Oxegen review

Hallelujah! Sunday lives up to its name and the soggy Oxegen punters finally get some heat in their bones. As the sun beats down, there are few better ways to kick off the day than with Echo And The Bunnymen. Having played to approximately 30 people two years ago, today those arena-sized songs get the billing they deserve on the Main Stage. Sure, the pit is only half-full, but (the now quite hefty) McCulloch is still in fine voice and Sergeant’s guitar is as wondrous as ever. The closing brace of ‘The Killing Moon’ and ‘The Cutter’ makes for a peerless ending. With Bono’s bad back ruling out their Glasto slot, it’s the Bunnymen – one, U2 - nil in the 2010 festival stakes.

Professor Green’s call-and-response set gives us a lesson in how to work the crowd. The deep bass rumble of his live band coupled with the sunshine has everybody happily bouncing along. With songs dedicated to Pixie Lott and Katie Price, there is as much laughter as there are cheers in what proves to be one of the weekend’s feel-good shows.

Kate Nash takes time out to highlight self-harm and refer to homophobia and sexism as “wank” - her slot has decidedly less of a party atmosphere. Still, sentiments we can all agree with. As for the songs – poppy and fey on record, they are considerably more beefed-up live and a primarily female crowd lap it up. She’s also toned down the Mockey inflection, which is lovely. Eventually she emerges from behind her piano and straps on a guitar, proceeding to howl and screech through the remainder of the set. Courtney Love would be proud.

We Are Scientists follow –the likes of ‘Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt’ being tailor-made for festivals. Of course, their between-song banter is just as entertaining as the music. They could have a career in stand-up.

Bell X1 keep the Irish-end up admirably over on the Main Stage. Opening with ‘Alphabet Soup’, they run through all ‘the hits’ – from the Talking Heads funk of ‘Flame’ to newer favourite ‘The Defector’. We’re also treated to a new song, ‘Velcro’, which is well-received and bodes well for the future. There are some questionable skinny red jeans on stage, but we’ll let it slide – the crowd love the colour of it all.

By the evening, the weather can be suitably described as ‘balmy’ – perfect then, for the lightly toasted vibe of Paolo Nutini. His accent may be impenetrable but his vocals are a smoky delight. With a broad smile on his face, Nutini is enjoyng it as much as the frankly huge audience (who are completely dry and content by now). His cover of ‘Ride On’ goes down well, as does an unexpected version of MGMT’s ‘Time To Pretend’. But it his own ‘Pencil Full of Lead’, replete with some terrific horns, that steals the show. Encapsulating that festival feel in song, it gets everyone dancing and ready for the night’s headlining acts.

There is also the small matter of the World Cup final to consider. Victory goes to the Spanish in extra time but the real applause should be reserved for the acts trying to compete with it. Faithless, 30 Second To Mars, Delphic et al – we salute you.
Over at the Red Bull Stage, Broken Social Scene are typically fantastic. The lack of bodies watching is a disappointment, however, especially considering how jampacked the stage is with musicians. The Canadian collective unleash a cacophony of glorious sound and take the time to engage in some hat-swapping with the audience.

Sometime Stroke Julian Casablancas headlined our very own 2FM/ Hot Press Academy Stage. Dressed in a red outfit that is surely a tribute to Michael Jackson’s get-up in the ‘Thriller’ video, he seems genuinely surprised and humbled by the warm reception he receives. He goes on to intersperse solo material with the Strokes songs we all adore. ‘Hard To Explain’ gets an airing and all is right with the world. The Phrazes For The Young songs that were once all synth now take on a Strokesy guitar swagger when given the full-band treatment. It leaves you wondering whether his future lies alone. Casablancas makes no bones about looking forward to Eminem and wraps up his set quickly with one half of ‘Electricityscape’. With night falling, there’s nothing left to do at that point then go lose ourselves to the Detroit rapper.