This past weekend saw 41000 Electric Picnic fans descend upon the town of Stradbally. What is normally our sleepy laid back community, where the odd farmers still drive to town on their tractors, became a riot of colour and happiness. The normal wellies were replaced with the glitz and ribbons version and we dusted down our flower headbands. The funny thing is, if we went to town any other day of the year dressed like this, we’d be seen as eccentric to say the least but this weekend anything goes. “Whatever you’re having yourself” as we say around here.
The lovely thing about the Electric Picnic is that you could end up dancing with Jim Kerr of Simple Minds or Mr Cosby himself. Everyone is just happy to be there with all egos left at the farm gate. This year was the 10th year of the arts and music festival and possibly the best yet. Lily Allen graced us with her presence and even showed us her third nipple (we kid you not). In another tent, Shane McGowan and Jim Sheridan regaled us with an intellectual literary discussion on the work of Brendan Behan. As Victoria Mary Clarke commented, “definitely the funniest literary discussion ever”.
I’ve often wondered how the Cosby’s cope with the madness. It’s a surreal type of event. What’s it like waking up to 41000 people meandering around your front garden? On an average day at Stradbally Hall the most excitement you can hope for is meeting the odd sheep navigating the cross country course, or falling off at the cross country course. By time the 41000 festival goers arrive the sheep have disappeared, the cross country fences are hidden behind the Bacardi Palace and the horses have temporarily moved home, making way for the craft workshops.
Reports from the ground are that the most successful and profit making stand was the Oxygen Party Tent. At a mere €5.00 you could inhale pure oxygen for 6 minutes to alleviate your aching head (or was it the other way around?). The tent was constantly over flowing. The longest queue was at the ATM machines, at one stage it reached from the ATM machine half way back to the emergency exit. No-one seemed to mind as their bodies waved in the breeze to music provided by The Stranglers.
Yesterday we made our way in to town once more and there were hippy happy faces everywhere. There wasn’t a parking space to be found along the main street, a lonesome busker strummed his guitar outside the artists entrance at 8am whilst another sat on the pavement wondering where he’d left his car. When Thomas Cosby sat down with John Reynolds all those years ago I wonder if he knew how popular the Electric Picnic would become, or that one day Benjamin Book would state on national TV that he “didn’t know who the Cosby stage was named after”. Jim Kerr wondered if he and Simple Minds were ever going to be asked to do it or “what had we done?” that they hadn’t been asked before now. Apparently the talk amongst the rock set is that the “Picnic is the place to perform” and what a performance he gave. At once stage his body was bent so far backwards it was a human feat of nature. Whilst I was wondering if he’d ever be able to get out of that position, he asked the crowd in his thick Glasgow brogue “are ye’r alreet ooot there”. I wondered if he was buying time – it can’t be easy lying backwards from your knees at his age. In a flash he bounded up and around the stage again.
The highlight for me happened on Friday. We were all waiting for an interview with Debbie Harry and Blondie in the Hotpress Tent. The tent was heaving with bodies all waiting to hear the word of Debbie when there was an announcement. “Sorry guys Blondie got delayed with the traffic going into the car park so we’ll have to wait until 6.30 not 6”. It was now 5.35pm. Camera shutters were covered over, notebooks put away. We all groaned but cheered up when we were given our super cool goodie bags as a soother. Still chatting at 6.25 when another announcement arrived “Sorry guys, there’s going to be another small delay – Debbie’s just gone for something to eat”. Admittedly he looked a bit bashful saying this, as if he couldn’t quite believe what he was saying himself. I wondered if there’d be another delay if she decided to blow-dry her hair. There was a bad tempered exodus from the tent but we waited on and eventually she arrived, the Queen of rock and roll 
was here. Debbie Harry looks amazing and was quite the charmer which was a good thing because all Clem Burke could talk about was getting to see the Strypes. He hasn’t lost his sense of humour though. When asked if he was still into the mod scene he replied whilst flicking a hand over his body “yes, I am still a Mod, an overweight Mod”. With that he pressed the ejector button on his seat and left to go see the Strypes, Debbie Harry and Chris Stein following in his footsteps.
Roll on #EP2015
This blog is dedicated to all of you who couldn’t make it this year, especially @cormacmccann and particularly to Thomas Cosby, who had the entrepreneurial courage to do it all those years ago.
