Latest news with #Maniac2000
Irish Examiner
06-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Nile Rodgers, Inhaler and David Gray among acts added to Electric Picnic lineup
Electric Picnic have added another 11 acts to the festival lineup. The festival, which sold out just days after last year's edition, takes place in its usual home of Stradbally in Co Laois from August 29 to 31. Having already packed out the card with headliners including Hozier, Chappell Roan and Fatboy Slim, organisers announced more additions on Wednesday. David Gray has been confirmed for the legends slot on Sunday evening, while Nile Rodgers and Chic make their return to Stradbally, having first performed at the Picnic in 2009. Fresh off their St Anne's Park gig in May, Inhaler will perform over the weekend. A special experience will see Noel and Mike Hogan, formerly of the Cranberries, team up with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra to perform the band's iconic songs for the first time in eight years at this year's festival. There will be performances from some festival stalwarts too including The Saw Doctors, The Coronas, King Kong Company and The Two Johnnies. The most popular Irish female on Spotify has also been confirmed for Stradbally as Jazzy makes her third appearance at Electric Picnic. Meanwhile, 'just two boys from Cork who are always up for a skit', PJ Kirby and Kevin Twomey from I'm Grand Mam will bring their hugely popular podcast to the Electric Arena. The 2 Johnnies will also be swinging by Stradbally, as will Mark McCabe to mark 25 years of Maniac 2000.
Extra.ie
06-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Electric Picnic unveils huge lineup ahead of sold-out return this month
Electric Picnic have announced huge domestic and international names ahead of its return later this month. The festival returns to Stradbally, Co Laois on August 29, with Chappell Roan, Hozier, Fatboy Slim and Kings of Leon among the headliners — with other expected highlights of the weekend including Kneecap, Conan Grey and Kingfishr. Announcing the new acts on Wednesday (August 6), Electric Picnic organisers have announced that acts ranging from Inhaler to Nile Rodgers + CHIC will be Laois bound later this month. Electric Picnic have announced huge domestic and international names ahead of its return later this month. Pic: Fans who didn't catch Inhaler's gig at St Anne's Park earlier this summer but are heading to Stradbally Hall will rejoice as the Elijah Hewson fronted band take to the stage over the weekend. Multi-platinum artist David Gray will also be heading to Laois, hitting up the legends slot on Sunday night, while Nile Rodgers + CHIC, who made their picnic debut in 2009 and have been a regular fixture, will return. After The Cranberries' final performance at the London Palladium in 2017 just before singer Dolores O'Riordan, brothers and bandmates Noel and Mike Hogan return to play the band's iconic catalogue for the first time in eight years, and they won't be alone — as they're joined by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and a very special guest (intriguing!) Nile Rodgers and Chic return to the picnic this August. Pic: ShaneContinuing their 40th anniversary, The Saw Doctors return to Stradbally once again, while Jazzy's ascent to dance-pop royalty and one of Ireland's most popular women on Spotify continues as she makes her third appearance at the picnic. Fresh from their Glastonbury performance, The Coronas will also return, while King Kong Company also come back to Stradbally. Tipperary natives will rejoice, as The 2 Johnnies and the Junior B All-Stars are also heading to the picnic to play songs from their Number 1 album, Small Town Heroes. And any 2000s clubgoers will also be delighted to know that Mark McCabe will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of Maniac 2000 at Stradbally Hall, bringing a very special show including dance classics, new bangers and a very special live show. The 2 Johnnies will also be performing from their latest album, Small Town Heroes, in Stradbally. Pic: Ruth Medjber With comedy tents and podcasts also being a huge highlight of the weekend, the I'm Grand Mam podcast — hosted by Cork comedians PJ Kirby and Kevin Twomey — will bring their massive podcast to the Electric Arena. The new additions come as Kneecap, fresh off their mammoth Glastonbury gig which was investigated by local police, will be performing at the main stage after tearing the house down last year. Electric Picnic will take place from August 29-31, with tickets being completely sold out.
Extra.ie
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Mark McCabe on Maniac 2000: 'Nobody really knew what to make of it'
2025 marks the silver jubilee of Ireland's unofficial national anthem – Mark McCabe's 'Maniac 2000' – The essential classic club track that every Irish person has shaken their booty to. Even if you think you haven't, trust me, you have. For 25 years, the song has been blasted out at discos, clubs, pubs, weddings and sporting events – usually at night's end, summoning delirious dancers to the dance floor at every shindig, blowout and jamboree like a Pavlovian klaxon. Therefore, it is beyond bizarre that the song has never been available on streaming platforms… until now. Spending 10 weeks at Number 1 in 2000, 'Maniac 2000' overtook All Saints, Madonna and Backstreet Boys while preventing Westlife from getting their fifth consecutive number one. It was a nationwide phenomenon. And what makes it more incredible is the fact that it was created with no budget and released on a tiny indie label. A quarter of a century ago, the music industry landscape was completely different to what it is today. Napster was only in its infancy, streaming platforms such as Spotify were still light years away, and everyone bought CDs or cassettes. Such was the climate into which 'Maniac 2000' was released. It was an underdog, produced guerrilla style, at a time when grandiose production was in the ascendant. Mark McCabe, an affable chap and great company, sets the scene. 'That time was very much Westlife at their peak,' he recalls. 'Well, maybe not at their peak, but they were the next thing after Take That and Boyzone. There was a lot of manufactured pop around, bands like Steps and S Club, stuff like that. It was all heavily controlled by the major record labels.' However, there was also a vibrant rave culture. Across a hive of venues – The Asylum, Ormond Multimedia Centre, Temple of Sound, The Kitchen, Switch, RíRa, The Pod, Colombia Mills and Temple Theatre – Dublin was buzzing to the sound of the dance underground. Mark occupied a sonic territory somewhere between those two polarities. He reflects on cutting his teeth at raves, such as Awesome and Obsession at the RDS. 'I just loved the atmosphere,' he enthuses. 'The lasers, the smoke machines, the lights and the show that they put on. I had been involved in doing my own little discos and stuff like that, but it was the scale of what they were doing that really appealed to me. And I liked the music. I liked the fact that it was not five guys playing instruments. 'It was one or two guys, and they were generating this music electronically. The Prodigy's 'Charly' was the first track that I ever bought. That was my awakening to it, because it sounded so different to everything else. And then there were things like Kicks Like A Mule's 'The Bouncer', which has this vocal hook, which is super simple, and that also appealed to me.' McCabe became an avid listener to pirate station Pulse FM, which, pre-internet, along with Club FM, was where people discovered new dance tracks. 'Pulse appealed to me a little bit more,' Mark explains, 'because it was slightly more commercial. I got in touch with them and asked if I could come and see the studio, and went out to Clontarf. I got on really well with the guys that were running it, and they gave me a show. I ended up being the station manager and programming it.' That shows some moxie. McCabe was still a teenager. On top of that, then, he created the fifth biggest selling Irish single of all time. His views on 'Maniac 2000' are not entirely what you might expect, however. 'My peers,' he explains, 'the Billy Scurrys, the Johnny Moys and all of those people, it just wouldn't have been their thing. This was my first dance release. All my heroes, the guys whose tunes I had grown up listening to, and who I worked for in the Ormond Multimedia Centre, doing sound, they were going, 'What the heck is this?' So I was embarrassed. 'Nobody really knew what to make of it. I think as a result of that, there was no chance of me having a credible DJ career or being respected in that scene, even though I managed to get signed to Danny Tenaglia's label, Twisted, which was super-cool. So, on one side I was doing cool, incredible things, but then on the other, I was the guy that did this 'Maniac' track.' The origins of 'Maniac 2000' emerged in the early '80s via Michael Sembello of Flashdance soundtrack fame. Fast forward to 1995 when Irish act 4 Rhythm released their own version of the song, which spawned a remix by Irish duo Sound Crowd, McCabe, like many other Dublin DJs at the time (including co-writer Al Gibbs), was drawn to the 'Maniac' instrumental and, as a party piece, would throw different raps over it. 'The first version, the demo, was aired on Pulse FM from a gig that was in the Temple Theatre,' says Mark. 'And that's how people got to know it. It was literally, on the night we hit record, whatever came out of my mouth – that was it. Then we started playing it on Pulse, and that's the version that stuck. We went back and recorded it in the Clontarf Cricket Club at an under-18 gig, and that was the final version.' Initially, the popularity of the track was gauged by the number of people phoning in to Pulse FM.'People just kept on requesting it,' Mark smiles, 'and then they went into Billy Murray at Abbey Discs, and said, 'Can we buy this?' So I signed to him. It went in at No.2 for the first week and then spent 10 weeks at No.1.' 'Maniac 2000' took on a life of its own. But it was not the door-opener it should have been for Mark… 'There was a side of me,' Mark explains, 'that was going, 'Okay, I want to be a superstar DJ. I want to be one of those cool DJs'. So, on one side I had 'Maniac', and then on the other, I was doing shows on 2FM, playing new trance or tribal house. And at that time, it didn't make sense for 'Maniac' to fit with that. It was just so different, so that's where I really struggled. 'Obviously, the 'Maniac' people were far outnumbering the 2FM audience at the shows. I think I did it for about four or five years, and then I thought, 'It's just not for me, it doesn't make sense'. I found it really difficult to go and do shows, because I was thinking, 'Oh man, I've got to do 'Maniac'. It's not going to make sense, playing all these tunes and then suddenly going into 'Maniac'. 'I went to work for RTÉ and had my own studio where I started to record bands, orchestras, choirs, you name it. So, I got back to doing the technical side of things. Then I got the opportunity to set up the RTÉ digital station. I brought Pulse with me, and we set up 2XM, which was the indie station.' Mark McCabe. Copyright Abigail Ring/ And that was that, until McCabe unleashed 'Maniac 2000' once again at Electric Picnic 2015, and the crowd went insane. 'I really didn't expect anything at all,' Mark laughs. 'It turned out to be this sort of awakening, where I got to see it for what it was – it was just people really enjoying it. They were having a good time with it and I felt it was my duty to give people what they want! Now it makes sense. I can play a show and everything works together. 'A lot of dance music now is reworks of stuff from the '90s and noughties. Playing the Picnic last year, there were people from 13 to 60, and the younger kids knew a lot of the reworks. And then the older people obviously knew the original. Now it's nothing but joy, it's so much fun.' 'Maniac 2000', the underdog with the heart of a lion, is relishing its second act, with McCabe playing massive gigs and even selling out the 3Arena in March of this year. 'People were showing up for the fact that it was 25 years of 'Maniac',' he notes. 'So it was very personal, because I knew that everybody there had an appreciation for 'Maniac 2000'. That was really special.' • The 25th anniversary edition of 'Maniac 2000' is streaming now on all platforms.
Irish Independent
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Chrissie Russell: Is it really that bad to be middle-aged, tiddly and having a great time?
We may not be as demure as Gen Z, but we embrace the moment We'd been dancing for several hours to favourites like Insomnia by Faithless and Maniac 2000 when we staggered away from the dance floor, exiting the venue with the rest of the red-faced, sweaty crowd. Some of our group were being uncharacteristically well-behaved… but only because they'd very recently overdone it on another night out and were still living down the shame. We teetered out to where my dad was waiting to pick us up, all hoping we sounded more sober than we were.
Irish Examiner
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Bernard O'Shea: Nicola Coughlan has Supermacs, I have Coppers — Five Irish businesses we'd love gold cards for
In 2025, being granted a gold card isn't just a privilege—it's a cultural achievement. Forget Netflix deals or BAFTA nods. If you want genuine Irish respect, you need a VIP card for something that actually matters. Take Nicola Coughlan, for example. In between starring in Bridgerton and charming everyone from Graham Norton to the Vogue crowd, she casually revealed her most impressive accomplishment to date: a Supermac's Super VIP card. Issued for life. Unlimited access to garlic cheese chips. Possibly more potent than her passport. She posted a photo of the card with a caption that read like a mic drop: 'Few things that have happened to me impressed people more than this.' Honestly? Fair. Now, I can't compete with international fame, but I do hold a similarly revered item: a Coppers Gold Card. That's right. Free entry to Copper Face Jacks, the nightclub where careers are forged, relationships bloom and die, and where you're never more than six minutes away from someone roaring 'Maniac 2000.' But what if we thought bigger? What if there were more gold cards for more sacred Irish institutions? Let's say the quiet part out loud: here are five Irish businesses we'd all secretly love gold cards for. 1. Barack Obama Plaza – The spiritual home of mid-journey toilet stop It might be a motorway service station, but it's also a shrine. Named after the 44th President of the United States (via ancestral links to Moneygall, Offaly), Barack Obama Plaza is where Irish people make pilgrimages for breakfast rolls, diesel, and a quiet cry in the carpark. A gold card here? Game-changer. Unlimited sausage rolls, priority access to clean loos, and your own reserved spot under the statue of Michelle and Barack. Imagine pulling in, flashing your card, and being greeted by name like a celebrity on tour. It's not just a rest stop. It's a state of mind. 2. Brown Thomas – Where aspirations are spritzed with perfume Ah, Brown Thomas. You go in for a browse and come out with deep financial regret and a free spritz of Tom Ford on your left elbow. It's less a department store and more a test of willpower. But with a gold card? Suddenly, you're the main character. No more side-eyes from Chanel counters. No more pretending to be buying a wedding gift when you're just sniffing candles. You get a personal shopper, a glass of prosecco on arrival and a makeup artist who calls you 'darling' unironically. Heaven. 3. All Car Parks – Because modern Irish success is measured in free parking There are two types of Irish people: those who pay for parking and those who know a fella. A gold card for all car parks? That's prestige. That's wealth. That's freedom. Forget flying private. The proper flex is driving into any town in Ireland and confidently ignoring the parking meter. No more tapping apps, scrambling for coins, or desperately trying to decode whether you're in a loading bay. Your gold card waves all fines. It's basically diplomatic immunity with a windscreen sticker. 4. The NCT Centre – Where dreams are dashed over wiper blades The NCT Centre is Ireland's great leveller. It doesn't matter who you are—teacher, builder, bishop, or Taoiseach—if your car fails due to a dodgy headlamp alignment, like your driving test, you're driving home in shame (yes, I know the irony). The waiting room is a temple of tension, where people sit in silent prayer, watching their reg plates pop up on the screen like the results of a medical test. Nothing brings out middle-aged existential dread like a softly muttered, 'It didn't pass today.' A gold card means guaranteed passes, fast-tracked appointments, and immunity from the man who asks, 'Have you your insurance disk up?' You drive in, they salute. You drive out with a cup of tea and a sticker that says, 'Passed First Time (Because I'm Class).' And best of all? You never have to look up what 'axial play in wishbone bushes' means ever again. 5. Every Deli Counter in Ireland – The beating heart of the nation No matter how fancy our coffee gets or how many brunch spots are open, the Irish deli counter reigns supreme. It's where real decisions are made. Where builders, teachers, and sleep-deprived parents queue shoulder to shoulder for sustenance wrapped in foil. A gold card for all deli counters? It's the ultimate fantasy. You walk in, and they know your order. You say nothing. You raise an eyebrow, and they start buttering the roll. Chicken fillet, stuffing, cheese, taco sauce—all yours. No charge. No judgement. Just warm, bready love from Malin to Mizen Head. Nicola Coughlan might have Supermacs. I might have Coppers. But the truth is, a gold card isn't about VIP velvet ropes or getting a table at some rooftop bar in Manhattan. The real Irish fantasy isn't excess—it's recognition. It's walking into a place and being seen. Being known. Not for fame, but for familiarity. For being part of the furniture. And if it comes with free curry chips and a club orange? Even better. Read More How Cork got a science centre and space observatory in a 16th-century castle
