 'cause I don't have much time. But I'd be remiss if I didn't say thank you. From each and every one of us up on stage to each and every one of you, thank you, thank you, thank you, a million times over."

They then launch into one of their most well-known hits, 'Ends of the Earth'. Watching the band dance through their resonant folk ballad, awash with soft multicoloured lights, fans sure would follow them to the ends of the earth.

The vivacity tones down for another love song in the gentle yearning tune 'Wait By The River'. Under a golden glow, Schneider grasps the phone again, singing, "Baby, I didn't mean the things I said" to the mysterious character on the other line.

"If I can't change the weather, maybe I can change your mind," Schneider sings, coincidentally timed as the rain outside the tent begins to lash down harder. "If we can't be together, what's the point of life?"

An aside about Lord Huron: They are not just a band. They are a story. Their music videos and lyrics build a mystical world, full of complex characters and magical symbols. A few such symbols appear during Saturday's set; chiefly, the jukebox. According to the lore of Lord Huron, the Cosmic Selector has the ability to transport anyone to alternate universe timelines where their lives are drastically different based on choices made in the past, using the butterfly effect to control destiny— though it may not be as perfect as it seems.

There are a few more pieces of lore tucked into the storyline of their Stradbally gig — the emerald star, The Broken Bottle bar and Astral Storm Derek, for those who feel like an internet deep dive — but of course, it's the songs that are Lord Huron's lifeblood. With that, let's get back to your regularly scheduled programming, folks.

It isn't long before the energy comes back for 'Secret Of Life', a mysterious narrative of a song. It sees Schneider thrashing and dancing around, holding up his guitar to the crowd and twirling around the mic stand in his typical showman self. Behind him, a pixelated galaxy spins as he sings, "It's a long way back from the edge of the cosmos, truths once known never come unknown."

The band keeps the cosmic theme going with 'Ancient Names (Part I)', also from their 2018 album Vide Noir. Schneider leans on bassist Miguel Briseño's shoulder as the latter delivers a driving bass line. Stage lights cast the band in blue and red as they shift into an ethereal outro of resonant guitars and ambient synth.

They move back to love songs with the upbeat 'La Belle Fleur Sauvage'. The visuals travel from the cosmos to a magical forest, with golden light filtering through the trees. Soaring guitar rings through the tent with Schneider's belting vocals.

Lord Huron at Electric Picnic. 30 Aug 2025. Photo: Liam Murphy/hotpress.com

The season changes from spring to winter as the forest goes blue for a heavy rock rendition of 'Frozen Pines'. The crowd claps along in the bridge before a roaring guitar solo kicks it into a higher gear.

Afterwards, the forest appropriately goes dark for 'The Night We Met', which was their first certified hit and by far a crowd favourite. Fans sway and lean on each other, strangers and friends alike, for the crooning lament on lost love.

"I had all and then most of you, some and now none of you," Schneider sings. "Take me back to the night we met."

Under a golden spotlight, Schneider takes a moment to speak frankly to audiences.

"You’ve been so good to us tonight folks, I hope we’ve been good to you," he says, dripping with transatlantic charm. "So long, 'till next time, may you live until you die."

It's a clean transition into the song 'Not Dead Yet', from their 2021 album Long Lost. Despite the macabre name, 'Not Dead Yet' is an upbeat, hopeful track and a thoroughly high note on which to end the set.

Lord Huron depart the stage with a flickering jukebox, a magical payphone hanging from the line and a tangible sense of wonder still hanging in the air. The stars have aligned, and the Cosmic Selector has made its decision: Lord Huron are the most mystical indie folk band to take the stage at Electric Picnic.