Sineád Baker ¦ Editor-at-Large
Trinity Orchestra is known for defying the conventions of classical music. Their previous performances of the music of Pink Floyd, Queen and Daft Punk have brought them both national and international acclaim, and the Orchestra’s performance on the Main Stage of this year’s Electric Picnic proved once again that Ireland’s only fully student run orchestra has the power to surprise and impress even the sleepiest Saturday-morning crowd.
Their set, an orchestral adaptation of the songs from the album Demon Days by British virtual rock band Gorillaz, provided the perfect introduction to the first full day of the picnic. The huge, sweeping sounds of the Orchestra allowed the crowd to sit down and soak it all in, yet their seemingly inexhaustible energy didn’t permit anyone to become bored.
Demon Days as an album is a vast and expansive project, intended to be a depiction of a journey through the night. Hence, it seems appropriate to see the tracks played out in epic proportions, with a full stage of musicians and full singers playing to the eager crowd. The steadily growing number of people in attendance was a testament to the talent and popularity of the Orchestra, as the modest, seated crowd finally grew to a majority standing and dancing mass during the ‘encore medley’ arranged by Éna Brennan.
Described by the Irish Mirror as an “absolute treat”, the performance, under conductor Anthony Mullholland and leader Laura Morley, provided an hour of music that impressed fans of classical music, Gorillaz and those who just enjoy a good show. That the Orchestra can accurately capture the varied genres and moods explored in the highly experimental album is a testament to its versatility. The changes to the original material were minimal, with some female vocalists used to effectively sing what are originally male parts. Even the songs that might seem beyond the capabilities of an Orchestra, such as the hugely electronic “White Lights” energized and impressed the masses.
Opening, appropriately, with “Intro” the Orchestra progressed through the tracks on the album, from the slow, sleepier tracks such as “El Mañana” and “Kids With Guns”to the explosive, energetic raps of Seamus Sutton and Jack Toner in tracks such as “Dirty Harry”.
Overall, Trinity Orchestra’s performance epitomizes that which is best about Electric Picnic. Capable to thrilling those with hangovers, those who want to dance and children who just want to pretend to conduct up the front, the performance remained quirky, energetic and allowed us to question our assumptions about music and genre.
