Playing The Field

THE ZEN GARDENS
Body And Soul, throughout the weekend
One hundred nooks and crannies lie in wait at the Body And Soul area of the Picnic, but if you’re in the market for inner peace and ultimate relaxation, the Zen Gardens are your first port of call. A staple realm of the quirky, surprise-filled Body And Soul universe, this holistic haven comprises Boundless Bathing Hot Tubs, Shamanic Healing, Indian Head Massage, Workshops, Warm Chai, Laughter Yoga and more. Take care not to unwind too much, though – there are bands to see, after all!

FOIL ARMS AND HOG
The Comedy Tent, Saturday, 2.40pm
When they’re not wreaking havoc on RTÉ’s The Savage Eye, Ireland’s favourite comedy trio love nothing more than a good festival, having performed at Kilkenny Cats Laughs, Forbidden Fruit and the Vodafone Comedy Festival already this year. With energetic (if totally implausible) sketches as their bread and butter, Sean Finegan, Conor McKenna and Sean Flanagan put their madcap collection of characters and razor-sharp wit to use in the Comedy Tent on Saturday afternoon.

BEHIND THE BREWERS
Theatre Of Food, Sunday, Time TBC
The bustling designated foodie area was a huge hit with Picnic-ers last year, thanks to its jam-packed bill of chef demonstrations, flash tea parties, banquets and food foraging trails, so it’s no surprise that the Theatre Of Food returns for its second year. At Behind The Brewers, culinary experts Caroline Hennessey and Claire Dalton team up to talk food and beer pairings with plenty of sampling and tastings. Hennessey will also be tantalising taste buds with chocolate and Eight Degrees Brewing Knockmealdown Porter brownies in a baking with
beer class.

ARTS TRAIL
Everywhere, throughout the weekend
Electric Picnic would be nothing without the weird and wonderful art installations that grace its fields, so a stroll along the specially-designed Arts Trail is a must. As always, the identity of the artists has been kept hush hush, but Hot Press has learned that New York’s Gamelatron, featuring handcrafted, masterfully-tuned orchestras of vibraphones, drums, chimes, bells and resonating bronze gongs played by robotic mallets, is the spearhead art installation for 2012. For the full experience, get yourself a copy of the festival programme, which includes the all-important Arts
Trail map.

THE STEVE FROST IMPROV ALL STARS
The Comedy Tent, Sunday, 3.05pm
Having already flogged their comedic wares at Electric Picnic 2009 and 2010, as well as such faraway lands as Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Abu Dhabi and Beirut, The Steve Frost Improv All Stars return to Stradbally on September 2 for another off-the-cuff, off-the-wall performance. Helmed by Whose Line Is It Anyway favourite Steve Frost, the world-renowned improvisation crew will arrive onto the Comedy Tent stage with no better idea of what’s going to happen than the punters in the crowd. Unscripted, unrehearsed and unpredictable; this is comedy without a safety net.

SOUL KIDS
Body And Soul, 2pm to 7pm on Friday and 11pm to 7pm on Saturday and Sunday
Proving that it’s never too early to start one’s love affair with festivals, Electric Picnic’s Soul Kids area caters to the littlest of party people. Hosting a wealth of free activities, workshops and performances, it’s a life-saver for parents and Mecca for kids. Last year, the little tykes were treated to puppet shows, willow weaving and balloon modelling, so we’re guessing that Picnic-goers aged 12 and under can’t wait to see what’s in store for 2012. Parents are asked to register their wee ones online at electricpicnic.ie/kidsregister.

BOY BAND VS GIRL BAND CHALLENGE
Theatre Of Food, Sunday, Time TBC
Also in the Theatre Of Food, an all-singing, all-dancing, all-stirring, all-dicing cook-off with a difference. “Imagine a boy band and a girl band of chefs,” the food collective teases, “Which band will wow you with their moves and talent?” Ross Golden-Bannon of Food & Wine Magazine heads up a merry band of boys including Stephen Gibson (Pichet), JP McMahon (Cava Restaurant) and Michael Quinn (Waterford Castle), while competing on the ladies’ team, headed up by Girl Band Leader Catherine Cleary of the Irish Times, will be Maria Rafftery (Zuni), Sharon Harkin (l’Ecrivain) and Jess Murphy (Kai).

DAVID O’DOHERTY
The Comedy Tent, Saturday, 8.15pm
Although not quite a comedy Beethoven, David O’Doherty wouldn’t be caught dead without his trusty Casio keyboard, on which he plays such side-splitting non-hits as ‘Lower Your Expectations’, ‘Party Party Party’ and a song inspired by Latin pop sensation, Shakira. Granted, it doesn’t sound like much, but Dublin’s finest comedy brain is not to be underestimated. Mixing thought-provoking observational humour with thoroughly ludicrous ideas about filling dogs with helium, his is a show you won’t forget in a hurry, not least when you find yourself belting out the tunes in the shower.

FOSSETT’S CIRCUS
The Big Top, throughout the weekend
Around 1870, a young Corkman named George Lowe decided to do what many young men had done before him – run away and joined the circus. 140-odd years later, Lowe’s legacy (known to you and I as Fossett’s Circus), is plotting its sixth year at Electric Picnic. Boasting a fully-fledged carnival with big wheel and amusements galore, the Fossett’s gang of painted performers will bring their goofy theatrics to festival-goers at regular shows over the weekend.

THE PAMPER PALACE
JimmI Hendrix and Boutique Campsites, throughout the weekend
For some, professionally-done hair and make-up is but basic maintenance, but for the majority of festival-goers, Electric Picnic’s Pamper Palace is an excuse to really treat themselves. Offering blow-dries, extensions, false eyelashes, make-up and body art, this campsite beauty emporium caters to everyone, from the girl who can’t survive a day without her hair straighteners to the guy who feels naked without a Ziggy Stardust lightning bolt across his face.