Music will provide the light you cannot resist
So, this is my loooong overdue Oxegen recap. It feels like both a millenia since it happened, and like it happened yesterday, but it was two and a half weeks ago. I maybe flail about some bands in this recap. Including this little one you've probably never heard of called Panic!!!! at the something or other. I wrote this, like, a couple of days after I got back, and then added things in here and there, so it probably doesn't make much sense and jumps around a lot and everything but, well. It'll remind me of the awesome if I ever forget and need to look back.
Oh man, I don't even know where to start, really. The weekend was just fantastic and I probably won't do it justice.
So, it turned out I had nothing really to worry about, regarding the flight. It was delayed by about half an hour, which is sort of what I expected anyways, although the couple sitting across from me in the waiting room got really pissy about it. I guess I was just glad to be able to get there, since I'd been sitting there with scenarios going through my head along the lines of 'if it's cancelled, get back on the train, get home, get car, drive to Stranraer, get on ferry to Belfast, get train to Dublin' and boy, and I relieved I don't have to do that.
I have this weird thing about flying. I don't hate it as such, but it's the flying over water part that freaks me out. Big open stretches of water make me uncomfortable. Even just looking at maps where there's a lot of water makes me feel weird. And yeah, I know, I've spend my entire life living on islands, and I'm not scared of water or oceans or anything at all. I don't even know. My brain, sometimes, worries me. Anyways, my other thing about flying is that I cannot help but think about the poem 'An Irish Airman Forsees His Death' at that bit during take off when you sort of pass through the clouds and come out the other side. It goes I know that I shall meet my fate, somewhere among the clouds above' and 'the years to come seemed waste of breath, a waste of breath the years behind in balance with this life, this death and it freaks me the fuck out. My weird phobias, let me show you them.
Anyways, whatever, I survived the ridiculously short flight, and mintyfiend met me at the airport and it was wonderful to see her again and it felt like forever since we'd hung out, when in reality it was only two months. And then we went into the city and had a wander round and went for a really yummy dinner and hung around some more and it was just pretty damn awesome to be wandering around Dublin, where I'd never been before (in fact, it was my first time going somewhere that was non-Britain Europe, so it was rather exciting and I did that 'omg that tree is an Irish tree!' type tourist weirdness and you know when you repeat the same stupid thing over and over? Well I kept doing that by going 'OMG your road signs say YIELD!' and I'm amazed Beck didn't slap me to get me to shut up after the third time I said it.)
So Saturday dawned quite lovely looking outside, and I have to apologise to Beck, because I didn't warn her that I am incredibly slow going in the mornings and actually do need to have my ass kicked before I will move, so I think I held us up rather a lot heading back into the city (the theme of the weekend, I'm afraid- sorry!) and we went and got the bus and I did more of my wide eyed 'OMG I'm in Ireland' weirdness.
Once we got there and queued and finally got in we had a wander around, and ended up catching most of Bowling For Soup, who were surprisingly really rather good and the crowd seemed into them, and I love it when bands communicate with the audience, and it was fun to sing along.
Then we got a rather decent spot at the barrier outside the pit and listened to Scouting for Girls. Who, okay, I kinda liked, in that 'their songs are somewhat catchy and better than half the stuff the play on the radio' way, but overall they just pissed me off, by drawing out the songs so they got three rounds of applause. It would have been okay on one or two songs, but they did it for all of them, and basically, that just kinda sucked. And I think the gods agreed, because boy did the heavens open! We got drenched (next time: waterproofs are a must it seems) and so we went up to the tent where MSI would be playing and caught the end of some band called Royworld's set. All I can say for them is that they are very loud, and I'm still not sure if the feedback was accidental or not. Pretty much just watched the Sitting Down Nazi run around telling people to stand up.
The soundcheck for MSI was hilarious and made me laugh a lot. I can't even remember what the dude was saying, but it was amusing anyways. And then MSI came out and ok, man, I'm maybe a little bit in love with them now. They just...the way they engage the crowd, the banter, their stage presence, the way you can tell they love what they're doing and that that's the reason they're doing it- it was just fantastic. And oh my god, Lyn-Z. Gerard is possibly the luckiest man on earth, yes? Well, he and Pete probably tie for first place, but DAMN. That girl is bendy as all hell, and such a fantastic performer. I want little versions of them all to keep in my pocket for always. Oh, and speaking of Pete, at one point Jimmy was praying to the Gods of Selling Out and he was all "We want to go on tour with Ashlee Simpson's baby" and I LOL'd. Anyways, in conclusion- I kinda really adore MSI and would love to see them again.
And then: Counting Crows.
Okay, so, I knew they were a good band. I liked their music, what I'd heard anyways, but I don't think I really got it until I saw they perform. They're just...I don't even know how to describe it. All I know is I could barely take my eyes off Adam- he's so charasmatic, really draws your attention to him, because he feels the songs, acts them out, and it's just...well, just kinda moving, really. I wish I could have paid more attention to the others, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from him. I'm so pleased I got to see them, and I really want to see them again at some point.
Okay, rambling so- we ended up catching the end of The Enemy's set, and god, I hate them so fucking much. I don't get the appeal- they're like a poor mans Oasis, but shite, and apparently to be a fan you have to be 6 foot tall and a chain smoker. Our plan was to get to the barrier as soon as their fans cleared out, but people much more dedicated than we had had the same idea and had apparently stood through the entirety of The Enemy's set, which I think should warrant some sort of medal for them. Or it should have, if they weren't so incredibly sucky and the sort of fans who don't own Pretty. Odd.
So, I was a bit bummed at missing Panic in Southampton and at the Astoria. Like, a hell of a lot more bummed than I think I let on to anyone.
And then I saw them at Oxegen, and it was better than I'd ever imagined it could be.
They were on. There's no other way to describe it. They were just...man. Okay, seriously, they were amazing.
I think I died a little of happiness when they came out and launched into Pas De Cheval, which is one of my 4 favourite songs off the album. I couldn't take my eyes off Jon Walker. I just. Man, I love him and all, but there was something about him up there on stage that was just...he's pretty amazing.
I'd watched the Glasto coverage, and heard all about how nervous Ryan had seemed, and while I thought they played a good set (or, at least, what the BBC chose to show us) I thought something was missing.
At Oxegen? They were amazing. Such a cohesive unit, and they seemed so comfortable, so happy to be there. Despite Ryan having tech issues (one of the most adorable things was Brendon obviously noticing something was up with Ryan's guitar and the way he kept checking with him, and Ryan would give him these little reassuring nods), and the fact that they were being hurried along- they most definitely skipped at least one song (Mad as Rabbits) if not more, they put on the most amazing show. I don't know if it was the inclusion of so much of the new stuff, but in some ways I think it was almost better than when I saw them in Glasgow. It's like, with every show I see them play, they improve exponentially.
I'm going to not ramble too much (mintyfiend posted a much better review of the show than I could ever give) but hearing the new songs was just. I can't really describe it. I'll admit though, that as soon as I heard the opening bars to Northern Downpour, my hands started to shake and I started crying because I'M COOL LIKE THAT OKAY? That song means so much to me and to hear them play it, finally, kinda made everything shitty disappear, if that makes sense. And god, singing along with TGG again kinda felt like home.
SEE, I'M NOT MAKING ANY SENSE ANYMORE. Which was pretty much how my brain was after the set. I'm pretty sure I made no sense afterwards and just wandered around going "oh man. oh man. oh man." for a ridiculous amount of time.
Other things of note were Shane and Zack being adorable as always. Also, ERIC.
ANYWAYS. I could probably ramble a lot about it, but I won't, because it would largely be !!!!!!!!! and OMG and NRGH and SPENCERSMITH OMG, even though, for the first time, I didn't spent 90% of the time watching him. Which probably shows how fantastic the other boys were, to steal my attention from Spencer like that.
Also, Ryan Ross with a feather in his hat. And Brendon being ridiculously adorable. Also I love them all a ridiculous amount and I'm so proud of them. Which is probably silly, but I am. They're such an amazing band, and I'm glad to have them in my life, to be growing up with them, seeing them evolve with each album, with each performance.
Okay, okay, moving on...
There was nachos, hearing the end of the Stereophonics set (I like them in a 'they're inoffensive' way but man, are they bland for a festival or what?) and then making our way down to catch REM.
REM were, obviously, amazing, but for the first half of the set I was kinda distracted by the crappy vid that was playing on the big screens. There were so many people, it was impossible to see the stage, so it would have been nice to see what was going on instead of some arty crap, tbh. After awhile it settled down though and we got some shots of the band, finally. I kinda hate when stuff like that detracts from the music, especially when it's as awesome as theirs.
Ok, so, I have to say, if Panic hadn't been there, the highlight of the festival would have been standing in that field with 80 thousand people all singing along to 'Man On The Moon'. I love love love the energy that's created when so many people's voices and arms and hearts are raised in celebration of this thing called music, called life. It's like lying on the grass and looking up at the stars, feeling so small and insignificant and yet so powerful and important, a vital part of something bigger than me.
I kinda didn't want their set to end. We headed for the buses afterwards, because the Verve were the final act on the mainstage, and god, okay, but a slit-your-wrists song is not my idea of a good way to end an awesome day. And it was an awesome day- one of the best I can remember. Awesome music, a fantastic environment, and the best company.
~~~
Sunday was...well, I was on even more of a go slow than the day before. Seriously, Beck, I do apologise, because I should have warned you. Also, I'd done something to my calf the previous day (I'm not sure if it happened during Panic, or beforehand, but the thought of seeing them made me not notice the pain) and it was ceasing up pretty badly, and driving me insane, which meant I was in kinda a pissy mood, which can't have been fun for Beck, but since she failed to strangle me to death, I figure I can't have been as annoying as I assumed.
Anyways. We headed into the city, got some yummy food for a picnic lunch, and then got the bus to the zoo. And okay, the park (Phoenix park?) is just gorgeous. We walked through, and arrived at the zoo, which had lines to rival Oxegen, although thankfully lacking in cider swilling morons so yay! The queue was pretty fast moving though, and once we were inside- okay, wow. The zoo is pretty damn impressive! Had an absolutely wonderful day, wandering round, looking at the animals (omg, the lemur! We named it Brendon because it was adorable and sat by the food tray sorting through and picking out what it wanted and throwing it away, and then it stretched out and laid its head on his back legs and wrapped its tail around its neck and went to sleep. So adorable) and, well, my memory is rubbish but it was pretty damn awesome wandering around, and we discussed what Panic would be like at the zoo (Zack would sit at the entrance with a beer and let them run wild) and also what would happen if all of Bandom turned into muppets. As you do.
Then we went and saw Hancock (omg, I loved it) and enjoyed nachos (with warm salsa and cold cheese sauce which is epically bizarre. Also Beck does not put cheese sauce on her nachos- Spencer would not approve!), and then just hung out, and it was seriously awesome and I really didn't want to leave.
Monday dawned far too early and I had to bid Beck farewell as she was off to work and I had several hours to kill before my flight. So I sat in Starbucks for awhile, and looked terribly touristy, reading my map and talking to some girl about Oxegen (she saw my shirt, and bemoaned the fact she couldn't go and didn't laugh at me when I said Panic were the best, by far). And then I had a wander round, got a little bit lost, got unlost, hopped on one of the open top bus tours and did a lovely circuit of the city, then hopped on and off at a few places. I need to go back and do that on a not!monday, since a lot of the museums and places were closed, but I got to see the city and I have to say- I think I fell a little in love with it. I'm going to have to go back at some point and really explore.
The one thing I wanted to do that I did was see the Oscar Wilde statue. I'm a ridiculous Wilde fangirl, and it was really freaking awesome to stand there and read his quotes and just. Yeah. It was fun.
And then it was off to the airport and I hate security, but I managed to curl up on a seat and scribble some notes down, and then these two boys sat next to me and they were covered head to toe in mud and it turned out they'd just come from Oxegen, and they were pretty cool (they were discussing Lyn-Z and how amazing she was and how bendy) until they started saying how boring Panic were, and how they'd tried to mosh but no one was into it and I had to refrain from stabbing them (I didn't think they'd let me get on the plane if I did).
The flight was okay, I was sad to leave, but also getting home that night? Was totally awesome and I was kinda ridiculously exhausted. I'd planned on popping into work to set some stuff up, but there was no chance of that, so I went home and chilled and wished I could live the weekend over again.
And...that's it! Seriously, I wish the weekend had never ended, that I hadn't had to come home, that I could relive it every weekend. I'm pleased I popped my festival cherry with something as amazing as that, and I'm gonna be raring to go next festival season!
Oh man, I don't even know where to start, really. The weekend was just fantastic and I probably won't do it justice.
So, it turned out I had nothing really to worry about, regarding the flight. It was delayed by about half an hour, which is sort of what I expected anyways, although the couple sitting across from me in the waiting room got really pissy about it. I guess I was just glad to be able to get there, since I'd been sitting there with scenarios going through my head along the lines of 'if it's cancelled, get back on the train, get home, get car, drive to Stranraer, get on ferry to Belfast, get train to Dublin' and boy, and I relieved I don't have to do that.
I have this weird thing about flying. I don't hate it as such, but it's the flying over water part that freaks me out. Big open stretches of water make me uncomfortable. Even just looking at maps where there's a lot of water makes me feel weird. And yeah, I know, I've spend my entire life living on islands, and I'm not scared of water or oceans or anything at all. I don't even know. My brain, sometimes, worries me. Anyways, my other thing about flying is that I cannot help but think about the poem 'An Irish Airman Forsees His Death' at that bit during take off when you sort of pass through the clouds and come out the other side. It goes I know that I shall meet my fate, somewhere among the clouds above' and 'the years to come seemed waste of breath, a waste of breath the years behind in balance with this life, this death and it freaks me the fuck out. My weird phobias, let me show you them.
Anyways, whatever, I survived the ridiculously short flight, and mintyfiend met me at the airport and it was wonderful to see her again and it felt like forever since we'd hung out, when in reality it was only two months. And then we went into the city and had a wander round and went for a really yummy dinner and hung around some more and it was just pretty damn awesome to be wandering around Dublin, where I'd never been before (in fact, it was my first time going somewhere that was non-Britain Europe, so it was rather exciting and I did that 'omg that tree is an Irish tree!' type tourist weirdness and you know when you repeat the same stupid thing over and over? Well I kept doing that by going 'OMG your road signs say YIELD!' and I'm amazed Beck didn't slap me to get me to shut up after the third time I said it.)
So Saturday dawned quite lovely looking outside, and I have to apologise to Beck, because I didn't warn her that I am incredibly slow going in the mornings and actually do need to have my ass kicked before I will move, so I think I held us up rather a lot heading back into the city (the theme of the weekend, I'm afraid- sorry!) and we went and got the bus and I did more of my wide eyed 'OMG I'm in Ireland' weirdness.
Once we got there and queued and finally got in we had a wander around, and ended up catching most of Bowling For Soup, who were surprisingly really rather good and the crowd seemed into them, and I love it when bands communicate with the audience, and it was fun to sing along.
Then we got a rather decent spot at the barrier outside the pit and listened to Scouting for Girls. Who, okay, I kinda liked, in that 'their songs are somewhat catchy and better than half the stuff the play on the radio' way, but overall they just pissed me off, by drawing out the songs so they got three rounds of applause. It would have been okay on one or two songs, but they did it for all of them, and basically, that just kinda sucked. And I think the gods agreed, because boy did the heavens open! We got drenched (next time: waterproofs are a must it seems) and so we went up to the tent where MSI would be playing and caught the end of some band called Royworld's set. All I can say for them is that they are very loud, and I'm still not sure if the feedback was accidental or not. Pretty much just watched the Sitting Down Nazi run around telling people to stand up.
The soundcheck for MSI was hilarious and made me laugh a lot. I can't even remember what the dude was saying, but it was amusing anyways. And then MSI came out and ok, man, I'm maybe a little bit in love with them now. They just...the way they engage the crowd, the banter, their stage presence, the way you can tell they love what they're doing and that that's the reason they're doing it- it was just fantastic. And oh my god, Lyn-Z. Gerard is possibly the luckiest man on earth, yes? Well, he and Pete probably tie for first place, but DAMN. That girl is bendy as all hell, and such a fantastic performer. I want little versions of them all to keep in my pocket for always. Oh, and speaking of Pete, at one point Jimmy was praying to the Gods of Selling Out and he was all "We want to go on tour with Ashlee Simpson's baby" and I LOL'd. Anyways, in conclusion- I kinda really adore MSI and would love to see them again.
And then: Counting Crows.
Okay, so, I knew they were a good band. I liked their music, what I'd heard anyways, but I don't think I really got it until I saw they perform. They're just...I don't even know how to describe it. All I know is I could barely take my eyes off Adam- he's so charasmatic, really draws your attention to him, because he feels the songs, acts them out, and it's just...well, just kinda moving, really. I wish I could have paid more attention to the others, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from him. I'm so pleased I got to see them, and I really want to see them again at some point.
Okay, rambling so- we ended up catching the end of The Enemy's set, and god, I hate them so fucking much. I don't get the appeal- they're like a poor mans Oasis, but shite, and apparently to be a fan you have to be 6 foot tall and a chain smoker. Our plan was to get to the barrier as soon as their fans cleared out, but people much more dedicated than we had had the same idea and had apparently stood through the entirety of The Enemy's set, which I think should warrant some sort of medal for them. Or it should have, if they weren't so incredibly sucky and the sort of fans who don't own Pretty. Odd.
So, I was a bit bummed at missing Panic in Southampton and at the Astoria. Like, a hell of a lot more bummed than I think I let on to anyone.
And then I saw them at Oxegen, and it was better than I'd ever imagined it could be.
They were on. There's no other way to describe it. They were just...man. Okay, seriously, they were amazing.
I think I died a little of happiness when they came out and launched into Pas De Cheval, which is one of my 4 favourite songs off the album. I couldn't take my eyes off Jon Walker. I just. Man, I love him and all, but there was something about him up there on stage that was just...he's pretty amazing.
I'd watched the Glasto coverage, and heard all about how nervous Ryan had seemed, and while I thought they played a good set (or, at least, what the BBC chose to show us) I thought something was missing.
At Oxegen? They were amazing. Such a cohesive unit, and they seemed so comfortable, so happy to be there. Despite Ryan having tech issues (one of the most adorable things was Brendon obviously noticing something was up with Ryan's guitar and the way he kept checking with him, and Ryan would give him these little reassuring nods), and the fact that they were being hurried along- they most definitely skipped at least one song (Mad as Rabbits) if not more, they put on the most amazing show. I don't know if it was the inclusion of so much of the new stuff, but in some ways I think it was almost better than when I saw them in Glasgow. It's like, with every show I see them play, they improve exponentially.
I'm going to not ramble too much (mintyfiend posted a much better review of the show than I could ever give) but hearing the new songs was just. I can't really describe it. I'll admit though, that as soon as I heard the opening bars to Northern Downpour, my hands started to shake and I started crying because I'M COOL LIKE THAT OKAY? That song means so much to me and to hear them play it, finally, kinda made everything shitty disappear, if that makes sense. And god, singing along with TGG again kinda felt like home.
SEE, I'M NOT MAKING ANY SENSE ANYMORE. Which was pretty much how my brain was after the set. I'm pretty sure I made no sense afterwards and just wandered around going "oh man. oh man. oh man." for a ridiculous amount of time.
Other things of note were Shane and Zack being adorable as always. Also, ERIC.
ANYWAYS. I could probably ramble a lot about it, but I won't, because it would largely be !!!!!!!!! and OMG and NRGH and SPENCERSMITH OMG, even though, for the first time, I didn't spent 90% of the time watching him. Which probably shows how fantastic the other boys were, to steal my attention from Spencer like that.
Also, Ryan Ross with a feather in his hat. And Brendon being ridiculously adorable. Also I love them all a ridiculous amount and I'm so proud of them. Which is probably silly, but I am. They're such an amazing band, and I'm glad to have them in my life, to be growing up with them, seeing them evolve with each album, with each performance.
Okay, okay, moving on...
There was nachos, hearing the end of the Stereophonics set (I like them in a 'they're inoffensive' way but man, are they bland for a festival or what?) and then making our way down to catch REM.
REM were, obviously, amazing, but for the first half of the set I was kinda distracted by the crappy vid that was playing on the big screens. There were so many people, it was impossible to see the stage, so it would have been nice to see what was going on instead of some arty crap, tbh. After awhile it settled down though and we got some shots of the band, finally. I kinda hate when stuff like that detracts from the music, especially when it's as awesome as theirs.
Ok, so, I have to say, if Panic hadn't been there, the highlight of the festival would have been standing in that field with 80 thousand people all singing along to 'Man On The Moon'. I love love love the energy that's created when so many people's voices and arms and hearts are raised in celebration of this thing called music, called life. It's like lying on the grass and looking up at the stars, feeling so small and insignificant and yet so powerful and important, a vital part of something bigger than me.
I kinda didn't want their set to end. We headed for the buses afterwards, because the Verve were the final act on the mainstage, and god, okay, but a slit-your-wrists song is not my idea of a good way to end an awesome day. And it was an awesome day- one of the best I can remember. Awesome music, a fantastic environment, and the best company.
~~~
Sunday was...well, I was on even more of a go slow than the day before. Seriously, Beck, I do apologise, because I should have warned you. Also, I'd done something to my calf the previous day (I'm not sure if it happened during Panic, or beforehand, but the thought of seeing them made me not notice the pain) and it was ceasing up pretty badly, and driving me insane, which meant I was in kinda a pissy mood, which can't have been fun for Beck, but since she failed to strangle me to death, I figure I can't have been as annoying as I assumed.
Anyways. We headed into the city, got some yummy food for a picnic lunch, and then got the bus to the zoo. And okay, the park (Phoenix park?) is just gorgeous. We walked through, and arrived at the zoo, which had lines to rival Oxegen, although thankfully lacking in cider swilling morons so yay! The queue was pretty fast moving though, and once we were inside- okay, wow. The zoo is pretty damn impressive! Had an absolutely wonderful day, wandering round, looking at the animals (omg, the lemur! We named it Brendon because it was adorable and sat by the food tray sorting through and picking out what it wanted and throwing it away, and then it stretched out and laid its head on his back legs and wrapped its tail around its neck and went to sleep. So adorable) and, well, my memory is rubbish but it was pretty damn awesome wandering around, and we discussed what Panic would be like at the zoo (Zack would sit at the entrance with a beer and let them run wild) and also what would happen if all of Bandom turned into muppets. As you do.
Then we went and saw Hancock (omg, I loved it) and enjoyed nachos (with warm salsa and cold cheese sauce which is epically bizarre. Also Beck does not put cheese sauce on her nachos- Spencer would not approve!), and then just hung out, and it was seriously awesome and I really didn't want to leave.
Monday dawned far too early and I had to bid Beck farewell as she was off to work and I had several hours to kill before my flight. So I sat in Starbucks for awhile, and looked terribly touristy, reading my map and talking to some girl about Oxegen (she saw my shirt, and bemoaned the fact she couldn't go and didn't laugh at me when I said Panic were the best, by far). And then I had a wander round, got a little bit lost, got unlost, hopped on one of the open top bus tours and did a lovely circuit of the city, then hopped on and off at a few places. I need to go back and do that on a not!monday, since a lot of the museums and places were closed, but I got to see the city and I have to say- I think I fell a little in love with it. I'm going to have to go back at some point and really explore.
The one thing I wanted to do that I did was see the Oscar Wilde statue. I'm a ridiculous Wilde fangirl, and it was really freaking awesome to stand there and read his quotes and just. Yeah. It was fun.
And then it was off to the airport and I hate security, but I managed to curl up on a seat and scribble some notes down, and then these two boys sat next to me and they were covered head to toe in mud and it turned out they'd just come from Oxegen, and they were pretty cool (they were discussing Lyn-Z and how amazing she was and how bendy) until they started saying how boring Panic were, and how they'd tried to mosh but no one was into it and I had to refrain from stabbing them (I didn't think they'd let me get on the plane if I did).
The flight was okay, I was sad to leave, but also getting home that night? Was totally awesome and I was kinda ridiculously exhausted. I'd planned on popping into work to set some stuff up, but there was no chance of that, so I went home and chilled and wished I could live the weekend over again.
And...that's it! Seriously, I wish the weekend had never ended, that I hadn't had to come home, that I could relive it every weekend. I'm pleased I popped my festival cherry with something as amazing as that, and I'm gonna be raring to go next festival season!