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Cork, Ireland
An Irish based alternative music blog. Music news, gigs, live reviews, album reviews... You'll find them here. If you want anything featured or removed, please shout. I hope you'll discover something new to love on this little experiment of mine. Currently editing the Music Section of the UCC Express and contributing to Motley magazine on campus, as well as writing for PopCultureMonster and 4FortyFour. Always looking for new projects so please get in touch if interested. Thanks for reading.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Just One Day To Go...

That is until Oxegen 2010 is officially unveiled (Yes apparently festivals have unveilings now... Gone are the days when a simple press conference did it!) Excited? Nah me neither really. Especially given the hideous failure it was last year, regardless of what anyone says! Never should the likes of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, TV on the Radio, Elbow and eh... I'm really struggling for a fourth here... Either way those three should never be mentioned in the same line-up as Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Tinchy Stryder and the Game. It's just not right!

Oxegen has lost its appeal for me really. I only attended just once (intended to go last year on the Saturday to see TV on the Radio and Nick Cave but the tickets sold out) in 2008 and loved it, though last year saw the festival plunge to new depths to attract an audience. They diluted the acts, attempting to attract equal parts rock and pop fan it seems, though I think this ultimately succeeded in alienating huge potential attendees. Many regular festival goers with whom I frequently speak opted to abandon Oxegen, favouring Electric Picnic and many of the local festivals such as Indiependence.

Rumour has it that Kasabian will be the headliners this year. Now I like Kasabian, in particular in a live arena. I saw them at Slane last year with the Prodigy and Oasis and I can safely say that Tom Meighan, Serge Pizzorno et al stole the show from the seasoned professionals that followed them! This latest record (West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum) garnered stunning reviews for a band who had often been dismissed as "lad rock", and while the likes of "Fire" certainly have such anthemic appeal, it showed real growth and depth for a band who I was having my doubts about on the strength of the disappointing "Empire".

I do have my doubts about Kasabian being the real draw for a festival mind you. Yes they are good, but surely with the first band you confirm as headliner you want to wow people, set the trend and theme for the entire weekend? Glastonbury had U2, while T in the Park had Kasabian (thus the Oxegen rumours began)... I don't think I've ever seen less enthusiasm for festival season on the back of these two. Glastonbury added some appeal with Muse (I can't stand them, though they have huge live draw!) and Stevie Wonder (It's an interesting one...), but can we hope for the same from T in the Park and Oxegen?

I had my hopes set on the Strokes after they were confirmed early on for a few appearances, though now Julian claims that he will be performing solo at any further dates, if at all. Based on the confirmed album releases this year could we see Fionn Regan, the National, Arcade Fire, Band of Horses, Broken Social Scene, Yeasayer, etc. at the festivals this year?

Add MGMT to that list and I may have just predicted the Electric Picnic line-up...

I hope Oxegen will prove me wrong but I can only see the likes of Biffy Clyro, Lady Gaga and, knowing Oxegen, Kings of Leon for the fourth year in a row performing.

Actually judging from my luck, the fact that I've taken such a stance here will come back to haunt me when Oxegen confirm an eclectic mix of independent and alternative artists to partake in intimate surroudings in a complete overhaul of the event...

We'll see tomorrow I guess!

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