Oxegen 2007: Saturday at Punchestown Racecourse, Kildare
The sun shone on Oxegen - very briefly - as a glittering line-up made Saturday an occasion to remember.
John Walshe, 12 Jul 2007
The sun is shining but the ground is boggy underfoot as we set out on the odyssey that is Oxegen 2007, a land where wellies, suncream and hair-straighteners seem to be the necessities for most of the punters massing in front of the Main Stage early in the day, as loveable Scottish scallies The View belt out their catchy guitar pop with aplomb.
Despite the fact that most of the thousands present seem unable to understand frontman Kyle Falconer’s thick Dundee brogue, the songs go down extremely well, particularly singles like ‘The Don’, ‘Superstar Tradesman’ and ‘Same Jeans’, the latter of which prompts the first mass singalong of the day.
Then, while the band head to the waiting helicopter to whisk them off to T In The Park, Hot Press heads for the Green Room, where Jack Penate’s Streets-meets-Buddy Holly impression is going down a treat, with ‘Got My Favourite’, in particular, tickling this reviewer’s taste buds. Incidentally, the enterprising young guy in the crowd with the ‘Free Hugs’ banner seems to be enjoying it too.
On our way to the Pet Sounds Stage, we catch some of Director’s energetic set, which is keeping a big crowd at the Main Stage, while at our destination, Brooklyn five-piece The Hold Steady prove why they’ve been heralded as ones to watch this year. Consumate live performers, the quintet in full throttle are a sight to behold. OK, so they owe a debt or two to Springsteen but songs like the wonderful ‘Chips Ahoy’ (about a horse, incidentally) go down a treat, and the band members themselves are great fun to watch, from their nerdy frontman (who looks like a kid on Christmas morning) to the mental keyboard player, or the guitarist in the Switzerland t-shirt who manages to make his instrument spin a full 360 degrees around his body.
Avril Lavigne is late for her Main Stage appearance, although when the queen of punk pop does appear, it’s more than worth the wait. Resplendent in a neon pink tartan micro-mini, with a plethora of flag-waving dancers, Lavigne is every inch the star, and the crowd lap up her teen angst like it was going out of fashion. Two songs in and Hot Press has seen enough: it’s gourmet burger time, and there’s something quite un-nerving about wiping chilli sauce off your chin while bona fide A-listers Michael Stipe and Helena Christiansen are sitting two tables away.
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