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Following ASIWYFA and Cashier No.9 headlining big venues in Belfast (and ahead of and doing the same in the coming weeks) will do their own show at the gi-normous Mandela Hall this Saturday night. To celebrate this (and flag up the bands appearance on tonight's ATL), I spoke to singer Niall Kennedy.

It's the first in an occasional series of chats with local bands overÌýan instantÌýmessaging / chatÌýserviceÌý(in this case Facebook chat - Niall didn't have anything else) that will be copied and pasted, totallyÌýunedited onto this very blog.

So, with only three words removed (in the interest of common decency), here's our conversation in full...

8:02pm - Niall is online

8:02pm - rigsy: CAN YOU HEAR ME

8:03pm - Niall: word!

8:04pm - Niall: so this is for atl blog right?

8:04pm - rigsy: yup. i'll put it up tomorrow. word for word. ahead of youz being on the show tomorrow night. i want to get to know the real niall kennedy. ask questions i wouldn't ask face to face.

8:04pm - Niall: aaaah

8:04pm - rigsy: ;-);-)

8:04pm - rigsy: ha ha

8:05pm - Niall: 6 and half inches

8:05pm - rig: okay, so first things first, don't swear

8:05pm - Niall: rightio

8:05pm - rigsy: or make references to your genetalia like you just did. in fact, swear now. get it out of your system.

8:05pm - Niall: ****io!

8:05pm - rigsy: lovely stuff. RIGHT. so what can you see around you, where are you?

8:06pm - Niall: RIGHT. im sitting at rickys house and his flat mates are all watching lord of war

8:06pm - rigsy: what's lord of war? ricky's yr drummer, right?

8:07pm - Niall: a film with nicholas cage, its moderately good

8:07pm - Niall is offline

8:07pm - Niall: yes he is indeed

8:07pmÌý- rigsy: did you go and see cashier no 9? i think i saw you there

8:08pm - Niall: yes and robyn g shiels, absoloutley lefal

8:08pm - rigsy: all these bands doing big gigs. cashier, ASIWYFA

8:08pm - Niall: its great isnt it

8:08pm - rigsy: general fiasco and the answer to come. is there a healthy competition? were you looking about the empire, sold out as it was (near enough) and thinking "i hope this many people come on saturday"

8:09pm - Niall: massive turnout last night too, great to see, its only encouraging for us really as its showing how healthy the music scene is at the minute

8:09pm - rigsy: yeah totally, but surely it puts pressure on all you guys in bands

8:10pm - Niall: yeah i mean i hope its a good turnout on saturday but we're gonna do the same show no matter how many people turn up. play our guts out and have as much fun as possible

8:11pm - rigsy: are you taking as much... i dunno, inspiration and general encouragement from seeing local bands than your favourite touring bands?

8:11pm - Niall: plus im looking forward to seeing the computers more than i am tp playing! yeah, when we're in the van on tour i'd say we probably listen to just as much local music as anything else

8:11pm - rigsy: i was talking to luke last night, yr guitarist or bassist?!

8:11pm - Niall: i really rate a lot of local bands genuinely

8:12pm - rigsy: bassist!

8:12pm - Niall: master basser

8:12pm - rigsy: i think he worries about you, ha ha. its very sweet

8:12pm - Niall: he should be more worried about looking like ken since he came back from holiday

8:12pm - rigsy: youz have a wee bit of a reputation like, for being... loose cannons

8:13pm - Niall: too loose almost

8:14pm - rigsy: who's the loosest cannon in panama kings

8:14pm - Niall: but still firing

8:14pm - rigsy: careful now ;-);-)

8:14pm - Niall: rickys a dark horse, he's secretly ridiculously loose. definitely the loosest in the band

8:15pm - rigsy: luke seems pretty sensible, does he reign you guys in? when he needs to, like

8:16pm - Niall: im sure ive reigned him in a few times, i keep him on a pretty tight leash though so i didnt have to reign him in too far

8:16pm - rigsy: is anyone in your band barred from any local venues? you don't have to name venue or band member ;-);-)

8:18pm - Niall: there've been a few issues with certain venues in belfast but we've always managed to resolve the situation and 9 times out of 10 theres been a misunderstanding, we're pretty harmless

8:18pm - rigsy: yeah of course you are, there's no doubt that anything like that is down to... sillyness. no malice, like.

8:19pm - Niall: of course, i mean if there were no venues where would we play! these places are our homes, its just sometimes there are people who are inÌýour homes that are d***s

8:20pm - rigsy: what ya mean?

8:20pm - Niall: haha! all in jest of course!

8:20pm - rigsy: do you ever think like if (WHEN!!!) youz proper get big what kind of a frontman you'll be and the...i dunno, responsibility that comes with fronting the band representing the band like, with fans and in interviews and stuff? cause youz are defo a tight unit, but the frontman always has to represent

8:21pm - Niall: yeah i suppose the bigger you get the more people who are aware of you and may take notice of things you do or say. its hard to say. i guess ill cross that bridge if i have to!

8:23pm - rigsy: ha ha. not trying to freak you out ;-);-) i don't know anyone who doesn't think you're a GBOL, but does that even matter? IT SHOULD BE JUST ABOUT THE MUSIC, MAN

8:24pm - Niall: whats that stand for now?

8:24pm - rigsy: great bunch of lads

8:24pm - Niall: i only know gsoh

8:24pm - rigsy: whats gsoh?

8:24pm - Niall: good sense of humour. dont tell me youve never placed an ad in lonely hearts!

8:24pm - rigsy: you go on many dating sites?

8:24pm - Niall: haha!

8:24pm - rigsy: ha ha. so how would your ad go?

8:25pm - Niall: whats gbol then?

8:25pm - rigsy: great bunch of lads!

8:25pm - Niall: ah i see!

8:25pm - rigsy: so what would you put in your lonely hearts ad

8:26pm - Niall: id say

8:27pm - rigsy: you're really thinking about this...

8:27pm - Niall: something so witty i cant write it here

8:27pm - rigsy: or yr connection has gone down. ha ha. BOO

8:27pm - Niall: im talking to chris wee too by the way. he says hello. i asked im he had a message for you

8:27pm - rigsy: hi chris! tell him i'll have a three way with him and tony before ASIWYFA play the ulster hall

8:28pm - Niall: Chris. i'd say what up bro u spinnin them decks tonight hae/

8:28pm - rigsy: THREE WAY CHAT

8:28pm - Niall: haha!

8:28pm - rigsy: right, lets do some proper interview questions. be professional. if you had two friends asking about what your band were like...

8:29pm - Niall: ok lets do this thing

8:29pm - rigsy: first one isn't really into music, so you have to make the references really broad. what would you tell her?

8:30pm - Niall: id say its pop music

8:31pm - rigsy: she's interested and says, 'what like chart stuff?'

8:31pm - Niall: thats pretty broad but we probably fall into pop more than rock or dance or indie

8:31pm - rigsy: okay cool. your second friend is really into her music (notice how your friends are both girls). she knows her stuff but has never heard panama kings. what do you tell her? what do you think the best reference points are? for a fellow muso, like...

8:33pm - Niall: indie dance rock pop. haha!

8:33pm - rigsy: eye but she's asking who youz sound like, and who you specifically sound like

8:33pm - Niall: id be all, nah were not that pop! haha. ah right bands? ok

8:34pm - rigsy: well yeah. she wants to know what to expect from your tracks. not who influences you. who you think you've ended up sounding like. the band in general, not you personally

8:35pm - Niall: well maybe along the lines of modest mouse, friendly fires, flamin lips, pixies,

8:36pm - rigsy: and what about your voice? it's pretty distinctive, like. any singers you'd like to sound like or that you think you sound like? or is it hard to be objective

8:36pm - Niall: yeah, panama kings was prtty much the first band i sung in, and id never really tried very much before that. so i just went with what came out. i dont want to disguise it yknow

8:37pm - rigsy: why would you?!

8:37pm - Niall: it is not to evryones taste. maybe not even mine but its all i have!

8:37pm - rigsy: ha ha, ya serious?! i dunno. i think you're being over sensitive ;-);-)

8:38pm - Niall: well maybe, maybe not!

8:38pm - rigsy: better to have a distinctive voice that not everyone lieks than have a normal, run of the mill voice that no one ever mentions ;-);-) when you're in the studio

8:39pm - Niall: yeah definiely

8:39pm - rigsy: and you are listening back to a vocal take, but theres no music. do you find that hard? the way people hate hearing their own voice

8:40pm - rigsy: gonnna let you go very shortly btw

8:41pm - Niall: no its not too bad, it was a little embarassing at the start i guess but i just sort of said to myself, right your the singer in this band and this is what your voice sounds like so accept it and get on with it!

8:41pm - rigsy: nice one. thats a good attitude

8:41pm - Niall: yeah its good to be honest with yourself

8:41pm - rigsy: right saturday night. headlinging the mandela. thats massive. are youz an ambitious band? or do you have ambitious management or what?

8:41pm - Niall: yeah were not taking it lightly. well dee and rod apporached us and said we want you to headline the mandela

8:42pm - rigsy: dee and rod from the queens student union

8:42pm - Niall: i dont think we'd have considered it for at least another 6 months. yeah. unless they'd said

8:42pm - rigsy: are you checking ticket sales and stuff? or are you trying to concentrate on just being the singer in your band?

8:43pm - Niall: exactly. i cant really think about whether or not people will turn up

8:43pm - rigsy: is anyone in the band checking ticket sales and fretting about that side of things?

8:43pm - Niall: weve postered like mad. flyered. facebooked. myspaced. emailes

8:43pm - rigsy: personally?

8:43pm - Niall: so people will come if they want! yeah dont tell my mum about the postering tho

8:44pm - rigsy: heh

8:44pm - Niall: she keeps painting over them in green paint

8:44pm - rigsy: right, before i let you get back to your dodgy film, name the support acts and i'll link in their myspaces. and give me one short sentence about each

8:46pm - Niall: are really full on, a million miles an hour hardcore for fans of the bronx and cancer bats and such like. saw them at the great escape and was blown away

8:46pm - rigsy: ONE SENTENCE ;-);-)

8:47pm - Niall: haha. i gotta break dem rules riggers

8:47pm - rigsy: ha. what a maverick! this is what i was talking about, youz are loose cannons

8:48pm - Niall: born to be wild man. i cant help it, its my destiny

8:49pm - rigsy: the other bands then... i've got movies to watch too. when i say movies i mean episodes of friends

8:50pm - Niall: ok and we found online, reccomendations from people we respected and just really loved everything about them, so excited to see them both live, i thinks gonna be really special.

8:50pm - rigsy: sounds good. saturday night then. we'll be plugging it loads on the show, we're really excited for you guys, honestly

8:51pm - Niall: have you ever watched 30 rock?

8:51pm - rigsy: buzzing!

8:51pm - Niall: if not you really should

8:51pm - rigsy: i don't know what that is. i'm on a DVD-a-thon tonight. american office. mad men season 2. the inbetweeners. which i don't think is that good

8:52pm - Niall: what u got?

8:52pm - rigsy: what i just said ya maniac. gonna make a thai green curry too :-):-) but here, i'll let ya get on. we'll see you on the show tomorrow

8:53pm - Niall: love the american office. okey doke. good chattin to you

8:53pm - rigsy: and saturday - i hope it absolutely slays, i can't wait. BYE BYE

8:53pm - rigsy: xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

8:53pm - Niall: cheeers man! see ye shem!

I know saying this now is the equivalent to shouting 'WHASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSUP' a good two years after those irritating adverts, but really is great craic. Seriously.

In the last year or so, I've learned more about a handful of musicians and celebrities I'm intrigued by or admire than I would by watching (or doing!) any number of "insightful" interviews. I know what they're like when they're not in work mode - when they're off the leash and able to say what's °ù±ð²¹±ô±ô²âÌýon their mind. And it turns out most of them are reassuringly daft, insecure and... well, human. Twitter makesÌýeveryone lookÌýhuman.

My favourite twit is . Mostly he posts up utter nonsense - gibberish about what he's eating and distress at what's on TV or what's not in the mini-bar. Surprisingly entertaining stuff. But he's at his best when he's raging and at his best again when he's raging at some poor kid. You see, Calvin Harris checks who's mentioned his name. Religiously.ÌýOnce, a grumpy teenager slagged him off, as you would if you're... well, a grumpy teenage. Calvin replied with something along the lines of "how many number one singles have you had? That's right... none!!"

So Calvin is insecure, easily wound up and gets into pointless online rows with people he shouldn't pay any attention to. Like quite a few of us, I'd imagine.

The latest person to unveil a vaguely unpleasant side to their personality was legendary DJ . Convinced his Berlin counterpart had stolen and released a sampleÌýFelix hadÌýoriginally recordedÌýwith P Diddy, Felix briefly lost his mind, posting up after of unadulterated bile for all the world to see. Don't get me wrong - if anything I love Felix even more afterÌýfinding out thatÌýhis temper (and indeed hisÌý) is as bad as mine.

Then you've . The Chic frontman, in his 50s, is never done spreading the love. before ATL even had the review up - that really is saying something.

As for the tabloid-y end of Twitter - car crash conversations between the likes of and are always fun. Just today she was getting the boot into his show, personally . All the while, . Boke.

Some celebs spend too much time on Twitter. , for a start. I know way too much about this man. If I met him in the street, I could talk to him for hours. But then again he seems to spend half his time online talking to absolute strangers and making with random members of the public. It's admirable. No disrespect to the likes of , but she's an example of someone who avoids the randoms and only seems to speak to her peers - in this case . Her updates are a treasure trove of great newÌýtuneage, though.

What makes all this so much fun is the fact it's so easy to get involved. Without much effort, I've had direct (and public) replies from a couple of my favourite DJs ( and ). Obviously they have no idea who I am, but thought my comment on a track or whatever was somehow worth acknowledging. Best of all, I've had a full on conversation with a man who is literally my number one hero and my favourite human - Mr . We discussed and . It was the most excited I've been in front of a computer screen in my life.

But to sum up, let me tell you about the most brilliantly ludicrous celeb encounter I'll ever have. Once, I told , (yes, ) about the album. Everyone saw. I felt like a made man.

Thanks Twitter, you made that day.

Ìý

Ìý

note: for ATL updates via Twitter, go . For the unedited rantings of a lunatic, go .

I was a late developer... when it came to decent music. The first album I owned was byÌý in 1986, the first I bought was Thriller in 1987. Even when I got my first CD player at the age of about 14, I was in toÌý. I didn't have a clue.

Luckily, my sister fixed me. I'd already developed an obsession with around late 1993, listening to nothing else but their first seven albums for about a year before getting ridiculously excited about . Our Karen developed that obsession and tried her best to make it the basis forÌýthe development of taste. She told me about - I'd go on to learn the entire album on that acoustic guitar I'd just learned to play.

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1. The EP crowd are older, supposedly bigger music fans and generally considered to be better behaved and more civil than your average festival gathering. But the big test was a load of mud, which usually brings ourt the worst in people. Thankfully, EP passed and everyone just carried on regardless with a smile on their face. No complaints, no mud fights, no madness.

2. Kiddies learning to rock out with their mums and dads at the fringes of tents in their wee headphones. Cue collective 'awwwwwwws' from our female colleagues. And a few from an increasingly broody Rigsy.

3. Quite a specific one, but indulge us - we loved the wee backstage black shaggy-haired dog behind the beer tent in a hi-vis vest

4. The kindly guys who winched the ATL van out of the muck on day two just as we were about to record Sugarhill Gang - we (and hip-hop) thank you.

5. The tractor thing that invaded Bangor lads Two Door Cinema Club as they started their set, prompting an evacuation and several hairy men to shout at one another. The most bizarre of all stage invasions.

6. The kid right down the front at The Flaming Lips, hanging over the barrier, singing every single word of 'Yoshimi' and 'Do You Realize'. He couldn't have been older than ten. Ìý

7. Pie, chips, gravy and mushy peas for the price of a pint (a pricey pint mind you).

8. Lisa Hannigan charming five thousand people on Saturday evening. Seriously, could this woman be any sweeter?

9. The mime artist body-popping to Major Lazer.

10. The Drag cabaret show. One of the most most random things ATL has ever saw at EP - and trust us, that's saying something.

11. Team ATL getting to dance with the Flaming Lips. Well, Amy and Rigsy anyway - Steven and Warren didn't grab a costume in time and almost missed out. Steven was practically on suicide watch, describing the moment he realized he wasn't getting on as "the most crushing thing that hasÌýever happened to me". The look on his wee face when he triumphantly ran onstage half way through their set in a Yeti outfit that had been discarded by a tired dancer was absolutely priceless. He looked like he was going to literally burst with excitement. Bless.

12. The ability to go from seeing an angolan rap/house act to an americana bluegrass show in a mere 5 minutes.

13. Security guards who, rather than acting with open and unbridled hostility, actually enquire after your wellbeing without solicitation and wish you a safe trip home. Other festivals, take note.

14. The "esprit de (press) corps" in the media tent. Everyone is totally lovely and free of tragic lingo bingo. Susan and Dee, the lovable girls from the press association, the girl from Heineken Music, that English bloke with the floppy hair, the guy with the Weezer glasses who let you taste his chicken pie, the girl from Derry we kind of fancied a bit, the big photographer guy who always sorts us out with the photos we couldn't get and yer man we just called 'Q Magazine'. Magic. Again, other festivals, take note.

15. Northern Ireland taking the lead against Poland, our wee bit of the press area erupting with a sudden burst of celebratory noise and the rest of the place being utterly bemused, thinking the Republic must have scored against Cyprus. "Feckin' Nordies!!!"

16. ATL getting into the spirit of it all a little too much and making a total spectacle of themselves on Saturday night. We argue that a good 'work/play' ratio is important to keep morale and productivity high.

17. The sit down, authentic Japanese restaurant that was the location for a rather romantic half hour break for one particular member of team ATL. It was possible to disappear and feel like you weren't at a festival at all - sometimes a good thing.

18. Body & Soul in general. Just a beautiful place to get lost in. Four Tet played an extra gig there on Saturday night, you know.

19. All-night forest raves. ATL didn't quite make it, but all reports point to a lot of lost minds.

20. The announcement that EP is all set for its return in 2010. Please - never go away.

How do you teach an old punk new tricks? After years of listening to the likes of the Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, and The Minutemen, I kind of tune out to any mention of "chilling out", or "having good vibes", in favour of righteous punk rock fury. So it was with no small amount of confusion that your correspondent found himself in the much vaunted Body and Soul area of Electric Picnic.

One of the many things that distinguishes Electric Picnic from other major festivals is the unique atmosphere it creates. This is not just a weekend of big bands and partying, but a completely immersive experience, where one quickly leaves any notion of the 'real world' behind. Partly this is down to the selection of bands on display, which are carefully chosen to reflect Electric Picnic's reputation as a truly alternative festival, but partly it's because so much attention is focussed on atmosphere.

Alongside the usual stalls and food vendors, one can find all manner of information points, holistic healing booths, shops selling books of esoteric lore, or even a spiritual healing tunnel (shaped like a big dragon, or something). Smack in the middle of everything lies the Mindfield, which hosted a variety of spoken word appearances, and more left-field performances, including an Irish language tent. It says something for the quality of entertainment on display here that it always seemed to have a healthy number of people milling about, despite being right between the Electric Arene stage, the Crawdadddy Stage, and the Main Stage.

However, this is nothing in comparison to the huge Body and Soul area, situated some distance from the main stage. Amidst a grove of trees, there lies a different world, so much so that one can quickly become lost and forget that the rest of the festival is taking place. This is an area unlike anything witnessed at the likes of Oxegen, and it is crucial to the appeal of Electric Picnic.

I found myself making the journey to the Body and Soul area on Saturday evening, after finding myself with a gap in my schedule. Initially reluctant to go in, I was pressured into taking that great step by two friends who told me that I would love the place. Every fibre of me being was resistant to what I expected to find there, and it was with no small amount of concern that I crossed the threshold into this hippie paradise.

The first thing one should do upon entering the Body and Soul area is to leave all preconceptions behind. If the thought of dreadlocked hippies being spiritual together, be warned: this is their turf, and you are merely an interloper. Immediately upon going through the wooden entrance, I found myself surrounded by people in tie-dye beating drums, and trying to buy the cab fare to nirvana. My first reaction was one of complete and absolute horror.

A quick scout around the main area did nothing to weaken my fears as I found all manner of people being groovy to each other, and doing their best to recreate the sixties. Trance music blared out of the speakers, mingling with dancehall reggae and - strangely enough - Leonard Cohen, creating an unholy mixture of chilled out hippy vibes and misery. I wanted to run around wearing my Husker Du t-shirt, throwing over tables of beads and trinkets, but managed to remain in control for the time being.

The layout of the Body and Soul area actively encourages people to get stuck in and have a rake about. As well as stalls and shops, there are "wishing areas", "paths of mystery", and "enchanted walkways" (My descriptions, not theirs... I think). Sunken into the ground is the main stage, with the natural contours of the earth creating a kind of arena, where bands and djs seemed to be perpetually doing something, whilst a pretty impressive laser display created tiny red, green and blue dots over everything. Further round the main walkway lay a more relaxed area, with a pool lit by oil lanterns, chairs made out of turf, and a huge winged serpent, where people were encouraged to walk through and have a spiritual re-birth...or something.

Eventually settling on an area made out of a tree resembling a hobbit hole, I sat down on a wooden bench to catch my thoughts. My solitude was immediately destroyed by a liquid splashing on my head, and I looked up to see two hippies in the tree who'd accidentally spilt a drink on me. Despite the fact that they had unbalanced my chi, they were very apologetic, so I was quick to forgive them. Also my attention was disturbed by a drumming group nearby, who were just starting out, pounding out some tribal rhythms, whilst decked in fairy lights.

I ventured over to investigate, and discovered it to be Beat 'N' Drum, from Belfast. This drumming group is becoming quite a fixture at festivals and outdoor events, and a large crowd quickly developed around them. Almost immediately, people started dancing and getting into the spirit of things, whilst the group kept things tight and exciting. They're very well rehearsed, and this allowed some of the more over exuberant amongst us to show off some of their more amazing dance moves, with two small children easily winning the prize for the best dancing on display all weekend. Indeed, even your humble correspondent found himself busting a few moves, using muscles he never knew he had.

After this, I was drawn towards a stage made entirely of wooden pallets (dubbed the "12th of July Stage" by my companion), where fire dancers were juggling and performing to an enraptured crowd. Despite the fact that the Saturday night line-up included 2 Many DJs, Chic, and Madness, it seemed that there was no shortage of people who felt that this part of the festival was where it's at, and I found myself very surprised to be agreeing with them.

The more one stays in the Body and Soul area, the easier it is to get sucked into it's charm. In the end, I opted to remain there and just soak it up, attaining levels of relaxation I didn't think were possible. Sitting in my little grove, with cup of organic coffee in my hand, I realised that I had found my own little corner of nirvana.

In order to redress the karmic balance, I suppose I'll have to form a hardcore band or something, but it's been worth the cost.

Body and Soul area, Sunday 6th, 7.00pm

Looking like a mixture of Captain Caveman and Francois Hardy, Golden Animals are an unusual proposition. Pounding out primal garage rock, they shatter the serenity of the normally blissed out Body and Soul area, and more than likely melt a few heads.

Howling from beyond hell, jagged guitars pummel the audience into submission, whilst the rhythm just keeps on marching on. It's dark, and at times recalls Jim Morrison at his self-mythologizing best, and it's utterly perfect for this time of day. The Body and Soul area perhaps draws the biggest number of festival casualties, the sick and the damned, and those who can party no more, and a band like Golden Animals serve as a wake up call to remind us that we are at a music festival, after all. Heads are turned, eyes are rubbed, and people start to come back to life. It's not a massive crowd, to be fair, but we all seemed to be paying attention.

The music itself is clearly '60s influenced (as is the look of the band) but it doesn't come across as derivative. Neither is it in thrall to the garage rock revival of the early part of this decade, as spearheaded by the White Stripes. This boy/girl duo may be thrashing through the sixties, but they sure ain't Jack and Meg White, making the White Stripes look positively cuddly in comparison. This is the apocalyptic, 'Altamont' kind of sixties, and your correspondent is lapping it up.

More of this kind of thing, please.

Describe in a tweet: Wake up... time to die!

Good Vibrations: The sound was rough and raw, and seemed to be scorching through my brain-hole. Which is a good thing.

Life's a Beach: The massively "over-refreshed" fellow who was wandering around, "interacting" with the audience. I didn't envy him when it was his turn to wake up the next day...

EP Rating: 7/10

Crawdaddy Stage, Sunday 6th, 5.30pm

From being titans of cool in the eighties, to managing to pull off one of the few credible comebacks after a decade of absence, Echo and the Bunnymen have always managed to deliver the goods, crafting new material that stands up alongside a t back catalogue jam packed with stone cold classics.

So what happened to them at Electric Picnic, then? Shuffling onto the stage like a bunch of surly teenagers, the Bunnymen kicked of with a pretty storming version of 'Rescue' which blew away the cobwebs and had your correspondent screeching like a harpy. Then they banged straight into 'Villier's Terrace', and the place went wild.

So far, so good. The cracks become evident when 'Villier's Terrace' mutates into a run-through of 'Roadhouse Blues' by the Doors. And from here on in, it becomes the "Ian McCullough sing-a-long karaoke challenge". Few are spared in the onslaught to come, with the band repetitively jamming on in auto-pilot, whilst McCullough butchers the classics. Barely acknowledging the crowd, McCullough puts on a less that transcendental performance, gazing into the middle distance, crooning half-hearted 'reinventions' of the classics, and occasionally uttering instructions to the sound desk. The Bunnymen have long had a tradition of incorporating other people's material into their own songs, turning it on it's head and putting it in a new context, but this is not what took place here. 'Legendary', it is not.

Another problem is that Will Sargent is notably absent from the proceedings. Despite having a reputations as one of THE guitar heroes of the post-punk era, Sargent is barely present in the mix, occasionally cutting through the sound with a crystal clear guitar line which reminds us why we're here. But it's not enough to rescue the sinking ship.

Equipment problems actually enhance the set, with a Sargent's out of tune twelve string guitar giving 'The Killing Moon' an unexpectedly comedic edge, and a bass guitar malfunction prompting McCullough to temporarily rouse from his torpor, to crack a few gags.

By the end, ATL is actually glad they've finished, such is the complete failure of their set. The Bunnymen have been a touchstone for a whole generation of bands seeking to inject mystery and romanticism into their music, but now they've completely been left behind, looking like a tired old pub band. Finally, the imitators have beaten the masters, as the Bunnymen struggle to reclaim any of the dynamics or tensions that once made their music so thrilling.

"Nothing ever lasts forever," croons McCullough. He's right, it would appear, as my love for Echo and the Bunnymen gets lain to rest.

Describe in a tweet: Echo and the Boringmen.

Good Vibrations: The material from 1983's "Porcupine" sounds sparkling, giving a tantalising glimpse of what could have been.

Life's a Beach: McCullough murdering 'Walk on the Wild Side'. One wag standing nearby was overheard to opine, "If I'd wanted to hear someone ruin this song, I'd go and see Lou Reed."

EP Rating: 4/10

Crawdaddy Stage, Sunday 6th September, 7:15pm

Walking up to the tent I think to myself that a) that's a massive crowd for a singer songwriter and b) Fionn Regan sounds awfully like Crosby, Stills and Nash these days. Of course, it turns out I've ended up at Fleet Foxes by accident so I run round to the Crawdaddy Stage as quick as I can.

When I get there it's clear this is where the folk feeling a little tender on this festival Sunday evening have come. Fionn is alone on the stage armed with his amazing sounding guitar, finger picking notes that lull us into a world far away from the festival hubbub.Ìý

It's not long to he plays 'Be Good or Be Gone' and it reminds me just how great Fionn Regan is. His band joins him for 'Hey, Rabbit' pulling a few punters out of their soothed trance. Followed by a new song which is loud. And angry! With a little hint of Pink Floyd thrown in for good measure. It's certainly different from 'The End of History' material.

A while ago he put a demo called 'Protection Racket' up on myspace and live this song seems to resemble the Libertines with an Irish Bob Dylan on vocals. He thanks the crowd for attentively listening to his new tunes before launching into the final song of the set (which I *think* was called Jealous Side). It has a bit of a "Subterranean Ö÷²¥´óÐãsick Blues" via the Kinks vibe about it and Fionn rips his nail off in the excitement. This is his focus for the rest of the set, but he's done good.

Overall, Fionn Regan is indeed brilliant. I'm not totally convinced of the new material and yearn more for his quieter moments. But I'll reserve judgment until I hear the record and hopefully see him again during the Belfast Festival in October.

Describe In A Tweet: Great performance but a little unsure of the new material.

Good Vibrations: "Be Good or Be Gone" finger picking magic.

Life's a Beach: Fionn ripping his nail of and announces "I'll probably need a stitch on that"

EP Rating: 7/10

Cosby Stage, Sunday 6th September, 3:45pm

The Acorn are one of those bands that on record sound good but live sound amazing. Maybe it's the fact you can see exactly what they are doing. Their two percussionists create driving and subtle beats with a tinge of African and Latin rhythms throwing into the folk rock set. It's the rim shoots and drum thumps that really are the back bone to this band. But it's mixed with delicate layers on guitars, ukuleles and three part harmonies.

They play the likes of Dents, Hold Your Breath, and my personal favorite, Crooked Legs around a few new tunes that sound a wee bit less 'folk' and a little more 'rock'. But it's the subtle layers and attention to detail that makes this band stand out. Short and beautiful guitar licks envelop round the rest of the song - not demanding attention but adding to the song as a whole.

You can't help be endeared by them because of their beautiful music and their on stage banter. Referring to the festival weather that the Irish must be accustomed to, lead singer Rolf Klausener praised us for being 'robust people'. This some how lead to the guitarist wanting to dip us all in a fat fryer and eat us with cheese curds. Not sure where the connection was but I'll go along with that.

They finish off with Floods Part. 2 and it's just hit me how much this song borrows from African music - the beat and the beautiful guitar licks that intertwine the vocals. It's heavier and more shambolic than on record, but in a totally brilliant way. The Acorn areÌý Ìý

Describe in a Tweet: Strange on-stage banter and amazing music.Ìý

Good Vibrations: My conclusion - there really should be two drummers as standard in all bands...Ìý

Life's a Beach: Maybe a few songs sound a little similar but that's just me trying to be awkward.

EP Rating: 8/10

Cosby Stage, Sunday 6th September, 5pm

Knowing pretty much nothing about Bell Orchestre, I had no real idea of what to expect. I walked into the tent and instantly I knew it was a good choice to try pot luck. In front of me, is indeed, a mini orchestra - percussion, bass, violin, trumpet, French horn and a lap steel guitar.

They're making incredibly atmospheric music that reminds me a little of early Calexico and the Cinematic Orchestra. But it's not totally straight cinematic sounds either - at times it gets really disjointed and juxtaposed with strange rhythms and epic effects on the brass. At one stage I'm left scratching my head as the French horn seems to be replicating the sound of a theremin.Ìý

It took me a while to click, but after digging my brain to find why they looked familiar, I realised that half of this band are in Arcade Fire. And that Arcade Fire vibe is certainly present - claps, soaring strings, beautiful break downs and driving beats. But this instrumental band are more akin to The Penguin Cafe Orchestra mixed with some thing a bit more intense and awkward.

I still can't define exactly what it is Bell Orchestre do, but it's something I urge you all to witness as soon as you can!

Describe in a Tweet: Beautiful and edgy cinematic set from members of Arcade Fire.

Good Vibrations: The drummer doing some strange, disjointed beat that grows into a thunderous roar.

Life's A Beach: Runs the risk of being a little 'same-y' at times.

EP Rating: 8/10

Electric Arena, Sunday 6th September, 5.30pm

With a couple of hits and played out remixes under their belts and a second album ready to go, it's resonable to expect Simian Mobile Disco will have developed some kind of a decent live show. They haven't.

Describe in a tweet: Good tunes badly presented.

Good Vibrations: The tracks played out are all great, don't get us wrong. 'Sleep Deprivation' is dark and vicious, 'It's the Beat' is bouncy and fun. 'Audacity of Huge' is a decent stab at pop-crossover and 'Hustler' is becoming something of a classic.
Ìý
Life's a beach: The problem is that this really does seem like a "hit play then mince about" kind of "performance". ATL has no issue with dance acts not doing much onstage as long as the effort has been put in developing the set and lighting before the tour begins. But with SMD there's no visual aspect worth writing home about and those tracks are barely reworked. We appreciate these guys are usually pretty busy producing other peoples' records, moonlighting with the Arctic Monkeys and DJingÌýat every hole in the hedge, but they really should take five minutes out to decide how the Simian Mobile Disco live experience can somehow become even vaguely special.

EP rating: 5/10

Cosby Stage, Sunday 6th, 3.15pm

It's the start of the Americana afternoon at Electric Picnic. Okkervil River kick of proceedings, with The Acorn and Bell Orchestre soon after. The Texan 6-piece start their set with the the docile 'Plus Ones'. It really is lovely Sunday morning music, perfect for anyone with fuzzy heads, jippy tummies and tired eyes. The Latest Toughs and Real Blood go down well too. Okkervil work through the guts of their three albums - Black Sheep Boy, The Stage Names and last years The Stand Ins. And for those who know the band it's a brilliant tight set, and for those who were just sheltering for the first rain of the festival - they seemed to enjoy it too. The clouds seem to be lifting as Okkervil River finish their last song. Hopefully this is the start of another great day of music in Stradbally.

Describe in a tweet: From Texas to Laois and back again. yeo!

Good Vibrations:ÌýThe sound of Real Blood, perfect really perfect

Life's a beach:ÌýNothing really, except for the rain. oh the rain.

EP rating: 6/10

Electric Arena, Sunday 6th September, 2pm

Almost an hour later than scheduled, due to apparent rogue heavy machinery trying to stage invade during our boys Two Door Cinema Club's set and New Jersey's finest finally rock up. Sure they're older than our da, but gone are the spandex and dayglo in favour of thinking gentleman's B-boy attire but they still look pretty fly. This is age-appropriate Sugarhill Gang. There is very little, if any cussing, just funky beats, charm and some badass basslines from Master Gee, Wonder Mike, DJ Rob da Noize and Hendogg. We have to respect that. They can bring some street, but you don't have to hide grandma or the kids. Unless, of course, you want to...

Describe in a tweet: The original Bloc Party in the house (ok then, tent...).

Good Vibrations:ÌýConsumate pros, its all about call and response, banter with the crowd and playing the hits. We're talking era shaking hits like 'Rapper's Delight' and their version of Apache. Despite having a massive fallout over sampling rights back in the day, Nile Rodgers had paid homage on the very same stage the previous night to the crew's "appropriation" of his bass riff but its still great to hear the original flavour delivered by rap's first top ten artists. They seem to be representing all old school hip-hop, even dropping some beats from their counterparts across the Hudson, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. Oh, here's 'The Message' and the evergreen 'White Lines' popping into the setlist..? Don't mind if we do.

Life's a beach: Halfway through and Master Gee gets behind the kit and the others assume positions on keys and bass for a full live band run through of some funk numbers. We're impressed, but at times it comes loose and we'd rather the beats were anchored from a set of decks than a drumstool. We're not convinced the live tribute to Jacko was that well advised. You can try to play the Billie Jean beat, but if you ain't got Quincy Jones at the sound desk, it'sÌýalways going toÌýsound weak in comparison. We feel the love though.

EP rating: 8/10

Main stage, Sunday 6th September, 2pm

Here's the concept - DJ Shadow's 1996 masterpiece 'Endtroducing' will be performed fully live, by eight musicians.

Describe in a tweet: An impressive tribute to an astonishing collection of songs..

Good Vibrations: Does it work then? Absolutely. A stunning performance with impressive attention to detail and some incredible musicianship. The scratching on 'The Number Song', the cello on 'Stem', the sax on 'What does your Soul Look Like?', those ridiculous drums on 'Mutual Slump' - it's all totally live. Even those cheeky little vocal samples are impersonated by our two vocalists.

ATL is amazed that such an intricate, complex record can be performed like this. Hugely impressive.

Life's a beach: Only downside was that not enough people witnessed this - there's about 60 people to greet them (though several hundred by the end).

Yes it was drizzling and a little early, but come on... Endtroducing live - how could you not be curious?!
Ìý
EP rating: 8/10

Main stage, Saturday 5th September, 10.40pm

This was always going to be fun - the ultimate party band playing a mild Saturday evening at the best festival in the world.

Describe in a tweet: A great deal of silly dancing all round.

Good Vibrations: Seems a bit pointless as it's so obvious, but from 'One Step Beyond' to 'Night Boat to Cairo via 'The Prince', 'Embarrassment', 'My Girl' and 'House of Fun', this was an absolute treat. So many hits!

Oh and a gaggle of freaks joining the band onstage for 'Baggy Trousers' was also a notable moment as I'm sure you can all appreciate.

Life's a beach: What was that set-list all about? Three or four hits at the start then about forty minutes of uninterrupted obscurities and new songs!? Suggs saying 'this is a new song' is the equivalent of a melter bringing a guitar out at a party.
Ìý
They did end with six absolute crackers in a row so all was forgiven.

EP rating: 9/10, then 2/10, then 9/10 again

Cosby Stage, Saturday 5th September, 6.30pm

The one thing that stands out about the Walkman is that their lead singer looks like he's capable of killing the entire audience. There's something about the way he carries himself onstage that gives him a genuinely intimidating, psychopathic vibe. Don't get me wrong - it's a good thing. He's the coolest guy we have seen all weekend, in fact. More importantly (well, kind of) he is an absolutely incredible singer, with a howl on him greater than anything we've heard in the last 48 hours.

Describe in a tweet: (a la Johnny Nice, the painter in the Fast Show) Black! Black! Black! Black...

Good Vibrations: We've already mentioned that guys incredible howl - but, bizarrely, he's also good for a croon. For 'Canadian Girl' he's practically Sinatra. 'The Rat' is the highlight though, inevitable really, given it's one of the greatest songs ever written. The reaction to it's intro is so full on that we get the one and only glimpse of a smile from that cool customer onstage.

Life's a beach: Maybe ATL should have done it's homework and listened to some album tracks, but it did seem to drag a wee bit in the middle. Too much darkness isn't always a good thing.

EP rating: 8/10

Essentially the exact same set as the one we saw at Belsonic, but it was even better second time round...

Cosby Stage, Saturday 5th, 11.00pm

Whilst the Electric Arena goes into disco meltdown with the mighty Chic, and Madness are doing the nutty dance on the Main Stage, it's alt country time in the Cosby stage with flame haired chanteuse Neko Case. With her recent album, 'Middle Cyclone' garnering a healthy amount of critical praise, it's pleasing to see that the stage is nicely filled in the face of such heavyweight competition.

And thankfully, Case doesn't dissapoint, turning in a warm and homey perfromance, which has the feeling of a few friends gathered on the front porch for a bit of hoe-down. The funk from Chic and the beats from Errol Alkan threaten to overpower this delicate brew of Americana, but all that happens is that we have to listen just a little bit harder.

Swathes of pedal steel guitar coat the inside of the tent, whilst the beautiful harmonies of Case and her backing vocalist add a little honey to the brew. Songs like 'This Tornado Loves You' and 'People Got a Lotta Nerve' just soar, carrying us all with them. The set is peppered with witty banter and asides, and the whole set has a relaxed and uplifting atmosphere, perfect for those of us who are quite happy to slow things down a little at this point in the proceedings.

To take Case's tornado metaphor, this is the calm at the eye of the storm, and Neko Case makes us all feel very welcome to be here.

Describe in a tweet: Dustbowl blues in the middle of a muddy field in Ireland - we're not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy.

Good Vibrations: The pedal steel guitar is just beautiful, prompting your correspondent to put forward a motion for its inclusion in every band, ever.

Life's a beach: At one point the backing vocalist utilizes a little music box device resembling an old style calculator, with paper feeding through it. It sounds out of tune with the band and prompted one wag to observe, "it's the first time I've witnessed accountancy live on stage, and hopefully the last".

EP rating: 8/10

Main Stage, Saturday 5th September, 8:50pm

We're clutching at straws to have our Beach Boys experience, but we're gonna have it whether Brian Wilson knows it or not. Anybody who has seen recent footage of the legend will understand what I mean. He's physically sitting there - arms dangling, bemused expression - but you soon realise it's a bit of a puppet show.

Behind Mr. Wilson is an incredible band. All eleven of them! And it's these guys who are really pulling it off. In particular Wilsons right hand man, Jeff Foskett. As well as being the main singer for much of the set, Foskett also 'filled in' for Wilson when he just seemed to give up the ghost half way through lines.

Watching Wilson sit there, like somebody abandoned him on stage, is a strange experience. Deep down you know it's kinda wrong, but it's too much fun to really care. Stationed behind a keyboard that's just a prop, it becomes a highlight to see the man raise his arms above waist level. That's when he's really into it!

The thing is though, that despite all that, this gig is brilliant. The band replicate the classic Beach Boys sound and play all the tunes you've known all your life - Then I Kissed Her, Don't Worry Baby, Little Deuce Coupe, California Girls, Sloop John B, Wouldn't It Be Nice, God Only Knows and Good Vibrations.

They just keep them coming. But it was the "Rock n' Roll" encore that made the crowd erupt.
The cheers as Jeff started the guitar riff of Johnny B Good were followed by a field of people singing Help Me Rhonda. Then the unthinkable happened. Brian Wilson not only played guitar,Ìýbut he played it standing up for Barbra Ann! And then surf moves ahoy for Surfing USA which, naturally, had the whole crowd singing.

There's been a lot said already about whether he should be gigging at all. The fact is, it's not really him, but its as close as we'll ever get and those songs need to live on.

Describe in a Tweet: The best tribute to the Beach Boys on this planet.

Good Vibrations: The first time I've ever heard a festival crowd sound good harmonising.

Life's a Beach: Feeling torn between depression and delight seeing Brian Wilson looking lost on stage and programmed to play the hits.

EP Rating: 8/10

Crawdaddy Stage, Saturday 6th, 5.30pm

Let's break down the walls, let's rage against the machine - but first an 8 euro pint and some vegan falafel will go down nicely. It's time for the bane of the Thatcher government, the "red under the bed" - it's Billy Bragg.

Bragg was in Belfast the day Margaret Thatcher resigned. He held up the front page of the Belfast Telegraph to the crowd and proclaimed "My work here is done, I've got nothing left to sing about". Yet it seems that, decades on, the pillar of socialist outcry is still beating his drum, or strumming his old electric guitar.

He kicked off the set with 'Accidentally Waiting To Happen', a call to arms against fascism. The crowd of punters were transported into his world for a mere hour as Bragg rattled through his back catalogue. 'Greetings To The New Brunette' was a highlight of the set. The tent was packed out and the atmosphere was almost revolutionary. Maybe it's the fact that we're in the midst of a crippling recession and Bragg's brand of protest folk rock is coming in to its own again, or maybe it was the tent's proximity to the hippy underworld that is the Body and Soul commune that drew such a crowd. Whatever it was, more power to it!

Describe in a tweet: Old socialist maestro still got it.

Good Vibrations: Dialogue with the protesting Visteon workers in the front row. "Yeah man, I'm from Dagenham, I feel your pain" was Bragg's response.

Life's a Beach: Idiots in the crowd calling the Bragg-master a fascist... like... come... on.

EP Rating: 6/10

Cosby Stage, Saturday 6th, 7.45pm

For years now, Erlend Oye has been operating at the fringes of the mainstream music world, shifting shapes and sheding skins with seemingly reckless abandon. From the acoustic melodies and harmonies of Kings of Convenience, to the retro-tronica of his debut solo album, Oye brings a sense of playful eclecticism to everything he does, no more so than in his latest project - Whitest Boy Alive.

Essentially a variant of the dancable, sad indie purveyed by New Order in the early eighties, Oye fuses desolate, twangy guitar-lines to sub-funk basslines, whilst the rhythm carries it on relentlessly. Oye's detatched vocals hover in the centre, creating a sense of isolation, albeit with a dance beat. It's curiously affecting, funk music for people who don't like funk. All the while Oye manages to embody the spirit of the festival by simultaneously being too cool for school, and impossibly geeky, throwing awkward dance shapes, and then re-adjusting his glasses. And strikingly, the Cosby Stage is completely packed, with the security staff actually turning people away.

At various points during the set, Oye incorporates other songs, draping an Irish flag over his head and singing 'All I Want Is You' by U2. It's a calculated gesture, something unashamedly showbiz, and the crowd lap up every second of it. It's testament to Oye's confidence at a performer that he has the crowd completly captivated by him by doing little more than throwing his arms about, and crooning about being a bit sad. In many respects, the sound of Whitest Boy Alive veers dangerously towards anonymous, worryingly bland cod-funk for indie kids, but somehow they manage to keep it on the right side of compelling. Back in the olden days, they used to describe this as 'beige', and ATL overheard one punter comparing it to Level 42, but it's an unfair criticism, with the majority of the crowd completly in synch with the performance.

After years of existing under the radar, it's time for Oye to step up and take his place as a bonafide pop star. Surveying the crowd, it appears there are more than a few people who would agree.

Describe in a tweet: Skinny indie boy gets his groove thang on - revellers approve.

Good Vibrations: After every moment of shaking his bootay, Oye readjusts his glasses, like a funky librarian.

Life's a beach: Whilst the crowd loved Oye posing with the Irish flag, this writer thought it was skin-crawlingly cringy. Different strokes for different folks, I guess...

EP Rating: 7/10

Electric Arena, Saturday 6th, 10.30pm

Electric Picnic we salute you. We love the fact that you bring us Magazine, the Bunnymen and ABC but this is really something special. Along with the late James Brown, Chic are the most sampled act in the universe. Every single song has a drum lick, bassline or guitar riff that has been thieved by a producer. It's global hit after hit and every note is simply sublime. Le Freak, Good Times, Dance Dance Dance and Thinking of You are only the tip of the iceberg. This is musical history played out live. Ìý

Nile and Bernard (RIP) soundtracked a generation not only with their own releases but penning number ones for Bowie, Sister Sledge and Diana Ross before breakfast. In songwriting terms only Lennon/McCartney can touch this archive.Ìý

All in white, the ensemble look like St. Peter's heavenly gate funk brigade but they pack a serious punch. Every musician is a bona fide virtuoso, getting their turn to throw down some metronome-like funk. The bass player is a phenomenon despite some sound problems, there's also a tightass brass section, two amazing vocalists and assorted players who interchange at will. Its an inspiration.

Describe in a tweet:ÌýYowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah!

Good Vibrations:Ìý'Let's Dance', a Chic production made famous by the Thin White Duke. Probably most of the crowd didn't even realise this was a Nile Rodgers track. It got more than a bit daft. It's pure joy in four minutes and the place goes utterly bananas. Like, lose-your-marbles-in-the-music time. Also, we like the stealing back of 'Good Times' with the Sugarhill Gang rap taken by Nile. He is also Irish, so he says ;)

Life's a Beach:ÌýOne and a half hours is not enough.

EP Rating:Ìý10/10Ìý

Crawdaddy Stage, Saturday 6th, 4.00pm

Since it's inception, Electric Picnic has attracted the best in left-field acts, as well as some of the most credible 'big' names in music. However, alongside this, the festival has a tradition of unearthing seemingly forgotten acts, and giving them a new lease of life. It is with this in mind that ATL finds itself in a packed tent, watching A Flock of Seagulls.

Unlike contemporaries such as Magazine or Echo and the Bunnymen (both also playing the festival), A Flock of Seagulls have never, ever been cool. This can largely be attributed to frontman Mike Score's preposterous hairstyle in the eighties. If that decade represented a low point for style, then THAT hairstyle is surely the nadir. ATL had promised itself that it would not mention the haircut, but there's no getting away from it.

However the 21st century version of the band faces no such problem, with hair firmly concealed under a hat. Good thing too, because this band always had a few good tunes up their sleeves, and todayÌýthese seagullsÌýget the chance to soar (pun intended).

The band's two big hits, 'I Ran (So far Away)' and 'Wishing (I had a Photograph of you)' sound great, getting this predominantly younger crowd into a bit of a frenzy. However, the rest of their material mines a similar seam of inspiration, sounding like a much less intense Joy Division or a happier Cure, but without the greatness of either. Make no mistake, A Flock of Seagulls are not a great band, but they are certainly not the embarrassment of yore. Eighties dancing was unleashed, and smiles were all around. Job done.

Describe in a tweet: You know... like Joy Division... for kids!

Good Vibrations: The guitarist cut an impressive figure, churning out the new wave riffs and solos, whilst wearing an incredible pair of leather shorts. Not trousers... shorts.

Life's a Beach: The lack of hairstyles. Despite the fact thatÌýit would have detracted from everything, I still wanted to see it.

EP Rating: 7/10

Electric Arena, Saturday 5th September, 5.15pm

Richie Egan and his rag-tag indie-electronica hoodlums arrive on stage roughly 30 seconds after already being on said stage soundchecking. As ever, its loose and rough about the edges, but sure that's where interesting things often lurk. 'Christopher and Anthony' is a kick against the pricks, but with a boogie on the side. We scorpios get a damn fine namecheck on a new track called, funnily enough, 'Scorpio' Ìýand the more danceable side of the Jape experience is shining through, which is boxing clever to any festival audience. 'I Was A Man' closes off the set perfectly.

Describe in a tweet:ÌýStuff dancing all night, but then that's just what we did.

Good Vibrations:ÌýNot only does some random called Greg get to hop on stage to sing the chorus of 'Streetwise' to a full tent, but Richie Jape alsoÌýturns matchmaker, inciting the ladies to take a chance on the temporary band member. Form an orderly queue there, picnic ladies...

Life's a beach:Ìý'Floating', one of the best singles to come out of Ireland in the past 10 years, is too casually delivered. There's loose and then there's making sure your guitar's in tune. A trifle, all in all as Jape's ramshackle charm has long held the risk of either tumultuous triumph or falling off the face of the earth. A risk always worth taking.

EP rating:Ìý7/10

Cosby Stage, Saturday 6th, 5.00pm

Sometimes it helps to dress for the occasion. Magnoila Electric Company are aware of this, and are garbed in some very nice suits indeed, giving them the look of the classiest bar band in the world. Draw-string ties, and shined shoes, they take the stage to a half empty tent, the emptiest tent ATL has seen so far. But they don't let it phase them, kicking off with some mid-tempo indie rock meets country jangle, sounding like the 'Sweetheart of the Rodeo' era Byrds, if theyd gone indie rock.

Several songs in, the pace has not noticably quickened, and a certain air of over-familiarity begins to hang around the performance. It's all pleasant enough, but starts to feel like background music quite quickly. But they get away with it because they're so charming. They look the part, and they act it too, ending each song with a, "Thanking you kindly."

Whether it's artifice or sincerity, it does the job, keeping us on their side, whilst they wander through their set. But as they plough onwards, the tent begins to fill, and the band seem to rise to this, songs starting to pull at one's attention, the band becoming more involved with the audience. At one point, Jason Molina produces two leaves from his pocket, and decorates the mic stand with them, adding that personal touch.

In essence, Magnoila ElcetricÌýCompany are not really suited to this kind of environment, their strength lying in the songwriting of Jason Molina, rather than any perfromance style. The nearest comparison is The SilverÌýJews' Daivid Berman, but Molina doesn't really possess the self-effacing charm of Berman, nor hisÌýfrequently caustic wit.Ìý

However, by the end of their set, something happens and the band shift gear. They cut loose and really begin cooking. This is what it should have been like from theÌýbegining, and Magnolia Electric Company prove that good suits and a scorching guitar solo are an award winning combination. This doesn't really fall into the alt-country bracket, and it's not really indie rock either, soÌýwhen the band launch into some absolutely breath-taking guitar histrionics, it proves to be a secret weapon in the most unexpected of places.

Before their final song, Molina explains, "We're being kicked off the stage, hopefully not because we suck." He needn't worry too much after this qualified success.

Describe in a tweet: SouthernÌýgentsÌýadd a touch of class to a muddy field.

Good Vibrations: The brain-meltingly good guitar work at theÌýend of their set.

Life's a Beach: The slightly lugubrious air that clung to the set until the above guitar solo. MELT THOSE FRETS!

EP rating: 6/10Ìý

Electric Arena, Saturday 5th September, 3pm

We're a wee bit gutted about Bat For Lashes' last minute cancellation but hopeful that we can salvage some of the day in the big blue tent. The XX are not here to bring the funky part-ay, but that's ok, we had a rough enough night and their downbeat sweepy synths, heavy-duty bass and reverbed up guitars are just the tonics for some fevered brows.ÌýWe can hear elements of the Birthday Party and other early 80s doompop merchants in this new collection. This is a good thing.

Describe in a tweet:ÌýThey wear black on the outside etc...

Good Vibrations: 'Crystallised' is a glistening gem of longing, and the live rendition is spot on. The brooding delivery of Romy's vocals is a comforting, gloomy blanket. It's hypnosis on a scale not seen in Ireland since Gene Fitzpatrick. *

Life's a beach: We need more time to get accustomed to these tunes before we can properly and fully submerge into their world of sweet melancholy. At next year's festivals we'll be front and centre, possibly in tears.

EP rating:Ìý7/10

* this reference is strictly for the over 25s

Cosby Stage, Saturday 5th September, 4pm

My arrival at the Cosby Stage was a little later than planned and Marina and her diamonds are well into their set. The tent is pretty much full and the smiles around it suggest it's going down a treat.

It's all a bit 80s-tastic, in music and dress. Marina is strutting around, pulling moves from every known dance phase in pop music history. I'm pretty sure "voguing" even reared its head at one stage. 'The Diamonds' disappear into the background and Marina demands all eyes. It seems she has moves worked out for each bar of each song. And it's certainly entertaining to watch.

The only problem is the disco display means the vocals are secondary at times. A few warbles here and there are resolved quickly though. She whispers a slightly creepy "I love you" to the crowd before launching into her last song, 'Mowgli's Road',Ìý with a demented "cuckoo" croon.

It's a bit like watching a musical - arms flinging, exaggerated gestures and soaring vocals. The crowd love it, I'm left a little bemused but I'm not ruling Marina out just yet.

Describe in a Tweet: A few warbles but the extreme dancing is a fair excuse.

Good Vibrations: The moment Marina wrenched a "cuckoo" cry from some unhinged part of her being...

Life's A Beach: The odd vocal lapse that's forgivable due to the twisted dance routine.

EP Rating: 7/10

Electric Arena, Friday 4th September, 9pm

Tales of this hobo bluesman tend to travel farther than the music itself. A lot of people can tell you a story about the man but most only have a vague idea that he plays some sort of blues. But his legendary status is doing no harm, as the crowd packs into the Electric Arena tent. The cheers are deafening as we wait for the character of Seasick Steve to take to the stage. And when he does, the surge forward almost leaves this reviewer under a stampede of jumping feet.

There's no doubt this man has presence by the bucket loads - armed with his collection of home made instruments, stomp box, a 'Diddley Bow', vest, baseball cap and a bottle of certain popular bourbon - Seasick Steve is almost a parody of himself.

What he plays is pretty bog standard blues with stories of flesh eating creatures, daddy troubles and eating cheap tinned food - the standard life of a hobo. But it's his "Animal from the Muppets" drummer that transforms the tent into a mosh pit.

At one point Steve brings a girl up from the crowd and sits her on a chair opposite. She sits there smiling, awkwardly, as he serenades her with 'Walking Man'. Most of the crowd love it. I, on the other hand, see a creepy, rehearsed gimmick.

I'm being a bit harsh. If Seasick Steve was playing in my local pub I'd be well impressed. He's a natural storyteller, a great performer and the crowd are lapping it up. But, in my eyes at least, the praise and adoration is a little beyond what he's actually up to.

Describe in a Tweet: Tent's packed. Crowd are loving it. Personally, I see a caricature playing some average blues music.

Good Vibrations: Genuinely seems to think he wouldn't be where he is today if it wasn't for people booking him in Ireland back in the day. And basically all between song banter.

Life's a Beach: The really weird and awkward serenading of a random girl from the crowd.

EP Rating: 6/10

Electric Arena, Saturday 5th September, 2.45pm

Believe the hype, don't believe the hype, but no matter what you do - you won't be able to avoid this band in the coming months. After just releasing their self-titled album, The XX played to packed out crowds at Reading and Leeds, and are soon to join Florence and the Machine on her UK-wide tour. The darlings of the mp3 blogs take to the Electric Arena stage at EP as if it's the last thing in the world they wanted to do. The crowd rightly responds in muted tones. It's part of their act I think. "Too cool for school" springs to mind as they slowly get the set going with the aptly titled 'Intro' Moving on to the dreamlike VCR, the vocals of Romy and Baria play off each other, almost teasingly. It's nice music, harmless but the coolness on stage translated into boredom in some parts of the crowd. They picked up somewhat for the single Basic Space and by the time they closed their short set with Night Time, they seemed to have found their feet and a bit of stage presence.

Describe in a tweet:ÌýToo cool for school, but cool enough for the EP crowd.

Good Vibrations:ÌýThe songÌý'Crystalised', easily their strongest strong and great to hear on a lovely big sound system.

Life's a beach:ÌýYawn, it dragged on a bit. A weak album translated into a bit of a weak set, except for the 'singles' on it.

EP rating: 5.4/10

Little Big Tent, Friday 4th September, 10pm

It's been quite a day in here - the lunacy of 8 Boy Bit and the utter joy experienced during an hour in the company of the likes of Buraka Sum Sistema and Major Lazer.

Today, the Little Big Tent showed off just how varied dance music is at the moment - with a little dancehall, big beat, hip hop, dubstep, house and indie-electro all thrown in the processor and spat back out via technocolour rainbows. Or something.

Diplo hammers the point home.

Describe in a tweet: He is party.

Good Vibrations: Diplo has no shame in bringing out the big guns and getting the party well and truly started. The Doorly remix of 'Bonkers', The Prodigy, La Roux, Benny Benassi and 'Show My Love' are all played in a twenty minute spell. Needless to say, he's not messing about. His pretty unique approach to mixing and remixing gives old favourites a new lease of life, while those occasional shout outs are appreciated, in an old-skool type of way.

Life's a beach: The snobs amongst us will wonder just why the most credible and interesting producer in alternative dance music is playing such enormous tunes - but the snobs are missing the point. Earlier, Major Lazer proved what this guy can do in a studio. This DJ set proves what he can do at a party.

EP rating: 8/10

Crawdaddy, Friday 4th September, 9.30pm

This is all a bit silly. The Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon has his shin guards on, while across the stage, Pugwash's Thomas Walsh is pointing out the handlebar bit of his enormous, comedy beard. The entire band are wearing nice white hats and performing songs about cricket. Yup - all these songs are indeed... about cricket.

Silly is good though, right?

Describe in a tweet: Daft concept, daft times. It might not be cricket, but it's still pretty (test match) special.

Good Vibrations: Every song stands out, honestly. 'The Age of Revolution' is wonderfully jolly, 'Gentleman and Players' is the most... "dignified" piece of music we'll hear all weekend. 'Jiggery Pokery' (an entire song dedicated to a single throw of a red ball) is ridiculous amounts of fun while 'Mason on the Boundary', sung by Walsh, is luscious and sweet. A pretty blatant reminder of just how good that entire DLM album is.

Life's a beach: Not much bad to say about this at all, other than I still have no idea what most of those songs are about, so in their attempt to educate this reviewer about the joys of cricket, The Duckworth Lewis Method have FAILED.

EP rating: 8/10

Main Stage, Friday 4th September, 9.30pm

It was hard to know how to react to the news last year that Orbital were to reform and play some shows. Unlike, say... The Chemical Brothers or Daft Punk, they've never really had much relevance with a new generation of kids into dance music. With that in mind, even big, old-skool Orbital fans thought this was a bad idea, with the Hartnoll Brothers having bowed out with their heads held high in 2004. But here they are - both brothers and those hit singles five years older.Ìý

So, do Orbital stand out on a bill these days? Not really.

Describe in a tweet: They're playing those wonderful tunes, but somehow we're still left cold.

Good Vibrations: 'Belfast' will remain a beautiful piece of music until the end of time, even if it does sound a little strange played about a third of the way through this set. 'Chime', played shortly after, also remains more than a little special.

Life's a beach: Maybe because it's not particularly loud (seriously guys, TURN IT UP!!), but Orbital's set is something of an anticlimax. The big tunes could have done a major reworking for this tour, but instead are performed as they were several years ago. Those visuals are pretty dated looking as well.

The big worry here is that a younger crowd seeing Orbital for the first town may wonder what all the fuss was about. Granted ATL left a little before the end (), but it just seemed like this is one comeback that required a little more thought.

EP rating:Ìý 5/10

Cosby Stage, Friday 4th,Ìý 5.30pm.

ATL arrives at the Electric Picnic after an epic car journey involving a game of "connect the band name to what you can see" to find many bemused revelers taking in the sights. Running across the increasingly muddy stage to the safety of the Cosby stage, we are amazed by the crowd staring with delight at New York Anti-folk legend Jeffrey Lewis. He's been on stage for about 15 minutes already, and has the entire crow eating out of the palm of his hand.

Pounding his battered acoustic guitar with the intensity of a man possessed, Lewis is a compelling sight. It is a testament to his abilities as a communicator that the crowd is hanging on his every word, despite the fact that said words are largely inaudible. But then again, a glossy sheen is something this man has never been about.

'The Last Time I Took Acid I Went Insane' finds him creating an aural whirlwind, drawing us deeper and deeper down, but loving every minute. Then comes the grand finale, where Lewis reads to us from one of his self-penned comic books, detailing a film noir private detective story. It is here that Lewis comes into his own as a performer, dragging us along into a world of his own creation, despite the fact that it's impossible to see what he's talking about.

And if that doesn't sum up what Jeffrey Lewis is all about, then I don't know what does.

Describe in a tweet: Lo-Fi troubadour invites us into his world.

Good Vibrations: Jeffrey's comic book sounds amazing.

Life's a Beach: The three and a half hour car journey beforehand. DOWN WITH THIS SORT OF THING.

EP Rating: 7/10

Electric Arena, Friday 4th September, 7.30pm

Old punks never die, they just turn up in the most unexpected of places. Magazine were THE thinking punk's band of choice. Having formed the Buzzcocks in Manchester, Howard Devoto sealed his reputation by leaving the band after the release of their first single, proclaiming punk to be over before most people had even realised it had begun.

From there, he formed Magazine, one of the first post-punk bands, incorporating an incredibly eclectic sound which defies categorisation. Pioneering a new way of doing things, Magazine were a kaleidoscope of colours to the industrial grey of Joy Division. The rubbery funk basslines of Barry Adamson propelled the music along whilst the neo-psychedelic guitars of the late John McGeogh battled for space with the glacial keyboards of Dave Formula. All the while, Devoto was the nihilism spouting intellectual despot who held it all together.

The key moment of Magazine's career was their appearance on Top of the Pops to promote their debut single, 'Shot By Both Sides', a soaring punk anthem which should have conquered all before it. Dropping the gauntlet at the worst possible moment, Devoto froze like a rabbit in the headlights, remaining completely motionless through out the performance, causing the single to lose all momentum it had gained, plummeting out of the charts following their Top of the Pops appearance. The band released a series of incredible albums, but never truly delivered on their initial promise. Thirty years later, will it be the same story?

As Devoto bounces out onto the stage, resplendent in a salmon pink suit jacket, the crowd roars in approval. 1979 might not have been ready for Magazine, but three decades of critical re-evaluation shows that the 21st century is where they always belonged. Every single one of these songs sounds like a stone cold classic, and Magazine perform them with a zeal which is surprising for a band of their stature. This is no oldies jaunt, in it for the filthy lucre, this is a band with something to prove.

Songs like 'Give Me Everything' and 'A Song From Under the Floorboards' sound completely fresh, perhaps due to the fact that Magazine's back catalogue has been plundered time and time again by the current post-punk generation, looking for that Holy Grail of alienation and isolation. Devoto is a captivating frontman, aloof, but never patronising. It's all very arch, but one is never sure if it's all just an act. Barry Adamson, clad in waistcoat and Panama hat, may be the coolest person on the entre site, effortlessly throwing out basslines that defy the laws of time and space.

However, Magazine's ultimate weakness has returned to haunt them, and a sense of intellectualism hangs over the proceedings. This music is chilly and cerebral, radiating almost no warmth. Magazine were, and remain, a difficult proposition, and are certainly an acquired taste. This is not music for everyone, but depending on how you roll, that might be a good thing.

Describe in a tweet:ÌýHot off the presses.

Good vibrations: 'Give Me Everything' might just have the best bassline, ever.

Life's a Beach: The guitarist's hair is horrible, making him look like some kind of sci-fi villain. Not a good look.

EP rating: 8/10

Cosby Stage, Friday 4th September, 6.30pm

Like the embers of sunset caressing an empty parking lot at the end of the summer, Richmond Fontaine are evocative of those fleeting moments where everything seems just right, but tinged with sadness because you know it's going to end.

One of the leading lights of the alt-country scene for most of this decade, Richmond Fontaine have never managed to break through to mainstream success like some of their peers, such as Wilco. But on the strength of songs like these, it's difficult to see how long that situation will continue. Inhabiting a world of trailer parks, dive bars, and endless highways, where love always ends in pain, and happiness is hard to find.

This is sad and reflective music, but fuelling the engine room is the righteous anger of punk rock. A lot of alt-country can be overly reverential, almost to the point of being sterile, but Richmond Fontaine never fall into this trap, allowing a coiled tension to spring forth, earth-shaking bass bursting through the chiming guitars and shimmering piano.

However, a problem quickly becomes apparent every time the band finishes a song. Having transported you to their world, and having wrapped it tightly around you, when they stop, you find yourself looking at five very ordinary looking men, who apparently have nothing much to say, and no way of saying it. The performance is oddly dislocated -utterly captivating one moment, embarrassingly ordinary between the gaps.

But then again, when you've got songs this good, perhaps it's best to take a back seat and let the songs do the talking?

Describe in a tweet: Chiming Americana that hits you where it hurts.

Good Vibrations: The bass is monstrous, providing an anchor to prevent this from lapsing into creaky old country music.

Life's a beach: The guitar player is fond of gurning and pulling guitar faces, which is quite unpleasant to look at, to be perfectly honest.

EP rating: 7/10

Little Big Tent, Friday 4th September, 7.15pm

'When You Hear The Bassline' drops and the entire Little Big Tent goes mental. And I don't mean mental in the 'shouting out of the window of a car as you drive past the M-club at 2 in the morning mental', I mean like actual stark-raving bonkers. And not bonkers like Dizzy Rascal B.O.N.K.E.R.S... well you get the picture.

A mime-artist, obviously over-come by the aural assault of bass, started break-dancing as theÌýJamaicanÌýcartoon trip-hop act Major Lazer tore in to the guts of the packed crowd.

The setlist is fast paced, which is expected of Major Lazer - but some of it felt quite repetitive and slightly flat. They missed the stage presence of artists like Santigold and Nina Sky who give some of their songs a bit of omphh.

They finished with the absolute melter anthem Jump Up. A pre-organised stage invasion ensued, and a crowd of mainly female Lazer fans surrounded the band.

There's a bit of a sense of humour about this band. They build their whole image around the 'Major Lazer' cartoon character and on stage they pull it off.

The crowd have a sense of humour too. The mime has suddenly taken on a posse. He guides their every move - through the rope pull, the elevator walk and even the tricky "stuck in a glass box".

It was surreal, it was awesome and it wasÌýdefinitelyÌýElectric Picnic.

Jump Up finishes, the mimes disperse and this reviewer makes for the next act...Ìý

Describe in a Tweet: They spelt Lazer wrong... but all is forgiven.

Good Vibrations: Jump Up - what a song.

Life's A Beach: Felt a bit flat with a limited line-up of just DJ and MC.

EP Rating: 7/10

Crawdaddy Stage, Friday 4th September, 5:30pm

Head melted in work as you try and deal with the sheer brain busting excitement that is a trip to Stradbally this weekend? ATL is here to help get you through the day.

Presenting to you, our , put together lovingly, in order of when the songs are set to be performed over the weekend.

Enjoy!

FRIDAY

The Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition (Crawdaddy Stage, 5.30pm)
Armand Van Helden - When the Lights go Down, 8 Boy Bit remix (Little Big Tent, 6pm)
Kings of Leon - Knocked Up, Lykee Li version (Crawdaddy Stage, 6.45pm)
Major Lazor - Hold the Line (Little Big Tent, 7.15pm)
ABC - The Look of Love (Crawdaddy Stage, 8pm)
Dan Le Sac v Scroobius Pip - Look for the Woman, Fake Blood remix (Little Big Tent, 8.15pm)
MGMT - Kids (Main Stage, 8.45pm)
Buraka Som Sistema - Kalemba (Wegue Wegue) (Little Big Tent, 9.30pm)
The Duckworth Lewis Method - The Age of Revolution (Crawdaddy Stage, 9.30pm)
Orbital - Chime (Main Stage, 10.30pm)
Samim - Heater, Diplo mix (Little Big Tent, 10.30pm)

SATURDAY

Just Jack - Embers (Crawdaddy Stage, 2.30pm)
Roots Manuva - Witness (One Hope) (Electric Arena, 4pm)
Gary Lightbody & Lisa Hannigan - Some Surprise (Main Stage, 6.30pm)
The Walkmen - The Rat (Cosby Stage, 6.30pm)
Bat for Lashes - Prescilla (Electric Arena, 7pm)
The Beach Boys (feat. Brian Wilson) - God Only Knows (Main Stage, 8.15pm)
Klaxons - It's Not Over Yet (Electric Arena, 8.45pm)
Chic - Le Freak (Electric Arena, 10.30pm)
Madness - It Must be Love (Main Stage, 10.30pm)
Four Tet - Hands (Crawdaddy Stage, 11.45pm)
2manydjs - 9 to 5 (Main Stage, 12.30am)

SUNDAY

Two Door Cinema Club - Something Good Can Work (Electric Arena, 12.30pm)
Zombie Nation - Worth It, Arveene & Misk remix (Little Big Tent, 1.30pm)
DJ Shadow - Building Steam with a Grain of Salt (Main Stage, 1.45pm)
Quantic - Don't Joke with a Hungry Man (Main Stage, 3pm)
The Sugarhill Gang - Rapper's Delight (Electric Arena, 1.30pm)
Simian Mobile Disco - Huster (Electric Arena, 4.15pm)
Florence & The Machine - You Got the Love (Electric Arena, 5.30pm)
Friendly Fires - Paris, Aeroplane remix (Little Big Tent, 5.30pm)
Alabama 3 - Woke up this Morning (Main Stage, 6.30pm)
Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal (Electric Arena, 6.45pm)
Bell X1 - Flame (Main Stage, 8.30pm)
Royksopp - Eple (Electric Arena, 8.30pm)
Death from Above 1979 - Romantic Rights, Erol Alkan remix (Little Big Tent, 10pm)
The Flaming Lips - Do You Realize? (Electric Arena, 10.15pm)
Basement Jaxx - Samba Magic (Main Stage, 10.30pm)
Skream - Too Much Sushi (Cosby Stage, 10.45pm)