Review of Friday at Oxegen

The gates have opened on Day One here at Ireland’s biggest music festival, and a wave of wellie-clad thrill-seekers isn’t the only thing flooding the site: two days of rain means Punchestown Racecourse is oozing chocolate-brown rivulets like something out of Willy Wonka. But are we going to let a drop of rain dampen our spirits? Are we hell! In fact, a good soak is working in Madisun’s favour as they open up the Hot Press/2fm stage to a healthy and enthusiastic home crowd (including a Wally and a Tigger) who are dancing away the dampness to the Dublin band’s well-crafted pop-rock. Suitably buoyed, Hot Press makes her way through the drizzle to the Main Stage where Huey Morgan of the Fun Lovin’ Criminals – dressed bravely in a cream three-piece suit – is gruffly crooning his way through ‘Love Unlimited’ in between slugs of beer and “slawncha”s. The crowd seem to be loving it, especially the topless guy serenading his missus, but a collective shudder ripples through us all when they launch into ‘Danny Boy’.
Thank non-denominational spiritual entities, then, for The Original Rudeboys: a band who – to some ears – are to hip-hop what the Criminals are to trad, but who certainly do the business for the crowd at the Vodafone Stage with blazing covers of Adele’s ‘Someone Like You’ and Mumford And Sons’ ‘Little Lion Man’. Their lyrical poignancy and ear for a tune is evident on their own tracks ‘Bringing Me Down’ and ‘Live Your Life’, and even the most cynical have to admit that the rapturous applause is fully deserved. Having formed just a few months ago, it’s a big moment for this Dublin three-piece, and they do themselves proud.
One quick caffeine hit later, it’s time for some Main Stage action with US pop-punk upstarts All Time Low, who bounce around the stage as if they’ve been mainlining the stuff. ‘Poppin’ Champagne’ is anthemic and new single ‘Forget About It’ presses all the right teen-rock buttons, but we can’t stop for long, because we’re off to see Hooky in his Peter Hook And The Light: A Joy Division Celebration incarnation. As if by some divine intervention, the sun comes out for the first time all day and it’s not lost on Hooky who, standing in his trademark wide-legged lunge position and swinging his bass around as if the strap’s elastic, responds with an awesome rendition of ‘Isolation’. The sparseness of the crowd is more than made up for by the energy both on and off stage: Hooky really is showing the young guns how it’s done. As set closer ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ comes to a climactic conclusion, four discordant signature notes ring out from the Main Stage, where Weezer are opening up with the ‘Sweater Song’. Hot Press joins the stampede and arrives just in time to hear pop eat itself as they blare out Wheatus’ ‘Teenage Dirtbag’ (arguably a back-to-the-future cover, in that Their Rocking Geeknesses should have written it). ‘Islands In The Sun’ is the first big festival “moment”, and they wrap things up with ‘Buddy Holly’ and a gang bang – no, not that kind! A full band drum solo, silly.
Grinning like a loon, we wander back to the Hot Press/2fm stage, where the hotly-tipped Clare Maguire is indulging in some saucy gothic soul. It’s an odd combination and we’re not sure how to take it, but the fans are having no such dilemma, packing the tent and singing all the words. On the Main Stage, My Chemical Romance are getting the crowd jumping with ‘Planetary’ and prolific use of the F-word, but Hot Press still isn’t impressed, so we continue our quest and head on over to Tinie Tempah on the Vodafone Stage just in time to catch an energetic hat-trick of his biggest hits ‘Written In The Stars’, ‘Miami 2 Ibiza’ and ‘Mosh Pit’. Next up is surprise hit Metronomy, whose infectious grooves, jerky indie-dance hooks and taste in glowing fashion accessories charm us endlessly. After which, we head over to The Script on the Main Stage for what is clearly an emotional homecoming for the band. They’ve attracted the biggest crowd of the day, and frontman Danny is wearing his heart in his sleeve, almost literally: he has the Irish flag sewn into the lining of his jacket. It’s a triumphant set if not strikingly different from their Aviva adventure, reviewed elsewhere in this fine organ.
So, all round, as fine an Oxegen Friday as could have been hoped.