John Reynolds changed Ireland

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John Reynolds was a crazy maverick who changed Ireland.
Before Mr Reynolds took his club and music promotion experience beyond the Pod in Dublin and into the festival world, most particularly the creation of Electric Picnic, festivals were big music bashes where the punters were treated like cattle.
The food was dire, the facilities were dire, and the sense of being ripped-off whilst being a captive in a big field never went away.
John Reynolds changed that. Along with good music he wanted culture at his festivals, and good food, cooked and served by talented people. His festivals were broad churches, cultural events where, ironically, you could have completely ignored the music on the stages and still had the best time ever.
For a decade now we have curated Theatre of Food at Electric Picnic, and we have tried to make it the sort of smorgasbord that Mr Reynolds liked: spontaneous; whacky; fun; serious; contemporary; a reflection of the culture in its depth and originality, all happening on a stage in a big field, for your delectation.
John Reynolds was quiet, and fearless, and a true original. He made a difference.