For a few years I refused to be herded around corporate festivals, the end of story for me was the banning of campfires which tore the soul out of the festive experience. Those days were poverty for the soul- unfortunate enough to miss the Feiles, barely getting a glimpse in on the last "Day Trip To Tipp" and forced to survive on a diet of Slanes and Oxygen. Casting my thoughts back to life in the bog, this time of year was always filled with promise as the papers were scanned for announcements of upcoming festival dates. Little of that has really changed for anyone I know.

Well, roll up, roll up, the guessing game is over and we can all finally now rush out and join the paniced lines looking for tickets despite having nearly a whole season to get them sorted. The Electric Picnic website has just issued full details of the hotly discussed festival line up, and it is looking nowhere near as impressive as last years. Saying that would be leaping ahead like a like on Xmas day giddy to unravel its Barbie, as with all festivals there is bound to be more acts announced in the run up to the festival and thats usually where the kick in the balls comes in for late ticket buyers.

SO FAR ITS: Basement Jaxx, Massive Attack, New Order, Pet Shop Boys, Groove Armada, Anthony and the Johnsons, DJ Shadow, Damien Rice, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Frames, Devendra Banhart, Super Furry Animals, Belle & Sebastian, Rufus Wainwright (solo), Bloc Party, Alabama 3, The Rapture, Mad Professor, Saul Williams, Tom Vek, Gang of Four, David Kitt, Jim Noir, Rachid Taha, Elbow, Graham Coxon, Deus, The Boy Least Likely To, The Rags, The Dublin Gospel Choir, topped off with that friend of all things Electric – Gary Numan. And it doesn’t end here, the legendary Blue Nile - this is their only performance in the world this year.

The festival organisers are also falling all over themselves with several new gimicks added on this years. One being a whole new area within the festival site called the Big Tree which is "nature foundation being set up by Damien Rice and will feature a carbon neutral oasis of music, arts and organic food. " Sounds awful. Something that is bound to bring on something of a mini-revolution in the world of female urinary habits is the organisers installation of female urinals to cut back on queing times, slap a p-mate between your legs, open the waters into its miniture trough and "hey look - I'm pissing standing up - was there anything else you said I couldn't do?"

And there was me reared down the road from Stradbally and left with the impression it was just a breeding ground for rabid GAA fans and alcoholic priests.

Elsewhere: If anyone is interested, I published a collection of photos from today's demo organised to make the 21st birthday of Terence Wheelock who is one of many young people to die in Garda custody, under my Indymedia hat.

Labels: Electric Picnic, festival, Music