Thursday, September 20, 2007

EP07 - Caro pix

Caroline posted some fab photos on flickr. Great shots of Final Fantasy.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

EP 2007

words tom corcoran
pictures & captions
paul o'connell



damon

We had done the numbers and reckoned 60 squids each to rent a car was a better option than waiting for the train and bus to airport like we did last year - probably, but muppet move to take the N7/M7 to EP07, never again, back roads are your only man and travelling earlier too. Wonder if the Stradbally site will ever open earlier than Fri morning, probably would mean additional insurance or something for John Reynolds but I hope it can grow to a Glastonbury like start.

So the M50 had roadworks and the daft 2 lanes reduced to 1, just the start we needed, though the Lee Scratch Perry tracks were helping. Approaching the M7 exit to Stradbally a garda appeared and directed us all to move into the hard shoulder and create a new lane. Some heads tried to jump passed him and he chased them off with a "you've missed your turn now" cry! We stayed in this line for a long time as we edged very slowly towards the still not visible exit. After a while there was a constant stream of cars in the next lane cutting in ahead - missed their exit indeed - and the cut in line was moving way faster than the patiently waiting muppet line. Finally we looked around and said sorry lads we can't take it anymore and threw the rule book out the window. Outside lane to the latest cut in point and straight in, we zipped passed the bottleneck roundabout and made our own lane on the inside with 2 wheels on the rough. We'll have you now friendly! After that it was plane sailing. On the site at 17.00, having landed in Dublin airport at 10.20, not the chilled Friday afo we had been looking forward too. Still the next morning I heard happy campers saying they were in the same M7 queue for 4.5 hours with all the lanes blowing their horns. And someone else said the traffic was mickey mouse compared to Oxegen...come on really, is that possible?

We found the posse in the family/quiet area, ah there were the Limerick flags. Declan had setup himself and Ringers 2/3 man tent for me, I was laughing and Kev rejoiced in his popup 3 seconds (did it take that long) tent. Kev and myself managed to get the heads together to figure out the gazebo poles and it was time to check out some tunez. The main stage was lining up pretty nicely for Friday evening and Hot Chip were a credible festival opener for me, their Warning album having got a fair few spins in the car. Time before Bjork though for an opening hacky sack session with Kev, and the form was looking decent. 18 years since I first saw Bjork in the SFX with the Sugarcubes and she has followed her own path since, forever her own woman, don't you love it. We left her set, which was pretty chilled at the half way and headed over to the Electric Arena for Damon Albarn's latest incarnation, the Good the Bad & the Queen. Most of the band were in top hats and it was a really incredible set, during the encore they were joined by Syrian rapper Eslam Jawaad for "Mr Whippy" - his smooth mcing on top was an Electric Picnic moment big time. Declan got tied up in the lists and thought he was seeing Modest Mouse, how can Johnny Marr be confused with Damon Albarn, was it the top hat, dec? LCD Sound system had a great afternoon set in 05 and presumably the vibe helped them bag the closing slot on the main Friday night. Some grooving sounds as well. So the Chill stage in the body and soul pit was constructed during the year and is now a permanent fixture, it's the place for the late night beats
and the electric funk band the Egg provided a wicked jam.



i love my geetar

Saturday and myself, Kev and Johnner followed Declan's lead at the Wig shop. Declan was the Princess complete with tiara (which someone later robbed), Kev had the multicoloured afro, Johnner had more long hair and I went with the egyptian look. No big agenda for Saturday afternoon, the foggy notions tent dominated, and I caught the end of Jimmy Cake, the sweet voice of Angus & Julia stone, Malajube & Stephen Fretwell while hacky sacking with Kev, Brendan and Mick. We fitted in a bunch of Craig Armstrong as well, his cinematic scapes playing to a small chilled crowd on the main stage. Didn't get into Fionn Reagan at all and left before he presumably played Floating, the only song I know of his. Destination was the chill stage for 18.00, through Brendan's resourceful trawling of the EP site, we knew Cane 141 were playing. There was a group of us, most not familiar with their music and none having seen them live before. Though living in London, circumstances had meant myself and Martin had seen them the previous Saturday in the sugar club performing with a full band. Chequerboard (aka John Lambert) opened up for Cane 141 then and here he was playing the slot before them as well, beautiful ambient chill. The music business is such luck, why does no one know Cane 141? You got to get their 2001 album, Garden Tiger Moth, one of the top 5 Irish albums of all time.


the boys

John Morrissey saw Final Fantasy at Latitude and he stole the festival and Niall & Caro have been championing them from the start & so we all made sure we were in Foggy Notions for the 21.15 gig. Nothing could have prepared us however. As kev said, he has incredible timing, all on his violin, recording one riff after another and looping them seamlessly, shouting through the strings. Mind boggling talented and spellbinding live, this was a genuine electric picnic moment.

We ended up at the Jesus & Mary Chain afterwards and the blowup guitar came out and we all gave it up for the 80s sounds, 22 years since Psychocandy, my god, this was a real life EP schedule screwup, why were they on the main stage with a crowd disaster happening in the Electric Arena with the Beasties. Time to get over there. We managed to slip through the barricades outside and myself and Kev made our way up to 10 o'clock side of the stage where that perfect little hilly outcrop allows one to stand looking over everyone's heads with a perfect view of the stage. It took a number of spurts but we had good room when we arrived on that apex. Crikies, the lads played a bunch off Ill Communication, Shambala, Heart Attack Man, as well as Three MC's And One DJ, Pass The Mic, Body Movin', Ch-Check It Out, So What'Cha Want, No Sleep Till Brooklyn, Intergalactic and finishing with Sabotage. It was Mike D's picnic. Then it was back up close enough on the right for the Chemicals, great visual show, with freaky face, lasers, i want my mtv robots, and perfect party sounds.


what do you want me to play?

Sunday was the all-ireland and finding out that Stradbally is so close, only minutes to the town when the let us out near the Crawdaddy. Limerick were beaten in the first 10 minutes, Kilkenny are the all blacks of hurling to quote mcg and their b team would beat most teams likely. Waterford would surely have not choked early on but would still have lost I think. Back with Trevor from the match and Ringers and myself squelched - the groves and troughs of the electric arena seemed to be the only part of the site affected by the afternoon's downpour - into Clap your hands say yeah, forgot I knew one their songs (name?), fun track live. Next up it was back to the best tent of the festival, Foggy Notions, for Dan le sac V Scroobious Pip, the former sits uninspiringly behind a little fruit machine but Scroobious Pip draws you in. Their last 2 songs were magic, he added U2 (are not a band we chorused) as the last band for Thou shalt always kill and finished with the excellent The Beat that my heart skipped.


johnner

Time for Iggy, John Morrissey had billed his Glasto show as the best frontman show since Elvis in the point in Dublin in 76. I caught it on TV so knew of the pending stage invasion. What energy, Joe said he's 62 and the stooges broke up in 69, what's going on? Knew it was coming or not the invasion was wild, for a few seconds there was a lad fully buck naked up front and at the end there were a few yahoos stripping topless trademark Iggy style. Man got to get to the Go-Team, this was the one time where I felt a tough transition between venues, wanting to badly get to the Arena, Kev and myself got close enough and they had wicked energy. Kev was filling me in on his 25-hack session that afternoon and his introducing some kid who turned out to be a natural. Damn missed the killer session. Coming back by the main stage I wondered if the Primals had played Moving on Up yet and there it was, we got well into it. Then it was back to Foggy Notions with Princess and Kev for Skream, the Irish dubsetp debut gig I think. I have been getting well into dubstep on the bbc experimental show and this was the first live taste. Very base centric and trippy with lots going on, it was the best dance of the festival for me.


the bangles




paul's new girlfriend



thank you fans



which one is Declan?


Myself and Kev got 6 hours before hitting the road early, Princess spoiling me by insisting on taking down the tent for me later. We were in Lisa's in the liberties for 10.30 for a killer breakfast and shower. Then it was decadent Monday afternoon Guinness in Mulligans before flights out. The Stradbally site is small compared to Glasto but I still did not get to the sweetness & light tent and a bunch of others. Roll on EP 08.

Edited 2 Oct 07. Found these pictures on my camera:


Sunday Rainbow


Cane 141


Iggy stage invasion