Must-See Homegrown Talent @ Electric Picnic 2011

***As published on Red Radar on August 30th 2011***

Widely considered to be the highlight of Ireland’s heavily-populated summer festival calendar, the 8^th annual ELECTRIC PICNIC Music & Arts Festival returns to Stradbally from Friday 2nd – Sunday 4^th September.

One of the most exciting aspects of this year’s festival line-up is the high calibre of the Irish acts who will be holding their own amongst international heavyweight headliners such as Arcade Fire, Interpol, PJ Harvey, Pulp and The Chemical Brothers. Established Irish acts such as ASIWYFA, Gemma Hayes, Jape, James Vincent McMorrow, The Cast of Cheers, and Adebisi Shank are guaranteed to draw crowds and put on the kind of brilliant performances we’ve come to expect from them… But there are also some real hidden treasures to be found in the earlier time-slots on the bill, too. And so I present to you (in chronological order) five home-grown acts gracing the stages of this year’s Electric Picnic who you simply MUST get up n’ out of the campsites early for…

 LITTLE GREEN CARS – Friday, Electric Arena, 4:45PM

There’s a lot of buzz around Little Green Cars at the moment – and justifiably so. The young six-piece possess the kind of raw talent that is genuinely exciting – and following a very polished performance at this year’s Oxegen festival, they’re a must-see for this year’s Picnic. Expect top-notch musicianship, incredibly tight harmonies, and festival anthems in the making – such as the excellent ‘The John Wayne’:

 

BITCHES WITH WOLVES – Saturday, Electric Arena, 12:30PM

It’s been a busy summer for James O’Neill and Bitches With Wolves as they’ve taken on the festival circuit whilst simultaneously continuing to work on their eagerly-anticipated debut EP release. With an abundance of impossibly catchy electro-pop songs, an eye-catching stage setup, and the flawless vocal ability of O’Neill – Bitches With Wolves are guaranteed to put on a show to remember at this year’s Electric Picnic. We dare you not to dance along ‘Hurricane’…

 

LE GALAXIE – Saturday, Electric Arena, 1:30PM

If there’s one certainty for this year’s festival, it’s that Le Galaxie will do their very best to lift the roof off the Electric Arena. Le Galaxie have proven themselves to be one of the most unique and exciting live acts around at the moment – and quite frankly, you’d be MAD to miss them. The songs of debut album Laserdisc Nights II are performed with such energy and gusto onstage that it’s impossible not to dance along – so be there, and be prepared to throw some serious shapes. Oh, and bring glowsticks – a quick listen to the brilliant ‘Beyond Transworld’ will explain why…

 

THE DANGER IS – Sunday, Cosby Stage, 12:00PM

Featured on ‘Faces of 2011’ lists across the board following the release of debut EP last October, The Danger is has steadily impressed with a string of high-profile support slots and acclaimed festival performances. Quality tunes at her disposal, a quirky performance style, and that incredible voice – Niamh Farrell is a true star in the making, and is captivating to watch performing live. Check out the excellent ‘All For Gold’…

 

THE MINUTES – Sunday, Cosby Stage, 2:00PM

It’s been a very busy summer for The Minutes, conquering festivals one by one with their ferocious sound, both at home and in the UK. The songs of debut album Marcata work incredibly well in a live setting, and are delivered with such flair and confidence that it’s impossible not to be sucked into the raw rockin’ energy that The Minutes exude on stage. The band’s Electric Picnic set is guaranteed to be a high-octane affair from the get-go – have a taste of what to expect with epic set opener ‘Black Keys’…