Oxegen 2009 Photos Now Online Posted by EI Team on 13 July 2009. Mood:
Photos of acts, crowds, and general stuff from this year's Oxegen festival are now on entertainment.ie. To see pictures of your favourite band, or just to see if you can pick yourself and your mates out of the crowd, head on over to caught out now.
Oxegen - Sunday Posted by Jenny on 13 July 2009. Mood: I'm a sheepy sleep
After our Dublin Bus driver took a wrong turn on Sunday morning, we made it to Punchestown just in time to see The Noisettes take to the Heineken Green Spheres stage. Kicking off their set with 'Wild Young Heart,' frontwoman Shingai Shoniwa sang splendidly with her nasal tones, wearning a bright pink cropped jacket, and tutu like white skirt. After listening to their hit 'Don't Upset The Rhythm (Go Baby Go)' on an ad for Mazda all weekend, it was a sure hit with the crowd, especially when Shoniwa draped herself seductively on their equipment. However, having played their two biggest hits at the very start of their set, soon the tent began to empty, and, yes, we were among the deserters.
Surprisingly R.S.A.G. was still battering away on his drum-kit by the time we walked the ten muddy minutes to the Red Bull Music Academy, the smallest stage of the festival on the far side of the arena. We arrived just in time for 'Stick To Your Climb', it's repeated guitar and catchy bassline resounding wildly, as Jeremy Hickey speedily banged at his instrument. At one stage, his backing track and projected band stopped to allow him play and sing alone, building up to a feral highpoint.
Soon, all of the festival goers were making their way towards the main stage, waiting for Lady GaGa to appear. It seemed the devout fans were at the front, while those further back, like us, were attracted by morbid fascination. If there's one thing I've learnt this weekend, it's that Lady GaGa should never be allowed to talk... ever. When she sang, she did so powerfully and with ease, like a cheap Christina Aguilera. When joined by dancers, the pace was exhilarating. But between songs, when she spoke, all she did was make a tit of herself. A pointless story about pushing to the front of festival crowds, and idealistic nonsense about peace, love and music came before a ten minute piano introduction to 'Poker Face', in which GaGa had a go at humping her piano stool, as well as standing on it, bending down to play, and waving her arse to the air (in it's full glory, might I add, not one of her three spangling costumes covered the blessed thing). After stopping between verses to endow us with more senseless twaddle, she finally got going, and it was almost worth the wait.
Nearby, White Lies were playing on the O2 stage. Their heavy rock wasn't enough to rouse potential fans, but Harry McVeigh's voice, deep and solid with its 80s style, was enough to keep them civilized at least. Having played 'Farewell to the Fairground' at the beginning of the set, they had enough sense to keep their audience by holding back their other hit, 'Death,' until the very end.
Following dinner, and some mouth-watering ice cream, it was time to make the long trek back to the Heineken Green Spheres stage, where Oxford math-rockers Foals were playing. Except for their haircuts, you'd never have known they were a trendy band, as they filled out their jerky riffs and sharp beats with noisy distorted guitars which really gave them an edge. After a juddering, dance-worthy performance of 'Olympic Airways', Foals played their most popular single 'Cassius' before we headed to the main stage for The Specials.
The sky was spitting when we left the Green Spheres tent, but by the time The Specials were halfway through their first track, the classic 'Do The Dog,' it was a full on downpour. It was possibly the worst of the entire weekend, soaking through cheap raincoats and leaving nothing but rivers of muddy water in its wake, a perfect environment for dancing, twirling and splashing to The Specials' ska classics, as well as mud fights and slides. Terry Hall kept his face straight as an arrow, while Neville Staple and guitarist Lynval Golding are still wonderful showmen, dancing and cheering the audience on. Meanwhile, the group's brass trio were the icing on a massive ska cake. 'A Message To You, Rudy' was the best received song of the set, but The Specials got their biggest cheer by thanking the crowd for watching them, since they haven't played together for 26 years. The crowd was notably older and smaller than for most of the main stage, of course partly because of the rain, but mainly 'cause most of these kids have never heard of The Specials.
Another band they'd never heard of were Wild Beasts, who were mischeduled to play the Hot Press New Bands Stage at eight in the evening. When the quartet came on stage, they were greeted by cries of 'Who the f**k are you?' by some classy rain evaders, while a small amount of avid musos stood right at the barrier, their cheering urging the band to ignore their hecklers. The jeering stopped as soon as Hayden Thorpe and Tom Fleming opened their mouths. Fleming's voice is deep and sure footed, a little reminiscent of Morrissey, while Thorpe's is a high falsetto, breaking into a croaking screech at his command. Together they are truly awesome, as is their drummer, Chris Talbot, who looks almost young enough to be a school boy, but can beat out sophisticated rhythms with the best of them. A set of mostly new songs as well as the fantastic 'The Devil's Crayon' was sadly cut short by the impatient stage crew, eager to keep to their schedule.
Late to the stage and playing a substantial set, Of Montreal were still on stage when I made it to the Red Bull Music Academy. Their stage show is one of the most bizarre things I've ever seen, with people 'dancing' onstage wearing masks of all sorts, pig masks, gas masks, even a dinosaur mask. At one point, two mustached men twirled around each other in their luminous leotards. The band paid tribute to Bat For Lashes with a cover of 'Daniel', before finishing with a guitar rock tune, very different to their previous synth pop numbers.
As soon as Of Montreal left the stage, the crowd pushed forward, making it clear that if you wanted to see Florence and the Machine, you had to stay put. Grumpy because of errors on the schedule, the diverse crowd booed each and every person preparing the stage before Florence finally appeared. From what I could see, which is not much really, Florence was wearing a black cloak and a flowery headdress like that of the one in her video for 'Rabbit Heart (Raise it Up)'. She opening with 'Between Two Lungs' and proceeded to play all the most upbeat numbers from her new album, including 'Kiss With A Fist'. After officially making friends with her audience, she split us into two halves and asked us to howl like wolves, before playing, guess what, 'Howl'. A chant pleaded with Florence to play 'Cosmic Love', another track which was blared around the festival on its ad for The O2, so she did, with her harp player twinkling along beautifully. By the time the 45 minute set finished, I was far from where I had first stood, and judged, that if I had actually been able to see her, Florence might have been my Oxegen favourite.
Oxegen - Saturday Posted by Jenny on 12 July 2009. Mood:
Fred kick off Saturday in the Heineken Green Spheres with their usual contagious energy oozing out through to tent as they played single 'Good One'. The Cork popsters filled out their guitar and keyboard sound by inviting a trumpet and trombone to play with them, while keyboardist Carolyn Goodwin herself played the saxophone. It wasn't long before two violins also graced the stage, adding depth and character to their single 'Skyscrapers'.
On the O2 Stage, The Gaslight Anthem were almost half an hour late to the stage, but eventually managed to get a soaking wet crowd going with their gruff, blues influenced rock. Lead singer Brian Fallon looked as if his growling voice didn't belong to him, with his clean-shaven, boy next door looks, while their hairy, tattooed guitarist Alex Rosamilia was the exact opposite. The highlight of the set was 'Great Expectations', as well as a great performances of 'The '59 Sound.'
With the Gaslight Anthem also late leaving the stage, we just made it in time to catch the last few tracks from Howling Bells. Their round guitar rock didn't quite grab until the very end when punky frontwoman Juanita Stein took a pair of drumsticks vigorously to a pair of drums and gave it her all for the last few minutes.
A dinner break later Passion Pit were up on the Hot Press New Bands Stage. Since their overriding sound is electronic dance pop, it was surprising that their main instruments were guitars, but their tunes were still invigorating, urging all around into dance mode. Singer Michael Angelakos was another whose voice didn't suit his body, his high pitched squeak more suited to a young girl than a big beard faced man. Their best known single 'Sleepyhead' was a true highpoint, even if only because it had the crowd squealing along to its Chipmunk style pitched-up vocal line.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs' main stage performance was not so hot, again not their fault in the slightest, as Karen O gave an intense performance in her green leggings and flowing top. Still, her sultry croak was almost the only thing audible with the poor sound quality, though those at the front seemed to be having a ball. They played a rip-roaring version of their recent single 'Heads Will Roll' before it was time to head for the IMRO tent for St. Vincent.
Annie Clark is a sheer wonder to watch. A wonderful guitarist with an utterly beautiful voice, she's joyfully eccentric, as are her songs, and her bandmates for that matter, especially one oddball saxophone player. It was only a shame that it was absolutely necessary to get to the front of the stage in order to be able to hear the difference between her normal microphone and the one beside it with a shaking effect on it. As well as songs from her new album 'Actor', St. Vincent also played 'Now Now' and 'Your Lips Are Red' from the last one.
When St. Vincent finished, we were infuriated to find the Hot Press tent was filled to the brim for Little Boots. An underestimation of Victoria Hesketh's popularity added to the continuous rain and ever increasing levels of mud meant that there was no way to get in to see her. From outside we saw her bouncing about in an extravagant dress to 'New In Town' and 'Mathematics' before we decided it might be a good idea to get into the Heineken Green Spheres tent well in time for TV On The Radio.
Beginning to fade at this stage, TV On The Radio injected some well needed energy into us with their exotic offbeat numbers. Kyp Malone and Tunde Adebimpe's voices meshed together perfectly – one too high to be real and one sharp and clear. The saxophone bled through each track, danceable numbers packed with wonderful rhythms. 'Dancing Choose' was a particular highlight, its fast-paced, rap-like vocals and punchy sax line. Tunde Adebimpe's wiggle was excellent yet sort of hilarious, and he bounced and jumped with endless vivacity.
On the way to see Patrick Wolf, we caught the end of Elbow's set on the main stage. Playing 'One Day Like This' was wonderful, with strings and vocals and those towards singing along. At the end they blasted confetti from the middle of crowd into the air towards delighted fans.
Having waited for Patrick Wolf for the entire day, we waited another half an hour while crew sound-checked. A repetitive reggae bassline rumbled and resonated through the structures and the ground while the rest of the song was entirely inaudible. When Wolf finally arrived on stage, he was dress in one of his typical flamboyant costumes – a black and white union jack jumpsuit with a black feathered shawl like a great black eagle. When he began, it became clear that the sound wasn't going to get any better, as the bassline reverberated in our ears, drowning out anything else worth hearing. This forced us back from the stage, where we could still see Patrick crouch at the front of the stage and sing into a stage lamp. A mournful rendition of 'Damaris' was quite moving, as Wolf took up his violin to play along with his violinist and electric cello player. 'Oblivion' was also a highlight, while Tilda Swinton's spoken passage came in on a backing track along with gospel style backing vocals. Wolf finished up with 'The Magic Position', a more upbeat track that sent the audience wild, and stuck in your head for the night. Click here for Saturday's photos.
Oxegen - Friday Posted by Jenny on 11 July 2009. Mood:
Lily Allen's set was a little disappointing, but that wasn't at all her fault. A hyperactive crowd gave Lily her best reception when she delivered her well known covers of The Kaiser Cheifs' 'Oh My God' and Britney's 'Womaniser', though she also got a good response to her most successful singles 'Smile', 'LDN', and 'The Fear'. For album tracks though, 90% of the crowd played SFA attention, but then, they were like that for everyone. There was a 'bad sound' pocket mid-way down the field, where we happened to be, hearing her voice come and go above a grumbling bassline.
In an effort to find a bar with real drinks (unsuccessful, as it happens), I came across Duke Special, playing an elegantly subdued rendition of Freewheel, and urging a small but fervent audience to sing-a-long, and succeeded too. The Duke's voice was gentle yet clear, while his jazzy looking double bass player thunked away delightfully.
In the Heineken Green Spheres tent, Mogwai played their usual static, raucous set – not quite deafeningly loud, not quite. As ever, they perfectly time the switch from gentile, soothing moments and a guttural wall of noise. Their tracks were almost unrecognisable, plastered as they were in electronic sound effects, with ever intriguing results. Images of the post-rock Scots were displayed in a large discoball screen above our heads. Soon, security folks were needless telling us to get to our feet, clearly unaware that Mogwai are one of the best chill-out bands around.
Surprisingly enough, Snow Patrol were one of Friday's most entertaining acts. Clearly a lot of people were there to see them, and they completely lived up to their strong reputation as a live band. The entire crowd sang a lot to 'Run', a song which Gary Lightbody joked was their first number one, though they weren't the ones who got it there. To the crowds singing abilities Lightbody said 'that was beautiful' – clearly, it sounded different from his end. Well, he was convinced that everyone was 'gorgeous' and 'beautiful'. Two teen girls join Lightbody on the stage, taking on Martha Wainright's part in 'Set the Fire To The Third Bar'. Having clearly exaggerated their vocal skills, Lightbody carried them with grace and good humour. Snow Patrol, as well, had a good knack of blasting you with massive walls of sound, having begun most of their tracks softly and quietly and built them from there. If one thing's to be said about a Snow Patrol performance, they never let it get boring.
Finally, it was the piece de resistance, the one we were all here for, the princes of Britpop – Blur. Actually, it seemed like perhaps more people were here for Snow Patrol, as the young uns around is looked oblivious to the fact that one of Britains greatest acts was on stage. Albarn an co. played a great number of their well-known hits, playing the off album track for hardcore fans, which were not well received by the crowd. Highlights included Graham Coxon's sliding guitar on 'There's no other way', Alex James taking on a double bass, the brass section and couple of gospel singers that played on 'Country House' as well as other songs, and Albarn's touching and beautiful rendition of 'Tender', including a vocal solo, accompanied solely by his audience. The band kept 'The Universal' for their encore, dedicating it to Joe Dolan, of all people.
Click here for Friday's photos.
Oxegen Update - Friday Posted by Jenny on 10 July 2009. Mood: Honestly? A little tipsy...
The Brilliant Things kicked of Oxegen on the main stage, and were soon join by The Artane Boys Band, in their full band uniform, looking absolutely delighted, with their synchronised moves, and their enthused and youthful guitarists. The shorter jumped as if he were playing with a world class rock band, while a rendition of 'The Final Countdown' was well received, before the band gave a tribute to the late, great Michael Jackson by playing an instrumental version of 'Triller.' Meanwhile, The Brilliant Things frontlady got well into the spirit of things by putting a band jacket on top of her full length pink tulle dress.
Having made it to the Heineken Green Spheres Stage, we were just in time to catch the end of The Dirty Epics, with their pink haired front-woman puttin on quite an energetic show , while their drummer carried them with his skillful rolling rhythms. The rain suggested we should stay in the tent until God Is An Astronaut brought their instrumetal post-rock to the stage. Their earth-shuddering, bass heavy rock was accompanied by creepy visuals – psychadelic patterns, apocalyptic scenes and space age animals. Their rhythms are contagious though, and all around the crowds tapped to their drummers beats.
The craic in the Barcardi B-Live Bar is better than it's ever been. An unnamed DJ plays indie hits from Fight Like Apes, Lykke Li, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Ida Maria, Passion Pit and Animal Collective, and drinks are actually quite reasonably priced. Well, cheaper than they'd be in any Dublin bar, at any rate.
Next, on the O2 Stage, The Answer were playing their characteristic sharp guitar riffs, with frontman Cormac Neeson head-banding his long ginger hair to his audience's delight. In the Red Bull Music Academy, Jape played his recognisable indie-electro tracks to a crowd notably more 'techno' than usual. Richie Egan played his best known song 'Floating' before raising a circling synth hook and techno beat that sent them wild. Next, we're heading to see Lily Allen, Mogwai and Blur. Stay tuned for more Oxegen updates.
Entertainment.ie Go To Oxegen Posted by Jenny on 09 July 2009. Mood:
Tomorrow I'll be heading off to Punchestown Racecourse to see loads of fantastic music at Oxegen, as will about half the entertainment.ie office, I have to admit.
Throughout the weekend, I'll be twittering any news about cancellations and changes to stage times, as well as updates from various performances and well, the craic, in general. I'll also be posting photographs from the festival in Caught Out, as well as giving you a full round up of the weekend's events at the end of each day.
Stay tuned over the weekend for Oxegen 2009.
Video: Blur at Hyde Park Posted by EI Team on 03 July 2009. Mood:
This short but telling footage of Blur's performance in London's Hyde Park last week will give some indication of the kind of show we'll see from them at Oxegen next Friday.
If that's not good enough to get you hyped up for next week's Oxegen performance, here's some fantastic nostalgia to get you going.
You can get all those songs on Blur's recently released compilation, 'Midlife: A Beginners Guide To Blur'.
Make Your Own Timetable! Posted by EI Team on 03 July 2009. Mood:
There's just so many great acts playing at Oxegen, it'll be difficult to figure how who to see when, and which of your favourite bands are going to clash with each other.
With Oxegen Stage Times announced yesterday, you can now start planning which stage you'll grace with your presence at what time of the day. Without a doubt, the easiest way to do it is to Make Your Own Timetable over on our Summer Festivals page. Just click on the acts you want to see, and we'll make up your very own timetable that you can print out and bring with you to Punchestown.
Click here to Make Your Own Timetable
Oxegen Stage Times Announced Posted by EI Team on 02 July 2009. Mood:
With just over a week to go until Ireland's most popular festival, you can finally start planning your weekend at Oxegen. The stage times have been announced:
10 July 2009
Bacardi B-Live Arena
20:30 Krafty Kuts
20:00 Beardyman
17:30 Disco Bloodbath
16:00 Dublin Streets
Heineken Green Spheres
23:15 2 Many DJs
21:25 Republic Of Loose
19:50 Mogwai
18:20 Fight Like Apes
16:50 Dreadzone
15:20 God Is An Astronaut
14:00 Dirty Epics
Hot Press New Band Stage
00:00 O Emperor
23:00 Pulled Apart By Horses
22:00 Spinnerette
21:00 Metronomy
20:00 Iain Archer
19:00 The Hours
18:00 Dinosaur Pile-Up
17:00 Mumford and Sons
16:00 Carolina Liar
15:00 Priscilla Ahn
14:00 Truffle Shuffle
IMRO Stage
00:25 The Mighty Stef
23:25 Yes Cadets
22:30 The Flaws
21:30 David Kitt
20:30 Heathers
19:30 The Joy Formidable
18:30 Cashier No. 9
17:35 Ruth-Anne Cunningham
16:40 The Brilliant Things
15:45 Home Star Runner
14:50 Stone Motion
14:00 Prowler
Main Stage
23:10 Blur
21:10 Snow Patrol
19:35 The Script
18:05 Lily Allen
16:35 James
15:00 The Coronas
14:00 The Artane Boys' Band
OXEGEN Dance Arena
23:30 Deadmau5
21:30 Swedish House Mafia
20:00 Crookers
19:00 Aeroplane DJ Set
18:05 Frankmusik
17:10 Evil 9
16:20 Japanese Popstars
15:30 BURNS
15:00 Gordo
14:00 Tom Middleton
OXEGEN Stage 2
23:35 Keane
21:50 Pendulum
20:15 Fun Lovin' Criminals
18:40 Duke Special
17:10 Therapy?
15:10 The Answer
14:00 Telegraphs
Red Bull Music Academy
00:10 Arveene
23:20 David Holmes DJ Set
22:20 DJ Chloe
21:00 Ladyhawke
19:30 M83
18:00 DJ Johnny Moy
16:45 'Special Guest'
15:15 DJ Lukid
14:00 202s
11 July 2009
Bacardi B-Live Arena
20:00 Filty Dukes
18:00 Idiot Proof
16:00 Horsemeat Disco
14:00 Sound Check
Heineken Green Spheres
23:50 Jerry Fish & The Mudbug Club
21:45 Pet Shop Boys
20:25 TV On The Radio
19:15 Pete Doherty
18:00 Regina Spektor
16:50 The Saturdays
15:45 Daniel Merriweather
14:50 Gary Go
14:00 Fred
Hot Press New Band Stage
00:00 Airborne Toxic Event
23:00 Go Audio
22:00 Patrick Wolf
21:00 Sneaky Soundsystem
20:00 Little Boots
19:00 Hockey
18:00 Passion Pit
17:00 In Case of Fire
16:00 Howling Bells
15:00 Will and The People
14:00 Seven Days
IMRO Stage
00:25 Cap Pas Cap
23:25 And So I Watch You From Afar
22:25 Codes
21:25 Director
20:25 General Fiasco
19:30 St. Vincent
18:35 Joe Echo
17:40 Nightbox
16:45 Angel Pier
15:50 Carosel
14:55 Jenna Toro
14:00 Distractors
Main Stage
23:30 Kings of Leon
21:55 Bloc Party
20:25 Elbow
18:55 Yeah Yeah Yeahs
17:30 James Morrison
16:20 The Blizzards
15:10 Squeeze
14:00 The Saw Doctors
OXEGEN Dance Arena
23:00 Tiga
21:30 Boys Noize
20:30 Annie Mac
19:30 Digitalism
18:30 Dr Lektroluv
17:30 Popof
16:30 Don Rimini
15:30 DJ Philth
14:45 Bitches With Wolves
14:00 Louis Osbourne
OXEGEN Stage 2
23:35 Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
22:05 Doves
20:35 The Mars Volta
19:05 Maximo Park
17:35 Eagles Of Death Metal
16:15 The Game
15:00 The Gaslight Anthem
14:00 Red Light Company
Red Bull Music Academy
23:45 DJ Tu-Ki
22:45 Mano Le Tough
21:15 Crystal Castles
19:50 Tinchy Stryder
18:35 DJ Colm K
17:25 Messiah J & The Expert
15:55 Defcon
15:00 DJ Rizm
14:00 Jamie Woon
12 July 2009
Bacardi B-Live Arena
20:00 A Skillz
18:00 Street Life DJs
16:00 Unabombers
14:00 Remedy Ireland
Heineken Green Spheres
22:35 Manic Street Preachers
21:05 Glasvegas
19:45 Jason Mraz
18:30 Foals
17:15 Friendly Fires
16:00 That Petrol Emotion
14:55 Noisettes
14:00 Iglu & Hartly
Hot Press New Band Stage
23:00 The Twang
22:00 Camera Obscura
21:00 The Chapters
20:00 Wild Beasts
19:00 The Virgins
18:00 The Maccabees
17:00 Wallis Bird
16:00 Bombay Bicycle Club
15:00 The Phenomenal Handclap Band
14:00 Box Social
IMRO Stage
23:15 Concerto For Constantine
22:20 Dark Room Notes
21:25 Villagers
20:25 Wintersleep
19:30 Broken Records
18:25 Blood Or Whiskey
17:30 The Chakras
16:35 The Jades
15:40 Andrew Hozier-Byrne
14:50 Bone
14:00 Susie Soho
Main Stage
22:10 The Killers
20:35 Razorlight
19:05 The Specials
17:45 Paolo Nutini
16:30 Lady Gaga
15:15 Calvin Harris
14:00 Ocean Colour Scene
OXEGEN Dance Arena
22:00 Felix Da Housecat
21:00 Miss Kittin And The Hacker
20:00 MSTRKRFT
19:00 Bloody Beetroots
18:00 Yuksek
17:00 Kissy Sell Out
16:00 Fever Ray
15:20 Nialler 9
14:30 Hudson Mohawke
13:50 Scott McNaughton
OXEGEN Stage 2
22:40 Nine Inch Nails
21:00 Jane's Addiction
19:40 The Ting Tings
18:20 Katy Perry
17:10 White Lies
16:00 Starsailor
14:55 You Me At Six
14:00 The Horrors
Red Bull Music Academy
23:05 Mikki Dee & Mystro
22:15 DJ Onra
21:45 Florence and the Machine
20:05 Of Montreal
19:00 Casio Kids
17:55 Telepathe
16:45 GoldieLocks
14:55 R.S.A.G
14:00 Ruari
Please note all times are subject to change
2fm Broadcast Live Coverage of Oxegen Posted by Jenny on 29 June 2009. Mood:
If you can't make it to Oxegen for some terrible reason, like you have to work, or have no cash, or broke your ankle trying to somersault while drunk, never fear! RTE 2fm's Jenny Greene, Dan Hegarty, Jenny Huston, Mr Spring & Cormac Battle will be broadcasting live from Punchestown Racecource with live music, interviews and acoustic sessions, directly from the festival.
Tune into 2fm on 90-92fm and RTE 2XM online for Oxegen coverage between the following hours:
Friday 10th July: 19.00–24.00
Saturday 11th July: 14.00/18.00-01.00
Sunday 12th July: 14.00/17.00–24.00
There'll also be exclusive interviews, videos, photos and blogs on www.rte.ie/2fm, where you can also listen live and listen back for 7 days after the festival ends!
Video: Florence and the Machine - Rabit Heart (Raise It Up) Posted by EI Team on 19 June 2009. Mood:
'Lungs', the debut album from Florence and the Machine, is due for release on July 3rd. A whirlwind of rampant rhythms, sparkling harp and glorious harmonies, it's a serious contender for album of the year... so far.
The video for the new single, 'Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)', is below. It'some sort of weird radio edit, but still excellent. As ever, thanks to Muzu.tv. Enjoy...
Carolina Liar, Jerry Fish and More Added To Line Up Posted by EI Team on 17 June 2009. Mood:
With the biggest music festival just weeks away, Oxegen have added more acts to their three day line-up.
That Petrol Emotion, Carolina Liar, Jerry Fish and the Mudbug Club and The Artane Boys Bands will now play the Punchestown festival in July.
That Petrol Emotion enjoyed great critical acclaim in the eighties for their albums 'Manic Pop Thrill' and 'Babble'. They will play the Heineken Green Spheres Stage on Sunday.
Carolina Liar are dominating the airwaves at the moment with their single 'Show Me What I'm Looking For' and will play the Hot Press New Bands Stage on Friday.
Jerry Fish & The Mudbug Club the join the OXEGEN party on Saturday at Heineken Green Spheres while The Artane Boys' Band kick off proceedings on the Main Stage on Friday.
Oxegen Launches Green Competition Posted by EI Team on 05 June 2009. Mood:
This year, Oxegen will challenge Electric Picnic's title as an award winning "Greener Festival" by launching a competition for fans to win a V.I.P. tickets to the festival by creating a short video to spread their "green message."
"Rock The Environment" aims to find OXEGEN's Number 1 Eco-evangelist. From the entries received, a shortlist of 10 will be showcased on the OXEGEN website.
"Whether a straight piece to camera, a comedy sketch or a musical masterpiece, your film should focus on achievable ways in which we can all reduce our carbon footprint, both in our daily lives and at OXEGEN. You can submit your entry by uploading it to our OXEGEN MUZU TV channel from Thursday 4th June until Monday 22nd June and each film should be no more than 3 minutes in length."
For full details on the competition and how to enter please visit www.oxegen.ie/greentv
Fight Like Apes Reveal Video Shot By Fans Posted by EI Team on 04 June 2009. Mood:
Fight Like Apes have revealed the new video for the UK release of "Something Global".
The video is the result of a shoot that took place in Whelan's with 100 fans recording the performance on anything from DSLRS to old mobile phones. It was directed by Eoghan Kidney, the man responsible for the excellent waterrcolour style animated video for the single "Tie Me Up With Jackets."
Check out the new video for "Something Global" below:
Fight Like Apes - Something Global from ξοgΙιαη κιdηεγ on Vimeo.
David Kitt and Director for IMRO Stage Posted by EI Team on 04 June 2009. Mood:
The line up of the IMRO New Sounds Stage at Oxegen 2009 has been revealed with David Kitt, Director and Villagers headlining each of the three festival nights.
The Irish Music Rights Organisation present a selection of new and emerging acts from both Ireland and abroad. IMRO's Director of Marketing & Membership, Keith Johnson has promised that the IMRO stage "will profile what's 'hot' for 2009 and beyond and if last year is anything to go by then it promises to be one of the busiest stages at OXEGEN 09."
The full line up for the IMRO New Sounds Stage is as follows:
Friday 10th July: David Kitt, Heathers, The Joy Formidable, The Flaws, Yes Cadets, The Mighty Stef, Cashier No. 9, Ruth Anne Cunningham, The Brilliant Things, Home Star Runner, Stone Motion.
Saturday 11th July: Director, General Fiasco, St Vincent, Codes, And So I Watch You From Afar, Cap Pas Cap, Joe Echo, Nightbox, Angel Pier, Carosel, Jenna Toro
Sunday 12th July: Villagers, Wintersleep, Broken Records, Concerto For Constantine, Dark Room Notes, Blood Or Whiskey, The Chakras, The Jades, Andrew Hozier Byrne, Bone
Oxgen Confirm Acts For Hot Press New Band Stage Posted by EI Team on 27 May 2009. Mood:
The full (and bedazzling) line-up for the Hot Press New Bands Stage 09 has been revealed by Oxegen, and is as follows:
Friday 10th July: Spinnerette, Howling Bells, The Hours, Dinosaur Pile-Up, Mumford & Sons, Priscilla Ahn, O Emperor, Truffle Shuffle.
Saturday 11th July: The Airborne Toxic Event, Patrick Wolf, Passion Pit, Hockey, Little Boots, Sneaky Soundsystem, Go Audio, Magistrates, In Case Of Fire, Will and the People.
Sunday 12th July: The Twang, The Maccabees, Wallis Bird, Camera Obscura, The Virgins, Wild Beasts, Bombay Bicycle Club, The Phenomenal Handclap Band, The Chapters.
2fm Asks Fans To Vote For Best Oxegen Tracks Posted by EI Team on 26 May 2009. Mood:
This bank holiday Monday, June 1st, 2fm will be counting down the 100 greatest tracks from bands appearing at Oxegen 2009.
To have your say, simply go to http://2fm.rte.ie/pages/oxegen and vote for your favourite track, and you could win a pair of VIP weekend camping tickets for the festival.
Voting is free and closes midnight Wednesday 27th May. Countdown starts from noon on June 1st and runs till 7pm.
Stage Line Up Revealed For Oxegen '09 Posted by EI Team on 18 May 2009. Mood:
Yes, it's time to start worrying about which of your favourite bands may clash with each other at this year's Oxegen festival at Punchestown racecourse from July 10th to 12th. With just under two months to go Oxegen organisers have announced their stage line up, revealing which bands will play on each of their five stages over the three days.
The OXEGEN stage line-up to date is as follows:
FRIDAY 10th JULY: Main Stage: Blur, Snow Patrol, The Script, Lily Allen, James, The Coronas
OXEGEN Stage 2: Keane, Pendulum, Fun Lovin' Criminals, Therapy?, The Answer
Heineken Green Spheres: 2 Many DJs, Republic Of Loose, Mogwai,Fight Like Apes, Dreadzone, God Is An Astronaut
Red Bull Music Academy: Ladyhawke, M83
OXEGEN Dance Arena: DeadMau5, Swedish House Mafia, Crookers, Tom Middleton, Aeroplane (DJ Set), Japanese Popstars, Frankmusik, BURNS
SATURDAY 11TH JULY: Main Stage: Kings Of Leon, Bloc Party, Elbow, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, James Morrison, The Blizzards, Squeeze, The Saw Doctors
OXEGEN Stage 2: Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds, Doves, The Mars Volta, Maximo Park, Eagles of Death Metal, The Game The Gaslight Anthem
Heineken Green Spheres: Pet Shop Boys, TV On The Radio, Peter Doherty, Regina Spektor, The Saturdays, Daniel Merriweather, Gary Go
Red Bull Music Academy: Crystal Castles, Tinchy Stryder
OXEGEN Dance Arena: Tiga, Boys Noize, Annie Mac, Digitalism, Yuksek, Dr Lektroluv, Popof, Don Rimini
SUNDAY 12TH JULY: Main Stage: The Killers, Razorlight, The Specials, Paolo Nutini, Lady Gaga, Calvin Harris, Ocean Colour Scene
OXEGEN Stage 2: Nine Inch Nails, Jane's Addiction, The Ting Tings, Katy Perry, White Lies, Starsailor, You Me At Six, The Horrors
Heineken Green Spheres: Manic Street Preachers, Glasvegas, Jason Mraz, Foals, Friendly Fires, Noisettes, Iglu And Hartly
Red Bull Music Academy: Florence And The Machine, Of Montreal
OXEGEN Dance Arena: Felix Da Housecat, Miss Kittin & The Hacker (live), Fever Ray, MSTRKRFT, The Bloody Beetroots, Hudson Mohawke, Kissy Sell Out
Also Appearing Across The Weekend: Spinnerette, Hockey, Wallis Bird, The Hours and more...
Therapy? Tinchy Stryder, Boys Noise and Swanky New Tents Posted by Jenny on 14 May 2009. Mood:
The organisers of Oxegen 2009 have today announced that Fever Ray, Tinchy Stryder, Therapy? and Boys Noize will play the Punchestown festival this July.
Well, actually Fever Ray was announced with the last batch of acts, but apparently The Knife's Karin Dreijer Andersson's new project deserves a second mention. She plays at the Dance Arena on the Sunday night.
One of Ireland's best known hard rock bands, Therapy?, just play The Academy in support of their new album "Crooked Timber", but the gluttons for punishment that they are, they're coming back for more on Friday.
German electro wizards Boys Noize play at the Dance Arena and "Number 1" hitmaker Tinchy Stryder will appear on Saturday.
Announcements were also made regarding some luxury new camping options in the Green Campsite. Boutique Camping.net's 4 and 6 person Tipi come equipped with a 'TipiTighty' Stay Dry Liner which means that you stay dry and cosy throughout your entire weekend. Also available are beach huts with designer furnishings, a boutique ship's cabin and even a 'Western' style bow-top wagon.
Also new this year, Schuh Welly Exchance (Forgot yer wellies? Get some free ones and give your muddy shoes to the Third World via the European Recycling Company) and Lockerhouse Personal Locker Facilities, perfect for those of you determined to bring as much unnecessary expensive stuff with you as you can.
Oxegen Expands Dance Arena Line Up Posted by Jenny on 07 May 2009. Mood: rhythmic
Dance fans will be delighted to hear that some huge names have been added to the line up for the Oxegen Dance Arena. New additions include DeadMau5, Felix Da Housecat, Annie Mac and Fever Ray
The full line up for the Dance Arena now looks like this:
FRI 10TH JULY: DeadMau5, Swedish House Mafia, Crookers, Tom Middleton, Aeroplane (DJ Set), Japanese Popstars, Frankmusik, BURNS
SAT 11TH JULY: Tiga, Annie Mac, Digitalism, Yuksek, Dr Lektroluv, Popof, Don Rimini.
SUN 12TH JULY: Felix da Housecat, Miss Kittin & The Hacker (Live), MSTRKRFT Bloody Beetroots, Hudson Mohawke, Kissy Sell Out, Fever Ray
The folks at MCD also announced earlier in the week that they would be extended their ticket deposit scheme. Pay €120 now and the rest before June 19th. So now you've no excuse.
Ten More Acts For Oxegen Posted by Jenny on 28 April 2009. Mood:
Another batch of artists has been announced for this year's Oxegen festival. Ten more acts have been added to the line up: disco king Calvin Harris, funk poppers Noisettes, Oxegen party starters The Saw Doctors, the new band from former Distillers front woman Brody Dalle, Spinnerette, Meteor award winners The Coronas, Mullingar band The Blizzards, stadium hard rockers The Answer, avant-garde rockers The Horrors, jubilant pop fusionists Iglu & Hartly and Brit-poppers Starsailor.
The uber successful festival have also announced the return of the X Box Live Stage, which was a huge success last year with up to 9,000 people in attendance each night in the natural amphitheatre in the Blue Campsite. Boasting a massive 46 sq m, high-quality LED screen, the Xbox Live Stage will feature live performances and VJ sets from the likes of Eclectic Method, Arveene, Mickey Dee, Spin's Dave Davin, Mark Vity with more still to be announced.
202s Play Oxegen 09 Posted by Jenny on 08 April 2009. Mood: sleepy
Up and coming Dublin band 202s are the latest act to be added to the official Oxegen line up after 12 high profile acts were announced on Monday.
The annoucement comes just weeks after the group released their self-titled debut album, out now on French label Le Son Du Marquis.
Mogwai & More Added to Oxegen Line Up Posted by Jenny on 06 April 2009. Mood:
Twelve more acts have been added to the already impressive line up for Oxegen 2009. That Scottish post rockers Mogwai will play the festival on the Friday night may irritate anyone who made a point of catching them in Dublin during their recent Academy residency (me included). Similarly, if you're planning to head to Punchestown this July, then I wouldn't bother going to see Geordie rockers Maximo Park at The Academy tonight (April 6th), as they will also be making an appearance on the Saturday night.
The other top class acts just added to the line up are on Friday are Turntable-maestros 2 Many DJs, brit-pop veterans Ocean Colour Scene, Dublin funksters Republic of Loose, London alt-rock duo The Hours and dream pop act M83. On the Saturday you can now catch soulful singer songwriter James Morrisson, folk-punk lady Regina Spektor, Toronto duo Crystal Castles, while BBC Sound of 2009 hot tip La Roux and punk metal buzz band You Me At Six have been added to the Sunday line up.
Lady GaGa & Manics for Oxegen 09 Posted by Jenny Mulligan on 03 March 2009. Mood: Impressed
Ahead of it's official launch on Thursday (5th) and general ticket release on Friday (6th), Oxegen have announced more world class artists for the summer 09 line up.
The biggest of these are the Manic Street Preachers and lady of the moment Lady GaGa, as well as Brooklyn band TV on the Radio, whose album Dear Sceince was one of the most critically lauded of last year. Florence and the Machine, The Game, Ladyhawke, James, Foals, Of Montreal, Friendly Fires and Squeeze will also be joining the line-up.
The festival have announced a new stage for 2009, the Red Bull Music Academy Arena, which will have a unique arena structure never used in Ireland before. The Red Bull Music Academy come equipped with experience from the likes of Barcelona's Sonar festival and Melt in Germany.
The official Oxegen launch will take place this Thursday March 5th. Entertainment.ie will be attending, so check back here for all the latest news.
