Electric Picnic Music And Arts Festival 2013 Introduces First Line-up For 30th August - 1st September


Electric Picnic Music And Arts Festival 2013 Introduces First Line-up For 30th August - 1st September

Good things come to those who wait. And the waiting is over as tickets for this year's spectacular 10th Birthday Electric Picnic go on sale from this coming Saturday, April 27th at 9am. 

What began as a one-day outing to Stradbally in the late summer of 2004 ten years ago, is now an annual national treasure; the nation's favourite festival of music, art, fine food, spoken word and the wonderfully unexpected. To celebrate 10 years of turning heads and making magic in the fields this year's Picnic comes wrapped for the exceptional price of £149.50 upwards for the three day festival (** see below for more details) 

And now without further ado, it's time to peak inside our treasure trove of riches and discover the first of the hidden gems spilling out into the sunshine of this year's very special 10th anniversary of The Electric Picnic............Goodness! 

From the voice of Talking Heads through to 90s legends My Bloody Valentine all the way up to Electro pop from Glasgow's CHVRCHES, this year's Picnic delivers a time-bomb of great, first rate music from across the ages and across the globe. There are many more names to be announced in this 10th anniversary Picnic extravaganza. But these are just for starters. 

Bjork caught the world of 90s pop off-guard when she scored one enormous hit after another from her albums 'Debut' and 'Post'. Full of surprise and wonder came hit singles like 'Army Of Me', 'Hyperballad' and the jazz fuelled cover of Betty Hutton's 'It's Oh So Quiet', which became Bjork's biggest hit in 1995. Always challenging current trends Bjork brought fashion and technology ever closer to the centre of her musical world particularly in later albums 'Medulla', 'Volta' and more recently 'Biophilia'. Expect the unexpected and the extraordinary at Bjork's first appearance at the Picnic since 2007. 

My Bloody Valentine notched up the supreme accolade of having made one of the finest albums of all time, 'Loveless' released in 1991. The album took two years to make and decades to grow into the all-time critics lists across the globe. Their live shows left audiences gasping as much from the performance as from the extreme sound levels they created through their wall of guitars. Never one for a quickie follow-up, Kevin Shields and the other valentines released 'mbv' early in 2013, but not before playing a handful of selected shows since 2008, taking in an appearance at the Electric Picnic in 2011. This rare appearance will be one of the most eagerly anticipated of the Picnic. 

Last seen dj-ing from the centre of an enormous octopus as part of the Olympics closing ceremony in London in August, Fatboy Slim likes to party. And you can expect to party hard along to 'Right Here, Right Now', 'Praise You' and 'Weapon Of Choice' at his return gig during this year's 10th Picnic birthday party. The hard-core Picnicers will remember his set back in 2005 and with several appearances at Glastonbury under his belt since this is sure to be a must-see/must-dance act at the picnic. Q Magazine named him one of the top 50 acts to see before you die. So book your spot on the field early! 

The Arctic Monkeys are coming to Laois. The Sheffield foursome are regarded as one of the most prominent bands to come out of the post - punk revival after their debut album 'Whatever People Say I Am, that's What I'm Not' sold faster than any other album in British music history; to this day they hold that title. The five times Brit Award winning and twice Grammy nominated rockers promise to knock your furry monkey hats off. 

If any song captured the early years of the noughties it was 'Take You Out' by Franz Ferdinand. The success of that tune, helped to set Alex Kapranos and the rest of the Ferdinands on their way to a three singles that topped the charts and winning the Mercury Prize in 2004. A constant draw on the live circuit, Franz Ferdinand are back on the road again, they're rejuvenated and ready to rock, and with a new album about to be unveiled the Glaswegians are ready to scatter their killer pop tunes across the crowds at Stradbally.   

Enigmatic electronic Swedish duo, The Knife is a rare treat and a first for the Picnic. The double act rarely tour and constantly manage to confound their audience. The brother and sister released their much anticipated album 'Shaking the Habitual' this month after a seven year hiatus. 

Post Talking Heads, David Byrne spent a lot of his time exploring different musical avenues through a variety of collaborations, from Brian Eno to Arcade Fire. His most recent partnership came to life late last year with the release of 'Love This Giant' featuring song writer and multi-instrumentalist, Annie Erin Clark better known as St. Vincent. Originally a member of the Polyphonic Spree Annie set sail on the solo course with her first album, 'Marry Me' in 2007 bringing on comparisons to Kate Bush and David Bowie. This genius collaboration gives you David Byrne & St. Vincent, a broad soundscape of brass and keyboards with a barrel-load of bright and exciting tunes. 

There's an awful lot more to eels than a few catchy hits in the 90s and a couple of numbers on the Shrek soundtracks. Heralded by many as one of the best performance at Glastonbury in 2011. Eels is singer, song-writer Mark Oliver Everett, better known as 'E' who had some small success in the early 90s as a solo act. Touring the songs he formed the band Eels and has been writing and performing ever since. E made his mark on pop in the mid 90s with 'Novocaine For The Soul', 'Susan's House' and 'Mr. E's Beautiful Blues'. Great melodies but tinged with sadness and madness and articulated beautifully in E's 2008 autobiography, 'Things The Grandchildren Should Know'. 

This year picnickers will have a feast of the fresh, wholesome rap delights of the pioneers of hip hop Wu Tang Clan. The New York rap crew, an outfit of 9 MCs, made an indelible mark on the world hip hop scene when reigning supreme in the early 90s with statement tracks 'C.R.E.A.M' and 'Protect Ya Neck'. The Grammy-nominated ensemble is a testament to hip hop music and will blow the crowd away with their raw rap and distinctive delivery. 

Noah and the Whale and their ethereal sound will make their debut appearance at the Picnic this year. The English 5-piece gained momentum with the blissful nostalgia-clad '5 Years Time' and have since been mesmerising audiences with a crisp delivery of honest heartfelt lyrics. With their current album just out  and a string of hits, the picnic will be filled with the echoes of revellers chirping back lyrics. 

Arguably one of the greatest living guitarists, Johnny Marr is nothing short of a legend. Modern indie music is forever in debt to Marr, founding member and lead guitarist of The Smiths. Having embarked on various collaborative projects with bands such as Modest Mouse and The Cribs, Marr has finally found ground as a solo artist. With the critically acclaimed new album 'The Messenger' under his belt and a series of sold-out Irish shows, picnickers will be blown away by the musician's return, musical genius and ripping guitar riffs. 

2013 has proven to be the year for Disclosure, welcoming the British brother duo with pumping fists and exhilarated smiles. 2012's 'Latch' set the bar high and 2013's 'White Noise' met and broke the bar, storming the airwaves with a techno-tastic beat and shrill vocals of Aluna George. With debut album 'Settle' set for release this June and recent release of hyped single with songstress Eliza Doolittle, the picnic will be whipped into a disco storm. 

Brit pop legends, Ocean Colour Scene, remain as popular as ever with three recent sold out dates in Ireland. The picnic will see Birmingham's finest blast out their trade mark hits include 'River Boat Song' and 'The Day We Caught the Train'. 

Following their 2010 debut picnic performance, Hurts return to deliver picnic revellers a synth-fuelled pop performance. With a string of nominations including 'Best Push Artist' at the MTV European Music Awards, the English duo caused waves with the whimsical pop track 'Wonderful Life' accompanied with the viral music video on YouTube. With the second album 'Exile' and new single 'Miracle' running the pop circuit, Hurts will serve up an exciting aesthetic and musical experience - picnickers will not be disappointed. 

Stone mason or singer songwriter, either or, Mick Flannery shines. His piano ballads, folksy guitar tunes, melancholic ballad and release of his #1 'Red To Blue' album last year has catapulted him to success in the U.S., a popular Picnic performer, for a reason. 

Respect. After ten years the great New York band  The Walkmen are making the best music of their career , with a killer third album 'Heaven' arguably the best to date, they are topping bills and filling their largest venues yet, emanating a radiant solid sound.   

Harry Bauer Rodrigues, better known by his stage name, Baauer, is an American producer of trap and bass music, best known for his hit song "Harlem Shake". He has been producing dance music from the age of 13, mostly making house music and electro. Hot on the heels of his performance over in Coachella, he promises to shake down the crowds at Stradbally. 

Following the pumping headline slot at the Little Big Tent in 2010, Canadian DJ/producer Tiga returns to the picnic with his electro acid house sound. The electro merchant, credited with throwing the first proper rave in Canada in the 90s, will inject the picnic with his signature grooves 'You Gonna Want Me', 'Shoes' and 'Sunglasses at Night' with a selection of collaborative delights. 

Alt-rock band Warpaint have been said to sound like 'they are channelling something truly otherworldly, and mystical'. So having played the Picnic before, they are going to be right at home when they take to the stage in Stradbally to pump out their intricate guitar lines, hypnotic vocals and driving post punk rhythms into gorgeous, sprawling songs that skirt the line between psychedelia and intimacy.  Joining their fellow Americans on the bill, Indie- rock band Polica and acclaim from Bon Iver's Justin Vernon and Jay Z  there is a 'huge post - SXSW buzz' 

Reggae fans are in for a treat at this year's Picnic with a show by the legendary Black Uhuru, a band based around original founder Derrick 'Duckie' Simpson and whose previous personnel includes production super-duo Sly and Robbie, Junior Reid and Michael Rose. Formed in Kingston in the 70s, Black Uhuru came to prominence with the hit single "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner" and 80s albums "Sinsemilla" "Red" and "Anthem". Their pop reggae fusion was catapulted to commercial appeal by Keith Richards who played with them. The band played support to The Stones before scoring another big hit with "The Great Train Robbery".  A refreshed Black Uhuru fronted by Simpson released "As The World Turns" in 2008 and the band have appeared at various festivals ever since. 

Indulge in the rapturous, post-punk rock of the all-female Savages. Nominated in the BBC Sound of 2013 poll, the band promise a unique performance of tracks from debut album 'Silence Yourself', submerging Electric Picnic attendees in their raw mixture of sound and performance. 

Cavan foursome, The Strypes are making waves. NME tipped them as No. 1 new band to watch and they weren't wrong. The last 18 months have been a whirlwind for the young rhythm and blues band, from jamming with Paul Weller and performing on Jools Holland (not once - but twice) to touring Japan this month. The Strypes went down a treat at the Trailer Park last year and are most definitely one band not to miss at the Picnic this year. 

Shortlisted on the BBC's Sound of 2013 list of the most promising music talent, Chvrches  have been described as nothing short of brilliant and the reviews are not wrong. In their short time together, the Scottish electro pop band have amassed a loyal following that will be delighted their prayers have been answered with Chvrches return to Ireland. 

For the first time ever, Parquet Courts will perform on our shores. The American punk rock band met critical acclaim following their SXSW performance and with 2012's album 'Light Up Gold'. The musical escapists will fixate picnickers with sharp rhythms and charismatic fretwork. 

In this age of disco and rock, the post-punk band Clinic is an alternative departure. The British band is a revival; offering an eclectic sound with a juxtaposition of whirring sounds, keyboard stomps and acidic vocals. Renowned for exciting performances wearing surgical masks and/or costumes, Electric Picnic is the perfect fit for this zany outfit 

Explosive LA rock duo, Deap Vally play raw bluesy rock n roll. Lindsey Troy and Julia Edwards have been together for only a year and already eliciting excitable responses, their scorching live shows are fast becoming the stuff of legend. Not to be missed. 

Soak has flooded the airwaves and mesmerised audiences with her deeply insightful, beyond-her-years lyrics and small, yet powerful voice. The young Derry singer-songwriter and her music, including her Meteor Choice Music Award nominated EP 'Sea Creatures' have been met with a huge wave of approval. Following her stellar performances on 'Other Voices', there is no doubt - Electric Picnic revellers are in for a treat. 

As we start to celebrate our 10th birthday, it's time to uncork the champagne, don your best wellies and wave the festival flags and as we start  the countdown to  Electric Picnic 2013. 

Tickets:

Between 27th April - May 27th 
Weekend Ticket: £149.50 - If you can prove you have  attended three or more EPs 
Weekend Ticket: £169.50 - If you can prove you have attended EP once before 
Weekend Ticket: £189.50 - If you haven't been before 
Family Camping Weekend Ticket as above (2 kids U12 permitted per adult) 
Sunday Day Tickets: £85.00 (No camping permitted) 

Between May 28th - July 28th 
Weekend Ticket: £189.50 

After July 28th 
Weekend Ticket: £229.50 
Campervan Tickets for access to Regular & Family Campervan Parks are £60 

Line-up:

Arctic Monkeys
Baauer
Bjork
Black Uhuru
Chvrches
Clinic
David Byrne And St.Vincent
Deap Vally
Disclosure
Eels
Fatboy Slim
Franz Ferdinand
Hurts
Johnny Marr
Mick Flannery
My Bloody Valentine
Noah & The Whale
Ocean Colour Scene
Parquet Courts
Polica
Savages
Soak
The Knife
The Strypes
The Walkmen
Tiga
Warpaint
Wu Tang Clan




MORE INFORMATION:

http://www.electricpicnic.ie
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