Oxegen 2008 - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Oxegen '08 was the fifth Oxegen

Oxegen

Oxegen is an annual music festival in Ireland held since 2004, sponsored by Heineken. As of 2007, 2008, 2009, the festival has been cited as Ireland's biggest music festival. And by 2009, the festival is cited as the greenest festival, being a 100% carbon neutral event in Ireland. It was previously...

festival to take place, following the dissolution of its predecessor Witnness

Witnness

Witnness was an Irish music festival, sponsored by Guinness, which ran for four consecutive summers from 2000 to 2003. Originally it was held at Fairyhouse Racecourse in County Meath, but it was moved to Punchestown Racecourse in County Kildare for its final year...

in 2004. It took place on the weekend of Friday 11 July, Saturday 12 July and Sunday 13 July at Punchestown Racecourse

Punchestown Racecourse

Punchestown Racecourse is located in the parish of Eadestown, between the R410 and R411 regional roads near Naas, County Kildare, in Ireland. It is home of the National Hunt Festival of Ireland....

near Naas

Naas

Naas is the county town of County Kildare in Ireland. With a population of just over twenty thousand, it is also the largest town in the county. Naas is a major commuter suburb, with many people residing there and working in Dublin...

in County Kildare

County Kildare

County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...

, Ireland. For the first time the festival was a three day event. The festival was headlined by Kings of Leon

Kings of Leon

Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion, Oklahoma but formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 1999. The band is composed of brothers Anthony Caleb Followill , Ivan Nathan Followill and Michael Jared Followill Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion,...

on the Friday, The Verve

The Verve

The Verve were an English rock band formed in 1989 in Wigan by lead vocalist Richard Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bassist Simon Jones, and drummer Peter Salisbury. Guitarist and keyboardist Simon Tong later became a member. Beginning with a psychedelic sound indebted to shoegazing and space...

and R.E.M.

R.E.M.

R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...

on the Saturday and Rage Against the Machine

Rage Against the Machine

Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...

on the Sunday.

Tickets

Presale tickets went on sale at 8 a.m. on Friday 30 November 2007 at a cost of €197. Actual sale tickets went on sale at 8 a.m. on Friday 7 March 2008, with 4-day camping tickets priced at €244.50 and 3-day camping tickets priced at €224.50. Thursday camping passes cost €20 extra. Three-day weekend camping and four-day weekend camping tickets along with day tickets for Saturday 12 July were sold out by Monday 10 March 2008. A very limited number of three-day (no camping) tickets and day tickets for Friday 11 July and Sunday 13 July were still available for a period after going sale, before the Oxegen website announced at 14:09 on Wednesday 7 May 2008 that all tickets were sold out. On Friday 13 June, in what they described as "a move to combat touting", MCD put a limited number of extra weekend tickets on sale for Oxegen 2008. The tickets were made available from the official website and Ticketmaster

Ticketmaster

Ticketmaster Entertainment, Inc. is an independent American ticket sales and distribution company based in West Hollywood, California, USA, with operations in many countries around the world. In 2010 it merged with Live Nation to become Live Nation Entertainment...

from Friday 20 June.

Line-up confirmation timetable

November:
On 27 November 2007 at 17:00, Kings of Leon

Kings of Leon

became the first band to be announced to play Oxegen. The band topped an online poll which asked festival-goers for their dream line-up and so the band were immediately asked and confirmed. Vocalist Caleb Followill said: "We love playing in Ireland, the fans are brilliant and we can't wait to play Oxegen 2008". They headlined the opening night (Friday) of the festival.

February:
On 15 February 2008, R.E.M.

R.E.M.

were confirmed for Oxegen 2008, the second act to be announced and joining Kings of Leon. Meanwhile Kaiser Chiefs

Kaiser Chiefs

Kaiser Chiefs are an English indie rock band from Leeds who formed in 1996. They were named after the South African football club Kaizer Chiefs....

confirmed themselves and Rage Against the Machine

Rage Against the Machine

as Sunday night headliners on their official website; however this announcement was edited on 18 February to bear no mention of Rage Against the Machine who had yet to be officially confirmed. The words "directly before headliners Rage Against The Machine" were removed from the page. Tim Burgess also revealed that The Charlatans would be appearing although that too was hushed up soon afterwards. The Pogues

The Pogues

The Pogues are a Celtic punk band, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane MacGowan. The band reached international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. MacGowan left the band in 1991 due to drinking problems but the band continued first with Joe Strummer and then with Spider Stacy on vocals before...

too confirmed themselves online.

On 19 February at 16:29, Kaiser Chiefs

Kaiser Chiefs

Kaiser Chiefs are an English indie rock band from Leeds who formed in 1996. They were named after the South African football club Kaizer Chiefs....

, The Raconteurs

The Raconteurs

The Raconteurs is an American rock band that was formed in Detroit, Michigan, featuring four members known for other musical projects: Jack White , Brendan Benson , Jack Lawrence , and Patrick Keeler .-Formation:The...

and Ian Brown

Ian Brown

Ian George Brown is an English musician, best known as the lead singer of the alternative rock band The Stone Roses, which broke up in 1996 but are confirmed to reunite in 2012. Since the break-up of the Stone Roses he has pursued a solo career...

were announced on the official website, followed by The Fratellis

The Fratellis

The Fratellis were an indie rock band from Glasgow, Scotland. The band consisted of lead vocalist and guitarist Jon Fratelli , bass guitarist Barry Fratelli , and drummer and backing vocalist Mince Fratelli .The band released 2 albums during their career, Costello Music in 2006 and Here We Stand in...

, Interpol

Interpol (band)

Interpol is an American indie rock and post-punk revival band from New York City. Formed in 1997, the band's original line-up consisted of Paul Banks , Daniel Kessler , Carlos Dengler and Greg Drudy . Drudy left the band in 2000 and was replaced by Sam Fogarino...

and Counting Crows

Counting Crows

Counting Crows is an American rock band originating from Berkeley, California. Formed in 1991, the group gained popularity following the release of its debut album in 1993, August and Everything After, which featured the hit single "Mr. Jones"...

the next day. 21 February saw Hot Chip

Hot Chip

Hot Chip are an English electronic indie band. They have released four studio albums—Coming on Strong, The Warning, Made in the Dark and One Life Stand.-Formation:...

, Justice

Justice (French band)

Justice is a French electronic music duo consisting of Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay . The duo is one of the most successful groups on Ed Banger Records and is managed by the label's head, Pedro Winter...

, The Chemical Brothers

The Chemical Brothers

The Chemical Brothers are a British electronic music duo comprising Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons. Originating in Manchester in 1991, along with The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, The Crystal Method, and fellow acts, they were pioneers at bringing the big beat genre to the forefront of pop culture.- Background...

, Aphex Twin

Aphex Twin

Richard David James , best known under the pseudonym Aphex Twin, is an Irish-born electronic musician and composer described as "the most inventive and influential figure in contemporary electronic music"...

and Alabama 3

Alabama 3

Alabama 3 are a British band mixing rock, dance, blues, country, and gospel styles, founded in Brixton, London, in 1995. In the United States, they are known as A3, allegedly to avoid any possible legal conflict with the country music band Alabama...

added to the line-up. Finally, at 09:14 on 22 February, Rage Against the Machine

Rage Against the Machine

were confirmed as headliners by the organisers. On Sunday 24 February, The Verve

The Verve

were confirmed on the official website for an appearance at Oxegen 2008. Stereophonics

Stereophonics

The Stereophonics are a Welsh rock band now living in turners x that formed in 1992 in the village of Cwmaman in Cynon Valley, Wales. The band currently comprises lead vocalist and guitarist Kelly Jones, bassist and backing vocalist Richard Jones, drummer Javier Weyler, guitarist and backing...

, Band of Horses

Band of Horses

Band of Horses, originally briefly known as Horses, are an American rock band formed in 2004 in Seattle by Ben Bridwell. They have released three studio albums, the most recent and most successful of which is 2010's Grammy nominated Infinite Arms...

, Seasick Steve

Seasick Steve

Steven Gene Wold, commonly known as Seasick Steve, is an American blues musician. He plays guitars, and sings, usually about his early life doing casual work.-Childhood and early life:...

, The Courteeners

The Courteeners

The Courteeners are a rock band formed in Middleton, Greater Manchester, England in 2006 by Liam Fray , Michael Campbell , Daniel Conan Moores , Mark Cuppello -Formation:...

and Future Kings of Spain

Future Kings of Spain

Future Kings of Spain were an Irish rock band, from Dublin.Future Kings of Spain on 28 September 2007 released their second album Nervousystem. Recorded in London and Malta with producer Ian Grimble , it was released in Ireland on the band's own label, What’s The Kim? and entered the Irish Albums...

were all confirmed by the official website on 25 February, with official confirmation of The Prodigy

The Prodigy

The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s...

, Panic! at the Disco

Panic! at the Disco

Panic! at the Disco is an American alternative rock duo, formed in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2005. Since its split, the band's line-up includes Brendon Urie and Spencer Smith . Former members Ryan Ross and Jon Walker left the group in 2009...

, The Feeling

The Feeling

The Feeling are a BRIT award-nominated English pop band from West Sussex and London. The band categorise their music as "pop".Following a limited release of their first single "Fill My Little World" in late 2005, the band entered the UK Singles Chart at #7 with their first full release "Sewn" in...

, DJ Koze, Kaz James

Kaz James

Christopher James Karyotakis, known professionally as Kaz James , is an Australian singer and DJ. He is a former member of the group BodyRockers. He was raised in Melbourne and is of Italian and Greek origin. He released his first solo album, If They Knew, in 2008.-Early life:James was raised in...

(BodyRockers

BodyRockers

BodyRockers were an electronic music act, consisting of Dylan Burns and Kaz James. They are best known for their 2005 single, "I Like the Way".-Background:...

) and Crookers

Crookers

Crookers are an Italian DJ/production duo who have worked together since 2003. When the two artists met, both were trying to branch out of their genre and explore dance music. Their first collaboration worked...

on the following day.

March:
The e-mail sent out with pre-sale ticket information to those registered on the official site confirmed that Bowling for Soup

Bowling for Soup

Bowling for Soup is an American pop-punk band which originally formed in Wichita Falls, Texas in 1994...

, Kate Nash

Kate Nash

Kate Marie Nash is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. She had a UK no. 2 hit "Foundations" in 2007, followed by the platinum selling UK number 1 album Made of Bricks. She was named Best Female Artist at the 2008 BRIT Awards....

, Editors

Editors

Editors are a British indie rock band based in Birmingham, who formed in 2002. Previously known as Pilot, The Pride and Snowfield, the band consists of Tom Smith , Chris Urbanowicz , Russell Leetch and Ed Lay .Editors have so far released two platinum studio...

, The Hoosiers

The Hoosiers

The Hoosiers are an English pop/rock band, consisting of members Irwin Sparkes , Martin Skarendahl and Alan Sharland ....

, Newton Faulkner

Newton Faulkner

Sam Newton Battenberg Faulkner is an English singer-songwriter and musician from Reigate, Surrey. Known for his guitar playing, which involves rhythmically tapping and hitting his guitar's body, Faulkner came to prominence in 2007, with the release of his debut studio album, Hand Built by Robots...

, Pendulum

Pendulum (band)

Pendulum is an Australian drum and bass and electronic rock band founded in 2002 in Perth by Rob Swire, Gareth McGrillen, and Paul Harding.Swire and McGrillen were members of the rock band known as Xygen. After hearing Konflict's "Messiah" at a club, they were inspired to enter into the drum and...

, Scouting for Girls

Scouting for Girls

Scouting for Girls are a Brit and Ivor Novello nominated band from London, formed in 2005 by Roy Stride, Greg Churchouse and Peter Ellard. Stride and Ellard met in the Cub Scouts and Churchouse met Stride on their first day at school. They have sold over 1.2 million albums and over 1.5 million...

, The Zutons

The Zutons

The Zutons are an English indie rock band from Liverpool. They were formed in 2001 but did not release their first album, Who Killed...... The Zutons?, until May 2004. They achieved their biggest hits with "Why Won't You Give Me Your Love?" and "Valerie", both taken from their second studio album...

, Battles

Battles (band)

Battles is an American experimental rock group, founded in 2002 in New York City, comprising guitarists Ian Williams and Dave Konopka , and drummer John Stanier .-Biography:...

, Róisín Murphy

Róisín Murphy

Róisín Marie Murphy is an Irish singer-songwriter and record producer, known for her electronic style.Murphy first came to note as part of the electronic music duo Moloko. Her partner in the band was then-boyfriend Mark Brydon. After the two ended their romantic relationship, Murphy released her...

, Lightspeed Champion

Lightspeed Champion

Devonté Hynes , better known as Lightspeed Champion or Blood Orange, is a British composer, songwriter, producer and author, who has written for artists such as Florence and the Machine, Diana Vickers and The Chemical Brothers on their 2007 Grammy award winning album We Are The Night...

and David Jordan

David Jordan (singer)

David Jordan is an English singer-songwriter.Born to a mother from Montserrat and a father from Calcutta, Jordan has been writing pop-rock songs since he was 11 . Growing up his music idol was Prince...

would also be playing. These twelve and Richard Hawley

Richard Hawley

Richard Hawley is a guitarist, singer-songwriter and producer. After his first band Treebound Story broke up, Hawley found success as a member of Britpop band Longpigs in the 1990s. He later joined the band Pulp, led by his friend Jarvis Cocker...

were confirmed by the official website on Monday 3 March. On Thursday 6 March, Tom Dunne

Tom Dunne

Thomas 'Tom' Dunne is an Irish radio broadcaster with Newstalk. He presents The Tom Dunne Show on weekday mornings between 10:00am and midday. He used to have a show called Pet Sounds on Today FM but gave it up...

's Pet Sounds show on Today FM

Today FM

Radio Ireland Ltd, trading as 100-102 Today FM is an Irish commercial FM radio station which is available nationally. The station, which commenced broadcasting on Saint Patrick's Day in 1997, can be received nationally and carries a mix of music and talk...

broadcasted an Oxegen Special previewing this year's line-up alongside festival highlights from previous years. Meanwhile Hot Press was amongst the first news outlets to confirm that Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse

Amy Jade Winehouse was an English singer-songwriter known for her powerful deep contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz. Winehouse's 2003 debut album, Frank, was critically successful in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize...

would again be scheduled to finally appear at Oxegen. Several bands and musicians such as Echo & the Bunnymen

Echo & the Bunnymen

Echo & the Bunnymen are an English post-punk band, formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bass player Les Pattinson, supplemented by a drum machine. By 1980, Pete de Freitas had joined as the band's drummer, and their debut...

, The Wombats

The Wombats

The Wombats are an indie rock band formed in Liverpool, England. The band comprises native Liverpudlians Matthew Murphy and Dan Haggis , alongside Norwegian-born Tord Øverland-Knudsen...

, The Pigeon Detectives

The Pigeon Detectives

The Pigeon Detectives are an English indie rock band from Rothwell, West Yorkshire, who formed in 2004. They have been championed by such well known DJs as Steve Lamacq and Jo Whiley, and performed at the Reading and Leeds Festivals in 2006, where they were tagged "the band most likely to leap to...

, The Subways

The Subways

The Subways are an English alternative rock / indie rock band. Their debut album, Young For Eternity, was released on 4 July 2005 in the UK and February 14, 2006 in the U.S. Their second album, All or Nothing, was released on 30 June 2008 and their third album Money and Celebrity debuted on the...

, Ben Folds

Ben Folds

Benjamin Scott "Ben" Folds is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and television personality. From 1995-2000, Folds was the frontman and pianist of the alternative rock band Ben Folds Five. Since the group disbanded, Folds has performed as a solo artist and has toured all over the world...

, Delays

Delays

Delays are an English indie band formed in Southampton, consisting of brothers Greg and Aaron Gilbert, Colin Fox and Rowly. The band's sound combines guitar and synths and features Greg Gilbert's distinctive falsetto lead vocals...

, The Script

The Script (band)

The Script are an Irish alternative rock band from Dublin. Based in London after signing to Sony Label Group imprint Phonogenic, the band released their eponymous debut album in August 2008...

, Kavinsky

Kavinsky

Kavinsky is a French electro house artist, and has released three EPs on the Record Makers label: Teddy Boy in 2006, 1986 a year later and "Nightcall" in 2010. He has been remixed by SebastiAn and others. He toured alongside Daft Punk, The Rapture, Justice, and SebastiAn in 2007...

, Mindless Self Indulgence

Mindless Self Indulgence

Mindless Self Indulgence is an American musical group formed in New York in 1997. Their music has a mixed style including rap, punk rock, alternative rock, electronica, techno and industrial...

, and Boys Noize

Boys Noize

Boys Noize is the stage name of Alexander Ridha, a German electronic music producer and DJ. It is similar to the name of Ridha's label, Boysnoize Records, which he established in 2005...

also confirmed themselves to play Oxegen '08 on their own websites before later being confirmed by the official Oxegen website.

On Wednesday 5 March in the late evening, the Oxegen website began a revamp for the release of the tickets on Friday 7 March. On Thursday 6 March, Oxegen 2008 was officially launched with the confirmation of appearances by Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse

, The Pogues

The Pogues

, The Charlatans and The Swell Season

The Swell Season

The Swell Season is a folk rock duo formed by Irish musician Glen Hansard and Czech singer and pianist Markéta Irglová. "The Swell Season" name is derived from Hansard's favourite novel by Josef Škvorecký from 1975 bearing the same title...

, featuring Academy Award for Best Original Song

Academy Award for Best Original Song

The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...

winners Glen Hansard

Glen Hansard

Glen Hansard is the Academy Award–winning principal songwriter and vocalist/guitarist for Irish group The Frames and one half of folk rock duo, The Swell Season...

and Markéta Irglová

Markéta Irglová

Markéta Irglová is a Czech songwriter, musician, actress, and singer. As of 2010, she resides in New York City.-Early life:...

. A breakdown of the acts was also revealed for the first time. A spokesman for promoters MCD said: "This year's line-up is one of the strongest ever. Music fans have quite literally the most diverse and strongest line-up of bands we have seen in Ireland. We are expecting tickets to sell very quickly." Glen Hansard told the Irish Daily Mirror: "I think Oxegen is just as exciting as appearing at the Oscars", saying "it's a dream come true for any Irish musician". The festival line-up was widely praised by the print media. The Irish Examiner

Irish Examiner

The Irish Examiner, formerly The Cork Examiner and then The Examiner, is an Irish national daily newspaper which primarily circulates in the Munster region surrounding its base in Cork, though it is available throughout the country...

called it a "fairytale line up for a festival", adding that "the fairytale of Naas will come alive this summer".

May:
On Tuesday 6 May, Tom Dunne

Tom Dunne

confirmed a host of other acts on his Pet Sounds show on Today FM

Today FM

. These included Manic Street Preachers

Manic Street Preachers

Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...

, Feeder

Feeder

-Technology:* Feeder , any of several devices used in apiculture to supplement or replace natural food sources* Feeder , another name for a riser, a reservoir built into a metal casting mold to prevent cavities due to shrinkage...

, Echo & the Bunnymen

Echo & the Bunnymen

, The Ting Tings

The Ting Tings

The Ting Tings are an English music duo comprising Jules de Martino and Katie White . They formed in December 2007 while based at Islington Mill Studios in Salford...

, Black Kids

Black Kids

Black Kids is an American indie pop band from Jacksonville, Florida. The band's debut EP, Wizard of Ahhhs, received favorable critical response in 2007, and was followed by the Partie Traumatic album, which debuted at #5 on the UK Albums Chart in July 2008.-History:Black Kids formed in Jacksonville...

, MGMT

MGMT

MGMT is an American alternative rock band founded by Benjamin Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden. After the release of their first album, the members of their live band, Matthew Asti, James Richardson and Will Berman, joined the core band in the studio...

, Bell X1, The Coronas

The Coronas

The Coronas are an Irish rock and indie band. They have released three studio albums, Heroes or Ghosts , Tony Was An Ex-Con and "Closer to You"...

, Concerto for Constantine

Concerto For Constantine

Concerto for Constantine is an unsigned Irish indie rock band formed in August 2007. The band consists of former JJ72 frontman Mark Greaney , former Turn and Idlewild bassist Gavin Fox and former The Frames and Bell X1 drummer Paul 'Binzer' Brennan .- Formation :In the summer of 2007, Mark and...

and Delorentos

Delorentos

Delorentos are a Dublin-based Irish alternative rock band, formed in 2005. They consist of Rónan Yourell , Kieran McGuinness , Níal Conlan and Ross McCormick...

. These and others including The Kooks

The Kooks

The Kooks are an English indie rock band formed in Brighton, East Sussex, in 2001. Formed by Luke Pritchard , Hugh Harris , Paul Garred , and Max Rafferty , the lineup of the band remained constant until 2008 and the departure of Rafferty...

and Groove Armada

Groove Armada

Groove Armada is an English electronic music duo from London, England comprising Andy Cato and Tom Findlay. They are perhaps best known for their singles "I See You Baby" and "Superstylin'"...

were confirmed by the Oxegen website the following day, along with details of the Dance Stage. The headliners were confirmed to be Unkle

UNKLE

Unkle are a British musical outfit founded in 1994 by school friends James Lavelle and Tim Goldsworthy. Originally categorized as trip-hop, the group once included producer DJ Shadow and have employed a variety of guest artists and producers.-First incarnation :Lavelle and Goldsworthy were joined...

, Justice

Justice (French band)

and David Guetta

David Guetta

Pierre David Guetta , known professionally as David Guetta , is a French house music producer and DJ. Originally a DJ at nightclubs during the 1980s and 1990s, he co-founded Gum Productions and released his first album, Just a Little More Love, in 2002. Later, he released Guetta Blaster and Pop Life...

respectively for the three days. Also confirmed for the Dance Stage on the Friday were Calvin Harris

Calvin Harris

Calvin Harris is a Scottish singer-songwriter, record producer and DJ. His gold-selling debut album, I Created Disco, was released in 2007 and contained the top ten singles "Acceptable in the 80s" and "The Girls"...

and Annie Mac

Annie Mac

Annie Mac is an Irish DJ and television presenter who hosts an eponymous electronic dance music show on BBC Radio 1 in the United Kingdom which airs at 7:00 pm on Friday evenings as well as a Sunday evening show alongside co-presenter Nick Grimshaw.-Personal life:Annie Mac was born in Dublin,...

amongst others, for the Saturday were Boys Noize

Boys Noize

Boys Noize is the stage name of Alexander Ridha, a German electronic music producer and DJ. It is similar to the name of Ridha's label, Boysnoize Records, which he established in 2005...

, Mylo

Mylo

Myles MacInnes , better known by the stage name Mylo, is a Scottish electronic musician and record producer.-Career:...

, Kavinsky

Kavinsky

and The Japanese Popstars

The Japanese Popstars

The Japanese Popstars are an electronic act from Derry, Northern Ireland, consisting of Declan McLaughlin aka Decky Hedrock, Gary Curran, and Gareth Donoghue. They are signed to indie label, Gung-Ho Recordings in the UK, and Beatink in Japan . Each member has his own alias...

amongst others and for the Sunday were Luciano

Aja (porn star)

Aja is an American exotic dancer, pornographic actress and adult film director.Aja starred in director John Leslie's Adult Video News' Best Video of the Year award-winning Mad Love in a scene described as "notably [...] surreal" by author and Ohio University Telecommunications graduate studies...

, Kaz James, Crookers

Crookers

and Does It Offend You, Yeah?

Does It Offend You, Yeah?

Does It Offend You, Yeah? are a British electronic rock band from Reading, Berkshire.-History:Does It Offend You, Yeah? were formed in 2006 in Reading, UK by James Rushent and Dan Coop and soon joined by Rob Bloomfield and Morgan Quaintance....

amongst others. On Friday 16 May at 09:36, more acts were announced; these were The National

The National (band)

The National is an indie rock band formed in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1999 and currently based in Brooklyn, New York. The band's lyrics are written and sung by Matt Berninger, a baritone...

, Tricky

Tricky

Tricky is an English musician and actor. As a producer and a musician, he is noted for a dark, rich and layered sound and a whispering sprechgesang lyrical style. Culturally, Tricky encourages an intertwining of societies, particularly in his musical fusion of rock and hip hop, high art and pop...

, The Go! Team

The Go! Team

The Go! Team are a six-piece band from Brighton, England. They combine indie rock and garage rock with a mixture of blaxploitation and Bollywood soundtracks, double dutch chants, old school hip hop and distorted guitars similar to the style of Sonic Youth. Their songs are a mix of live...

, Feeder

Feeder

(again), The Pigeon Detectives

The Pigeon Detectives

, The Enemy

The Enemy (UK band)

The Enemy are an English rock band formed in Coventry in 2006, signed to Warner Music Group . In June 2007, The Enemy played twice at Glastonbury Festival, first in the 'Guardian Lounge' on Saturday and then the much larger 'Other Stage' on Sunday. They also headlined on the Saturday night of T in...

, One Night Only

One Night Only (band)

One Night Only is a British Indie rock band from Helmsley, North Yorkshire formed in 2003.-History:One Night Only formed in summer 2003, consisting initially of Mark Hayton, Daniel “Pob” Parkin, Sam “Gunner” Ford and Kai "Kai" Smith. The band did not have a vocalist until George Craig, a friend of...

and The Whigs

The Whigs

The Whigs are an American garage rock band from Athens, Georgia, consisting of lead singer and guitarist Parker Gispert, drummer Julian Dorio and bassist Timothy Deaux.-Biography:...

June:
On Monday 9 June at 11:00, forty new acts as well as the full stage line-up was announced on the official Oxegen website. New acts confirmed included Mundy

Mundy

Mundy is an Irish singer-songwriter. 'Mundy' is a nickname given to Enright, as it not only refers to his name Edmund, but it is how he pronounces the word "Monday".-Biography:...

, Aslan

Aslan (rock band)

Aslan are an Irish rock band from Dublin who formed in 1982. Comprising Christy Dignam, Joe Jewell, Billy McGuinness, Alan Downey and Rodney O'Brien, the band has released five studio albums - Feel No Shame , Goodbye Charlie Moonhead , Here Comes Lucy Jones , Waiting For This Madness To End and...

, Captain

Captain (band)

Captain were an alternative rock band from London, England, who formed in early 2005. Influenced by groups such as The Smashing Pumpkins, The Beach Boys, My Bloody Valentine and The Cure, their music has also been compared by critics to Prefab Sprout, The Beautiful South and Deacon Blue...

and Sugababes

Sugababes

The Sugababes are an English pop girl group based in London, consisting of members Heidi Range, Amelle Berrabah and Jade Ewen. The Sugababes were formed in 1998 with founding members Siobhán Donaghy, Mutya Buena and Keisha Buchanan. Their debut album, One Touch, was released in 2000 under London...

for the Friday and Eddy Grant

Eddy Grant

Edmond Montague "Eddy" Grant is a musician, born in Plaisance, Guyana.- Life and career :When he was still a young boy, his parents emigrated to London, UK, where he settled. He lived in Kentish Town and went to school at the Acland Burghley Secondary Modern at Tufnell Park...

, Flogging Molly

Flogging Molly

Flogging Molly is a seven-piece Irish-descendant band from Los Angeles, California, that is currently signed to their own record label, Borstal Beat Records.-Early years:...

and Fight Like Apes

Fight Like Apes

Fight Like Apes are an Irish alternative rock band formed in Dublin in 2006.Their current members are Mary-Kate "MayKay" Geraghty , Jamie "Pockets" Fox and Tom Ryan , while original member Adrian Mullan left the band in 2010 due to creative differences...

for the Sunday.

July:
In early July, the showtimes for Oxegen 2008 were released. The line-up for the Bacardi B-Live Arena was also announced.

Cannabis controversy

On 27 February, there were calls from the Catholic

Catholicism

Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....

anti-drugs agency, Crosscare, which runs counselling programmes in the Dublin Archdiocese for teenagers caught with weed at Oxegen not to be arrested. They claimed: "Our time is being wasted every year by mostly Leaving Cert students who don’t have an addiction problem but have been arrested for a smoking a joint". Justice minister

Minister (government)

A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....

, Brian Lenihan

Brian Lenihan, Jnr

Brian Joseph Lenihan was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician and barrister who served in the government of Ireland as Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform from 2007 to 2008 and as Minister for Finance from 2008 to 2011...

rejected the proposal saying that it would amount to the legalisation of cannabis, of which Lenihan is severely intolerant.

Platform III

Bands with Kildare connections were invited to compete in 2008's Platform III competition to win a slot on the Oxegen bill, in which two winning groups were selected to perform on the New Band Stage at Oxegen '08. Editors

Editors

and The Killers have previously made their Oxegen debuts on that stage. Platform III Project Manager, Susan Boyle said that at least one band member should have Kildare connections. The winners were Kill City Defectors and Schmackey and the Salads.

Red Bull Local Hero Skate Tour

Four Irish bands playing at Oxegen '08 played free live outdoor performances as part of the Red Bull Local Hero Skate Tour. On Wednesday 18 June, Future Kings of Spain

Future Kings of Spain

played in Waterford

Waterford

Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...

. On Thursday 19 June, The Kinetiks

The Kinetiks

The Kinetiks were a Meteor Award-nominated Irish rock, pop and indie musical ensemble from Dublin. They were vocalist and guitarist Gaz Harding, guitarist Sean Brennan, bassist Jim McGuire, and drummer Paul Donohoe...

played in Ennis

Ennis

Ennis is the county town of Clare in Ireland. Situated on the River Fergus, it lies north of Limerick and south of Galway. Its name is a shortening of the original ....

. On Friday 20 June, Concerto for Constantine

Concerto For Constantine

played in Letterkenny

Letterkenny

Letterkenny , with a population of 17,568, is the largest town in County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in Ireland. The town is located on the River Swilly...

and on Saturday 21 June, they played in Belfast

Belfast

Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

. On Monday 23 June, The Coronas

The Coronas

The Coronas are an Irish rock and indie band. They have released three studio albums, Heroes or Ghosts , Tony Was An Ex-Con and "Closer to You"...

played in Dublin.

Local skaters were invited to skate with the Red Bull pro skate team who then selected the best skater from each venue crowning him or her the ‘Red Bull Local Hero’. The ‘Local Heroes’ from each venue then attended the Red Bull Vert Ramp Camp at Oxegen where they received coaching from some of the world's top skaters including leading European Vert skater Mack McKelton from Germany and European Street Skating champion Philipp Schuster from Austria. The Local Hero's prize also included weekend festival passes to Oxegen '08.

Some of the world's best skaters were invited by Red Bull

Red Bull

Red Bull is an energy drink sold by the Austrian Red Bull GmbH, created in 1987 by the Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz. In terms of market share, Red Bull is the most popular energy drink in the world, with 3 billion cans sold each year. Dietrich Mateschitz was inspired by an already...

to perform a series of gravity defying demonstrations throughout Oxegen '08. The riders performed on the Red Bull Vert Ramp (a skaterboarder's Half-pipe

Half-pipe

A half-pipe is a structure used in gravity extreme sports such as snowboarding, skateboarding, skiing, freestyle BMX, and inline skating. The structure is wood, concrete, metal, earth, or snow. It resembles a cross section of a swimming pool, essentially two concave ramps , topped by copings and...

) which has been used as the playground for professional Skateboarders in such events as X Games

X Games

The X Games is a commercial annual sports event, controlled and arranged by US sports broadcaster ESPN, which focuses on action sports. The inaugural X Games was held in the summer of 1995 in Rhode Island....

and the World Skateboarding Championships in recent years. This enormous structure, which comes for the second time to Ireland, has proved daunting to the world's best riders in the past standing 10m high, 15m wide and 14.2m in length, completely covered over with clear ‘window’ panels and open on both sides for public viewing.

Riders

Parsnip crisps, onion rings, energy tablets and "organic ground coffee sourced in Dundalk" were just some of the whimsical desires of the world's biggest music acts, reported the Irish Independent

Irish Independent

The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...

. Organic foods were top of the menu including a selection of organic chocolates and smoked fish. Bands such as R.E.M.

R.E.M.

, Kaiser Chiefs

Kaiser Chiefs

Kaiser Chiefs are an English indie rock band from Leeds who formed in 1996. They were named after the South African football club Kaizer Chiefs....

and Stereophonics

Stereophonics

were very precise in listing their requirements down to the finest detail, such as "Wrigley's Extra Blue Menthol eucalyptus chewing gum". Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse

's dressing room was stocked up with Kosher

Kashrut

Kashrut is the set of Jewish dietary laws. Food in accord with halakha is termed kosher in English, from the Ashkenazi pronunciation of the Hebrew term kashér , meaning "fit" Kashrut (also kashruth or kashrus) is the set of Jewish dietary laws. Food in accord with halakha (Jewish law) is termed...

foods and crackers. Several acts asked for a steady flow of Red Bull

Red Bull

and energy tablets. United States bands such as Rage Against the Machine

Rage Against the Machine

and Interpol

Interpol (band)

had a basket of American-style crisps "specifically New York Cheese flavour" taking up a corner of their changing area.

The VIP welcome area had an alpine theme with exotic plants, including very rare kangaroo paw

Kangaroo paw

Kangaroo paw is a common name for a number of species, in two genera of the family Haemodoraceae, that are endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. These perennial plants are noted for their unique bird attracting flowers...

plants as well as the exclusive Bluetooth

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a proprietary open wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances from fixed and mobile devices, creating personal area networks with high levels of security...

cafe, Xbox

Xbox

The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...

area and Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...

cafe. The luxurious dressing rooms were described as "comfortable and stylish with very ambient lighting and comfortable couches". The drinks cabinets contained a selection of world beers in the hope of having something to suit everybody's taste. However, some artists were a little bit pickier, ordering fine wines not by name, but by grape.

Publications

Hot Press ran a special issue in the lead-up to Oxegen '08. It featured interviews with Kings of Leon
Kings of Leon
Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion, Oklahoma but formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 1999. The band is composed of brothers Anthony Caleb Followill , Ivan Nathan Followill and Michael Jared Followill Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion,...

, Interpol
Interpol (band)
Interpol is an American indie rock and post-punk revival band from New York City. Formed in 1997, the band's original line-up consisted of Paul Banks , Daniel Kessler , Carlos Dengler and Greg Drudy . Drudy left the band in 2000 and was replaced by Sam Fogarino...

, Tricky
Tricky
Tricky is an English musician and actor. As a producer and a musician, he is noted for a dark, rich and layered sound and a whispering sprechgesang lyrical style. Culturally, Tricky encourages an intertwining of societies, particularly in his musical fusion of rock and hip hop, high art and pop...

, The Hold Steady
The Hold Steady
The Hold Steady is an American indie rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2004. The band consists of Craig Finn , Tad Kubler , Galen Polivka , Bobby Drake , and Steve Selvidge...

, Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend is an American indie rock band from New York City that formed in 2006 and signed to XL Recordings. The Band has four members: Ezra Koenig, Rostam Batmanglij, Chris Tomson, and Chris Baio. The band released its first album Vampire Weekend in 2008, which produced the singles "Mansard...

and The Ting Tings
The Ting Tings
The Ting Tings are an English music duo comprising Jules de Martino and Katie White . They formed in December 2007 while based at Islington Mill Studios in Salford...

. Issues were available for sale at the Hot Press Signing Tent throughout the festival.
On Friday 4 July, Day and Night (a supplement of the Irish Independent
Irish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...

) ran a special issue, featuring a site map plus interviews with Groove Armada
Groove Armada
Groove Armada is an English electronic music duo from London, England comprising Andy Cato and Tom Findlay. They are perhaps best known for their singles "I See You Baby" and "Superstylin'"...

, White Denim
White Denim (band)
White Denim is a four-piece rock band from Austin, Texas. Their music draws influence from dub, psychedelic rock, blues, punk rock, progressive rock, soul, jazz, experimental rock with home-based recording, jamming approach, intense looping work and unusual song structures.-History:In March 2005,...

, Echo & the Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen are an English post-punk band, formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bass player Les Pattinson, supplemented by a drum machine. By 1980, Pete de Freitas had joined as the band's drummer, and their debut...

and The Hold Steady
The Hold Steady
The Hold Steady is an American indie rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2004. The band consists of Craig Finn , Tad Kubler , Galen Polivka , Bobby Drake , and Steve Selvidge...

. It also featured a run down of some of the lesser known acts such as Lightspeed Champion
Lightspeed Champion
Devonté Hynes , better known as Lightspeed Champion or Blood Orange, is a British composer, songwriter, producer and author, who has written for artists such as Florence and the Machine, Diana Vickers and The Chemical Brothers on their 2007 Grammy award winning album We Are The Night...

, Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend is an American indie rock band from New York City that formed in 2006 and signed to XL Recordings. The Band has four members: Ezra Koenig, Rostam Batmanglij, Chris Tomson, and Chris Baio. The band released its first album Vampire Weekend in 2008, which produced the singles "Mansard...

, Yeasayer
Yeasayer
-History:The band's three core members, Chris Keating, Ira Wolf Tuton, and Anand Wilder, first came to attention after appearing at the SXSW festival in early 2007. Their first single consisted of a double A-side of the tracks "Sunrise" and "2080"...

, Battles
Battles (band)
Battles is an American experimental rock group, founded in 2002 in New York City, comprising guitarists Ian Williams and Dave Konopka , and drummer John Stanier .-Biography:...

, Kavinsky
Kavinsky
Kavinsky is a French electro house artist, and has released three EPs on the Record Makers label: Teddy Boy in 2006, 1986 a year later and "Nightcall" in 2010. He has been remixed by SebastiAn and others. He toured alongside Daft Punk, The Rapture, Justice, and SebastiAn in 2007...

and Noah and the Whale
Noah and the Whale
Noah and the Whale are an English indie folk band from Twickenham, London, England formed in 2006. The band consists of Charlie Fink , Tom Hobden , Matt "Urby Whale" Owens , Fred Abbott , and Michael Petulla .-Early years and Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down...

. An article on the Friday 11 July edition advised fans which other bands were similar in sound and style to Kings of Leon
Kings of Leon
Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion, Oklahoma but formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 1999. The band is composed of brothers Anthony Caleb Followill , Ivan Nathan Followill and Michael Jared Followill Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion,...

, Interpol
Interpol (band)
Interpol is an American indie rock and post-punk revival band from New York City. Formed in 1997, the band's original line-up consisted of Paul Banks , Daniel Kessler , Carlos Dengler and Greg Drudy . Drudy left the band in 2000 and was replaced by Sam Fogarino...

, R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...

, The Verve
The Verve
The Verve were an English rock band formed in 1989 in Wigan by lead vocalist Richard Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bassist Simon Jones, and drummer Peter Salisbury. Guitarist and keyboardist Simon Tong later became a member. Beginning with a psychedelic sound indebted to shoegazing and space...

, Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...

and The Chemical Brothers
The Chemical Brothers
The Chemical Brothers are a British electronic music duo comprising Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons. Originating in Manchester in 1991, along with The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, The Crystal Method, and fellow acts, they were pioneers at bringing the big beat genre to the forefront of pop culture.- Background...

.
On Monday 7 July, the Oxegen 08 Guide was published on the official website and made available for download.
The Irish Daily Star
Irish Daily Star
The Irish Daily Star is a tabloid newspaper published in Ireland by the Independent Star Limited. Independent Star Limited is a joint venture between Richard Desmond's UK based Express Newspapers Limited, which owns the British Daily Star, and Irish news magnate Denis O'Brien's Independent News &...

has published two magazines. On Friday 11 July, a special edition of The Star includes a bumper 40-page The Scene Oxegen '08 special featuring interviews, celebrity tips, stage-by-stage features on the event, the ultimate festival survival guide and a full colour pull-out site map. On Monday 14 July, The Star had a 16-page Oxegen '08 picture special.

Problems

There was some difficulty selling all available tickets for Oxegen 2008 but they eventually sold out in May.
Planners for Oxegen 2008 want to cut the parking facilities by one quarter, despite massive problems last year when a downpour saw the parking facilities shut and transferred to another area away from the site. Because an estimated 70% of emissions at Oxegen are associated with travel, festival goers were strongly urged to consider one of the public transport options to get to Punchestown for the festival. Bus Éireann
Bus Éireann
Bus Éireann provides bus services in Ireland with the exception of those operated entirely within the Dublin Region, which are provided by Dublin Bus. Bus Éireann, established as a separate company in 1987, is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann. The logo of Bus Éireann incorporates a red Irish...

ran express services from destinations around the country and Dublin Bus
Dublin Bus
Dublin Bus is a public transport operator in Ireland. It operates an extensive bus network of 172 radial, cross-city and peripheral routes and 18 night routes in the city of Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area. The company, established in 1987, is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann which is...

operated a shuttle service from Parnell Square. Car drivers were urged to use the Oxegen Park and Ride site, and take the free shuttle bus to Oxegen. Those wishing to drive were encouraged to car share and as an incentive a free parking ticket was provided when four camping tickets were presented at any Ticketmaster
Ticketmaster
Ticketmaster Entertainment, Inc. is an independent American ticket sales and distribution company based in West Hollywood, California, USA, with operations in many countries around the world. In 2010 it merged with Live Nation to become Live Nation Entertainment...

outlet.

On Thursday 10 July, a bus of forty festival-goers from Newry
Newry
Newry is a city in Northern Ireland. The River Clanrye, which runs through the city, formed the historic border between County Armagh and County Down. It is from Belfast and from Dublin. Newry had a population of 27,433 at the 2001 Census, while Newry and Mourne Council Area had a population...

caught fire on a Dublin motorway en route to Oxegen. No one was seriously injured although food, clothes, tickets and camping equipment were burned in the blaze and the southbound lane of the M50 motorway
M50 motorway (Ireland)
The M50 motorway is a motorway in Ireland running in a C-shaped ring around the north-eastern, northern, western and southern sides of the capital city, Dublin. The northern end of the route is located at the entrance to the Dublin Port Tunnel. Anti-clockwise it heads northwest through the tunnel...

had to be shut down with diversions put into place at Finglas
Finglas
-See also:* List of towns and villages in Ireland* List of abbeys and priories in Ireland...

and Ballymun
Ballymun
Ballymun is an area on Dublin's Northside close to Dublin Airport, Ireland. It is infamous for the Ballymun flats, which became a symbol of poverty, drugs, alienation from the state and social problems in Ireland from the 1970s...

, causing further traffic delays. Those involved in the incident arrived at Punchestown in time for kick off on Friday evening, with festival organisers MCD dispatching a new bus, replacing their tickets and camping equipment and supplying food vouchers.

New additions

Campers at Oxegen '08 were in for some environment-friendly changes to the year's sites and camping gear.
- Oxegen '08 was awarded Carbon Neutral status, making it Ireland's biggest ever Carbon Neutral event. In keeping with World Environment Day (5 June), organisers announced that they have been working closely with The Carbon Neutral Company
  The Carbon Neutral Company
  The CarbonNeutral Company is a global provider of carbon reduction solutions. Founded in 1997, the company has been one of the first providers of voluntary carbon offset credits in the world. Today, the company works with businesses in 32 countries to help them measure and reduce their carbon...
  
  to look at ways to reduce carbon dioxide emissions produced from the festival.
- The reusable Eco-cup was introduced to reduce the 10% of CO2 emissions attributed to waste that is unrecycled, i.e. landfill emissions. Festival-goers purchasing a drink at any of the bars could pay a €3 deposit for the Eco-cup for their first drink. When buying further drinks the customer exchanged their old cup for a new one at no extra cost and at the end of the night (from 10 p.m. onwards), they could either be exchanged for a full refund or taken home. Irish owned company Earthstream Bio Packaging also offered all Oxegen food vendors the opportunity to use bio-degradable packaging.
The Hot Press Signing Tent made an appearance at Oxegen '08 and ran throughout the three days. On Friday, Tricky
Tricky
Tricky is an English musician and actor. As a producer and a musician, he is noted for a dark, rich and layered sound and a whispering sprechgesang lyrical style. Culturally, Tricky encourages an intertwining of societies, particularly in his musical fusion of rock and hip hop, high art and pop...

, Editors
Editors
Editors are a British indie rock band based in Birmingham, who formed in 2002. Previously known as Pilot, The Pride and Snowfield, the band consists of Tom Smith , Chris Urbanowicz , Russell Leetch and Ed Lay .Editors have so far released two platinum studio...

, Paddy Casey
Paddy Casey
Patrick "Paddy" Casey is an Irish singer-songwriter from Dublin. Paddy was discovered by Sony A&R Scout Hugh Murray at the International Bar in Dublin, while performing at the singer/songwriter night hosted by Dave Murphy...

, Mundy
Mundy
Mundy is an Irish singer-songwriter. 'Mundy' is a nickname given to Enright, as it not only refers to his name Edmund, but it is how he pronounces the word "Monday".-Biography:...

and Interpol
Interpol (band)
Interpol is an American indie rock and post-punk revival band from New York City. Formed in 1997, the band's original line-up consisted of Paul Banks , Daniel Kessler , Carlos Dengler and Greg Drudy . Drudy left the band in 2000 and was replaced by Sam Fogarino...

were amongst the artists who appeared. On the Saturday Feeder
Feeder
-Technology:* Feeder , any of several devices used in apiculture to supplement or replace natural food sources* Feeder , another name for a riser, a reservoir built into a metal casting mold to prevent cavities due to shrinkage...

, The Hoosiers
The Hoosiers
The Hoosiers are an English pop/rock band, consisting of members Irwin Sparkes , Martin Skarendahl and Alan Sharland ....

, The Wombats
The Wombats
The Wombats are an indie rock band formed in Liverpool, England. The band comprises native Liverpudlians Matthew Murphy and Dan Haggis , alongside Norwegian-born Tord Øverland-Knudsen...

, Scouting for Girls
Scouting for Girls
Scouting for Girls are a Brit and Ivor Novello nominated band from London, formed in 2005 by Roy Stride, Greg Churchouse and Peter Ellard. Stride and Ellard met in the Cub Scouts and Churchouse met Stride on their first day at school. They have sold over 1.2 million albums and over 1.5 million...

, Justice
Justice (French band)
Justice is a French electronic music duo consisting of Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay . The duo is one of the most successful groups on Ed Banger Records and is managed by the label's head, Pedro Winter...

, The Coronas
The Coronas
The Coronas are an Irish rock and indie band. They have released three studio albums, Heroes or Ghosts , Tony Was An Ex-Con and "Closer to You"...

and The Charlatans made appearances. On the Sunday, The Blizzards
The Blizzards
The Blizzards are an Irish band from Mullingar in County Westmeath. They were formed by Niall Breslin in late 2004, and also feature Dec Murphy , Justin Ryan, Anthony Doran and Aidan Lynch...

, Alabama 3
Alabama 3
Alabama 3 are a British band mixing rock, dance, blues, country, and gospel styles, founded in Brixton, London, in 1995. In the United States, they are known as A3, allegedly to avoid any possible legal conflict with the country music band Alabama...

and Republic of Loose
Republic of Loose
Republic of Loose are an Irish funk rock band from Dublin. Formed in 2001, the band currently consists of lead vocalist Mick Pyro, bass guitarist and vocalist Benjamin Loose, keyboardist Darragh, guitarists and vocalists Dave Pyro and Darach O' Laoire and drummers and percussionists Andre Lopes...

were present. Free gifts distributed to those in the queue included CDs, smoking papers, a competition to win 1000 CDs and three month subscription cards to hotpress.com.
The IMRO
Irish Music Rights Organisation
Irish Music Rights Organisation is the collecting society for songwriters, composers and music publishers of Ireland. Its role is to act as an agent for its members in order to collect license fees whenever their musical works are performed in public, broadcast or transmitted, and to pay out...

New Sounds Stage debuted at Oxegen '08, with Blood Red Shoes
Blood Red Shoes
Blood Red Shoes are an indie rock duo from Brighton, England. They have released two full-length albums, Box of Secrets and Fire Like This, plus a slew of early singles on limited 7" vinyl pressings.-Formation:...

headlining on the Saturday night and Dry County
Dry county
A dry county is a county in the United States whose government forbids the sale of alcoholic beverages. Some prohibit off-premises sale, some prohibit on-premises sale, and some prohibit both. Hundreds of dry counties exist across the United States, almost all of them in the South...

headlining on the Sunday night.
The Xbox Live Stage made its first ever European appearance at Oxegen '08. Boasting a massive 46 sq m, high-quality LED cinema screen, the Xbox Live Stage featured live performances and VJ sets from the likes of MTV's Eclectic Method. The Xbox Live Stage kicked off proceedings at 12 noon on Thursday, and ran from 10 am each day of the festival until late.
An Post
An Post
An Post is the State-owned provider of postal services in the Republic of Ireland. An Post provides a universal postal service to all parts of the country as a member of the Universal Postal Union...

were present at Oxegen '08, allowing festival-goers the opportunity to mail home their passports and driving licences used for identification purposes upon entry. Festival-goers could also top up their mobile phones, post special commemorative Oxegen postcards and buy lottery tickets
National Lottery (Ireland)
The National Lottery is the state lottery of Ireland. It was founded when the Oireachtas passed the to support initiatives in the areas of sport and recreation, health and welfare, national heritage and the arts, and the Irish language. Since gaming operations began on 23 March 1987, over €3.6...

. Money could even also sent from home via Western Union
Western Union
The Western Union Company is a financial services and communications company based in the United States. Its North American headquarters is in Englewood, Colorado. Up until 2006, Western Union was the best-known U.S...

.
Stage 2/NME (formerly The NME Stage and previously The Ticket Stage) was renamed yet again and was, for the 2008 festival, known as the O2 Stage.

Weather

Weather conditions were considerably better than at the 2007 festival

Oxegen 2007

Oxegen '07 was the fourth Oxegen festival to take place, following the dissolution of its predecessor Witnness in 2004. It took place on the weekend of Saturday, 7 July and Sunday, 8 July at Punchestown Racecourse near Naas in County Kildare, Ireland. The festival was headlined by Muse and Snow...

which was marred by mud and rain. Friday and Saturday were relatively cool whilst the warmest day was Sunday. The Blizzards

The Blizzards

The Blizzards are an Irish band from Mullingar in County Westmeath. They were formed by Niall Breslin in late 2004, and also feature Dec Murphy , Justin Ryan, Anthony Doran and Aidan Lynch...

frontman Niall Breslin

Niall Breslin

Niall Breslin is an Irish singer and former sportsperson. He found success as the lead singer, guitarist and songwriter with ska-punk/pop band The Blizzards and as a co-writer and producer with 19 Entertainment....

, again performing on the Main Stage on the Sunday, noted the difference in the weather conditions from the previous year. In a change from 2007, grass was still visible by the end of the weekend.

Performances

Oxegen 2008 was notable for the number of covers performed by the participating artists. On the Friday, Amy Macdonald

Amy Macdonald (singer)

Amy Macdonald is a Scottish recording artist. Macdonald rose to fame in 2007 with her debut album, This Is the Life and its fourth single, "This Is the Life". The single charted at number one in six different countries worldwide, and charted inside the top ten in another eleven countries worldwide...

began proceedings with a cover of "When You Were Young

When You Were Young

"When You Were Young" is a song written and performed by The Killers, and is the third track on their second album Sam's Town, released in October 2006. The song was released as the lead single from that album in September 2006. It has proven to be one of their most successful singles, peaking at...

" whilst The Saw Doctors

The Saw Doctors

The Saw Doctors are an Irish rock band. Formed in 1986 in Tuam, County Galway, they have achieved eighteen Top 30 singles in Ireland, including three number ones. Their first number one, "I Useta Lover," topped the Irish charts for nine consecutive weeks in 1990, and still holds the record for the...

performed "About You Now

About You Now

"About You Now" is a 2007 single by English girl group Sugababes, written by Cathy Dennis and producer Dr. Luke for the group's fifth studio album, Change...

" as seen on The Podge and Rodge Show

The Podge and Rodge Show

The Podge and Rodge Show is an Irish chat show, broadcast and produced by RTÉ, featuring the popular Podge and Rodge as hosts...

plus Beastie Boys

Beastie Boys

Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....

song "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)", Tricky

Tricky

performed "The Lovecats

The Lovecats

"The Love Cats" is a 1983 single by The Cure. It was the band's first Top 10 hit in the UK, peaking at number seven, and also hit number six in Australia. It later appeared on the compilation album Japanese Whispers....

", Ben Folds

Ben Folds

performed a cover of The Postal Service

The Postal Service

The Postal Service is an American electronic indie pop band composed of vocalist Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie and producer Jimmy Tamborello of Dntel and Headset.-Background:...

's "Such Great Heights

Such Great Heights

"Such Great Heights" is a single released on January 21, 2003 by The Postal Service, under the Sub Pop Records label. The single includes a previously unreleased track "There's Never Enough Time" and two cover tracks by The Shins and Iron & Wine of "We Will Become Silhouettes" and "Such Great...

", Bell X1 closed their Green Room headlining set with a version of The Flaming Lips

The Flaming Lips

The Flaming Lips are an American alternative rock band, formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1983.Melodically, their sound contains lush, multi-layered, psychedelic rock arrangements, but lyrically their compositions show elements of space rock, including unusual song and album titles—such as "What...

song "Do You Realize??

Do You Realize??

"Do You Realize??" is a song by The Flaming Lips, released as the first single from their 2002 album Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. It is widely considered to be one of the group's most accessible and popular songs...

" and Cat Power

Cat Power

Charlyn Marie Marshall , also known as Chan Marshall or by her stage name Cat Power, is an American singer/songwriter and occasional actress and model. Cat Power was originally the name of Marshall's first band, but has come to refer to her musical projects with various backing bands...

's performance included a version of Smokey Robinson

Smokey Robinson

William "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. Robinson is one of the primary figures associated with Motown, second only to the company's founder, Berry Gordy...

's "The Tracks of My Tears

The Tracks of My Tears

"The Tracks of My Tears" is a much recorded love ballad introduced in 1965 by The Miracles on Motown's' Tamla label. This song is considered to be among the finest recordings of The Miracles, and it sold over one million records within two years, making it The Miracles' fourth million-selling...

". On Saturday, Bowling For Soup

Bowling for Soup

Bowling for Soup is an American pop-punk band which originally formed in Wichita Falls, Texas in 1994...

performed the intro to "Paranoid

Paranoid (song)

"Paranoid" is a song by the British heavy metal band Black Sabbath, featured on their second album Paranoid . It is the first single from the album, while the B-side is the song "The Wizard". It reached number 4 on the UK Singles Chart and number 61 on the Billboard Hot 100...

" and then merged it into "I Wanna Be Sedated

I Wanna Be Sedated

"I Wanna Be Sedated" is a song by the American punk rock band the Ramones. It is one of the band's best known songs. It was originally released on their fourth album, Road to Ruin, in September 1978 and was the b-side of the UK single "She's the One" released on January 10, 1979. The song was later...

" by The Ramones, Newton Faulkner

Newton Faulkner

performed covers of "Bohemian Rhapsody

Bohemian Rhapsody

"Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock band Queen. It was written by Freddie Mercury for the band's 1975 album A Night at the Opera...

" and "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)

You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)

"You Spin Me Round " is a song by British band Dead or Alive on their 1985 album Youthquake. The song was the first UK number-one hit by the Stock Aitken Waterman production trio. Released in November 1984, the record reached number one in March 1985, taking seventeen weeks to get there...

", Hot Chip

Hot Chip

Hot Chip are an English electronic indie band. They have released four studio albums—Coming on Strong, The Warning, Made in the Dark and One Life Stand.-Formation:...

performed a version of "Nothing Compares 2 U

Nothing Compares 2 U

"Nothing Compares 2 U" is a pop song written by American recording artist Prince for one of his side-projects, The Family. However, it wasn't until Sinéad O'Connor recorded her version for the album I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got when it became a worldwide hit, topping charts in 15 countries,...

", Feeder

Feeder

did a verse of "Monkey Gone to Heaven

Monkey Gone to Heaven

"Monkey Gone to Heaven" is a song by the American alternative rock band Pixies and is the seventh track on their 1989 album Doolittle. The song was written and sung by frontman Black Francis and was produced by Gil Norton. Referencing environmentalism and biblical numerology, the song's lyrics...

" and "Best of You

Best of You

"Best of You" is a song by American alternative rock band Foo Fighters, and the first single released from the band's fifth studio album, In Your Honor...

whilst Manic Street Preachers

Manic Street Preachers

performed Nirvana

Nirvana (band)

Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...

's "Pennyroyal Tea

Pennyroyal Tea

"Pennyroyal Tea" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana. Featured on the band's third and final studio album, In Utero , it was initially scheduled to be released as the third single in April 1994...

" and their cover of Rihanna

Rihanna

Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...

's "Umbrella

Umbrella (song)

"Umbrella" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna, featuring a rap verse by Jay-Z. The song was written by The-Dream, Christopher Stewart, Kuk Harrell and Jay-Z, and was produced by Stewart and The-Dream for Rihanna's third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad...

" which was reprised in the Green Room the following night when Ian Brown

Ian Brown

tested his microphone with a quick "Ella ella, eh eh eh". "Valerie

Valerie (The Zutons song)

"Valerie" is a song by the English indie rock band The Zutons from the band's second studio album, Tired of Hanging Around . Released as the album's second single on 19 June 2006 in the United Kingdom, along with their previous single "Why Won't You Give Me Your Love?", it gave The Zutons their...

" was performed twice on the Saturday, first on the Main Stage by Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse

and later, on the O2 Stage, the original version was performed by The Zutons

The Zutons

. On the Sunday, The Feeling

The Feeling

performed two covers – "Video Killed the Radio Star

Video Killed the Radio Star

"Video Killed the Radio Star" is a song by the British synthpop/New Wave group The Buggles, released as their debut single on 7 September 1979, on Island Records from their debut album The Age of Plastic. It celebrates the golden days of radio, describing a singer whose career is cut short by...

" and "Take on Me

Take on Me

"Take on Me" is a song by the Norwegian pop band A-ha. Written by the band members, the song was produced by Alan Tarney for the group's first studio album Hunting High and Low, released in 1985...

" – whilst The Blizzards

The Blizzards

The Blizzards are an Irish band from Mullingar in County Westmeath. They were formed by Niall Breslin in late 2004, and also feature Dec Murphy , Justin Ryan, Anthony Doran and Aidan Lynch...

performed a cover of "Black and Gold

Black and Gold (song)

"Black and Gold" is the lead single from Sam Sparro's eponymous first album. The song has been remixed by Max Sanna and Steve Pitron, Paul Epworth, Al Usher, Kings of the Universe, Kromatik and Russ Chimes. The original version of the single was made available on iTunes on 23 March 2008, with the...

", Republic of Loose

Republic of Loose

Republic of Loose are an Irish funk rock band from Dublin. Formed in 2001, the band currently consists of lead vocalist Mick Pyro, bass guitarist and vocalist Benjamin Loose, keyboardist Darragh, guitarists and vocalists Dave Pyro and Darach O' Laoire and drummers and percussionists Andre Lopes...

funkified Akon

Akon

Aliaune Damala Badara Thiam, better known as simply Akon , is a Senegalese American R&B recording artist and songwriter.According to Forbes, Akon grossed $21 million in 2010, $20 million in 2009 and $12 million in 2008. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up", the first...

's "Locked Up

Locked Up

"Locked Up" is the debut single by American singer Akon, taken as the lead single from his debut studio album, Trouble. The single was released in 2004, reaching #4 on the UK Singles Chart and #8 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming his first Top 10 hit in both countries.-Background:Although it was...

" and The Raconteurs

The Raconteurs

covered Jape

Jape (band)

Jape are an Irish electronic–rock band from Dublin. Formed as a side project by Richie Egan whilst part of The Redneck Manifesto, they have released four albums to date; Cosmosphere , The Monkeys in the Zoo Have More Fun Than Me , Ritual and Ocean of Frequency...

's "Floating

Floating (Jape song)

"Floating" is a 2004 single by the Irish band Jape, taken from the second studio album, The Monkeys in the Zoo Have More Fun Than Me and described as "Jape's trademark song". Co-produced by David Kitt, the single was the first release from the album and was generally viewed by critics as the...

". The Hoosiers performed Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire

We Didn't Start the Fire

"We Didn't Start the Fire" is a song by Billy Joel. Its lyrics are made up from rapid-fire brief allusions to over a hundred headline events between March 1949 and 1989, when the song was released on his album Storm Front...

Thursday

For the first ever Thursday night at Oxegen a number of entertainments were supplied. There was a circus, a silent disco, a banjo orchestra and a couple of tribute bands. The red camping site hosted the Swamp Circus Theatre. The Cloghoppers, the smallest banjo orchestra in the world, performed on unicycles, alongside the aerial artistry of Emily Rose. At the silent disco, dancers had a choice of two DJs on their FM headsets. Unfortunately, the silent disco was cancelled on Thursday night due to a small scale riot in which several festival goers were slightly injured due to being crushed against steel fencing surrounding the tent. The Rocking Back The Clock Stage featured tribute acts such as The Stone Roses Experience

The Stone Roses

The Stone Roses are an English alternative rock band formed in Manchester in 1983. They were one of the pioneering groups of the Madchester movement that was active during the late 1980s and early 1990s...

, and AC/DC

AC/DC

AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...

cover band, Hells Bells.

Friday

"Guess Again" was the first song performed on the O2 Stage by Future Kings of Spain

Future Kings of Spain

whilst Amy Macdonald

Amy Macdonald (singer)

opened the Main Stage. Making her Oxegen debut, she commented:

"It's really cool to open a festival because everyone is in such high spirits, but it's especially great to open this one. Us Scots and Irish are always in the mood to party."

The Kinetiks

followed Dirty Epics

Dirty Epics

Dirty Epics are a four-piece Irish New Wave band formed in Greystones, County Wicklow, but now resided in Dublin. They are composed of vocalist Sarah Jane Wai, bassist Richard Power, guitarist Darren McCoy and drummer Alan Delaney and are managed by Nadine O'Flynn. They have performed at numerous...

onto the Green Room stage. Nominated for the "Hope For 2008" at the Meteor Award

Meteor Music Awards

The Meteor Ireland Music Awards are a group of music awards in Ireland...

s, The Kinetiks said beforehand they relished the prospects of playing in front of their biggest audience to date. Lead singer Gaz Harding (23) said:

"We're not nervous, just looking forward to it. Obviously the tent is massive. We're going to go and do what we do and hope that everyone will be blown away and we can go out and have a great night afterwards."

Following an appearance on the New Band Stage on the Friday, Liam Finn

Liam Finn

Liam Mullane Finn is a New Zealand musician and songwriter. Born in Australia, he moved to New Zealand as a child...

uniquely performed again on the Saturday on the same stage as a last minute replacement for Ida Maria

Ida Maria

Ida Maria Børli Sivertsen is a Norwegian rock musician known primarily by the stage name Ida Maria. Her first album; Fortress Round My Heart was released in 2008...

who cancelled her set due to illness.

Sugababes

Sugababes

made an appearance on the O2 Stage following a much publicised last minute cancellation of an Irish show supporting Boyzone

Boyzone

Boyzone are an Irish boy band comprising Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating,Shane Lynch, and formerly Stephen Gately. Boyzone have 19 singles in the top 40 UK charts and 21 singles in the Ire charts. The group currently have 6 UK number one singles and 9 number one singles in Ireland with 12...

the previous week. They entered the stage to Rihanna

Rihanna

's "Don't Stop the Music

Don't Stop the Music (Rihanna song)

"Don't Stop the Music" is a dance-pop song performed by Barbadian R&B singer Rihanna from her third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad. It was the third single from the album in most of Europe, the second single in Germany and Spain and the fourth single in the rest of the world...

", opening with "Hole in the Head

Hole in the Head

"Hole in the Head" is a dance-pop song performed by Sugababes, released in October 2003 as the lead single from their third studio album Three...

" and continuing with the likes of "Round Round

Round Round

"Round Round" is a song performed by British girl group Sugababes, released on 12 August 2002 through Island Records. It was written by band members Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan and Heidi Range, as well as Miranda Cooper, Niara Scarlett, Brian Higgins, Tim Powell, Nick Coler, Shawn Lee, and Lisa...

", "Freak like Me" and "Push the Button". At one point there was some sound difficulty and the show had to be stopped until one of the Sugababes was handed a replacement microphone by someone called Darren from backstage whose name the audience repeatedly chanted for a period.

Editors

made their fourth consecutive appearance at Oxegen on the Friday evening. Following stints on the New Band Stage, NME Stage and Green Room they this year appeared on the Main Stage. Opening with "Bones

Bones (Editors song)

"Bones" was the fifth and final single from An End Has a Start, the second album by Editors. It was only released in Continental Europe under the PIAS label as a download only single. It was released to help promote the band during the festival run and their support of R.E.M. in July during their...

" – a song first performed at Oxegen in 2006 – the band's set also included "An End Has a Start

An End Has a Start (song)

"An End Has a Start" is the title track and second single from Editors' second album. The single was released September 3, 2007 on CD, maxi-CD and 7" vinyl...

", "Escape the Nest", "The Racing Rats

The Racing Rats (Editors song)

"The Racing Rats" is the third single from Editors' second album An End Has a Start. The single was released on 26 November 2007 with a CD format and three 7" singles in the UK, as well as on two CD formats and DVD on PIAS in Europe...

", "All Sparks

All Sparks

"All Sparks" is a song by British post-punk revival band Editors and is featured on their 2005 debut album, The Back Room. It was released 27 March 2006 as the fourth single from the album ....

", "Bullets

Bullets (Editors song)

"Bullets" is a song by British post-punk revival band Editors and is featured on their 2005 debut album, The Back Room.It was originally released 24 January 2005 as their first single. The single was mixed by Cenzo Townshend and the video made for the song was directed by Mike Brady. Both editions...

", "Blood", "Munich

Munich (song)

"Munich" is a song by British post-punk revival band Editors and is featured on their 2005 debut album, The Back Room. It was originally released 18 April 2005 as the second single from the band...

", "Fingers in the Factories" and "Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors

Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors

"Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors" is the first single from Editors' second album An End Has a Start. It was released as a digital download on June 11, 2007 and as a physical single through cd and vinyl on June 18, 2007 in the UK. It peaked at number 7 in the UK Singles Chart in its first week of...

".

Interpol

Interpol (band)

, having previously second headlined the Green Room at Oxegen 2005

Oxegen 2005

Oxegen 2005 was the second Oxegen festival to take place, following the dissolution of its predecessor Witnness in 2004. It took place on the weekend of Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 July at Punchestown Racecourse near Naas in County Kildare, Ireland....

and second headlined Stage 2/NME at Oxegen 2007

Oxegen 2007

, second headlined the Main Stage on the Friday night of Oxegen 2008.

Saturday

The Verve

headlined the Main Stage on the Saturday night, opening with "This Is Music

This Is Music

"This Is Music" was the first single released from The Verve's second album, A Northern Soul. The aptly named song is full of varied lyrical images. The song charted at #35 in the United Kingdom...

" and completing their set with "The Drugs Don't Work

The Drugs Don't Work

"The Drugs Don't Work" is a song by the British rock band, The Verve and is featured on their third album, Urban Hymns. It was released on September 1, 1997 as the second single from the album, charting at number 1 in the UK Singles Chart, becoming the band's most successful single in the UK...

", "Lucky Man", "Bitter Sweet Symphony

Bitter Sweet Symphony

"Bitter Sweet Symphony" is a song by English alternative rock band The Verve, the lead track on their third album, Urban Hymns. It is based on music from an Andrew Loog Oldham adaptation of a Rolling Stones song, "The Last Time". It was released on 16 June 1997 by Hut Recordings as the first single...

" and "Love Is Noise

Love Is Noise

"Love Is Noise" is a song by English alternative rock band The Verve and is the second track on their fourth album, Forth. It was released as the first single from the album on August 3, 2008 as a digital download, with the physical release on August 11, 2008 in the United Kingdom...

". Richard Ashcroft

Richard Ashcroft

Richard Paul Ashcroft is an English singer-songwriter. He was the lead singer and occasional guitarist of alternative rock band The Verve from their formation in 1990 until their split in 1999, and continues as a lead vocalist working with guitars and keyboards...

referred to the area's main use as a racecourse when he informed the crowd:

"The dressing rooms are dead good, they've got pictures of the jockeys and the champions on the walls [the site is usually a racecourse]. The funny thing is all the trainers have got all the same name over here. I guess if you've got the look... Anyway this if for Tony Soprano
Tony Soprano
Anthony John "Tony" Soprano, Sr. is an Italian-American fictional character and the protagonist on the HBO television drama series The Sopranos, on which he is portrayed by James Gandolfini. The character was conceived by The Sopranos creator and show runner David Chase, who was also largely...

, Tony Montana
Tony Montana
Antonio Raimundo "Tony" Montana is a fictional character from the 1983 film Scarface. He is portrayed by Al Pacino in the movie, and is voiced by André Sogliuzzo in the 2006 video game Scarface: The World Is Yours. Tony Montana has become a cultural icon and is one of the most famous movie...

and all 'The Rolling People'."

He then politicised "Bitter Sweet Symphony" by criticizing the United Nations

United Nations

The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...

– "Shame on the United Nations, shame on the United Nations, the people of Zimbabwe need you" – and dedicating it to Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...

and all the slaves (including Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH, , commonly known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a winger or striker for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and is the captain of the Portuguese national team...

who was only earning £120,000 per week). Days later, Ashcroft was struck down by severe pharyngitis and a chest infection, forcing the band to cancel another festival appearance at the Italia Wave

Italia Wave

The Italia Wave Love Festival is an annual music festival held in Italy. The first edition in 2007 was held from the 17th to the 22nd of July in Florence and Sesto Fiorentino, and the 2008, 2009 and 2010 editions in Livorno. In 2011 it is set to be held in Lecce.It mainly presents rock music,...

Festival in Livorno

Livorno

Livorno , traditionally Leghorn , is a port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea on the western edge of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of approximately 160,000 residents in 2009.- History :...

. At the end of The Verve's set at Oxegen, The Prodigy

The Prodigy

were still performing over on the O2 Stage whilst Manic Street Preachers

Manic Street Preachers

had just finished headlining the Green Room. They opened with "Motorcycle Emptiness

Motorcycle Emptiness

"Motorcycle Emptiness" is a single by the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers, released on 1 June 1992. It was the fifth single to be lifted from their debut album Generation Terrorists. The track is slower paced than most others on the album. Its lyrics are inspired by S.E. Hinton's book...

" and "You Stole the Sun from My Heart

You Stole The Sun From My Heart

"You Stole the Sun from My Heart" is a song by Manic Street Preachers, released on March 8, 1999 as the third single from the album This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours. All three members of the band - James Dean Bradfield, Sean Moore and Nicky Wire - share the writing credits.The lyric concerns Nicky...

" and ended with "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next

If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next

"If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next" is a song by the Manic Street Preachers, released as the first single from their fifth studio album, This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours, with lyrics written by Nicky Wire , and music written by James Dean Bradfield and Sean Moore...

" in a set which also included "The Masses Against The Classes

The Masses Against The Classes

"The Masses Against the Classes" is a song by Manic Street Preachers, released as a limited-edition single in January 2000. It was a stand-alone single, not featured on any studio album, and was deleted on the day of release.The single reached number one in the UK Singles Chart on 16...

", "Autumnsong

Autumnsong

"Autumnsong" is a song by Manic Street Preachers and the second single taken from the album Send Away the Tigers. It was released on 23 July 2007....

", "Your Love Alone Is Not Enough

Your Love Alone Is Not Enough

"Your Love Alone Is Not Enough" is a single by Welsh rock group the Manic Street Preachers, taken from the album Send Away the Tigers. The song is a duet featuring the vocals of lead singer James Dean Bradfield and Nina Persson of The Cardigans, as well as additional vocals from bass guitarist...

" and "Nicky Wire

Nicky Wire

Nicholas Allen Jones, known as Nicky Wire, is the lyricist, bassist and occasional vocalist with the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers.-Early life:...

's favourite pop song of 2007", "Umbrella

Umbrella (song)

". A Welsh flag was draped across the stage throughout their set. "A Design for Life

A Design for Life

"A Design for Life" was released by Manic Street Preachers in 1996 and was the first single release from the Everything Must Go album of May that same year.The title was inspired by the Joy Division EP record "An Ideal for Living"...

" was introduced with the following statement from frontman James Dean Bradfield

James Dean Bradfield

James Dean Bradfield is the lead guitarist and vocalist for the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers.- Early life :...

"How many drinking songs do you think we have here? One, two, four or five? Well, give me a fiver and I'll buy you a drink. This is a Welsh international drinking song".

R.E.M.

played a crowd-pleasing marathon set of 21 songs on the Main Stage, including favourites "Orange Crush

Orange Crush (song)

"Orange Crush" is a song by the American alternative rock band R.E.M. It was released as the first single from the band's sixth studio album, Green, in 1988...

", "The One I Love", "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?

What's the Frequency, Kenneth?

"What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" is a song by the American alternative rock group R.E.M. from their 1994 album Monster. It was the first single taken from the album, released three weeks later. It peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at number 9 on the UK Singles Chart. Due to its...

", "Bad Day

Bad Day (R.E.M. song)

"Bad Day" is one of two previously unreleased songs on and the lead single from R.E.M.'s 2003 compilation In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988–2003....

", "Imitation of Life

Imitation of Life (song)

"Imitation of Life" is a song by R.E.M., the first single released from the band's 12th album, Reveal in 2001. The song peaked at #83 on the Billboard Hot 100 . It was the lowest chart of a lead single from an R.E.M. album in the United States since "Fall on Me" from Lifes Rich Pageant in 1986...

", Losing My Religion

Losing My Religion

"Losing My Religion" is a song by the American alternative rock band R.E.M. The song was released as the first single from the group's 1991 album Out of Time. Based around a mandolin riff, "Losing My Religion" was an unlikely hit for the group, garnering heavy airplay on radio as well as on MTV due...

", "Man-Sized Wreath

Man-Sized Wreath

"Man-Sized Wreath" is the second track and third single from R.E.M.'s fourteenth album Accelerate, released on August 11, 2008 in the UK. The single was announced after the band's Madison Square Garden show on June 19, 2008, where footage of the upcoming music video was shown. The single is...

", "Hollow Man

Hollow Man (song)

"Hollow Man" is the fourth track and second single from R.E.M.'s fourteenth album Accelerate. The music video was created by Crush Inc., a graphic-design and production studio based in Toronto, and posted on the band's website on April 23, 2008. The single was released in the UK on June 2, 2008...

" (before which the sharply suited Michael Stipe

Michael Stipe

John Michael Stipe is an American singer and lyricist. He was the lead vocalist of the alternative rock band R.E.M.Stipe is noted and occasionally parodied for the "mumbling" style of his early career as well as his social and political activism. He was in charge of R.E.M.'s visual image; often...

alluded to the song's first live performance at the Olympia Theatre, Dublin

Olympia Theatre, Dublin

The Olympia Theatre is a concert hall/theatre venue in Dublin, Ireland, located in Dame Street.-History:Built in 1879, it was originally called the "Star of Erin Music Hall". Two years later in 1881, it was renamed "Dan Lowrey's Music Hall" and was renamed again in 1889 to "Dan Lowrey's Palace of...

) and encore songs, "Supernatural Superserious

Supernatural Superserious

"Supernatural Superserious" is a song by American alternative rock band R.E.M.. It is the first single and third track from the band's fourteenth album Accelerate and was first released on February 11, 2008 as an MP3, and February 25, 2008 on CD...

", "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)

It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)

"It's the End of the World as We Know It " is a song by the rock band R.E.M., which appeared on their 1987 album Document, the 1988 compilation Eponymous, and the 2006 compilation And I Feel Fine... The Best of the I.R.S Years 1982–1987...

" and "Man on the Moon

Man on the Moon (song)

"Man on the Moon" is a song by the American alternative rock band R.E.M., released as the second single from its 1992 album Automatic for the People. The song makes numerous references to the performer Andy Kaufman, including his Elvis impersonation and work with wrestlers Fred Blassie and Jerry...

". Throughout their set a wall of Warholian

Andy Warhol

Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...

images were displayed in the background and on the big screens on either side of the stage.

Amy Winehouse

took to the Main Stage before 7 pm just two hours after flying in by private plane. She swigged from a glass of vodka and coke whilst she sang along to anthems including "Back to Black

Back to Black (song)

"Back to Black" is a song by English recording artist Amy Winehouse. It was released on April 30, 2007 as the third single from her second studio album, Back to Black. It was written by Winehouse and Mark Ronson...

" before finishing her set with "Rehab" and "Valerie

Valerie (The Zutons song)

". A backstage source revealed:

"Amy was looking very frail but she was determined to have a couple of drinks even if it was against doctors' orders. She came in and left straight after the gig and caused very little fuss."

Winehouse gave a taste of her new material, which carried obvious Caribbean influences, supported by her choice of a tropical-printed mini-dress. Despite fumbling over the words to "You Know I'm No Good

You Know I'm No Good

"You Know I'm No Good" a song by English recording artist Amy Winehouse, released as the second single from her second studio album, Back to Black. The track follows in the footsteps of Winehouse's previous singles of a mix of jazz and R&B with her soulful, raspy vocals and this time hip...

", a happy-looking Amy performed an upbeat set of crowd-pleasers, enhanced by her energetic backing singers. Speaking only to introduce the band and to dedicate a song to her husband Blake, Winehouse appeared well and in good spirits. She was paid nearly €100,000 for her 70-minute performance. Medical staff had been ordered to be on standby at the stage over fears that she could collapse after her recent 14-day stint in hospital.

Little Man Tate

Little Man Tate (band)

Little Man Tate were a four-piece indie rock band from Sheffield, England who formed in 2005. They broke up in 2009. The band quickly began attracting interest from several record labels and in March 2006 signed to V2 Records, later parting ways in November 2007...

were forced to cancel their appearances at T in the Park and Oxegen 2008 after a night out in Brighton

Brighton

Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...

on the previous Wednesday left singer Jon Windle with a broken jaw. The quartet were celebrating signing to local label Skint Records

Skint Records

Skint Records is a Brighton based dance music record label owned by JC Reid, Tim Jeffery and Damian Harris. It was created as a sublabel of Loaded Records, also founded by Reid and Jeffery...

when in an unprovoked attack Windle was set upon by a group of thugs. A spokesperson said:

"The guys were out on Wednesday night celebrating with their new label Skint, when Jon was attacked by a group of thugs outside a club who were obviously looking for trouble. They badly cut up one of his eyes and fractured his jaw, so it would be impossible for the band to play either festival. They are really gutted."

They were due to open the 02 Stage on the Saturday. Also cancelling on the Saturday was Ida Maria

Ida Maria

Ida Maria Børli Sivertsen is a Norwegian rock musician known primarily by the stage name Ida Maria. Her first album; Fortress Round My Heart was released in 2008...

who was due to make her Irish debut appearance on the New Bands Stage but was unable to perform due to an "acute lymph infection". She was replaced on the bill by Liam Finn

Liam Finn

Liam Mullane Finn is a New Zealand musician and songwriter. Born in Australia, he moved to New Zealand as a child...

, the eldest son of Crowded House

Crowded House

Crowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Australia and led by New Zealand singer-songwriter Neil Finn. Finn is the primary songwriter and creative director of the band, having led it through several incarnations, drawing members from New Zealand , Australia and the United States...

frontman Neil Finn

Neil Finn

Neil Mullane Finn, OBE is a New Zealand Pop recording artist. Along with his brother Tim Finn, he was the co-frontman for Split Enz and is now frontman for Crowded House...

, who performed a second set on the same stage.

In the Green Room, The Ting Tings

The Ting Tings

The Ting Tings are an English music duo comprising Jules de Martino and Katie White . They formed in December 2007 while based at Islington Mill Studios in Salford...

second ever Irish appearance was timed with a downturn in the weather, with heavy rain prompting a large crowd into the marquee to witness a set that opened with "Great DJ

Great DJ

"Great DJ" is the second single by English Indie pop band The Ting Tings. Vocalist Katie White states that the song was written by "playing a D chord on the guitar for hours, because that's all I could play. And then I put my finger on the wrong string, and got what I discovered was an augmented...

" and closed with "Shut Up and Let Me Go

Shut Up and Let Me Go

"Shut Up and Let Me Go" is the fourth single by English duo The Ting Tings from their debut studio album We Started Nothing. The song was released in the United Kingdom on 21 July 2008, and was the follow-up to the number one hit single "That's Not My Name"...

" and "That's Not My Name

That's Not My Name

"That’s Not My Name" is the third single by British duo The Ting Tings from their debut studio album We Started Nothing. Vocalist Katie White states that the song was written "with me ranting about my frustrations with the record industry." The song was originally released as a double A-side with...

". Gardaí closed off all entrances to stem the huge crowd, although the situation was not quite as serious as at MGMT

MGMT

in the Pet Sounds tent the following day.

Camille O'Sullivan

Camille O'Sullivan

Camille O'Sullivan is a Irish singer, actress, and entertainer. -Background:...

arrived on the Pet Sounds Stage in a kimono and a trilby and stripped down to a saucy dress and Wizard of Oz style sequined stilettos for "In These Shoes", which she performed in an array of pin-up poses. She miowed and purred her way through the set, crawling onto the speaker to fondle security. A burlesque show of epic proportions, Camille ended up stripping down to just a sexy corset and fishnets teamed with a pair of wellies in true festival fashion. Her band, complete with a mini brass section, were the perfect accompaniment to the sultry singer, following her lead throughout. In a final number she cocked her tail and flaunted her sexy curves, winking at lucky audience members and ignoring the "get them off you"s from one eager gentleman in the crowd. She gave a final thank you to her obliging band, before leaving a stunned and delighted crowd clutching a bottle of wine in one hand and her dress in the other.

Seasick Steve

Seasick Steve

Steven Gene Wold, commonly known as Seasick Steve, is an American blues musician. He plays guitars, and sings, usually about his early life doing casual work.-Childhood and early life:...

told the crowd at the Pet Sounds Stage:

"Man I like coming up here – y’all special. Ireland got me started when I thought I was all done. God damn you rock – y’all gold."

Following a session with his Three Stringed Tranz Wonder he moved onto his one-string Diddley bow

Diddley bow

The diddley bow is a string instrument of African origin made popular in America, probably developed from instruments found on the Ghana coast of west Africa. The diddley bow is rarely heard outside the rural south...

. During "Thunderbird" he selected a rain-soaked poncho-clad female member of the audience, brought her up on stage, put her on a chair and dedicated the song to her and all the women in the audience. He then embraced her at the end.

Sunday

Rage Against the Machine

were the Sunday night headliners on the Main Stage. The band, who arrived onstage 15 minutes late, sparked mass mosh pits in the crowd as they blasted through their back catalogue. Frontman Zack de la Rocha

Zack de la Rocha

Zacarías Manuel "Zack" de la Rocha is an American rapper, musician, poet, and activist best known as the vocalist and lyricist of Rage Against the Machine.-Early life and childhood:...

greeted the crowd with: "Good evening. We are Rage Against The Machine from Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...

." Despite the sound cutting out briefly on a number of occasions, the band drew huge cheers for the likes of "Bombtrack" and "Bullet in the Head

Bullet in the Head (song)

"Bullet in the Head" was a single released by political rap metal band Rage Against the Machine from their debut album in 1992. A fan favourite and one of the album's heaviest tracks, "Bullet in the Head" refers to the band's belief that the government uses media to control the population, drawing...

" as De La Rocha strutted across the stage and guitarist Tom Morello

Tom Morello

Thomas Baptiste "Tom" Morello is a Grammy Award-winning American guitarist best known for his tenure with the bands Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, his acoustic solo act The Nightwatchman, and his newest group, Street Sweeper Social Club...

riffed through a number of tracks. Unlike their T In The Park performance the previous night, the band said very little throughout their performance. Rage wrapped up their show with a two song encore that ended at approximately midnight with "Freedom

Freedom (Rage Against the Machine song)

"Freedom" was a single released by Rage Against the Machine from their self-titled album in 1994.The song is played in Drop D tuning on the guitars and has a distinctive riff in the intro and chorus...

" leading into their biggest hit "Killing in the Name

Killing in the Name

"Killing in the Name" is a song by American rap metal band Rage Against the Machine, featured on their self-titled debut album, and was released as the lead single from the album in November 1992...

Earlier Kaiser Chiefs

Kaiser Chiefs

Kaiser Chiefs are an English indie rock band from Leeds who formed in 1996. They were named after the South African football club Kaizer Chiefs....

took to the Main Stage with frontman Ricky Wilson

Ricky Wilson (British musician)

Ricky Wilson is the lead singer of English band Kaiser Chiefs. Wilson has also been on the panel of the BBC Television comedy series Shooting Stars in 2009, Never Mind the Buzzcocks in 2005, and was a guest host on the show in 2006.-Character and Style:Wilson is well known for wearing stripy...

diving head-first into the crowd before his band had played a single note. He reminded the crowd that Rage Against the Machine would follow them, saying that they would play "Killing in the Name" last. Wilson then delivered a raucous performance by climbing the stage rigging, repeatedly diving into the crowd during the first songs before later running around the security area behind the mosh pit and leaning into the crowd. Kaiser Chiefs opened their set with "Everything Is Average Nowadays

Everything Is Average Nowadays

"Everything Is Average Nowadays" is a song by English rock band Kaiser Chiefs and is the ninth track on their second album, Yours Truly, Angry Mob. The song was released as the second single from that album in the United Kingdom on 21 May 2007...

", "Everyday I Love You Less and Less

Everyday I Love You Less and Less

"Everyday I Love You Less and Less" is the opening track on Leeds' indie band Kaiser Chiefs' first album, Employment. It was released on the B-Unique label as their third single on 16 May 2005, peaking at #10, their second Top Ten single of the year...

" and "Heat Dies Down

Heat Dies Down

"Heat Dies Down" is a song off English indie rock group, Kaiser Chiefs' second album, Yours Truly, Angry Mob, and is the third track on that album. Although the song was never released as an actual single, music channels started airing a music video for it in January, 2008. Radio stations such as...

", ending with "Oh My God

Oh My God (Kaiser Chiefs song)

"Oh My God" is a song by Kaiser Chiefs, initially released as their debut single by the Drowned In Sound label on May 17, 2004. It only hit #66 in the UK charts. "Oh My God" was re-released on February 21, 2005, just two weeks before the release of their debut album Employment...

". Three new songs – "Never Miss A Beat", "You Want History" and "Half The Truth" were also performed live. The Blizzards

The Blizzards

The Blizzards are an Irish band from Mullingar in County Westmeath. They were formed by Niall Breslin in late 2004, and also feature Dec Murphy , Justin Ryan, Anthony Doran and Aidan Lynch...

frontman Niall Breslin

Niall Breslin

also referenced Rage by announcing to the Main Stage crowd that they would be "reliving our youth tonight" when they would be in the mosh pit with the crowd for the band's performance. They thanked fans for the Meteor Award

Meteor Music Awards

The Meteor Ireland Music Awards are a group of music awards in Ireland...

they won for their previous year's performance at Punchestown and performed a cover of the Sam Sparro

Sam Sparro

Sam Sparro is an Australian singer-songwriter, music producer, and former child actor. His stage name was derived from a family nickname, which in turn was inspired by the Dagenham radio mascot Sammy Sparrow...

song "Black and Gold

Black and Gold (song)

". Later The Kooks

The Kooks

frontman Luke Pritchard was embarrassed after having his trousers pulled down as he disappeared into the crowd during the band's final song. The crowd laughed as his rear end was displayed on the large screens by the Main Stage and Pritchard exited the stage with an expression of irritation on his face.

The Feeling

were second on the Main Stage and played up their roots with frontman Dan Gillespie Sells

Dan Gillespie Sells

Daniel Giles Gillespie Sells is a British singer-songwriter and guitarist, best known as being the lead vocalist and frontman for the pop band, The Feeling.-Biography:...

referring to his Irish mother who could not be there to witness his performance unlike in 2006, telling the crowd he used to go to Féile

Féile Festival

Féile was a music festival held in the Republic of Ireland between 1990 and 1997. Most years it was in Semple Stadium in Thurles, North Tipperary, hence the nicknamed of "TheTrip to Tipp". In 1995, it was held in Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork city; Féile 96 was indoors at the Point Depot in Dublin. ...

as a boy and at one point saying the Irish drinking phrase "Sláinte" to the bemused crowd who witnessed covers of "Video Killed the Radio Star

Video Killed the Radio Star

" and "Take on Me

Take on Me

"Take on Me" is a song by the Norwegian pop band A-ha. Written by the band members, the song was produced by Alan Tarney for the group's first studio album Hunting High and Low, released in 1985...

". The band opened with "I Thought It Was Over

I Thought It Was Over

"I Thought It Was Over" is a soft rock song performed by British band The Feeling for their second studio album, Join with Us. The song was released as the album's lead single on 13 February 2008 and peaked at number 9 in the UK Singles Chart...

" and "Fill My Little World

Fill My Little World

"Fill My Little World" is a song by British indie pop group The Feeling, originally released in the UK on 7 November 2005 as their début limited edition 7" vinyl, but was unable to chart due to chart rules. It was re-released in the UK on 22 May 2006 following the success of the single "Sewn" and...

" and ended with "Love It When You Call

Love It When You Call

"Love It When You Call" was the fourth single from The Feeling taken from their debut album Twelve Stops and Home. It was released on November 20, 2006. The song peaked at #18 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming their fourth Top 20 single....

" in a set that included "Never Be Lonely

Never Be Lonely

"Never Be Lonely" is a song by The Feeling. It is the third single from their debut album Twelve Stops and Home, and was released on 28 August 2006. It entered the UK Singles Chart at #24 on 27 August 2006 based on download sales alone. The following week it climbed to #12 as a physical single was...

", "Turn It Up

Turn It Up (The Feeling song)

"Turn It Up" is the third single to be taken from soft rock quintet The Feeling's chart-topping second album, Join with Us. It was confirmed on 16 May 2008 on the band's official website that it will be released digitally on June 30, with the CD out on July 7. The single's format details were...

", "Join with Us

Join with Us

Join with Us is the second full-length studio album from guitar-based pop band The Feeling. It was released on 18 February 2008, preceded by the first single from the album, "I Thought It Was Over"....

" and "Sewn

Sewn (song)

"Sewn" is the first proper single by British rock group The Feeling, following the 7" only single "Fill My Little World" . It was released in the UK on 27 February 2006 and entered the UK Singles Chart at #7 on 5 March 2006...

". Eddy Grant

Eddy Grant

opened the Main Stage with his song "Killer on the Rampage

Killer on the Rampage

Killer on the Rampage is an album by Eddy Grant. It remains his most successful album, hitting the top 10 in the US and the UK. It features the hits "Electric Avenue" , "I Don't Wanna Dance" and "War Party"...

" and caused consternation amongst crowd members by repeatedly saying he was in Dublin until one crowd member yelled, "You're not in Dublin" to laughter from the stewards and surrounding festival-goers.

On the O2 Stage, The Pigeon Detectives

The Pigeon Detectives

frontman Matt Bowman engaged in some raucous antics with the crowd, pouring bottles of water over himself throughout the band's energetic performance and throwing them into the crowd still half full. At one point he climbed onto a pile of five amps before diving back down onto the stage and apologised for the band having to cancel a performance at Bud Rising in April due to a broken wrist sustained performing a similar stunt. The band opened with "This Is An Emergency

This Is An Emergency

"This Is an Emergency" is the first single from The Pigeon Detectives second album Emergency. It was first played on 24 March 2008 on BBC Radio 1 and was released on 12 May 2008...

" and finished their high octane set with "Take Her Back

Take Her Back

"Take Her Back" is the fifth single released by British indie band The Pigeon Detectives from their début album Wait For Me. It was released on 13 August 2007...

" and "I'm Not Sorry

I'm Not Sorry

"I'm Not Sorry" is the third single from The Pigeon Detectives and is featured on their debut album Wait For Me. It reached #12 in the UK Top 40. , it is The Pigeon Detectives' highest charting UK hit...

".

Republic of Loose

Republic of Loose

brought Styles P

Styles P

David Styles better known by his stage name, Styles P, is an American rapper, author, and entrepreneur. He is prominently known as a member of Hip Hop group The LOX and is also a part of the Ruff Ryders hip-hop group, and in addition has released multiple albums and mixtapes as a solo...

to Oxegen to assist in their set on the O2 Stage whilst Isobel Reyes-Feeney was also present to provide vocals for "The Steady Song

The Steady Song

"The Steady Song" is a 2008 single by the Irish musical ensemble Republic of Loose featuring Isabel Reyes-Feeney. It features on the album Vol IV: Johnny Pyro and the Dance of Evil. When released as a single on 20 June...

" and "Break". Frontman Mick Pyro

Mick Pyro

Michael Tierney is an Irish musician. He is best known as the frontman of the Dublin funk rock band Republic of Loose. He has also partaken in other independent work with fellow Irish and international musicians and performed a duet with Sinéad O'Connor at the 2008 Meteor Awards when she revealed...

informed the crowd about having the flu and asked the audience to sing along to "Comeback Girl". The Chemical Brothers

The Chemical Brothers

headlined the O2 Stage beginning with "Galvanize

Galvanize (song)

"Galvanize" is a song by British electronic duo The Chemical Brothers and the first single released from their 2005 album Push the Button. It was released a week before the album's release and peaked at No. 3 in the UK charts . It won the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording in February 2006...

". Before the band took to the O2 Stage there was an onstage marriage proposal, with Belfast

Belfast

girl Michaela Murphy (23) popping the question to her boyfriend Paddy McBride (27) after arriving on stage on a motorbike. Paddy said "Yes". The engagement saw Michaela present Paddy with a bass guitar and a plectrum instead of a wedding ring. It was arranged by Franc of Weddings by Franc from BBC Television

BBC Television

BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...

who will include Michaela and Paul in his new BBC series.

Kate Nash

closed her mermaid-themed set with "Foundations

Foundations (song)

-Chart performance:...

" and squeaked as she was bombarded with fruit when she sang the line: "You said I must eat so many lemons...". The Subways

The Subways

made their Oxegen debut by opening the O2 Stage on the Sunday afternoon and delivered a powerful set which ended with a bare-chested Billy Lunn screeching the lyrics to "Rock & Roll Queen".

Meanwhile, at the Pet Sounds Stage thousands packed into the marquee to witness MGMT

MGMT

's set, with many more queueing outside. Extra stewards had to be called in to deal with the sudden crowd surge and many trying to escape the heat inside the tent found themselves trapped by the crowds and security cordons. MGMT finished with the track "Kids

Kids (MGMT song)

"Kids" is the third single from MGMT's album Oracular Spectacular. It was released as a single on October 13, 2008.The song was the center of a legal dispute with the President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, over the "insulting" compensation he offered for his illegal use of the song during a party...

" after a twenty minute delay midset following one errant female punter's decision to scale all 20–25 feet of one of the tent's lattice support towers after "4th Dimensional Transition". This triggered a spate of copycat climbing, with the band continuing performing "Pieces of What" until security had to shut-down the show. In the midst of the commotion, frontman Andrew VanWyngarden

Andrew VanWyngarden

Andrew VanWyngarden is the lead vocalist, guitar player and songwriter for the band MGMT, praised for "an uncanny knack for producing pop music that sounds as if it were filtered through a kaleidoscope"...

was heard to say: "I guess they're gonna stop the show unless you guys get down, I'm sorry" to widespread booing from audience members.

Ian Brown

brought the Green Room to a close with "F.E.A.R.". Taking to the stage with a lone trumpeter playing The Godfather

The Godfather

The Godfather is a 1972 American epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the 1969 novel by Mario Puzo. With a screenplay by Puzo, Coppola and an uncredited Robert Towne, the film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard...

theme, Brown treated the crowd to a version of The Stone Roses

The Stone Roses

song "Waterfall

Waterfall (The Stone Roses song)

"Waterfall" is the 9th single from The Stone Roses. It was the fourth single taken from their debut album The Stone Roses. It was released on 30 December 1991 and reached #27 in the UK.-Track listing:7": [Silvertone ORE 35]...

". He asked the crowd: "You been drinking a lot?" to loud cheers before he tested his microphone with a verse of Rihanna's "Umbrella

Umbrella (song)

" a cappella.

Tom Baxter

Tom Baxter

Tom Baxter is an English singer-songwriter based in London. He was born in Ipswich, Suffolk, and grew up in Cornwall with his sister Vashti Anna, two brothers, Jo Spencer and Charlie Winston, and parents Jeff and Julie Gleave...

spent the weekend trying to avoid his idol Shane MacGowan

Shane MacGowan

Shane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan is an Irish musician and singer, best known as the original singer and songwriter of The Pogues.-History:...

, this despite the British folk

Folk music

Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....

singer performing in the Green Room just before MacGowan's band The Pogues

The Pogues

, performing at their first Irish festival since Féile

Féile Festival

in 1991. Bypassing the opportunity of meeting MacGowan up close and personal, the singer of chart hit "Better

Better (Tom Baxter song)

"Better" is a song from the album Skybound released by Tom Baxter in January 2008. It was subsequently used on the soundtrack for the motion picture Run Fatboy Run. The song is also the second single released by Irish Boyband Boyzone from their greatest hits compilation, Back Again... No Matter...

" opted to mingle among the crowds. Baxter told the Herald

Evening Herald

The Evening Herald is a mid-market tabloid evening newspaper published in Dublin, Ireland by Independent News & Media. It is published Monday-Saturday, and has three editions — City Edition, City Final Edition and National Edition...

"I haven't met them (The Pogues) before but I don't like to meet people like that. I don't know whether meeting your idols actually enlightens you that much. I just bought their album Rum Sodomy & the Lash because I'd lost it years ago. I've been listening to that so I've really wanted to go see them live. I never think it's worth meeting these people. I've met a few of my idols and I never know what to say to them."

VIP guests

€150,000 worth of drinks were available for consumption in the pampering zone of the VIP area.

Singer Lily Allen

Lily Allen

Lily Rose Beatrice Cooper , better known as Lily Allen, is an English recording artist and fashion designer. She is the daughter of actor and musician Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. In her teenage years, her musical tastes evolved from glam rock to alternative...

was spotted walking hand-in-hand with her Chemical Brothers

The Chemical Brothers

boyfriend Ed Simons. The pair smooched as they sat in the private VIP bar and strolled through the crowd to watch some of the bands. Lily told the Irish Daily Mirror: "It's party time and I'm definitely going to be having a few drinks. Festivals are always crazy but the ones in Ireland take madness to a new level. We're having a ball."

Divine Comedy

The Divine Comedy (band)

The Divine Comedy are a chamber pop band from Ireland, fronted by Neil Hannon. Formed in 1989, Hannon has been the only constant member of the group, playing, in some instances, all of the non-orchestral instrumentation bar drums. To date, ten studio albums have been released under the Divine...

singer Neil Hannon

Neil Hannon

Neil Hannon is a Northern Irish singer and songwriter, best known as the creator and frontman of the chamber pop group The Divine Comedy. The band's official website even goes so far as to say, "The Divine Comedy is Neil Hannon," and Hannon is quoted in an interview as saying, "The Divine Comedy...

set tongues wagging that he had rekindled his broken marriage with Orla Little after they spent a day together. An onlooker said: "They seemed very happy and it looked like they werea very normal, very together married couple. Neither of them seemed worried that they would be spotted together and Neil kept giving her little kisses on the cheek." Hannon was spotted in the crowd on the Friday night watching Ben Folds

Ben Folds

on the O2 Stage before sneaking backstage to enjoy the set from a better angle. Politicians were not exempt from enjoying the festival either, with Communications Minister Eamon Ryan

Eamon Ryan

Eamon Ryan is an Irish politician and leader of the Irish Green Party. He was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South constituency from 2002 to 2011, and served as Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources from 2007 to 2011....

spotted on Friday also watching Ben Folds.

Also on the Friday night, supermodel Helena Christensen

Helena Christensen

Helena Christensen is a Danish fashion model, Victoria's Secret Angel, beauty queen, and photographer. She has also served as creative director for Nylon magazine, designed clothing, and supported funding for breast cancer organizations and other charities.-Early life:Christensen was born in...

and Kings of Leon

Kings of Leon

musician Jared Followill were spotted at the side of the Main Stage watching Interpol

Interpol (band)

's performance at the first ever Friday night of Oxegen. Helena's boyfriend is Interpol's lead singer Paul Banks

Paul Banks

Paul Julian Banks is an English American musician, best known as the lead singer, lyricist and guitarist of the rock band Interpol. He is also a solo artist under the name Julian Plenti. As a singer, Banks' voice lies in the baritone range.-Early life:Banks was born in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, England...

. She is also quickly becoming an Oxegen regular, having the previous year been spotted at Punchestown in the company of Michael Stipe

Michael Stipe

and Josh Hartnett

Josh Hartnett

Joshua Daniel "Josh" Hartnett is an American actor and aspiring producer. He first came to audiences' attention in 1997 as "Michael Fitzgerald" in the television series Cracker. He made his feature film debut in 1998, co-starring with Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween H20: 20 Years Later for Miramax...

.

Rolling Stone

The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...

Ronnie Wood, on one of his infamous benders, was believed to be at the festival with a 19-year-old Russian waitress he met in a London lap-dancing bar.

Chris Pontius

Chris Pontius

Christopher Andrew "Chris" Pontius is an American entertainer and daredevil. Pontius is a member of Jackass, and along with Steve-O, was the co-host of Wildboyz.-Life and career:...

a.k.a. Party Boy from Jackass

Jackass (TV series)

jackass is an American reality series, originally shown on MTV from 2000 to 2002, featuring people performing various dangerous, crude, ridiculous, self-injuring stunts and pranks...

was seen hanging out in the VIP bar where he described Oxegen as "awesome" and said he was most looking forward to seeing Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse

. Also spotted at the Main Stage for Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse

's performance was Newton Faulkner

Newton Faulkner

.

Elsewhere the lead singer of Reverend and The Makers

Reverend and The Makers

Reverend and The Makers are an indie pop band based in Sheffield, England and signed to Wall of Sound. The band is fronted by Jon McClure, nicknamed "The Reverend"...

, Jon McClure

Jon McClure

Jon McClure, known as the Reverend, is lead singer and frontman of Reverend and The Makers and ex-vocalist of 1984 and Judan Suki. He claims that the name "Reverend" became his moniker because "I'm a big mouth and always running on at people"....

, joined his fans in the Green Room for a photo. Lord Henry Mountcharles and his wife Iona were spotted enjoying the sunshine on the Saturday. Miss World

Miss World

The Miss World pageant is the oldest surviving major international beauty pageant. It was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951...

2003

Miss World 2003

Miss World 2003, the 53rd Miss World pageant was held at Crown of Beauty Theatre, Sanya, People's Republic of China on 6 December 2003. The pageant was presented by Phil Keoghan, Amanda Byram and Angela Chow. The contestants also visited Beijing, the national capital of People's Republic of China,...

Rosanna Davison

Rosanna Diane Davison was the winner of the Miss World 2003 title. She is the daughter of musician Chris de Burgh. The song "For Rosanna" was written by her father in her honour for his 1986 album, Into The Light.-Education:Her primary education was at Aravon School, in Co...

and boyfriend Wesley Quirke were spotted at the Pet Sounds Stage enjoying Camille O'Sullivan

Camille O'Sullivan

Camille O'Sullivan is a Irish singer, actress, and entertainer. -Background:...

's set.

RTÉ

Raidió Teilifís Éireann

Raidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...

personalities such as Pat Kenny

Pat Kenny

Patrick "Pat" Kenny is an Irish broadcaster and former disc jockey and continuity announcer. He is employed by Raidió Teilifís Éireann and is their highest paid presenter. He presents Today with Pat Kenny on RTÉ Radio 1 each weekday morning between 10:00 and midday...

, Rick O'Shea

Rick O'Shea

Rick O'Shea is an Irish radio personality. He was born in Drimnagh, Dublin 12 and attended and later University College Dublin . He is a DJ on RTÉ 2fm.-Radio:...

and Jenny Huston

Jenny Huston

Jenny Huston is a Canadian presenter of radio and television in Ireland. She is disc jockey on RTÉ 2fm, an occasional presenter on RTÉ Radio 1 and a television presenter with channels operated by Raidió Teilifís Éireann.; Huston presents an indie rock and pop music show on Friday nights and a rock...

were also spotted in the VIP area. David Gilmore and Dermot Gibson were sighted a number of times walking through the Blue campsite.

Safe sex

The Crisis Pregnancy Agency was at Punchestown to distribute safe sex

Safe sex

Safe sex is sexual activity engaged in by people who have taken precautions to protect themselves against sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS. It is also referred to as safer sex or protected sex, while unsafe or unprotected sex is sexual activity engaged in without precautions...

packs. The group's Caroline Spillane said they were handing out safe sex tins providing information and a condom

Condom

A condom is a barrier device most commonly used during sexual intercourse to reduce the probability of pregnancy and spreading sexually transmitted diseases . It is put on a man's erect penis and physically blocks ejaculated semen from entering the body of a sexual partner...

, "So people will have information about practising safe sex, but also they will have a condom if they choose to have sex

Sexual intercourse

Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...

Crime

Over two hundred gardaí were on duty every day at the 2008 festival, according to the garda press office.

Gardaí staged a huge undercover drugs swoop at Oxegen '08, arresting hundreds of revellers and fifty suspected drug dealers. The operation by plain clothes officers had been planned for months before the festival. Sources said the swoop targeted a team of dealers who were planning to make a huge payday. The suspects were taken to Naas Garda Station for questioning whilst fans caught in possession were cautioned. One Oxegen source revealed:
"There were hundreds of arrests and some extremely high-level drug dealers were hauled in too. It was the biggest operation of its kind ever staged at the festival and sends out a big warning to people who think they are above the law."
A Garda source added:
"The operation was a huge success."

On Friday 11 July, a young male working at Oxegen 2008 was arrested as part of a garda investigation into an alleged sexual assault. The juvenile was questioned at Naas Garda Station in Kildare for a number of hours before being released without charge later that evening. The two people alleged to have been involved in the assault were workers at the festival with the incident reported to have taken place in the staff camping area on the Thursday night. The woman was treated at the Rotunda Hospital
Rotunda Hospital
The Rotunda Hospital is one of the three main maternity hospitals in the city of Dublin, the others being the The Coombe and The National Maternity Hospital...

in Dublin. A garda spokesman said:
"There was an alleged sexual assault at the festival. The complainant was a female in her early 20s."

Another sexual assault claim was being investigated on the Friday night. The incident allegedly took place in one of the campsites. The Union of Students in Ireland

Union of Students in Ireland

The Union of Students in Ireland is the national representative body for third-level students' unions in Ireland. The Union of Students in Ireland is the sole national representative body for students in Ireland but does not represent students from two of the seven Irish Universities, namely...

warned festival-goers to exercise caution after a quantity of date rape drugs was stolen from a pharmacy in Dublin. Amongst the items taken were Valium

Diazepam

Diazepam , first marketed as Valium by Hoffmann-La Roche is a benzodiazepine drug. Diazepam is also marketed in Australia as Antenex. It is commonly used for treating anxiety, insomnia, seizures including status epilepticus, muscle spasms , restless legs syndrome, alcohol withdrawal,...

and Rohypnol

Flunitrazepam

Flunitrazepam is marketed as a potent hypnotic, sedative, anticonvulsant, anxiolytic, amnestic, and skeletal muscle relaxant drug most commonly known as Rohypnol...

(Pron. ROH-HIP-NOL), and the USI said that while there was no reason for alarm, campers should be extra vigilant.

In another incident a woman suffered first degree burns on the Friday night of the festival, after a male "friend of a friend" accidentally burned the festival-goer with a makeshift blow torch. Her hand was reportedly severely burned and some of her hair was singed. A garda spokesperson said:
"While we have not made any arrests at this stage, Gardaí at the site are following a number of definite leads."
The festival-goer was taken to Naas General Hospital
Naas General Hospital
Naas General Hospital is located in Craddockstown, Naas in County Kildare, Ireland. It provides acute hospital services for the population of County Kildare and western County Wicklow....

where she was treated before being released.

Reaction

The Belfast Telegraph

The Belfast Telegraph is a daily evening newspaper published in Belfast, Northern Ireland by Independent News & Media.It was first published as the Belfast Evening Telegraph on 1 September 1870 by brothers William and George Baird...

described Oxegen 2008 as "a huge success, with no repeat of the mud-bath that marked last year's event". The Japanese Popstars

The Japanese Popstars

remixed The Ting Tings

The Ting Tings

The Ting Tings are an English music duo comprising Jules de Martino and Katie White . They formed in December 2007 while based at Islington Mill Studios in Salford...

's music following a backstage meeting at the event.

Publications

Hot Press published a special issue reviewing Oxegen which was made available from Thursday 17 July.

Returning bands

Within a week of playing sets at Oxegen 2008, a number of international bands announced they would be returning to play other Irish shows before the end of the year.

On 14 July, MGMT

MGMT

announced a 3 November date at the Ambassador Theatre

Ambassador Theatre (Dublin)

The Ambassador Cinema was Dublin's longest-running cinema and was operational on and off until 1999. It is now a music venue.The building was constructed as part of the Rotunda Hospital in 1764 as an assembly hall and social rooms on what is now called Parnell Street.From 1897 onwards, the venue...

which had sold out by 18 July. Also on 14 July, Black Kids

Black Kids

announced two Irish dates in October – 20 October in Mandela Hall and 21 October in The Academy

The Academy (music venue)

The Academy is a music venue located in Dublin, Ireland. It consists of four floors, each for differing music tastes.The Academy was the venue where The Killers performed an intimate show in August 2008, one night before a performance in Marlay Park. Others to have played the venue in 2008 include...

. On 16 July, Scouting for Girls

Scouting for Girls

announced a 14 December date in the Ambassador Theatre. On 17 July, Flogging Molly

Flogging Molly

Flogging Molly is a seven-piece Irish-descendant band from Los Angeles, California, that is currently signed to their own record label, Borstal Beat Records.-Early years:...

announced a 7 November date at the Ambassador as part of the Eastpak Antidote Tour 2008.

Thanks

On Friday 18 July, the official Oxegen website issued "A BIG THANK YOU!", thanking fans for making 2008 the greenest Oxegen yet, with 70% using public transport and the amount of waste being dramatically reduced by the Oxegen Eco Cup

ECO Cup

The ECO Cup is a football competition for members of Economic Cooperation Organisation. Previously it was known as RCD Cup, RCD abbreviates Regional Corporation for Development and was an economic cooperation between Iran, Pakistan and Turkey from 1964 to 1979. A new organisation, ECO, was set up...

Awards

In late 2008, Oxegen '08 won the Best European Festival at the UK Festival Awards which was voted for by members of the public from across Europe and the "Yourope Award for Best European Festival", the first Irish festival to receive this award and one of only 18 worldwide.

Republic of Loose

Republic of Loose

's set was named third best gig of 2008 by RTÉ. Other honourable mentions went to Scouting for Girls

Scouting for Girls

, Róisín Murphy

Róisín Murphy

and R.E.M.

R.E.M.

.

And, for the second consecutive year, The Blizzards

The Blizzards

The Blizzards are an Irish band from Mullingar in County Westmeath. They were formed by Niall Breslin in late 2004, and also feature Dec Murphy , Justin Ryan, Anthony Doran and Aidan Lynch...

's Sunday Main Stage performance was nominated for Best Irish Live Performance at the 2009 Meteor Awards. They won this award for the second consecutive year at the ceremony on 17 March 2009.

Broadcasting rights

MTV UK & Ireland was the official live broadcast partner for Oxegen '08. MTV's coverage of Oxegen '08 premiered with the OXEGEN Festival Weekend on 2 August – 3 with over fifty hours of programming across MTV's portfolio of channels, including MTV Two, VH1

VH1 UK

VH1 is a specialist music television channel from MTV Networks Europe. The channel broadcasts into the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. The channel is based on the original VH1 American channel of the same name...

, MTV Hits, MTV One and TMF

TMF UK

TMF was a music video and entertainment channel in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The channel was owned by MTV Networks Europe and was originally a Dutch channel...

as well as support from http://www.mtv.co.uk .

2fm

RTÉ 2fm

RTÉ 2fm, or 2FM as it is more commonly referred to, is Raidió Teilifís Éireann's second national radio station. It broadcasts popular music programming aimed at a young Irish audience.- History :...

and 2XM

RTÉ 2XM

RTÉ 2XM is a digital radio station of the Irish public-service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann.-History:Initially the broadcaster placed the station on the digital terrestrial television trial service in late October 2007. Along with 5 other new digital stations, RTÉ Choice was launched on 1...

broadcast over fifty hours of music during the three days of the festival. Jenny Huston

Jenny Huston

, Jenny Greene, Cormac Battle

Cormac Battle

Cormac Battle is an Irish musician and radio presenter/producer. He is the vocalist and lead guitarist with the bands, Kerbdog and Wilt as well as the current presenter of RTÉ 2fm's alternative music programme, The Battle Axe . The show airs each Sunday night from 19:00 - 22:00...

, Dan Hegarty

Dan Hegarty

Daniel 'Dan' Hegarty is an Irish radio presenter employed by RTÉ. He presents his Alternative to Sleep show on RTÉ 2fm Monday to Thursday from 11.00 - 1.00. He is regularly dispatched to important musical events such as Electric Picnic and Oxegen for live broadcasting purposes, as well as being...

, Dave Fanning

Dave Fanning

Dave Fanning is an Irish rock journalist, DJ, retired film critic and veteran broadcaster. He currently hosts The 11th Hour on RTÉ Two and two radio shows: Drivetime with Dave on RTÉ Radio 1 and The Dave Fanning Show on RTÉ 2fm. He also fills in for other presenters on RTÉ Radio, including acting...

and Mr Spring presented radio coverage of the event. RTÉ 2XM WebTV also made a debut at Oxegen.

Other broadcasters present at Punchestown included Spin 1038

Spin 1038

Spin 1038 is an Independent Local Radio station in Dublin, Ireland. It is owned by Denis O'Brien's Communicorp group and broadcasts under a sound broadcasting contract with the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland. Despite their name, they do not broadcast on the medium wave band , but on 103.8 FM...

, FM104

FM104

FM104 is an Independent Local Radio station broadcast across Dublin, Ireland, on the frequency 104.4 MHz. It is operated by Capital Radio Productions Limited , and is a subsidiary of UTV Radio. The station broadcasts under a sound broadcasting contract from the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland...

and Phantom FM

Phantom FM

Phantom 105.2 is a Dublin based radio station, founded in 1996 as a pirate radio station. Phantom broadcasts under a contract awarded by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland ....

Stages

Oxegen 2008 had at least eight stages. These included the Main Stage, the 02 Stage, the Pet Sounds Arena, the Green Room, the Dance Arena, the New Bands/Futures Stage, the Bacardi B-Live Arena and one new addition, the IMRO New Sounds Stage.

The Main Stage was headlined by Kings of Leon
Kings of Leon
Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion, Oklahoma but formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 1999. The band is composed of brothers Anthony Caleb Followill , Ivan Nathan Followill and Michael Jared Followill Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion,...

, The Verve
The Verve
The Verve were an English rock band formed in 1989 in Wigan by lead vocalist Richard Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bassist Simon Jones, and drummer Peter Salisbury. Guitarist and keyboardist Simon Tong later became a member. Beginning with a psychedelic sound indebted to shoegazing and space...

/R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...

and Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...

.
The O2 Stage was headlined by Groove Armada
Groove Armada
Groove Armada is an English electronic music duo from London, England comprising Andy Cato and Tom Findlay. They are perhaps best known for their singles "I See You Baby" and "Superstylin'"...

, The Prodigy
The Prodigy
The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s...

and The Chemical Brothers
The Chemical Brothers
The Chemical Brothers are a British electronic music duo comprising Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons. Originating in Manchester in 1991, along with The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, The Crystal Method, and fellow acts, they were pioneers at bringing the big beat genre to the forefront of pop culture.- Background...

.
The Pet Sounds Arena was headlined by Cat Power
Cat Power
Charlyn Marie Marshall , also known as Chan Marshall or by her stage name Cat Power, is an American singer/songwriter and occasional actress and model. Cat Power was originally the name of Marshall's first band, but has come to refer to her musical projects with various backing bands...

, The National
The National (band)
The National is an indie rock band formed in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1999 and currently based in Brooklyn, New York. The band's lyrics are written and sung by Matt Berninger, a baritone...

and The Swell Season
The Swell Season
The Swell Season is a folk rock duo formed by Irish musician Glen Hansard and Czech singer and pianist Markéta Irglová. "The Swell Season" name is derived from Hansard's favourite novel by Josef Škvorecký from 1975 bearing the same title...

– featuring Glen Hansard
Glen Hansard
Glen Hansard is the Academy Award–winning principal songwriter and vocalist/guitarist for Irish group The Frames and one half of folk rock duo, The Swell Season...

and Markéta Irglová
Markéta Irglová
Markéta Irglová is a Czech songwriter, musician, actress, and singer. As of 2010, she resides in New York City.-Early life:...

.
The Green Room was headlined by Bell X1, Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...

and Ian Brown
Ian Brown
Ian George Brown is an English musician, best known as the lead singer of the alternative rock band The Stone Roses, which broke up in 1996 but are confirmed to reunite in 2012. Since the break-up of the Stone Roses he has pursued a solo career...

.
The Dance Arena was headlined by Calvin Harris
Calvin Harris
Calvin Harris is a Scottish singer-songwriter, record producer and DJ. His gold-selling debut album, I Created Disco, was released in 2007 and contained the top ten singles "Acceptable in the 80s" and "The Girls"...

, Justice
Justice (French band)
Justice is a French electronic music duo consisting of Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay . The duo is one of the most successful groups on Ed Banger Records and is managed by the label's head, Pedro Winter...

and David Guetta
David Guetta
Pierre David Guetta , known professionally as David Guetta , is a French house music producer and DJ. Originally a DJ at nightclubs during the 1980s and 1990s, he co-founded Gum Productions and released his first album, Just a Little More Love, in 2002. Later, he released Guetta Blaster and Pop Life...

.
The New Bands/Futures Stage was headlined by White Denim, Elliot Minor
Elliot Minor
Elliot Minor are a classically influenced rock band from York, England. The group consists of Alex Davies , Ed Minton , Dan Hetherton and Ed Hetherton .-History and formation: 2000-2006 :...

and Los Campesinos!
Los Campesinos!
Los Campesinos! are a seven piece indie pop band from Cardiff, Wales, formed in early 2006 at Cardiff University. Although the band formed in Wales, none of its members are Welsh. They released their debut album, Hold on Now, Youngster..., in February 2008 and followed this up by releasing a record...

.
The IMRO
Irish Music Rights Organisation
Irish Music Rights Organisation is the collecting society for songwriters, composers and music publishers of Ireland. Its role is to act as an agent for its members in order to collect license fees whenever their musical works are performed in public, broadcast or transmitted, and to pay out...

New Sounds Stage was headlined by Blood Red Shoes
Blood Red Shoes
Blood Red Shoes are an indie rock duo from Brighton, England. They have released two full-length albums, Box of Secrets and Fire Like This, plus a slew of early singles on limited 7" vinyl pressings.-Formation:...

and Dry County
Dry county
A dry county is a county in the United States whose government forbids the sale of alcoholic beverages. Some prohibit off-premises sale, some prohibit on-premises sale, and some prohibit both. Hundreds of dry counties exist across the United States, almost all of them in the South...

.

2008 Line-up

The acts that played the festival:
{| border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="3" style="width:100%;"
|-
| style="vertical-align:top; width:*;"|

{| class="wikitable"
|-
|Friday 11 July || Saturday 12 July || Sunday 13 July
|- valign="top"
|
Main Stage:

Kings of Leon
Kings of Leon
Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion, Oklahoma but formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 1999. The band is composed of brothers Anthony Caleb Followill , Ivan Nathan Followill and Michael Jared Followill Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion,...
Interpol
Interpol (band)
Interpol is an American indie rock and post-punk revival band from New York City. Formed in 1997, the band's original line-up consisted of Paul Banks , Daniel Kessler , Carlos Dengler and Greg Drudy . Drudy left the band in 2000 and was replaced by Sam Fogarino...
Editors
Editors
Editors are a British indie rock band based in Birmingham, who formed in 2002. Previously known as Pilot, The Pride and Snowfield, the band consists of Tom Smith , Chris Urbanowicz , Russell Leetch and Ed Lay .Editors have so far released two platinum studio...
Paddy Casey
Paddy Casey
Patrick "Paddy" Casey is an Irish singer-songwriter from Dublin. Paddy was discovered by Sony A&R Scout Hugh Murray at the International Bar in Dublin, while performing at the singer/songwriter night hosted by Dave Murphy...
The Coronas
The Coronas
The Coronas are an Irish rock and indie band. They have released three studio albums, Heroes or Ghosts , Tony Was An Ex-Con and "Closer to You"...
Amy Macdonald
Amy Macdonald (singer)
Amy Macdonald is a Scottish recording artist. Macdonald rose to fame in 2007 with her debut album, This Is the Life and its fourth single, "This Is the Life". The single charted at number one in six different countries worldwide, and charted inside the top ten in another eleven countries worldwide...

||
Main Stage:

The Verve
The Verve
The Verve were an English rock band formed in 1989 in Wigan by lead vocalist Richard Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bassist Simon Jones, and drummer Peter Salisbury. Guitarist and keyboardist Simon Tong later became a member. Beginning with a psychedelic sound indebted to shoegazing and space...
R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
Stereophonics
Stereophonics
The Stereophonics are a Welsh rock band now living in turners x that formed in 1992 in the village of Cwmaman in Cynon Valley, Wales. The band currently comprises lead vocalist and guitarist Kelly Jones, bassist and backing vocalist Richard Jones, drummer Javier Weyler, guitarist and backing...
Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse
Amy Jade Winehouse was an English singer-songwriter known for her powerful deep contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz. Winehouse's 2003 debut album, Frank, was critically successful in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize...
Counting Crows
Counting Crows
Counting Crows is an American rock band originating from Berkeley, California. Formed in 1991, the group gained popularity following the release of its debut album in 1993, August and Everything After, which featured the hit single "Mr. Jones"...
Newton Faulkner
Newton Faulkner
Sam Newton Battenberg Faulkner is an English singer-songwriter and musician from Reigate, Surrey. Known for his guitar playing, which involves rhythmically tapping and hitting his guitar's body, Faulkner came to prominence in 2007, with the release of his debut studio album, Hand Built by Robots...
Scouting for Girls
Scouting for Girls
Scouting for Girls are a Brit and Ivor Novello nominated band from London, formed in 2005 by Roy Stride, Greg Churchouse and Peter Ellard. Stride and Ellard met in the Cub Scouts and Churchouse met Stride on their first day at school. They have sold over 1.2 million albums and over 1.5 million...
Bowling for Soup
Bowling for Soup
Bowling for Soup is an American pop-punk band which originally formed in Wichita Falls, Texas in 1994...

||
Main Stage:

Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...
Kaiser Chiefs
Kaiser Chiefs
Kaiser Chiefs are an English indie rock band from Leeds who formed in 1996. They were named after the South African football club Kaizer Chiefs....
The Fratellis
The Fratellis
The Fratellis were an indie rock band from Glasgow, Scotland. The band consisted of lead vocalist and guitarist Jon Fratelli , bass guitarist Barry Fratelli , and drummer and backing vocalist Mince Fratelli .The band released 2 albums during their career, Costello Music in 2006 and Here We Stand in...
The Kooks
The Kooks
The Kooks are an English indie rock band formed in Brighton, East Sussex, in 2001. Formed by Luke Pritchard , Hugh Harris , Paul Garred , and Max Rafferty , the lineup of the band remained constant until 2008 and the departure of Rafferty...
The Blizzards
The Blizzards
The Blizzards are an Irish band from Mullingar in County Westmeath. They were formed by Niall Breslin in late 2004, and also feature Dec Murphy , Justin Ryan, Anthony Doran and Aidan Lynch...
The Feeling
The Feeling
The Feeling are a BRIT award-nominated English pop band from West Sussex and London. The band categorise their music as "pop".Following a limited release of their first single "Fill My Little World" in late 2005, the band entered the UK Singles Chart at #7 with their first full release "Sewn" in...
Eddy Grant
Eddy Grant
Edmond Montague "Eddy" Grant is a musician, born in Plaisance, Guyana.- Life and career :When he was still a young boy, his parents emigrated to London, UK, where he settled. He lived in Kentish Town and went to school at the Acland Burghley Secondary Modern at Tufnell Park...

|}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
|Friday 11 July || Saturday 12 July || Sunday 13 July
|- valign="top"
|
The O2 Stage:

Groove Armada
Groove Armada
Groove Armada is an English electronic music duo from London, England comprising Andy Cato and Tom Findlay. They are perhaps best known for their singles "I See You Baby" and "Superstylin'"...
The Go! Team
The Go! Team
The Go! Team are a six-piece band from Brighton, England. They combine indie rock and garage rock with a mixture of blaxploitation and Bollywood soundtracks, double dutch chants, old school hip hop and distorted guitars similar to the style of Sonic Youth. Their songs are a mix of live...
Ben Folds
Ben Folds
Benjamin Scott "Ben" Folds is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and television personality. From 1995-2000, Folds was the frontman and pianist of the alternative rock band Ben Folds Five. Since the group disbanded, Folds has performed as a solo artist and has toured all over the world...
dEUS
Sugababes
Sugababes
The Sugababes are an English pop girl group based in London, consisting of members Heidi Range, Amelle Berrabah and Jade Ewen. The Sugababes were formed in 1998 with founding members Siobhán Donaghy, Mutya Buena and Keisha Buchanan. Their debut album, One Touch, was released in 2000 under London...

^{feat. Darren}

Future Kings of Spain
Future Kings of Spain
Future Kings of Spain were an Irish rock band, from Dublin.Future Kings of Spain on 28 September 2007 released their second album Nervousystem. Recorded in London and Malta with producer Ian Grimble , it was released in Ireland on the band's own label, What’s The Kim? and entered the Irish Albums...

||
The O2 Stage:

The Prodigy
The Prodigy
The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s...
The Zutons
The Zutons
The Zutons are an English indie rock band from Liverpool. They were formed in 2001 but did not release their first album, Who Killed...... The Zutons?, until May 2004. They achieved their biggest hits with "Why Won't You Give Me Your Love?" and "Valerie", both taken from their second studio album...
Feeder
Feeder
-Technology:* Feeder , any of several devices used in apiculture to supplement or replace natural food sources* Feeder , another name for a riser, a reservoir built into a metal casting mold to prevent cavities due to shrinkage...
Panic! at the Disco
Panic! at the Disco
Panic! at the Disco is an American alternative rock duo, formed in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2005. Since its split, the band's line-up includes Brendon Urie and Spencer Smith . Former members Ryan Ross and Jon Walker left the group in 2009...
The Enemy
The Enemy (UK band)
The Enemy are an English rock band formed in Coventry in 2006, signed to Warner Music Group . In June 2007, The Enemy played twice at Glastonbury Festival, first in the 'Guardian Lounge' on Saturday and then the much larger 'Other Stage' on Sunday. They also headlined on the Saturday night of T in...
The Hoosiers
The Hoosiers
The Hoosiers are an English pop/rock band, consisting of members Irwin Sparkes , Martin Skarendahl and Alan Sharland ....
The Wombats
The Wombats
The Wombats are an indie rock band formed in Liverpool, England. The band comprises native Liverpudlians Matthew Murphy and Dan Haggis , alongside Norwegian-born Tord Øverland-Knudsen...
Powderfinger
Powderfinger
Powderfinger was an Australian rock band that formed in Brisbane in 1989. From 1992 until their breakup the band lineup consisted of vocalist Bernard Fanning, guitarists Darren Middleton and Ian Haug, bassist John Collins, and drummer Jon Coghill....
One Night Only
One Night Only (band)
One Night Only is a British Indie rock band from Helmsley, North Yorkshire formed in 2003.-History:One Night Only formed in summer 2003, consisting initially of Mark Hayton, Daniel “Pob” Parkin, Sam “Gunner” Ford and Kai "Kai" Smith. The band did not have a vocalist until George Craig, a friend of...
Little Man Tate
Little Man Tate
Little Man Tate is a 1991 motion picture drama directed by and starring Jodie Foster.It tells the story of Fred Tate, a 7-year-old child prodigy who struggles to self-actualize in a social and psychological construct that largely fails to accommodate his intelligence...

*

||
The O2 Stage:

The Chemical Brothers
The Chemical Brothers
The Chemical Brothers are a British electronic music duo comprising Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons. Originating in Manchester in 1991, along with The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, The Crystal Method, and fellow acts, they were pioneers at bringing the big beat genre to the forefront of pop culture.- Background...
The Raconteurs
The Raconteurs
The Raconteurs is an American rock band that was formed in Detroit, Michigan, featuring four members known for other musical projects: Jack White , Brendan Benson , Jack Lawrence , and Patrick Keeler .-Formation:The...
Republic of Loose
Republic of Loose
Republic of Loose are an Irish funk rock band from Dublin. Formed in 2001, the band currently consists of lead vocalist Mick Pyro, bass guitarist and vocalist Benjamin Loose, keyboardist Darragh, guitarists and vocalists Dave Pyro and Darach O' Laoire and drummers and percussionists Andre Lopes...

^{feat. Styles PStyles P
David Styles better known by his stage name, Styles P, is an American rapper, author, and entrepreneur. He is prominently known as a member of Hip Hop group The LOX and is also a part of the Ruff Ryders hip-hop group, and in addition has released multiple albums and mixtapes as a solo...}

^{Isobel Reyes-Feeney}

Kate Nash
Kate Nash
Kate Marie Nash is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. She had a UK no. 2 hit "Foundations" in 2007, followed by the platinum selling UK number 1 album Made of Bricks. She was named Best Female Artist at the 2008 BRIT Awards....
The Pigeon Detectives
The Pigeon Detectives
The Pigeon Detectives are an English indie rock band from Rothwell, West Yorkshire, who formed in 2004. They have been championed by such well known DJs as Steve Lamacq and Jo Whiley, and performed at the Reading and Leeds Festivals in 2006, where they were tagged "the band most likely to leap to...
We Are Scientists
We Are Scientists
We Are Scientists is a New York-based indie rock band that formed in Berkeley, California in 2000. Originally formed of Keith Murray on drums, Chris Cain playing bass guitar and Scott Lamb providing vocals and guitar, before Michael Tapper became drummer and Keith became vocalist and guitarist...
The Courteeners
The Courteeners
The Courteeners are a rock band formed in Middleton, Greater Manchester, England in 2006 by Liam Fray , Michael Campbell , Daniel Conan Moores , Mark Cuppello -Formation:...
The Subways
The Subways
The Subways are an English alternative rock / indie rock band. Their debut album, Young For Eternity, was released on 4 July 2005 in the UK and February 14, 2006 in the U.S. Their second album, All or Nothing, was released on 30 June 2008 and their third album Money and Celebrity debuted on the...

|}
_{* cancelled due to a broken jaw}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
|Friday 11 July || Saturday 12 July || Sunday 13 July
|- valign="top"
|
Green Room:

Bell X1
Mundy
Mundy
Mundy is an Irish singer-songwriter. 'Mundy' is a nickname given to Enright, as it not only refers to his name Edmund, but it is how he pronounces the word "Monday".-Biography:...

^{feat. Sharon ShannonSharon Shannon
Sharon Shannon is an Irish musician. She is best known for her work with the accordion and for her fiddle technique. She also plays the tin whistle and melodeon. Her 1991 album Sharon Shannon is the best selling album of traditional Irish music ever released there...}

Aslan
Aslan (rock band)
Aslan are an Irish rock band from Dublin who formed in 1982. Comprising Christy Dignam, Joe Jewell, Billy McGuinness, Alan Downey and Rodney O'Brien, the band has released five studio albums - Feel No Shame , Goodbye Charlie Moonhead , Here Comes Lucy Jones , Waiting For This Madness To End and...
The Saw Doctors
The Saw Doctors
The Saw Doctors are an Irish rock band. Formed in 1986 in Tuam, County Galway, they have achieved eighteen Top 30 singles in Ireland, including three number ones. Their first number one, "I Useta Lover," topped the Irish charts for nine consecutive weeks in 1990, and still holds the record for the...
The Kinetiks
The Kinetiks
The Kinetiks were a Meteor Award-nominated Irish rock, pop and indie musical ensemble from Dublin. They were vocalist and guitarist Gaz Harding, guitarist Sean Brennan, bassist Jim McGuire, and drummer Paul Donohoe...
Dirty Epics
Dirty Epics
Dirty Epics are a four-piece Irish New Wave band formed in Greystones, County Wicklow, but now resided in Dublin. They are composed of vocalist Sarah Jane Wai, bassist Richard Power, guitarist Darren McCoy and drummer Alan Delaney and are managed by Nadine O'Flynn. They have performed at numerous...

||
Green Room:

Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
The Charlatans
Pendulum
Pendulum (band)
Pendulum is an Australian drum and bass and electronic rock band founded in 2002 in Perth by Rob Swire, Gareth McGrillen, and Paul Harding.Swire and McGrillen were members of the rock band known as Xygen. After hearing Konflict's "Messiah" at a club, they were inspired to enter into the drum and...
Echo & the Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen are an English post-punk band, formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bass player Les Pattinson, supplemented by a drum machine. By 1980, Pete de Freitas had joined as the band's drummer, and their debut...
Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend is an American indie rock band from New York City that formed in 2006 and signed to XL Recordings. The Band has four members: Ezra Koenig, Rostam Batmanglij, Chris Tomson, and Chris Baio. The band released its first album Vampire Weekend in 2008, which produced the singles "Mansard...
British Sea Power
British Sea Power
British Sea Power are an indie rock band based in Brighton, England, although three of the band members originally come from Kendal in Cumbria. Critics have likened their sound to a variety of groups, from The Cure and Joy Division to the Pixies and Arcade Fire. The band are famed for their live...
The Ting Tings
The Ting Tings
The Ting Tings are an English music duo comprising Jules de Martino and Katie White . They formed in December 2007 while based at Islington Mill Studios in Salford...
The Brian Jonestown Massacre
The Brian Jonestown Massacre
The Brian Jonestown Massacre is an American eclectic musical group led by Anton Newcombe, whose music spans multiple genres including psychedelia, electronica, folk music, blues, experimental music, and many others....
Delays
Delays
Delays are an English indie band formed in Southampton, consisting of brothers Greg and Aaron Gilbert, Colin Fox and Rowly. The band's sound combines guitar and synths and features Greg Gilbert's distinctive falsetto lead vocals...
Concerto for Constantine
Concerto For Constantine
Concerto for Constantine is an unsigned Irish indie rock band formed in August 2007. The band consists of former JJ72 frontman Mark Greaney , former Turn and Idlewild bassist Gavin Fox and former The Frames and Bell X1 drummer Paul 'Binzer' Brennan .- Formation :In the summer of 2007, Mark and...

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Green Room:

Ian Brown
Ian Brown
Ian George Brown is an English musician, best known as the lead singer of the alternative rock band The Stone Roses, which broke up in 1996 but are confirmed to reunite in 2012. Since the break-up of the Stone Roses he has pursued a solo career...
The Pogues
The Pogues
The Pogues are a Celtic punk band, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane MacGowan. The band reached international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. MacGowan left the band in 1991 due to drinking problems but the band continued first with Joe Strummer and then with Spider Stacy on vocals before...
Tom Baxter
Tom Baxter
Tom Baxter is an English singer-songwriter based in London. He was born in Ipswich, Suffolk, and grew up in Cornwall with his sister Vashti Anna, two brothers, Jo Spencer and Charlie Winston, and parents Jeff and Julie Gleave...
Reverend and The Makers
Reverend and The Makers
Reverend and The Makers are an indie pop band based in Sheffield, England and signed to Wall of Sound. The band is fronted by Jon McClure, nicknamed "The Reverend"...
Jack Peñate
Jack Peñate
Jack Fabian Peñate is an English musician and singer-songwriter signed to XL Recordings.-Early life:Jack Peñate attended St. Olave's Preparatory School, New Eltham until he left to attend Alleyn's School when he was 18 years of age...
Alabama 3
Alabama 3
Alabama 3 are a British band mixing rock, dance, blues, country, and gospel styles, founded in Brixton, London, in 1995. In the United States, they are known as A3, allegedly to avoid any possible legal conflict with the country music band Alabama...
The Stranglers
The Stranglers
The Stranglers are an English punk/rock music group.Scoring some 23 UK top 40 singles and 17 UK top 40 albums to date in a career spanning five decades, the Stranglers are the longest-surviving and most "continuously successful" band to have originated in the UK punk scene of the mid to late 1970s...
The Hold Steady
The Hold Steady
The Hold Steady is an American indie rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2004. The band consists of Craig Finn , Tad Kubler , Galen Polivka , Bobby Drake , and Steve Selvidge...
The Whigs
The Whigs
The Whigs are an American garage rock band from Athens, Georgia, consisting of lead singer and guitarist Parker Gispert, drummer Julian Dorio and bassist Timothy Deaux.-Biography:...

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Pet Sounds:

Cat Power
Cat Power
Charlyn Marie Marshall , also known as Chan Marshall or by her stage name Cat Power, is an American singer/songwriter and occasional actress and model. Cat Power was originally the name of Marshall's first band, but has come to refer to her musical projects with various backing bands...
Aphex Twin
Aphex Twin
Richard David James , best known under the pseudonym Aphex Twin, is an Irish-born electronic musician and composer described as "the most inventive and influential figure in contemporary electronic music"...
Tricky
Tricky
Tricky is an English musician and actor. As a producer and a musician, he is noted for a dark, rich and layered sound and a whispering sprechgesang lyrical style. Culturally, Tricky encourages an intertwining of societies, particularly in his musical fusion of rock and hip hop, high art and pop...
Battles
Battles (band)
Battles is an American experimental rock group, founded in 2002 in New York City, comprising guitarists Ian Williams and Dave Konopka , and drummer John Stanier .-Biography:...
God Is an Astronaut
God Is an Astronaut
God Is an Astronaut are an instrumental/post-rock band from the Glen of the Downs, Co. Wicklow, Ireland.-History:After forming in 2002, God is an Astronaut took the inspiration for its name from a famous quote in the movie Nightbreed...

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Pet Sounds:

The National
The National (band)
The National is an indie rock band formed in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1999 and currently based in Brooklyn, New York. The band's lyrics are written and sung by Matt Berninger, a baritone...
Hot Chip
Hot Chip
Hot Chip are an English electronic indie band. They have released four studio albums—Coming on Strong, The Warning, Made in the Dark and One Life Stand.-Formation:...
Richard Hawley
Richard Hawley
Richard Hawley is a guitarist, singer-songwriter and producer. After his first band Treebound Story broke up, Hawley found success as a member of Britpop band Longpigs in the 1990s. He later joined the band Pulp, led by his friend Jarvis Cocker...
Seasick Steve
Seasick Steve
Steven Gene Wold, commonly known as Seasick Steve, is an American blues musician. He plays guitars, and sings, usually about his early life doing casual work.-Childhood and early life:...
Declan O'Rourke
Declan O'Rourke
Declan O'Rourke is a 33 year old platinum record singer/songwriter from Dublin, Ireland.-Career:At the age of 13, when living in Australia with his family, O'Rourke was given his first guitar by a priest in Kyabram who recognised his potential and love for music, hence the title of his debut album...
Paul Heaton
Paul Heaton
Paul David Heaton is an English singer-songwriter. He was a member of The Housemartins, who disbanded in 1988, and a member of The Beautiful South, who disbanded in 2007. He is currently pursuing a solo career....
My Morning Jacket
My Morning Jacket
My Morning Jacket is an American rock band from Louisville, Kentucky.The band consists of Jim James , Tom 'Two-Tone Tommy' Blankenship , Patrick Hallahan , Carl Broemel , and Bo Koster .-History:My Morning Jacket was...
Camille O'Sullivan
Camille O'Sullivan
Camille O'Sullivan is a Irish singer, actress, and entertainer. -Background:...
Jack McManus
Jack McManus (singer)
Jack McManus is a BRIT School educated singer-songwriter from West Wickham, Kent in England.-Music career:A singer who has been compared to Elton John and Billy Joel, McManus' debut album Either Side Of Midnight was released on Polydor Records/UMRL on 5 May 2008, preceded by his first single "Bang...

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Pet Sounds:

Glen Hansard
Glen Hansard
Glen Hansard is the Academy Award–winning principal songwriter and vocalist/guitarist for Irish group The Frames and one half of folk rock duo, The Swell Season...

& Markéta Irglová
Markéta Irglová
Markéta Irglová is a Czech songwriter, musician, actress, and singer. As of 2010, she resides in New York City.-Early life:...
Róisín Murphy
Róisín Murphy
Róisín Marie Murphy is an Irish singer-songwriter and record producer, known for her electronic style.Murphy first came to note as part of the electronic music duo Moloko. Her partner in the band was then-boyfriend Mark Brydon. After the two ended their romantic relationship, Murphy released her...
Band of Horses
Band of Horses
Band of Horses, originally briefly known as Horses, are an American rock band formed in 2004 in Seattle by Ben Bridwell. They have released three studio albums, the most recent and most successful of which is 2010's Grammy nominated Infinite Arms...
MGMT
MGMT
MGMT is an American alternative rock band founded by Benjamin Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden. After the release of their first album, the members of their live band, Matthew Asti, James Richardson and Will Berman, joined the core band in the studio...
Delorentos
Delorentos
Delorentos are a Dublin-based Irish alternative rock band, formed in 2005. They consist of Rónan Yourell , Kieran McGuinness , Níal Conlan and Ross McCormick...
Lightspeed Champion
Lightspeed Champion
Devonté Hynes , better known as Lightspeed Champion or Blood Orange, is a British composer, songwriter, producer and author, who has written for artists such as Florence and the Machine, Diana Vickers and The Chemical Brothers on their 2007 Grammy award winning album We Are The Night...
David Jordan
David Jordan (singer)
David Jordan is an English singer-songwriter.Born to a mother from Montserrat and a father from Calcutta, Jordan has been writing pop-rock songs since he was 11 . Growing up his music idol was Prince...
Ryan Bingham
Ryan Bingham
Ryan Bingham is an Americana singer-songwriter currently based in Los Angeles, California.After garnering critical acclaim for his first two studio releases on Lost Highway Records, 2007's Mescalito and 2009's Roadhouse Sun, Ryan Bingham went on to collaborate with Grammy-winning producer T Bone...

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Dance Arena:

Calvin Harris
Calvin Harris
Calvin Harris is a Scottish singer-songwriter, record producer and DJ. His gold-selling debut album, I Created Disco, was released in 2007 and contained the top ten singles "Acceptable in the 80s" and "The Girls"...
Unkle
UNKLE
Unkle are a British musical outfit founded in 1994 by school friends James Lavelle and Tim Goldsworthy. Originally categorized as trip-hop, the group once included producer DJ Shadow and have employed a variety of guest artists and producers.-First incarnation :Lavelle and Goldsworthy were joined...
Annie Mac
Annie Mac
Annie Mac is an Irish DJ and television presenter who hosts an eponymous electronic dance music show on BBC Radio 1 in the United Kingdom which airs at 7:00 pm on Friday evenings as well as a Sunday evening show alongside co-presenter Nick Grimshaw.-Personal life:Annie Mac was born in Dublin,...
MSTRKRFT
MSTRKRFT
MSTRKRFT is a Canadian electronic music duo from Toronto, Ontario. The group was started in 2005 by Jesse F. Keeler of Death from Above 1979 and Al-P formerly of the Mississauga, Ontario electropop group Girlsareshort...
DJ Koze
Kosheen
Kosheen
Kosheen are a British trip hop, breakbeat and rock group based in Bristol, England. The trio consists of producers Markee Substance and Darren Decoder , with singer and song writer Sian Evans...
Burns

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Dance Arena:

Justice
Justice (French band)
Justice is a French electronic music duo consisting of Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay . The duo is one of the most successful groups on Ed Banger Records and is managed by the label's head, Pedro Winter...
Boys Noize
Boys Noize
Boys Noize is the stage name of Alexander Ridha, a German electronic music producer and DJ. It is similar to the name of Ridha's label, Boysnoize Records, which he established in 2005...
Mylo
Mylo
Myles MacInnes , better known by the stage name Mylo, is a Scottish electronic musician and record producer.-Career:...
Slam
Slam (band)
Slam are a producer/DJ duo from Glasgow, consisting of Stuart MacMillan and Orde Meikle . They are co-founders of Soma Quality Recordings. Their music style consists of house and techno.-History:...
Michael Mayer
Michael Mayer (musician)
Michael Mayer is one of the key figures of Cologne, Germany's electronic music scene. Mayer is a remixer, DJ, and producer, and has released a small handful of his own singles on the Kompakt music label that he helps run with founder Wolfgang Voigt...
Kavinsky
Kavinsky
Kavinsky is a French electro house artist, and has released three EPs on the Record Makers label: Teddy Boy in 2006, 1986 a year later and "Nightcall" in 2010. He has been remixed by SebastiAn and others. He toured alongside Daft Punk, The Rapture, Justice, and SebastiAn in 2007...
The Japanese Popstars
The Japanese Popstars
The Japanese Popstars are an electronic act from Derry, Northern Ireland, consisting of Declan McLaughlin aka Decky Hedrock, Gary Curran, and Gareth Donoghue. They are signed to indie label, Gung-Ho Recordings in the UK, and Beatink in Japan . Each member has his own alias...
Chemistry DJ's

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Dance Arena:

David Guetta
David Guetta
Pierre David Guetta , known professionally as David Guetta , is a French house music producer and DJ. Originally a DJ at nightclubs during the 1980s and 1990s, he co-founded Gum Productions and released his first album, Just a Little More Love, in 2002. Later, he released Guetta Blaster and Pop Life...
Luciano
Luciano
Luciano is a Jamaican second generation roots reggae artist and poet....
Kaz James
Kaz James
Christopher James Karyotakis, known professionally as Kaz James , is an Australian singer and DJ. He is a former member of the group BodyRockers. He was raised in Melbourne and is of Italian and Greek origin. He released his first solo album, If They Knew, in 2008.-Early life:James was raised in...
Crookers
Crookers
Crookers are an Italian DJ/production duo who have worked together since 2003. When the two artists met, both were trying to branch out of their genre and explore dance music. Their first collaboration worked...
Radioslave
Quiet Village
Quiet Village
"Quiet Village" is an exotica instrumental that was originally written and performed by Les Baxter in 1952. In the liner notes to his album, Ritual of the Savage , Baxter described the themes he was conveying in the work: Seven years later, in 1959, Martin Denny added exotic sounds to the song,...
Does It Offend You, Yeah?
Does It Offend You, Yeah?
Does It Offend You, Yeah? are a British electronic rock band from Reading, Berkshire.-History:Does It Offend You, Yeah? were formed in 2006 in Reading, UK by James Rushent and Dan Coop and soon joined by Rob Bloomfield and Morgan Quaintance....
Carl Craig
Carl Craig
Carl Craig is a Detroit-based producer of techno music, and is considered to be one of the most important names in the Detroit second generation of techno producers and DJs...

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New Band Stage/Futures:

White Denim
Friendly Fires
Friendly Fires
Friendly Fires are an English band from St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. They are currently signed to XL Recordings. Their self-titled debut album was released on 1 September 2008 and was announced as one of the shortlisted twelve for the 2009 Mercury Prize on 21 July 2009.-History:Friendly Fires...
The Metros
The Metros
The Metros were a five-piece Indie rock band from Peckham, south London, England. Founded by vocalist Saul Adamczewski and lead guitarist Jak Payne, the band was formed while most of the members were still at school.-Background:...
Noah and the Whale
Noah and the Whale
Noah and the Whale are an English indie folk band from Twickenham, London, England formed in 2006. The band consists of Charlie Fink , Tom Hobden , Matt "Urby Whale" Owens , Fred Abbott , and Michael Petulla .-Early years and Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down...
Sparkadia
Sparkadia
Sparkadia is the project of alternative pop musician Alexander Burnett. Originally a band, Sparkadia formed in Sydney, Australia, in 2004. Up until 2009, Sparkadia was a four-piece band.-History:...
Bryn Christopher
Bryn Christopher
Bryn Christopher is a British singer-songwriter.- Influences :Bryn cites his influences as greats such as Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Nina Simone and Stevie Wonder.- Early years :...
Liam Finn
Liam Finn
Liam Mullane Finn is a New Zealand musician and songwriter. Born in Australia, he moved to New Zealand as a child...
Leopold

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New Band Stage/Futures:

Elliot Minor
Elliot Minor
Elliot Minor are a classically influenced rock band from York, England. The group consists of Alex Davies , Ed Minton , Dan Hetherton and Ed Hetherton .-History and formation: 2000-2006 :...
Royworld
Royworld
Royworld are a British pop rock band formed in 2006, when songwriting brothers Rod and Crispin Futrille stuck up an advertisement on the college notice board. Robert Parkin and Timmy Miles met at St. Aidan's & St. John Fisher Associated Sixth Form in Harrogate, where their journey together began....
Joe Lean & The Jing Jang Jong
Joe Lean & The Jing Jang Jong
Joe Lean & the Jing Jang Jong were an English indie rock band based in London. Although the band attracted considerable press attention following the 2007 release of their debut single "Lucio Starts Fires", they failed to capitalise on this, and disbanded in 2009.-Overview:The band formed in late...
Black Kids
Black Kids
Black Kids is an American indie pop band from Jacksonville, Florida. The band's debut EP, Wizard of Ahhhs, received favorable critical response in 2007, and was followed by the Partie Traumatic album, which debuted at #5 on the UK Albums Chart in July 2008.-History:Black Kids formed in Jacksonville...
Alphabeat
Alphabeat
Alphabeat are a Danish pop band from Silkeborg, fronted by singers Stine Bramsen and Anders SG and signed to Polydor Records. Their single "Fascination" was a major hit in Denmark during the summer of 2007 and a significant hit in the United Kingdom in 2008...
Ida Maria
Ida Maria
Ida Maria Børli Sivertsen is a Norwegian rock musician known primarily by the stage name Ida Maria. Her first album; Fortress Round My Heart was released in 2008...

*
Yeasayer
Yeasayer
-History:The band's three core members, Chris Keating, Ira Wolf Tuton, and Anand Wilder, first came to attention after appearing at the SXSW festival in early 2007. Their first single consisted of a double A-side of the tracks "Sunrise" and "2080"...
Holy Fuck
Mindless Self Indulgence
Mindless Self Indulgence
Mindless Self Indulgence is an American musical group formed in New York in 1997. Their music has a mixed style including rap, punk rock, alternative rock, electronica, techno and industrial...
Sergeant
Sergeant (band)
Sergeant are a 4-piece indie rock band from Glenrothes in Fife, Scotland. In 2007 they signed a contract with Mercury Records. The band played both 2007 T in the Park and Glastonbury festivals and have attracted a fanbase and media attention extending well outside their Scottish base. Xfm...
Offshore
Kill City Defectors

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New Band Stage/Futures:

Los Campesinos!
Los Campesinos!
Los Campesinos! are a seven piece indie pop band from Cardiff, Wales, formed in early 2006 at Cardiff University. Although the band formed in Wales, none of its members are Welsh. They released their debut album, Hold on Now, Youngster..., in February 2008 and followed this up by releasing a record...
Cajun Dance Party
Cajun Dance Party
Cajun Dance Party were a five-piece band based in London, England. They originally consisted of Robbie Stern, Max Bloom, Daniel Blumberg, Will Vignoles, and Vicky Freund. The band has split after Blumberg and Bloom left the band in 2009 to form the band Yuck, while other members of the band went to...
Flogging Molly
Flogging Molly
Flogging Molly is a seven-piece Irish-descendant band from Los Angeles, California, that is currently signed to their own record label, Borstal Beat Records.-Early years:...
Fight Like Apes
Fight Like Apes
Fight Like Apes are an Irish alternative rock band formed in Dublin in 2006.Their current members are Mary-Kate "MayKay" Geraghty , Jamie "Pockets" Fox and Tom Ryan , while original member Adrian Mullan left the band in 2010 due to creative differences...
Glasvegas
Glasvegas
Glasvegas are a Scottish indie rock band from Glasgow. The band consists of James Allan , Rab Allan , Paul Donoghue and Jonna Löfgren . The band received critical acclaim for their debut album Glasvegas which was released in September 2008, reaching No...
The Script
The Script (band)
The Script are an Irish alternative rock band from Dublin. Based in London after signing to Sony Label Group imprint Phonogenic, the band released their eponymous debut album in August 2008...
Twisted Wheel
In Case of Fire
In Case of Fire
In Case of Fire are a Christian alternative rock band from Portadown, Northern Ireland, formed in 2005. The original line up consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Steven Robinson, bassist Mark Williamson and drummer Colin Robinson...
Jaguar Love
Jaguar Love
Jaguar Love is an American indie rock band from Portland, Oregon, composed of former members of The Blood Brothers.-History:The band was formed by members of the bands Blood Brothers and Pretty Girls Make Graves...
White Lies
White Lies (band)
White Lies is an English indie rock band from Ealing, London. Formerly known as Fear of Flying, the band consists primarily of Harry McVeigh , Charles Cave , and Jack Lawrence-Brown...
Schmackey and the Salads

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_{* cancelled due to "acute lymph infection" and replaced with Liam FinnLiam Finn
Liam Mullane Finn is a New Zealand musician and songwriter. Born in Australia, he moved to New Zealand as a child...}

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IMRO New Sounds Stage:

Blood Red Shoes
Blood Red Shoes
Blood Red Shoes are an indie rock duo from Brighton, England. They have released two full-length albums, Box of Secrets and Fire Like This, plus a slew of early singles on limited 7" vinyl pressings.-Formation:...
Codes
Codes (band)
Codes are an Irish indie electronic quartet from Dublin, consisting of Daragh Anderson, Eoin Stephens, Paul Reilly and Raymond Hogge. Their debut album Trees Dream in Algebra was nominated for the 2010 Choice Music Prize...
Gary Go
Gary Go
Gary Baker, also known by his stage name Gary Go is a British pop-rock singer, songwriter and producer. His debut single "Wonderful" was a Top 30 track in the UK, the debut album Gary Go was released May 2009 and reached number 22 in the UK Albums Chart...
Oppenheimer
Oppenheimer (band)
Oppenheimer were an indie pop band from Belfast, Northern Ireland. The band was made up of musicians Shaun Robinson and Rocky O'Reilly. Robinson and O'Reilly were previously members of the now disbanded Belfast group, Torgas Valley Reds....
Sons of Albion
New Amusement
The Golden Silvers
The Cades
The Red Labels
Future Chaser

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IMRO New Sounds Stage:

Dry County
Dry county
A dry county is a county in the United States whose government forbids the sale of alcoholic beverages. Some prohibit off-premises sale, some prohibit on-premises sale, and some prohibit both. Hundreds of dry counties exist across the United States, almost all of them in the South...
Team Waterpolo
Team Waterpolo
Team Waterpolo were a British indie pop band who formed in Preston, England in July 2007. The NME made their debut single "Letting Go" its 'Single of the Week', and gave them a place on their New Noise Tour alongside Crystal Castles, Friendly Fires and White Lies...
Halves
Halves (band)
Halves are an ambient/alternative/electronic band based in Dublin, Ireland.They are composed of Brian Cash and brothers Tim and Elis Czerniak, with additional live members Frankie Pollard and Margie Lewis. Halves were designed when Dave , Brian and Tim sat down together and listed bands & composers...
Crayonsmith
The Rocket Summer
The Rocket Summer
The Rocket Summer is the solo-project of Bryce Avary who is based in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas. Avary is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and producer. He writes and produces every song on his records, and plays every instrument on them....
Brothers Movement
The Hazy Janes
Fighting with Wire
Fighting with Wire
Fighting with Wire are an alternative heavy rock and punk band hailing from Derry, Northern Ireland. They have toured with Biffy Clyro, Million Dead, Reuben, Twin Atlantic, yourcodenameis:milo, Kerbdog, Helmet, You Me At Six, Nomeansno, InMe, Brigade, Against Me! and Seafood...
Arno Carstens
Arno Carstens
Arno Carstens is a South African singer-songwriter.- Singer Songwriter :Arno Carstens is an award-winning South African singer-songwriter and guitarist currently based between Cape Town and London....
The Television Room

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Bacardi B-Live Arena:

DJ Askillz
Mikki Dee
Shortie

||
Bacardi B-Live Arena:

Rob Wilder
La Bamba Sound System
Beardyman
BeardyMan
Darren Foreman , better known as Beardyman, is a musician from London renowned for his beatboxing skills and use of live looping technology, and according to the BBC "King of Sound and Ruler of Beats".-Stage name and musical style:...
Cian Ó'Cíobháin
A$$Quake
Chewy
Chewy
Chewy is an indie rock band from Lausanne, Switzerland whose sound, which falls somewhere in the realm of noisy, melodic pop-rock, has been compared to bands like Dinosaur Jr. or Superchunk. They released one E.P. and two full-length albums during their initial run: Chewy E.P...

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Bacardi B-Live Arena:

Secret Sundaze
Spontaneous Construction
Ben Westbeech
Ben Westbeech
Ben Westbeech is a male DJ, singer and producer originating from Bristol, but who now lives in London, UK. Trained as cellist and vocalist, his influences include House, Soul, Jazz and hip hop.-Beginning Carrer :...
Tu-Ki
Kormac

External links

Official Oxegen Website
MTV page (includes official videos of Kaiser Chiefs and Kings of Leon)
Official OXEGEN 08 Guide
MCD, Oxegen's Promoters
Jazz Biscuit links to Oxegen'08

Before

Cormac Battle's Oxegen Tips
State Magazine: Oxegen 2008 Preview
Manic attack – Welsh misfits rock festivals with strong work ethic – Irish Independent
Irish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
Sunday Tribune Preview
Link to RTÉ News report, 80,000 expected at Oxegen Music Festival – Sinead Crowley, Arts & Media Correspondent, reports that, for the first time, there would be a three-day event this year

After

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.