Electric Picnic’s second day review: Kneecap sings along passionately stealing the show
More than 70,000 live music fans have waited three years for Electric Picnic to return. Thus, a light rain (some like a biblical flood, supposed) was unlikely to dampen their spirits too much at yesterday’s festival.
Of course, the three days and nights are mostly great music, which is what everyone in Stradbally, Co Laois, needs.
It’s not just because we’ve barely escaped a global pandemic that killed some of our loved ones and now we’ve got an energy crisis where people can’t afford to heat their homes. their car or put gas in their car.
So Electric Picnic is the perfect escape from the paranoia about your next electric bill dropping frustratingly through your mailbox. The downpour caused comedian Deirdre O’Kane to think.
“After two long years, I will happily perform in any weather anywhere,” O’Kane, who performed last night in Comedy Shack, told Independent.ie. “We really need to laugh…especially me. We can also use up the final amount of electricity. “
HamsandwicH lead singer Niamh Farrell – who has played at the Salty Dog stage – echoes this sentiment as she tells Independent.ie: “We’ve all gone through two, three very difficult years and backs. The live music is awesome.
“I think as humans, we need to connect with each other and music to heal our souls. Nothing can beat standing on the stage singing life-affirming music with thousands of like-minded people. the other direction.”
For this reason, everyone (supplemented by good drinks and food, although the food is unreasonably expensive) is in top form, trudging across the wet lawn, wearing clothes they have never worn anywhere else in the world but Co Laois in September, holding alcoholic beverages at midday.
Even the Gardaís, in their shiny new uniforms, are in a cold mood looking for drug-addicted young girls. And where better to show off your new hats and gear than at Ireland’s biggest music festival?
Video of the day
Despite the bad weather, there was plenty to keep spirits high yesterday.
There were names like King Kong Company and Lyra in Electric Arena, or For Does I Love, Kojaque and Lisa McHugh in Rankin’s Wood – or Sleaford Mods last night at the Three For All Music Stage.
And not forgetting Susan O’Neill and Havvk in Fish Town, or the Riptide Movement or Cathy Davey in Salty Dog; said nothing about The Crock Of Gold Sessions with Glen Hansard, Breanndán Ó Beaglaoich and friends in the Footsbarn Theatre.
There is so much diversity and talent, emerging and otherwise, on display. That’s what it did – Electric Picnic became one of the great cultural get-togethers. Unpredictable.
You don’t know what you’ll get. Or from where and/or how.
Take the republican rap trio Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí, AKA Kneecap. They played one of the shows last weekend at Rankin’s Wood.
On stage at 4pm, they opened with Amach Anocht before diving straight into their classic love song across the religious divide in the North, the song is delicately titled – and brilliantly performed – Fenian C *** s.
Blending Irish and English in a humorous yet meaningful pun, the latter is the story of a Catholic boy who returns to a Protestant girl’s apartment, where – after they’re married friendship – he notices Union Jack on the bed sheet. Then she asked him: “Are you a Fenian, you stupid liom? / You should tell me that before I let you beat me / Well, I don’t have time for that. the scum of the republic.”
He replied, “What the hell / It’s racist or something / You don’t mind my face in your muffin.”
She replied, “Stop huffin, just mar gheall gurbh as Bóthar na bhFál domh / You can call me King Billy if you like.”
You can see why British magazine I wrote that Kneecap is “reinventing the Irish language for a new generation” with “controversial performances, violent lyrics and unrepentant bilingualism”. Fenian C *** s followed by Thart Agus Thart, Conscience is guilty, Hunting dog and, among others, Cearta and Hood. In the latter part, Moglai Bap engages the crowd in a fun song:
“Your sniffer dogs are goddamn.
“Your sniffer dogs are goddamn.
“Your sniffer dogs are shite.”
They then rhyme “maybe lend the score from m’athair cróga” with “but I’ll leave him with it for a final in Avoca”.
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Kneecap fan in Picnic Palace. Photo: Niall Carson / PA Wire
Not from Wicklow, but Kells in Co Meath, the aforementioned HamsandwicH put on a tantalizing performance at the Salty Dog stage yesterday. The show is a tasting for the band’s new album (released September 30). Exaggeration.
They opened with React, Paradigm, Le Soleil before going in Ant, Apollo, Activated, Oh oh, Shining, The agencies, Naturist and finally by Kate Bush Run up that hill.
Niamh Farrell later explained: “It was great to see all my musical friends I haven’t seen in a long time and to experience the echoes of a great festival again.”
She added: “A special new song – Activated – was one of my favorites we were streaming at the time, and the crowd always seemed to love it. “
Renowned Dubliner rapper Gemma Dunleavy also thrilled audiences with her puns in her collection at the Three All for Music Stage from 7.15pm to 8.15pm.
She covers with her hymn about working-class life in the city, Up De Flats, where everyone dances to its old-school hip-hop soul vibe. How long before Dunleavy was a superstar?
On the evidence last night, not long at all.
Some of the bigger stars in the making of last night’s proof were the Irish duo Saint Sisters – Gemma Doherty of Derry and Morgan MacIntyre of Belfast. At one point during a 10 p.m. performance at the Three All for Music Stage, they let the crowd sing the opening verses of Date night a cappella before they play it:
“Why are you so happy?
“I saw you dancing in the canteen
“I just want to destroy you
“Everything else seems to make you cry
“Why don’t I?”
At 8pm – on the Main Stage, Brighton’s alternative rock outfits. The Kooks have it all and the sundries dance along Junk Of My Heart. Lead singer Luke Pritchard knows how to work in front of a crowd, especially on songs like Do you want? have an audience in sing-along mode.
It’s probably not as compelling as Kneecap’s book about crappy sniffer dogs but you’ll probably have to go there last night to decide for yourself.
They were followed on the Main Stage by This Picture. The band’s lead singer Ryan Hennessy (wearing a shiny leather jacket with fur lining makes him look like the King of the North from Game of Thrones on acid – with an Ireland football shirt underneath) wasted no time telling the packed arena: “We’ve grown 13 minutes from this stage. This is our homeland, geographically and spiritually.”
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This image performed at Electric Picnic. Photo: Niall Carson / PA Wire
He paused before asking, “Are you ready for the biggest night of your life tonight? You can do anything… sing, dance, indulge. ” This was provided to Picture Legion of This’s fans by songs including Never change, Addicted to you and Winona Ryder.
They also play a new song, Primal Scream-ish vaguely Start my lovewhich they are supported by the Dublin Gospel Choir.
All in all, this is a far cry from the weird, stale, and predictable live performance that a music industry celebrity would have predicted before they moved on. Not the Image This will care, either way.
There was a similar sense of inner strength from Wolf Alice’s unique and wonderful combination in London when they performed at the Electric Arena at 11pm last night.
Guitarist and vocalist Ellie Rowsell, a true star of any festival, sang her own truth to thousands of enthralled fans: “I’m who I am and I’m good at it – and you don’t like me… ah, not that” tf *** ing related. “
It’s funny to think that she once said in an old interview that the band was “going to a nice, boring middle ground”. They were far different from now.
On Friday night, Fontaines DC stole the festival with their performance at the Electric Arena, closely followed by Denise Chaila, Megan Thee Stallion and Dermot Kennedy on how they were able to move a huge crowd in a field. big in Co Laois to feel. deep emotions.
Tonight, expect something similar from Sheffield’s Arctic Monkeys, who will take to the main stage at 10:30pm until midnight.
We can start worrying about our electricity and gas bills on Monday morning.
https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/music-reviews/electric-picnic-day-two-review-kneecaps-enthralling-sing-along-steals-the-show-41960098.html Electric Picnic’s second day review: Kneecap sings along passionately stealing the show