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Music

18th Aug 2017

Remember these 10 things about going to festivals during the 90s?

JOE

Brought to you by Electric Ireland.

Back in the day…

You may have heard stories about 90s festivals from your parents or you may be old enough to remember them yourself. Festivals were a different animal back then.

People would actually watch the bands instead of taking selfies or checking social media. Strange days! There were no gourmet food stalls and middle partings were still a socially-acceptable haircut. In many ways, it was a simpler time!

Electric Ireland, the official energy partner of Electric Picnic, will bring 90s nostalgia and slammin’ pop tunes to Stradbally this September with the ultimate Throwback Stage. That inspired us to look back at some of the things that you’d experience at a typical 90s festival!

Mud-encrusted flares




Flares and mud don’t mix well. By the end of the day, you were carrying around a kilogram of dried mud on the bottom of each trouser leg.

Trying to find people without phones

Every trip to the bar/toilet meant you may not see your friends for the rest of the day. You usually had a back-up plan to meet at a certain landmark at a certain time if you got lost. It usually didn’t work.

Tie-dye t-shirts

The sixties revival had a lot to answer for. Just for the record, very few situations are improved by the presence of a tie-dye t-shirt.

Baggy clothes

Oversized 90s clothes had enough material in them to clothe a hipster for a week. Nothing struck fear into a 90s festival crowd like a strong wind.

Cureheads

There was always one, usually standing in the shade to avoid the risk of a sun tan.

Finding new music

In the days before Spotify, checking out random bands could prove expensive at £15 a CD. So festivals really were a chance to find your favourite new band back in the day.

Fisherman hats

The Madchester scene’s gift to pasty Irish people was a sensible hat that you could wear at festivals to avoid sunstroke. Everyone had one of these hats.

Spoofers

Think about it – nobody had any internet access so you could say anything you wanted and nobody could fact check it. Many a made up fact was told to impress someone at a 90s festival.

Whistles

Rave music gave the world the whistle at gigs. Thanks for that. Every 90s festival had some idiot with a whistle who’d try and perforate your eardrum by blowing it five inches from your ear.

The inevitable Oasis singalong

“And after all…”

Win tickets to Electric Picnic by tuning in to the ‘Electric Ireland Throwback Show’ Live on Facebook, featuring childhood legends Don Conroy and Dustin the Turkey, on August 23rd at 8pm.

Electric Ireland is the official energy partner of Electric Picnic, and we’ll be bringing 90s chart sensations 5ive and S Club Party PLUS a whole lot more, to our ultimate Throwback Stage at Stradbally this September. There is also one great Throwback act still to be announced. 

Brought to you by Electric Ireland.