Electric Picnic 2010 is almost upon us and we are continuing our essential guide today with some of the bands you must see! Here are five acts you can’t afford to miss …
Villagers
Fronted by Conor J. O’Brien, Irish indie-folk group Villagers have performed at several music festivals since their inception and were shortlisted for the 2010 Mercury Prize. The band released their debut album Becoming a Jackal earlier this year and are the only Irish act to have been signed by London-based Domino Records.
Crawdaddy Stage 4pm – 4.45pm
Redneck Manifesto
Dublin-born, instrumental rock band Redneck Manifesto have been at the forefront of the independent music scene in Ireland for over ten years. The four piece are considered to be one of the country’s best live acts and have an extremely dedicated group of followers.
Crawdaddy Stage 2.30pm – 3.15pm
Hurts
This British electro-pop duo from Manchester officially released their debut single Better Than Love earlier this year. Although new to the scene, they are already making quite an impression and finished fourth in BBC’s Sound of 2010 poll.
Crawdaddy Stage 5.30pm – 6pm
And So I Watch You From Afar
Instrumental, post-rock foursome And So I Watch You From Afar hail from Belfast and have been going since 2005. Known for their energetic live performances, the group is highly tipped by various publications such as Kerrang! and NME.
Crawdaddy Stage 12.30pm – 1pm
Foals
This five-piece band from Oxford will be taking to the stage at Electric Picnic as part of their world tour. The indie-rock group formed in 2005, releasing their debut album, Antidotes, in 2008. The follow up album, Total Life Forever, was released in May of this year, bagging them a Mercury Prize nomination.
With Ireland’s top music and arts festival kicking off this Friday in Stradbally, Co. Laois, we thought we would put together our top ten tips for surviving the weekend. Whether you’re planning on three days of debauchery or some cultural, child-friendly camping, there should be something here to help you make the most of your EP experience.
1. Take toilet paper
We have listed this in first place for a reason. You can never underestimate the importance of having your own stash – the portaloo paper runs out rapidly.
2. Decant your drink
Glass bottles are not permitted on site so make sure to switch to plastic if you’re bringing your own booze.
3. Mark your territory
It can be difficult to identify your tent at three in the morning after one too many rock shandies. A colourful flag or unique tent will help you find your way home.
4. Pack painkillers
Need we explain this one?
5. Be practical
Swap the high heels (it happens) and handbags for flats and a backpack or over-the-shoulder satchel.
6. Stock up on snacks
Chocolate, breakfast bars and jelly sweets are great for boosting energy levels. There are shops down there but it’s worth having your own stash. Same goes for bottled water.
7. Safeguard your valuables
Ideally, leave anything non-essential at home but if you do bring items of value, make sure you keep them on you at all times (money belts worn under your clothes are a good call) and padlock your tent at night to deter any unwanted visitors.
8. Prepare for every season
We all know how comically changeable Irish weather can be. Rain gear, suncream, sunglasses and extra blankets/clothes for nighttime are vital.
9. Take extra caution with children
If you are toting the tots along, make sure they are wearing/carrying (waterproof) identification at all times in case they get lost. Ear protectors are also must-haves for mini festival-goers.
10. Keep it clean
Baby wipes are crucial for avoiding the shower queues and disinfectant hand gel will help minimise portaloo-related health risks. Dry shampoo and hats also help disguise an unwashed mop.
Finally, don’t forget your toothbrush, or any of these easily-overlooked essentials:
Suncream, a torch (with batteries), a cooler bag for beer, plasters, a fully charged phone and deodorant.
One of Ireland’s biggest and best festivals is on this weekend in Co.Laois – The Electric Picnic. We will be helping out all you festival-goers this week with survival tips and advising you on what might be worth insuring before you go down there! You will probably lose or break some possessions!
To get in the mood, we dug out clips of some of the best concerts of all time. What are your favourite concerts?
They might be a good-looking bunch but Hollywood’s A-listers aren’t generally known for their intellectual prowess or common sense, especially when it comes to getting behind the wheel. We have collected eight of the best (or should that we worst?) celebrity driving disasters in recent years for a bit of Friday fun.
Britney Spears
It was hard to choose just one car-related calamity for Ms. Spears so we have listed her top three, in chronological order.
February 2006:
Britney found herself under investigation by the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services when she took off in her car with her then five-month-old son in her lap. She claimed she was trying to protect him from a throng of paparazzi.
November 2006:
On a number of occasions back in 2006, she was photographed getting out of a car without any underwear. Enough said really.
September 2007:
En route back to rehab, a newly bald-headed Britney was caught on camera smashing an umbrella into the windows of a paparazzi’s SUV.
Paris Hilton
In 2007, Paris served just five days of a 45-day sentence for violating the terms of her 2006 probation for drunk driving. She ended up serving a total of 23 days, however, when public outrage prompted a judge to send her back behind bars.
Mel Gibson Gibson was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after being caught careering down a Californian highway at 140 kilometers per hour with a bottle of tequila. The infamous anti-semitic rant which followed made media headlines for months afterwards.
George Michael
In July of this year, Michael crashed into a shop in North London shortly after getting his license back following a two-year ban. In 2007, he was found to be under the influence of drugs while driving.
Lindsay Lohan
This summer, Lindsay served three weeks of a planned 90-day stay in jail for violating probating stemming from a 2007 conviction for driving under the influence. What is the first thing she did after getting her license back? Pick u a car at a nearby rental company.
With the current global concern for the environment, it is not surprising that the majority of car manufactures are hopping on the green bandwagon, rolling out fantastically fuel-efficient vehicles. Even top Hollywood celebrities are advocating eco-friendly modes of transportation. The poster child for green machines, Leonardo DiCaprio, is famously vocal about his love of electric cars and George Clooney is frequently seen out and about in his 2-seater Tango. But what about the gas guzzlers which remain on our roads? Here is the Environment Transport Association’s ten worst offenders.
Although we are proud to call Ireland home, we thought it might be interesting to see how we rank globally. Mercer’s list of the best cities in the world is released annually, ranking 221 cities around the world based on a number of criteria including: safety, education, hygiene, health care, culture, environment, recreation, political-economic stability and public transportation.
How does our fair green isle fare? Quite well actually. Dublin is ranked as the 26th best city in the world when it comes to quality of life, just ahead of Singapore, Stuttgart and Honolulu!
What are your predictions for the top spots?
Vienna in Austria comes in at number one, followed by Swiss cities Zurich (2nd) and Geneva (3rd). Canadian city Vancouver and New Zealand’s Auckland share the 4th position, followed by Dusseldorf (6th). Germany features again with Frankfurt and Munich sharing the 7th spot. Next on the list is Swiss city Bern (9th), followed by Sydney in Australia in 10th place.
Drink driving remains a major issue in Ireland and a primary contributing factor in road accidents. In an attempt to gauge current thinking on the subject, we conducted a small survey of over 100 Irish people between the ages of 20 and 30. The results indicate that, although there appears to be a heightened awareness of the dangers of drinking and driving amongst the group surveyed, many people continue to take risks on the road.
Worryingly, despite researching confirming that any amount of alcohol in a person’s system impairs their ability to drive safely, many of the people asked have driven a vehicle while over the limit and/or know people who do so on a regular basis. Almost half of the group feel it is safe to drive the morning after consuming alcohol the night before (according to statistics, 21% of fatal crashes which take place between 6am and 12pm are alcohol related) and perhaps most concerning of all, 46% of those asked do not know what the current legal limit is.
Have you ever driven a vehicle while over the limit?
44% of the people we asked have been behind the wheel while under the influence.
Do you know any people who regularly drive while over the limit?
55% of the people we asked know of someone who regularly drives while under the influence.
Has the attitude to drink driving changed in Ireland over the last 20 years?
94% of the people we asked feel that the attitude to drinking and driving has changed in the past two decades.
Are the anti-drink driving ads on television effective?
70% of the people we asked think that the ad campaigns on television are effective.
Would you get into a car with someone who had consumed 2-5 units of alcohol?
39% of the people we asked would get into a car with a driver who had consumed 2-5 units of alcohol.
Would you be more inclined to drink drive when outside the city, i.e. in the countryside?
43% of the people we asked would be more inclined to drink and drive when in the countryside.
Do you think it’s safe to drive in the morning after drinking the night before?
42% of the people we asked feel they are safe to drive the morning after the night before.
Do you feel there is a high risk of being caught for drink driving?
66% of the people we asked think there is a risk of being caught while driving under the influence.
Do you feel men drink drive more than women?
81% of the people we asked feel that men drink drive more than women.
Do you know what the legal limit is?
55% of the people we asked know what the legal limit is.
This convoy of celebrity cars have graced our screens (whether big or small) over the years, in some cases even outshining their human co-stars. We went with our top 5 so the list is by no means exhaustive – what would be your favorite four-wheeled film star?
DeLorean
The time-travelling DeLorean DMC-12 was the breakout star of the Back to the Future film franchise of the 80′s and 90′s. Originally manufactured in Northern Ireland, the sports car failed to excite the automobile industry but will go down in history as Marty McFly’s remarkable ride.
KITT
KITT was Michael Knight’s supercomputer counterpart in the hit 1980′s television Knight Rider. The car, which was voiced by William Daniels, had the ability to transform into a number of guises, including a pink-trimmed Mustang convertible.
Herbie
This Volkswagen Beetle has appeared in several movies, the first of which was The Love Bug in 1968. Unlike KITT, Herbie was mute but did have a mind of his own and moved of his own accord. The racing beetle was also capable of falling in love with other cars.
Batmobile
From the custom-made machine in the 1960′s tv series to The Dark Knight’s tank-like Tumbler, the infamous Batmobile has gone through numerous incarnations and continues to adapt to technological advancements.
General Lee
Owned by the Duke boys in The Dukes of Hazzard television series, this modified Dodge Charger was not as technologically advanced as the others on this list (or magic, as in Herbie’s case) but it is considered to be one of the greatest on-screen automobiles of all time.
Although most of us are conscientious road users, it just takes one numskull to test your car’s mettle. Thankfully, car companies are putting safety first and constantly improving the safety features of their cars. So what are the safest cars on the market? Here are our top five picks for 2010.
Volvo S80
Apparently, when it comes to surviving a crash, size does matter. Safety features of the S80 include ABS, traction control, stability control and six airbags.
Volkswagen Golf
Launched in 2008, the Golf is renowned for its high levels of standard and safety features, which include ABS, stability control and seven airbags (all standard).
Volkswagen Polo
The safety features of the 2010 European Car of the Year include ABS with EBD (electronic brake-force distribution), seat belt force limiters and head restraints which counteract the risk of whiplash injury.
Honda Civic
With its impressive list of safety features, including ABS with EBD, side-curtain airbags, active head restraints and airbag occupancy sensors, the Civic is one of the safest cars on the road.
Toyota Corolla Verso
Named safest car in its class by Euro NCAP, the versatile Corolla Verso’s standard safety features include vehicle stability control, traction control and nine airbags, including a knee airbag to protect the driver.
We felt a list of places to see before you die would be a fitting conclusion to our week of travel articles. This collection of natural and man-made marvels come highly recommended but are probably the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the ultimate backpacker’s bucket list. What destinations would you add?
Great Barrier Reef
Labeled one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World by CNN, the Great Barrier Reef covers an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometers off the coast of Queensland in Australia. The reef supports some of the most breathtaking and diverse marine life on the planet, including many endangered species.
Ayers Rock
Ayers Rock is a large sandstone rock formation situated in the Northern Territory of central Australia. It is known as “Uluru” by the Aboriginal people of the area, who consider it to be a place of deep cultural and spiritual significance. Formed over a period of approximately 500 million years, Ayers Rock has been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is considered by most to be Australia’s most recognisable natural icon.
Taj Mahal
Built as a memorial to the wife of emperor Shah Jahan, the construction of India’s Taj Mahal took over 15 years. The marble monument draws in millions of visitors every year and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.
Iguazu Falls
These spectacular waterfalls are shared by Brazil and Argentina and also make UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Created by a volcanic eruption, Iguazu Falls are four times the width of Niagara and are one of South America’s biggest attractions.
The Pyramids of Giza
Located on the west bank of the Nile River in Egypt, the pyramids were constructed over a 20-year period, reaching completion in approximately 2560 BC. Although there is much debate over how exactly the structures were built, it is commonly accepted that 2.3 million stones, each weighing more than two tons, were dragged from a quarry and lifted into place. The oldest and largest of the monuments, the Great Pyramid, was built as a tomb for Egyptian pharaoh Khufu and is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Canadian Rockies
The mighty Canadian Rockies stretch from Alberta to British Columbia and much of the region lies within various national and provincial parks. They are home to an abundance of wildlife, including bears, elk and moose.
Machu Picchu
Situated on a mountain ridge nearly 8000 feet above sea level, this Peruvian masterpiece had to make our list. The Inca city, often referred to as the “lost city of the Incas”, was discovered in 1911 by American historian Hiram Bingham and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.
The Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon has been carved out by the Colorado River which flows through its base and is one of the greatest examples of the power of erosion. The river has been eroding the base of the canyon, which currently reaches a depth of over one mile, for approximately six million years and the process continues today.
