1. Kindly tell us your name, age and where you're from.

DW - Hello my name is Dianaimh Ward, I’m almost 25 and I’m from Strabane.

ND - Niall Doherty, 25, Strabane, Northern Ireland.

2. Which festival have you recently attended?

Both - Electric Picnic, Stradbally, Co.Laois, Eire

3. Have you attended this festival before? If yes, how does this year compare?
DW - No. I’ve been to Witnness and Oxegen (which are the same thing except two years apart), so compared to them EP was amazing. Although Oxegen is known for its massive headliners and the fact it brings in so many bands the atmosphere is so different. EP is more about the experience than the bands. It welcomes families so there’s a much more chilled atmosphere. There’s much more to do apart from seeing bands at EP such as a free Circus show, Paint balling (ouch!), a film tent, a whole arena dedicated to the well being of your body and soul. So compared to other festivals EP offers much more, which attracts a large and diverse crowd.

4. Which act gave the best performance, and why?

ND -Easy. Allstars Radiodread - reggae versions of Radiohead during a sunny(ish) Saturday afternoon whilst somewhat inebriated - need i say more - oh, wait, myself and my lovely ladyfriend also tango-ed to paranoid android...

DW - Erasure were particularly great... but I love a good 80s dance! For me it was the Dublin Gospel Choir’s performance on the Sunday morning. Feeling the effects of two days worth of festival fun I didn’t think I had it in me to last the day but the Choir gave such an uplifting performance it really put a bounce in my step for the rest of the day!

5. If you could have promoted one act on the bill to headline status, who would you choose?

DW - Iggy and the Stooges definitely! They were on just before Primal Scream but the energy in their performance would have been a great way to finish the festival!

ND - No-one really "kicked me in the balls" wowed me - unfortunately missed quite a few acts i wanted to see for some reasons which will remain nameless

6. Did your opinion of any acts change after seeing them live?

DW - I think I appreciate Bjork a lot more now as a composer. Her arrangements of older songs were particularly brilliant and despite her petite stature she had such stage presence. Her sound was amazing and kudos has to go to the Icelandic Brass who kept so well in tune in between hot lights and a cold damp night!

ND - I thought the manics were impressive, good energy and Bradfield's voice is great - Erasure were better than I thought they would be... but i was a little too wasted to enjoy the lot... I was happy that The Undertones were still great even without Sharkey.

7. Nicest surprise / biggest disappointment?

ND - A great surprise was my better half coming back with a wheelbarrow after we foolishly attempted to carry tents, gear and alcohol all at once from car park to campsite. Also a comrade who helped us both obtain startling amounts of free food from various stalls. Music wise, listening to reggae in a natural amphitheatre dug into a hill whilst a frisbee was being thrown throughout the entire audience.

DW - Nicest surprise was seeing Damon Albarn . Although I’ll probably never see Blur (my first true band obsession) it was thrilling to hear and see him live. I felt like I was 12 again and was literally gobsmacked at hearing him sing. Biggest disappointment was missing Sonic Youth…..

8. What was the best heckle you heard?

ND - "Get your tits out!" during Footloose in the cinema tent.

9. What was the funniest moment?

DW - Being in the Film tent! People were reacting out loud to what was happening on screen so it was great craic during Karate Kid and Footloose, especially during fight scenes! The Silent Disco was excellent as well. To see half the room dancing to some horrendous techno and the other half head banging in complete silence was class!

ND - I quite enjoyed wearing shorts with Dianaimh’s stripey thigh length tights and getting propositioned. Also being surprised by the great contraband from food stalls we obtained from a pal – every time she left to go to the loo she’d return with something better and better – the highlight being strawberries, marshmallows and toffee pieces that had just been dunked in a chocolate fountain

10. Weirdest moment?

ND - On the ferris wheel. It spun as it circled... not a good combination when un-sober.

11. Any moments of sheer terror you'd like to share?

ND - Seeing some guy trying to be revived by paramedics whilst under a tree wrapped in a bin bag - he survived by the way. Other than that, going to the toilet on day 3

12. Anything you wish you'd brought with you?

DW - More blankets – fecking freezing at night. And some of my friends that couldn’t make it.

13. Please mark the following elements...

General facilities:

9 (but 4 if you include toilets which eventually were soooooooooooooooooo disgusting – yes disgusting enough to warrant excessive ooooooo). Very good ‘posh showers’ (I know Festival Experience dictates dirt and sweat but I’m a girl I just couldn’t do it).

Crowd / audience:

9 Amazingly chilled, and friendly. Receptive to the acts. Felt very like a hippie commune.

Food and drink value for money:

8 There was great variety with regards food. There had to be something there for everyone. Particular favourites include some tasty Japanese cuisine and excellent pasta feasts!

14. Finally – anything else you'd like to mention?

DW - I don’t think I could ever go back to Oxegen after experiencing EP.

ND - Terrific variety of things to do, go see, etc and well laid out. The punters and most staff appeared friendly and helpful – no-one in gaelic shirts attempting to set tents on fire like at some other festival I attended not too long ago

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