You should got to the next Royal Variety Performance so - there's plenty of variety at that & always a few surprises.. ya never know, you might be lucky enough to catch a comedian doing a Tommy Cooper style death on the stage.

Agree 100 per cent.

EP 2005 was a bit special because of this but I doubt it will ever happen again.

all maybe except for the right hon Paddy Glasgow who organises the Glasgowbury festival in the idyllic Sperrin mountains in Co Derry. The guy makes didly squat, gets some funding from here and there and puts in an immeasurable amount of work..a real bona fida champion of the people and music up in this part of the world

I have been the last coupld of years, its a one dayer, but most arrive the day before to setup camp...the scenery (its on top of a mountain), atmosphere, cocktails and music are brilliant, cannot recommend it highly enough

PQ

Can I point out the obvious that you can have the best bands on the planet but if the atmosphere is crap, the festival is also crap. Haven't been at EP since the first one so can't really say.

I do think festivals keeping a coherent sort of theme is a nice idea though, rather than trying to be all things to all men, if you get a bunch of like minded people together you probably end up with something that feels more special and less like cash grabbing get lots of drunk yoof in a field with some tunes type vibe.

I've often thought a fluxpop themed festival would be cool, fluxpop being the term applied to pop music thats POP! and interesting though not neccesarily popular. Confused? Can't blame you, but the line up would include the likes of Saint Etienne, Annie, Miss Kittin, The Pipettes, Schneider TM, Alesha Dixon, Alphabeat, Ladytron (who admitedly have gone darker and more rock and all the better for it), etc. Stuff it, I'd even have Girls Aloud on the bill as long as they didn't do some of the weaker material - a sort of weird alternate pop music universe where the singles chart still mattered and neither indie rock nor hip hop have taken a mainstream foothold.

look into my eyes, not around my eyes, but into my eyes...that's not what you want.

in all seriousness, with less and less money in album and virtually none in singles..the vast majority of bands, if they want to keep ticking over have to tour a lot more inc the festival circuit. those who dont can afford not to, and those who cannot afford to, have to.

i am not wishing away time..but i am really looking forward to this years festival

PQ

It seems to me that there's an awful lot of whining about EP coming from people who haven't even been there for years. Last year's was class - great music, great athmoshere, lots to do & see. I'm with PQ in that "i am really looking forward to this years festival" & I like the sound of Binokular's festival - esp the Girls Aloud idea (mmmm!).

I was there last year. The atmosphere wasn't as good as previous years. Lot of people out of their heads and I didn't like the vibe when Chemical Brothers were playing, lot of dodgy, tent-burning types around. Hope they can turn it around this year but I doubt it.

I've never seen so many people doing so many drugs anywhere in my life than at Electric Picnic last year. It didn't lend itself to a fun atmosphere. It's a great festival, but people need to seriously chill out and try to enjoy themselves in a responsible manner. And I've never seen as much incredible collective drunkenness than at Oxegen last year.

There's a huge snobbery when it comes to behaviour at the two major festivals in Ireland. Everyone gives out about kids getting completely pissed drunk at Oxegen, yet these same people then go and do s**t loads of coke and pills at Electric Picnic as if that's more acceptable.

One would prefer if neither happened, but I guess festivals are where people let loose.

I didn't notice any drug use whatsoever at the Picnic. Then again, I was completely off me box for 3 days, so I didn't notice most things!

From man-in-the-know Hot Lunch's blog..Recently thrown into the rumour mill.. Faust, Flaming Lips, Billy Bragg and.....the SEX PISTOLS!! Yikes! (Oh, and Gemma Hayes). Line-up announcement..March 26th.

That'll do me.

I didn't really notice uch of a difference in substance abuse between the two festivals. The croawd is just a bit more lawless at Oxegen. Proably because there's a lot more people contributing to the angry mob mentality.

stupid question (I've been in oz the last six months) but is EP sold out ya?

Tickets aren't on sale yet. There was an early bird sale but they're all gone.

cheers! I'm due back in June so hopefully will be able to pick up some tickets.

Missed last year because I was travelling, but year before that was great, would pretty much agree with IcaruS, there's not much between the two festivals in terms of alcohol/drug abuse, Oxegen is just a bigger scale so more noticeable I guess.

Full lineup announcement on Wed 26th, tix on sale Fri 28th of March. €240.

Ah Wilco... I'm damn happy.

just read their email...excellent!

Will they play the same tent as clap your hands say yeah? that was a disappointment last year, sound was pretty awful...but that was last year

PQ

Not a bad line-up.. Sigur Ros, MBV, Gossip. I think I might go for the boutique camping this year.

I was planning to go but i can't justify paying that amount of money for that lineup, its not good enough.

couldnt agree more. checked out the full line up on the web site...my god, its dire....
stinks of cheap bands and acts while still charging 240 sheets and the rest.....
only in ireland..its only a matter of time until there are oxygen meters introduced..pay for the jaysus air ye breathe...