Aaargh! All of a sudden it's only three sleeps until Electric Picnic and we're starting to feel vastly underprepared here in EI Towers. The realisation has struck that the tent which will house this scribe hasn't seen the light of day since it was packed up in a hurry at last year's festival, not to mention there is no evidence whatsoever to suggest where my wellies have ended up.. Also ahead is the inevitable pre-Electric Picnic visit to the nearest Tesco where we inevitably come home with a trolley full of booze and headache tablets. Minor quibbles aside; here is our second instalment of some acts to keep an eye out for at the Picnic this year. You can peruse our first list here and make sure to keep an eye on our Summer Festivals section for all the latest news and info for everything Picnic related!
Jape - Saturday | Electric Arena | 5.15pm
Richie Egan sure keeps himself busy. Between his duties with Redneck Manifesto, new-ish electro project VisionAir it's difficult to see where he finds the time for Jape, but find the time he does and the latest Jape LP Ocean of Frequency is set to hit the shelves on 30th September.
Arcade Fire - Saturday | Main Stage | 10pm
The Arcade Fire performance at Electric Picnic in 2005 is now regarded as a thing of legend and now, some six years later, the Canadian collective are returning to Stradbally - this time having won a Grammy and carrying the acclaim of being one of the biggest bands in the world. Their appearance on the main stage is sure to be one of the "can't miss" performances of the festival. Check out our interview with Arcade Fire here.
Public Enemy - Saturday | Electric Arena | 10.45pm
For close to thirty years now Public Enemy have been at the forefront of hip-hop. Chuck D and Flavor Flav cut very different figures on stage, with Flav's hyperactive stage manner acting in direct contrast to Chuck D's more reserved, deliberate presence. Although this does overlap with Arcade Fire, it might be worth watching a little of each. Have a looksee at our interview with Chuck D here.
Midlake - Saturday | Crawdaddy Stage | 8.15pm
Midlake are pretty much the definition of Americana rock. Their music is infused with warm chords and Tim Smith has an incredibly sweet voice. The Texan band recently provided the music for the recent John Grant album, who is also playing this weekend, so you may have more than one opportunity to catch these guys in action.
Toots & The Maytals - Saturday | Main Stage | 5.15pm
Frederick 'Toots' Hibbert may be pushing 66 years of age but his advanced years have not restricted his abilities to deliver incredible live performances fitting of his reputation as one of the pioneers of ska and reggae music. Granted, they clash with Jape but this could well be one of the sleeper hits of the entire weekend.
