Athlone hip hop artist Teggy set for return to Electric Picnic

by Rebekah O'Reilly

Athlone based hip hop artist Cian Teague, who performs under the stage name Teggy, is preparing for his second Electric Picnic performance in successive years, as he will be appearing on the Trenchtown stage at the festival this weekend.

The local performer will take the stage at the annual music gathering in Stradbally this Saturday night, August 17, from 8pm to 9pm.

It will be the second time that the Athlone musician has appeared at the festival, with Teggy also performing his set on the Trenchtown stage last year.

When asked by the Westmeath Independent what his first experience performing at the festival had been like, Teggy said: "I was a bit nervous. It ended up being big enough, when the Athlone town crowd came others started to join."

These days, Teggy's music is taking a route that is a change for the hip hop performer. He said: "It's more drum and bass - it's a bit different."

His latest single, called Vibe, was released on June 21, and he says the reaction was incredible. "It's a bit more high energy," he said when asked about the track.

Teggy is planning to perform some unreleased music during his Electric Picnic set, which will then be released on an upcoming EP or mixtape in the weeks following the festival.

Cian Teague was based in England before moving to Athlone some years ago. When asked in previous years about how he first got started in music, he said: "I got involved in music because my best friend in England, Chunk, always rapped.

"I looked up to him and wanted to rap as well, but I never had the confidence. When I moved to Ireland I decided to give it a shot, and I haven't looked back since."

Electric Picnic is running from August 16 to August 18, and this year's line-up includes some huge names like Kylie, Kodaline, and Noah Kahan.

Those who won't make it to Electric Picnic but would like to see Teggy in action have a chance to see him deliver his rap and hip hop tracks in The Venue, on Church Street, Athlone, St Stephen's Day.

The performer is part of a big line-up of local acts for the December 26 event, alongside Ireland's premier tribute to Rage Against The Machine, Renegades Of Funk, support act What's That Smell, and DJ Flicker on the decks.

Doors will open at 8pm, and tickets are on sale now, via Eventbrite.