Monday, December 18, 2017

EP 2017

Red car park & Eco camping

Having had to trek across the site from yellow parking where I was funnelled last year I made a big effort to ensure I was in red parking, as the eco camp field is beside the north red entrance. Coming W on N80 from Portlaoise, Mountmellick, Emo, ignore all the signs and drive towards Stradbally. See the right turn sign for Ratheniska, about 1k before Stradbally, this leads to A & B Red car parks

I arrived at eco camping on Friday evening to an erected tent (thanks, McG). A nice surprise was to see the sharonshannon.com/garden-of-vegan/ van inside eco camping. A "burger with attitude" was excellent and chips with Sharon's curry was so filling, now it was time to head to the venues.


Friday 1 September

  • Nick Kelly - Leviathan
    • He was talking, singing and showing some of his film, The Drummer & the Keeper, which lokes good, not a bad way to start the festival.
  • Divine Comedy - Mainstage
  • London Grammer - Mainstage
  • Saint Sister - Other Voices
    • The contract to taking refuge here last year from the rain with La Galaxie was big, it was nice to be back!

Saturday 2 September

Looking at the schedule Saturday morning I only realised Vince Staples was in the Electric Arena on Friday night and Talos played Other Voices at 18.40, would have loved to have seen that show. Note to self: going with the flow is grand but do the research next time - it's so easy with ClashFinder too!


It was good to wander around the site and remember where everything was. There are 3 entrances to Body & Soul, the North gate is across from the Little Big Tent, up from Gerry Fish with the Flying Machine cafe on the right before the entrance to the Zen Gardens. The East Gate pops out between Play at picnic tent (Oxjam in 2016) and the bumper cars, Natasha's (Living Food Emporium) is to the right as you go out. The South gate pops out across from Global Green, which houses the Village Hall and the Tiny tea tent is to to the right before going out. Wondering around Mindfield, I did not remember an exit to the right of the Newstalk tent out to comedy tent. Having no Irish Times tent in Mindfield was missed this year

  • Slane Whiskey - Theatre of Food Fringe
    • Good talk\chat and a lovely whiskey cocktail to kick things off.
  • Susan Steel - Vitamin Sea, Theatre of Food
    • Memorable chat about the benefits of sea swimming in skins, exposing your body to all the resultant minerals and never getting sick.
  • Blindboy Boatcub with Nadine O'Reagan - Literary Tent (The Gospel According to Blindboy)
    • It turns out he has a book coming out and he read us one of his short stories. Always worth listening to.
  • Everything Everything - Electric Arena
  • Run the Jewels - Mainstage
  • Interference with Glen Hanzard - Gerry Fish
    • This was jammed and I didn't stay long.
  • A tribe called quest - Mainstage
    • Fantastic to see Q Tip running the show, respecting their MC, Phifie Dawg who died in March 2016
  • Perfume Genius - Cosby stage
    • First time for me, absolutely standout.
  • Pete Tong & the heritage orchestra - Mainstage
  • Clark - Little big tent (2am)
    • Outstanding visuals with 2 dancers on working together fluidly. Really enjoyed finally getting a dance. 
  • Le Boom - Body & Soul (3am)
    • Hovered until I got a seat up at the back. Really worth staying out in the rain for this one, one of the gigs of the festival from this Irish duo.
I like this drone image from Saturday night.


Sunday 3 September

Trying to see the Hurling Final again was a disaster, I ended up hanging outside the Newstalk tent feeding off scraps, with 2018's final due on August 19th thankfully this won't be an issue - finally. It was not to be for Waterford but it was hard to deny Galway, it was their time.

  • Learn The Secrets Of Sourdough With ScĂ©al Bakery - Shane Palmer
    • I got some Sourdough mother culture from Shane and after schooling from Martin O'Gorman & Shane, I now am baking my own Sourdough every week. I've starter available if anyone wants some!
  • Paul Howard talking with Tom Dunne about his book about Tara Browne
  • Kelly Lee Owens - Little Big tent
    • A tip from Colin in Christchurch and I parked myself in front of the speaker right of the stage in Colin's honour. I knew nothing about her but needless this was a brilliant highlight to finish the festival for us.

I left on Sunday night for the first time having broken down camp in the morning. Tom Dunne played Simon and Garfunkel's Homeward Bound as I drove the empty backroads home. Not as many musical highlights as previous years but this wonderful festival is the highlight.

PLUR, Tom.

McG

  • Gig of the weekend: front row for Michael Kiwunaka, magic
  • Other moments: 
    • Tom Adams in Other Voices
    • Pretenders doing Back in the Chain Gang
    • Rag n Bone man singing "Human", great crowd buzz for that one                        
  • Other highlights: 
    • Saint Sister
    • Perfume Genius, yes
    • Kelly Lee Owens
    • Divine Comedy (something for the weekend and tonight we fly)
    • Tribe
    • London Grammar
    • Father John Missy 
    • Everything Everything (distant past)