Okay. So I have been a bad blogger. A VERY bad blogger. And so much has happened since my last post to try and catch up on everything will be impossible, but suffice to say that I will do better in the future. I promise!
Electric Picnic was P.R.I.C.E.L.E.S.S!!! The whole gang camped together, there was about 40 of us in all (including 3 Crossans – much to my dismay my 16 year old brother was allowed to go, but ended up having great fun with him in the end) The girls and I went ahead with our ‘burlesque’ theme on Saturday and played up to the crowd in the Pussy Parlour in a big way!!!
Washed-up Burlesque Whores
The whole gang got into the fancy dress spirit!
Music-wise, highlights for me were KILA on the Main stage on Friday evening, New Young Pony Club enjoyed while eating one of the many steak sandwiches lovingly-made by a Kennedy, which I consumed over the weekend. Sigur Ros were incredible, really spectacular to see them at the Picnic and rounded off Friday night superbly. Rounded off may not be entirely truthful, as I did spent the following few hours wandering aimlessly through the campsites with my friend Sarah, casually dropping in on random campers (gangs of boys mostly!) posing as our alter East-End egos, Mee-shell and Kimber-lay. “Awrite dah-lin?!” 😉
The 12noon TweetUp at the Pink Boat was a struggle to make on Saturday morning (after 2 hours sleep) but it was great to hang out with FrankieP PeterD, DebbieMet, MaryRose and DavidMaybury. I was decked out in full burlesque clobber and armed with my good hubby fully suited and booted we created a fine stir around the Pink Boat early in the morning!
Pink Boat was the location for the tweetup
Carpet Salesman and Burlesque Whore
Post Pussy Parlour on Saturday afternoon, most of our gang under the guidance of the Kareoke King Rob
ert, we made our way to the Playstation Dome to get heavily involved with some Singstar Superstar. We took over the dome (and the stage) and had to be asked to leave after one too many dodgy singalongs with half of us on-stage and half of us off-stage laughing like mad!
Saturday evening was spent hanging out in the WONDERFUL Body and Soul area where a delightful young lady stumbled upon our little gang armed with a basket, a lot of coloured balloons and a tanks of laughing gas. Ciara on laughing gas, I hear you ask?!! …..You can only imagine the results!!! 😀
Vaguely remember catching some of George Clinton the godfather of funk at the main stage and not sure if I was still feeling the effects of the laughing gas, but wasn’t one of his band wearing an adult nappy???!!
Sunday started in much the same vein, with our campsite a-flurry with fancy mess antics. As 1 year had passed since my inflatable wedding to my 2 deliciously hunky (and drunky!) husbands; I decided to mark the anniversary by wearing the wedding dress again. (any excuse, eh?!) This year the black leather boots and whip really set the ensemble off!
Checked out Maeve Higgins at the International Comedy Tent on Sunday afternoon and was a bit morto when she annouced me in my bridal outfit to the whole crowd, while proclaiming…”Is that a man or a woman?!” THE SHAME!!! 🙂 Fair play to Maeve though, she apologised profusely and even Des Bishop gave me a wave from side of stage. 🙂
We were asked to perform at Asylum for band Sub Rosa as they were SO IMPRESSED with our burlesque attire and unnatural man-oevers (!) but most of the girls bloused out on the idea of corset and suspenders for the second day, Una and myself gladly obliged the band (not so ably assisted by James who took to the Asylum stage in a wheelchair)
He really belonged in an Asylum that day!
Sunday evening, we caught some Michael Franti’s second set of the weekend in Body and Soul and after a quick trip back to base for re-fueling of alcohol supplies hit up the Bodytonic tent for the first time this year. Modeselector was amazing, and we were right in front of the stage, crowd going mental!! I have to say I found the dance tents (there were 3 in total this year, including Bodytonic) being outside of the main arena very disjointing and I think they should bring them back into the arena next year. We spent so much time in Bodytonic last year, and because it was so far away, only got to it the once this year. The Bernard Shaw tent really should have been equipt with pooltables and buckfast to be true to the pub roots too!!
Due to the rain, we missed the burning of the Temple of Truth at 2am on the Sunday night. There was the most torrential downpour and everyone was forced to flee. The Temple itself though was a new entry to EP and harks to the “Burning Man” concept. Some of the things people had written on the Temple were truly moving and met some really nice people there when I hung out a bit on the Saturday night after Sigur Ros.
All in all, the Ecclectic Trip-nic was the highlight of the summer for me and although COMPLETELY different experience from last year, it definitly lived up to the premier festival in Ireland title which we have bestowed on it!! But for how long…? In only 1 year, the festival has grown so much and it really was a feast for the senses. It was too difficult to get around and see everything in only 2 and a half days and I definitly could have gone for another day! Is it getting too big?? Is there an opening for another ’boutique’ festival? I have heard reports from the Life festival which got rave reviews this year. I would just *hate* EP to turn into another Oxegen with teenagers trashing the place and ruining the lovely feel of the place. I hope it won’t and I am already looking forward to next year and what it will bring. Ooodles more fancy mess I imagine! 😀
She's Electric!
The Flying Cow 