Electric Picnicity

Mayhem and chaos and wildness and tumult and general commotion has been my life for the past 10 days. Not only did I learn how to Sound Op a play in a one day crash course but I also did a job interview (yet another one), checked out 3 rooms in Dublin (not one that was habitable) and attended my first Electric Picnic in Stradbally, Co Laois.

Phew.

And for all that I'm still unemployed and homeless :(

The play was very strange and wonderful 'Biography of Bernie Ward' by Jesse Weaver being produced by Painted Filly Theatre. It was on in Players' Theatre in TCD so it was nice to be back on familiar stomping grounds. The play involved a hell of a lot of phones ringing and being answered so I had to be on the ball to make sure the sound effects lined up ie avoid "hello? *ring ring*" from happening.

The play also involved on-stage masturbation, sex-change operations, exhumation of dead bodies and a ghost. Seeing the reactions of the crowds every night was most entertaining.

We headed down to Stradbally early on friday morning avoiding all traffic and getting tents etc set up in a good location nice and early. Jennifer the wonder-organiser had a huge gazebo with her which proved a real asset as a place to sit and chat sheltered from the breeze and (fortunately infrequent) rain. I knew a tonne of people at it; old school and college buddies, people who had been to India with me and even (kept running into him) my brother.

There was a huge variety of music at it, good comedians, great food stalls (mmm sushi) and loads of great hippie weirdness like 'peace gardens', an inflatable church and random art everywhere.

My most enjoyable moments involved:
The Polyphonic Spree's joyous cover of Lithium by Nirvana,
Modest Mouse playing with Johnny Marr,
Bjork's colourful mayhem,
Duke Special's band crowd surfing at the end of his gig,
Rahzeal the wicked human beat box with the Mixmaster Mike,
Dublin Gospel Choir Sunday morning,
NUI, Galway Dram Soc's Complete Works of Shakespeare--really hilarious,
Dancing is some random Reggae hut with the girls 4am sun morning
AND
basically just being in a fun happy place with loads of mates.

I'll be back.

Meanwhile I have managed to procure some paid employment with the Dublin Fringe Festival working in the Spiegeltent for the next few weeks ( http://www.spiegeltent.net/) which should be interesting.

*Sigh* Yet more mayhem to come....