Great article by Una Rocks on the social behaviour at Oxegen that I was asking about..

So Oxegen was pretty muddy. But more importantly, there are more rumours of violence and general horribleness in the campsite. After last years issues you would think they would have gotten their act together - but then I wasn't there so I can't comment first hand...

Who was there? Did you have a good camping experience or a terrifying ordeal?

As I've said before, I was put off buying a ticket by the rumours last year. Was I right?

If you were there, vote in our poll and leave a comment!

I really can't keep up with the huge amount of incredible musical activity in Ireland this Summer... what's going on? Let's hope this is the start of a new momentum, and that we won't overdose in the Summer and face into a bleak Winter!

Next week, on the 19th - 22nd July, in Carrick on Shannon, Co. Leitrim is Indie Summer festival.

I contacted Johnny of downloadmusic.ie, the organiser, to ask him about Indie Summer and it seems the Indie Summer festival features an all Irish line up of acts, which is great - I don't know half enough of what's going on in the local music scene at the moment myself. The acts will perform in various venues around the town, and most importantly ALL THE GIGS ARE FREE!

There's a list of places you can stay available on the website,

Nice one Johnny!

Well, that's it, Oxegen is now officially over. I didn't go, so I don't know what it was like. Lili Forberg has some cool photos she took at Oxegen, and will probably post more soon and Una Rocks has her round up of Oxegen, and I'm sure it's just a matter of recovery time before the 'YouTubery' begins...

So now the countdown to Electric Picnic truly begins. You can grab one of our free countdown timers for your blog or website here!

Also, you might want to check out this t-shirt - perfect for Electric Picnic.

Oxegen is nearly upon us, and the organisers are letting people know about some of the stuff that will be available other than music.

The thing that caught my eye was Campsite Karaoke. I'm a big fan of Karaoke, and Campsite Karaoke sounds like a great idea! Er... as long as it's not too near your tent when you're trying to go to sleep that is...

It's apparently provided by Coca Cola, who also provide another genius idea: ClashFinder. No, not a hunt for the late great Joe Strummer, but a way to organise your timetable of who you want to see, and even get text alerts when your favourite bands are due on stage.

Apparently Ambre Solaire will also be at hand to protect you from the blazing sunshine everybody's hoping for, and there will also be a service providing lockers to keep valuables in. Why you'd bring valuables to a festival I don't know, but there you go!

Terry Hall is doing what Electric Picnic are calling Hip Hop with Dub Pistols, and they'll be on the new stage at EP called 'the Nokia Trend Lab'. I wish someone would explain to me what Dub is. I assume listening to the Dub Pistols that it's reggae/ska meets hip hop. Anyone care to educate me?

Anyway you might know Terry Hall singer with the Specials. I hadn't heard of Dub Pistols before but they seem pretty damn good. EP line up just gets better and better.

Meh, why couldn't they play the festival I"M going to!

I'm From Barcelona headline the New Bands/Futures Stage on Saturday at Oxegen.

YES!!! Nouvelle Vague, Duke Special and Scott Matthews have all been added to the electric Picnic line up. I don't know about you but I am particularly excited by the addition of Nouvelle vague - they played Dublin recently and I was so tempted to up, but I counted my pennies and decided I should scrimp and save and go nuts at EP...

Now, I just have to keep hoping for Shirley Bassey to play...
Who else are people hoping for?

Yup, the Chemical brothers have confirmed their place in the Electric Picnic line up for 2007.

Chemical Brothers are one of those bands I know that I know them but have no idea who they are. If you're like me, they're the ones that did 'Block Rocking Beats'. If you're anywhere as old as I am you know it.

Here's another choon of theirs, with a mind boggling video mix of lo-tech and hi-tech from Michel Gondry (the bloke who directed the recent 'Science of Sleep'):

Tickets for Electric Picnic are sold out I'm afraid, but I have mine since Christmas, so I'm alright jack. I had my arm twisted to go to Electric Picnic last year, I didn't really want to go 'not a festival person' I said. Well I was dragged along and I loved it so much I bought my ticket for EP07 before any of the bands were announced.

I didn't care who was playing, I knew it would be brilliant. And It will be.

49 acts have been announced, and more on the way. The line up is more eclectic than Oxegen's line up (also sold out), and personally I think it's a more exciting line up. I suppose having tickets for EP and not Oxegen, I would say that wouldn't I?

Many of the bands I only know one or two of their songs, but those one or two are enough to convince me! I'm doing my research though, and I bought albums by !!!, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and The Good the Bad and the Queen. All three albums are EXCELLENT!

So here you go - the line up so far, in alphabetical order (THE Beastie Boys filed under T). No sign of info on who's playing when, but if I remember correctly, last year that info was released very late.

IT'S GOING TO BE EXCELLENT!

• !!! (Chk, Chk, Chk)
• A Trak
• Aim
• Bjork
• Bonde do Role
• Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
• Craig Armstrong
• Damien Dempsey
• Damon Albarn-led The Good, The Bad and The Queen
• Deerfhoof
• Derek May
• Derick Carter
• DJ Marky
• Dublin Gospel Choir
• Easy Star All-Stars
• Electrelane
• Erasure
• Fionn Regan
• Fujiya & Miyagi
• Hextatic
• Horace Andy
• Iggy And The Stooges
• Jamie Lidell
• Jarvis Cocker
• Josh Wink
• Kieran Hebden & Steve Reid
• Ladytron
• LCD Soundsystem
• Manic Street Preachers
• Marlena Shaw
• MIA
• Modest Mouse
• Paul Hartnoll
• Polyphonic Spree
• Primal Scream
• Ratatat
• Sonic Youth
• Sons and Daughters
• Soul II Soul
• Spiritualized-Acoustic Mainlines
• The Beastie Boys
• The Elecktrons
• The Glimmers
• The Go Team!
• The Jesus And Mary Chain
• The Magic Numbers
• The Undertones
• Ukelele Orchestra of Great Britain
• Unkle