Kigns of Leon are the first act to have been revealed for Oxegen 2009 with the Hot Press Annual Cover Stars having confirmed their July appearance at the Punchestown extravaganza.
The Oxegen bill has just become even tastier with ten new acts being confirmed for Punchestown.
These are Razorlight, Elbow, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Pete Doherty, The Ting Tings, White Lies, Fight Like Apes, Jason Mraz, Pendulum and Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
Ozzy to visit this fair isle in May... but not before a nice Osbourne-family documentary airs on MTV. "There is good, bad and ugly in this show," the bat-erfamilias reports, not surprisingly
How does a teen four-piece go from school talent show to rubbing shoulders with The Script at Oxegen? RTE 2FM School Of Rock winners THE TRUFFLE SHUFFLES confess all to Hot Press about mitching off school, debuting in Punchestown and batting giddy schoolgirls off with a stick.
As the Creamfields dance juggernaut heads towards Punchestown we catch up with the carnvial at Prague in the Czech Republic and offer a preview of what’s to come
You’ve got your ticket, bought yourself a tent and picked out a nice pair of wellies. Now all you have to do is actually get to Punchestown. Read on for the definitive guide.
NIALL STOKES takes a very personal journey back through the music and memories of a friendship with a man he was proud to have known
THE DRIVE to Cork was a lonely one. Ry Cooder on the deck, that sweet slide guitar shooting off tracers: the memories, stacked up like a vast
rack of on-line CDs, kept slipping in and out of the engagement slot. No need ever to press the play button. Now and then I had to hold back the
tears as the music of past friendship flooded the car and, with it, a terrible awareness of all the things that might have, but hadn't, been done.
As the final countdown to Blur’s Oxegen comeback gets underway, Alex James talks about falling in and out with his bandmates, collaborating with New Order’s Bernard Sumner – and why Clonakilty Black Pudding will definitely be on the band’s Punchestown rider.
Yes, the incessant downpour ensured that Punchestown Racecourse often looked more like the set of a World War 1 epic than a music festival, but the rain couldn't dampen the 80,000-strong Oxegen crowd's spirits, not to mention the fiery performances delivered by Arctic Monkeys, Franz, The Who, the Chili Peppers and a cast of, well, hundreds.
Yes, the incessant downpour ensured that Punchestown Racecourse often looked more like the set of a World War 1 epic than a music festival, but the rain couldn't dampen the 80,000-strong Oxegen crowd's spirits, not to mention the fiery performances delivered by Arctic Monkeys, Franz, The Who, the Chili Peppers and a cast of, well, hundreds.
After the huge success of the signing tent last year, Hot Press will be returning to Punchestown to bring you closer to the stars. You can drop by to meet the performers, have anything signable signed and take a snap for the family album.
Having delivered a storming set at Oxegen, pop-rock powerhouse NOISETTES confess a love for all things Irish in the Hot Press Signing Tent. Plus, they hold forth on their passion for everything from jazz to punk to heavy metal.
We’re completely aware that it’s a ridiculous band name,” groans Organized Confusion singer Niall Doherty. “But we’ve come this far with it, so it might be a bad idea to get rid of it now."
The Answer have played to almost a million people on the current AC/DC tour. Not bad for an indie hard rock band from Norn Iron. Singer Cormac Neeson gives us the skinny on Angus Young’s love of Rory Gallagher, meeting Alice Cooper, and why Hunger is required tour bus viewing.
No, she doesn’t hate Tim Wheeler but yes, she does look up her own chart position first. A solo Charlotte Hatherly on Bowie, Star Wars and life with and without Ash.
Theo, aka Terry Quigley, did time in One Half Monk, but now fronts Theo and the Red Beats. Jackie Hayden uncovers the background to their debut album Get What You Came For.
As the masses prepare to descend on Punchestown, we dispatch Hannah Hamilton to assess the festival fitness of one of this year's Oxegen buzz bands, Franz Ferdinand.
From A to Z, Paul Nolan and Ronan Fitzgerald introduce all the runners and riders for Punchestown – throwing in a baker’s dozen of acts who are not to be missed * along the way
From A to Z, Paul Nolan and Ronan Fitzgerald introduce all the runners and riders for Punchestown – throwing in a baker’s dozen of acts who are not to be missed* along the way
Live at the Marquee on Friday June 29: They were the gaudiest of the ‘80s pop sensations. 20 years on, Duran Duran leader Simon Le Bon explains why the good time boys are a band for the long haul.
As MCD release a limited number of extra tickets for this year's festival, Hot Press.com are delighted to announce the return of the Hot Press Signing Tent.
There's good news for Arcade Fire fans who failed to get tickets for their Olympia Theatre shows, with the Canadians appearing at Oxegen in a bill that's taking shape nicely.
The new album from Foo Fighters is an indie-rock tour de force, combining blistering anthems and delicate acoustic tracks (there’s even a cameo from dinner-party doyen Norah Jones). According to drummer Taylor Hawkins, it may just be the band’s masterpiece.
The first batch of acts have been confirmed for T In The Park, Oxegen’s sister festival which takes place over the same weekend, July 8 and 9, in Scotland.
Snow Patrol‘s Gary Lightbody waxes eloquent about burnout, creativity, exotic fowl, and why David Healy should be made First Citizen Of The Republic And Overlord Of The Universe.
Want to know how to get the most out of Witnness? Email your questions/tips/profound insights via the form below (it can be anything from transport queries to what-to-bring hints to who not to miss on the bill) and await response from the online community
Who better to launch this year’s Music Show than Irish band of the moment The Script? In a taster of what to expect from October’s RDS weekender, Danny, Glen and Mark treated a roomful of fans, music students and industry professionals to their thoughts on illegal downloading, songwriting, the dreaded Auto-tune and touring with Macca and U2.
They're hardly typical festival fare, but Interpol know how to leave an impression. Sam Fogarino talks drugs, on the road insanity and being huge in Ireland and Mexico.
Will U2 play Phoenix Park or not? And what is the future of the rock festival as we have come to know and love it in Ireland? Special Report: STUART CLARK.
In his heyday, Larry Hagman was the biggest television star in the world, portraying the manipulative and ruthless oil baron JR Ewing in the kitschy Dallas soap.
The news of Rory Gallagher s tragic death has sent seismic shock waves through the music world. Here was a man who managed to combine the gift of being an authentic creative genius with the even rarer gift of being a genuinely decent, honourable human being. Over the next six pages, Hot Press pays tribute to both the legend and the person, with contributions from the stars, friends, fans and colleagues who were touched by the Gallagher magic, and takes a trip through the backpages of an extraordinary career.
Having well and truly stuffed Whelan’s earlier in the year, British Sea Power play their biggest Irish shows to date in Dublin and Belfast next September.
Michael Stipe talks about REM's new album Accelerate, looks back at their 'working rehearsals' in Dublin and explains how their Irish-born producer helped them through their mid-life crisis.
Rsismn Murphy was born in Dublin, raised in Arklow, lived in Manchester and moved to Sheffield. That was when it all started to go right. Linking up with Mark Brydon, she formed Moloko an eclectic and soulful outfit who ve gone on to become one of contemporary music s hottest properties. Now they re back in Ireland for the Creamfields extravaganza.
Interview: Barry Glendenning. Camera: Steve fisher
Formerly, by his own admission, a perfectionist, an arch-worrier and an all-round uptight individual, Paul Brady is slowly but surely learning how to relax. As his Full Moon album rises, John Waters takes a long, close look at Paul Brady in a new light.
RADIOHEAD are just about to release one of the most uncompromising and controversial records of the year in Kid A. As the band prepare for their upcoming Irish dates, mainman THOM YORKE talks about the genesis of a record that seems destined to divide rock fans for years. Not to mention Bono, Britney and Alicia Silverstone! Interview: DAVE FANNING
Snow Patrol were forced to play their Saturday night headlining slot at Oxegen without keyboard-player Tom Simpson after he was arrested at Northolt RAF base where the band were catching a private plane to Dublin following their Live Earth performance.
His career was almost over before it began. But hard work - and a surprise hit - have turned Edmund 'Mundy' Enright into one of Ireland's most widely adored stars. Here he reflects on some of the high points of what has been an amazing journey, during the course of which he has rubbed shoulders with some of the greats.
LIMP BIZKIT are a rock'n'roll phenomenon. Notching up in excess of 20 million album sales over the past two years, they're in the vanguard of the nu-metal movement that has seen guitar rock reclaiming its place at the top of the singles charts. In Madrid to catch the band live, PHIL UDELL first hears passionate words from the frontman, FRED DURST. But, amid a welter of controversy, the raging music is put on hold as Limp Bizkit's show in the Spanish capital is cancelled – an ominous foreshadowing of the events that will see their UK, German and Irish dates also sensationally cancelled
He may unashamedly refer to himself as an artist and others may caricature him as a cold fish, but even if he suspects he has spent too much time writing and not enough living, john banville bears scant resemblance to the pompous boffin of popular prejudice. With the publication of his latest novel, The Untouchable, the acclaimed author gets his round in with liam fay. Pix: Cathal Dawson.
Breaking news: The mystery event shaping up at the Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney is suspected to be the new location of Creamfields. Read on for the latest word
What’s most striking about the show isn’t the huge Angus-style skull caps which are perched on top of the roof of the stage that come complete with wiggling devil horns – it’s the crowd.
...or at least a fan of dance music: rumours that Creamfields '02 was off, are scotched as Faithless and Underworld among others are confirmed for the late August bash
As exclusively predicted by hotpress.com as early as November of 2003, David Bowie and The Darkness have been confirmed as headliners for this year's Witnness-style festival.
The line-up for this year's Oxegen festival is getting bigger and better with the addition of many new Irish and international acts, including UK indie kids Editors.
Here it is Oxegen-goers: all you need to know about the coming weekend festival including transport, camping, opening times, what to bring, etc. etc. etc.
Belfast rockers Leya were unable to perform at the Oxegen festival on Sunday, when singer Ciaran Gribbin was suddenly taken ill with suspected food poisoning.
Further adventures in Witnness '03 - more video interviews, reviews, gossip, pics and everything else that'll fit. It's the next best thing to being there
There's a new video from scrub-suited melodica doctors Clinic on the next No Disco - as well as ticket giveaways for New Breathe, and much much more. Ahhh... we feel better already
There's a new video from scrub-suited melodica doctors Clinic on the next No Disco - as well as ticket giveaways for New Breathe, and much much more. Ahhh... we feel better already
There's a new video from scrub-suited melodica doctors Clinic on the next No Disco - as well as ticket giveaways for New Breathe, and much much more. Ahhh... we feel better already
It may be just day one, but we've already collected a heck of a lot of autographs from the likes of Republic of Loose, The Coronas, Therapy?, Spinnerette and more!
New Order will play this summer's Oxegen festival and there is a strong possibility that Queens Of The Stone Age and the Cocteau Twins will also be added to the bill
Oxegen is ready to kick off properly in the next half an hour, and with the first act due on stage, we've got the first report from our reporter in the field – literally – including a full weather report!
From Radiohead to Springsteen, the twelve months ahead are already packed with highlights. But will Led Zeppelin be among the group’s hitting the comeback trail?
Having given the likes of The Blizzards, Editors and Sam Fogarino of Interpol writer’s cramp last year, we’re delighted to announce the return of the HP Signing Tent at Oxegen!
As of today, we at hotpress.com will be bringing you the full story from Oxegen 2008, including interviews with some of the biggest hits of the weekend.
Gorge yourself on a selection of exclusive (and in some cases never-before-seen) hotpress.com video interviews from Witnness past, as well as some of the artists gracing the stage at Witnness 2003
The organisers of Oxegen '08 have revealed that the three day festival is now completely sold out. Plus, they've announced the day by day line-up so far...
Danielle Brigham caught the hililghts from last night's Witnness bill. Feast your peepers on reviews of Badly Drawn Boy, The Thrills, Lemon Jelly and The Streets
Danielle Brigham caught the highlights from last night's Witnness bill. Feast your peepers on reviews of Badly Drawn Boy, The Thrills, Lemon Jelly and The Streets
The first batch of acts for Scotland's T In The Park Festival have been announced, giving a strong indication of who'll be coming to Punchestown this year.
The first ever Planetlove Winter Session has been confirmed for the Punchestown Conference Centre in Co Kildare for February 16, hotpress.com can reveal.
We talk to a selection of the bands playing this year's festival to see how they're going to handle the Punchestown crowd and what they're up to more generally.
Doubtless buoyed by their success in the Hot Press Readers' Poll, The Killers have confirmed a Main Stage appearance at Oxegen, which takes place on July 9 and 10 in Punchestown.
It was a safe bet that this year’s CREAMFIELDS festival at Punchestown racecourse would be the dance event of the year. hotpress brings you the vibe and the visuals. Photos: ROGER WOOLMAN
When Creamfields hit Ireland for the first time, one of the pioneers oF the Irish dance movement, MARK KAVANAGH, was there as both a performer and a fan. This is what he found. Fields of vision: MYLES CLAFFEY
With the sound of The Prodigy’s Marmite-esque set still ringing in our ears from last night, we arrive back on site to be greeted with some much needed Sunday morning sunshine.
To mark AC/DC's sell-out return to Ireland, Hot Press celebrates one of the greatest rock and roll bands of all time – tracing their drama-packed early years and talking to some of the musicians they helped influence.
In the first installment of Hot Press' Oxegen coverage, Phil Udell, Steve Cummins and John Walshe pick out their personal favourites of the weekend. This Thursday's Hot Press will feature extended coverage from Kim Porcelli & Ed Power as well as more exclusive photos from Liam Sweeney, Graham Keogh & Andrew Duffy - PLUS the Phantom reports from backstage!
Online Gallery Of Live Shots Here
