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Sunday

Someone’s taking the piss. It’s… it’s actually… sunny. Not just sunny, but ridiculously hot. It’s probably somewhere around 20-25°C, but with all the bodies on the campsite it’s even hotter. And there was me thinking that sun cream I’d brought would go unused.

We left the site and headed into town to get some proper food and some suitable clothing. I never realized you could do that, you know, just leave the site completely, but there you go. One of the benefits of doing this was that we avoided the worst of the heat. Of course it meant missing Rilo Kiley and The Ordinary Boys, but I can live with that. I love music, but I’m not getting sunstroke for it.

I did get to see a bit of Audioslave, though, and despite the woeful sound problems that would afflict the Main Stage for much of the day, you can’t say no to a cover of “Killing In The Name.” I wasn’t familiar enough with the new material for it to have much effect on me. Still, at least they were better than Alabama 3 in the Green room tent. Looking back, there’s a pretty good chance the attendance for their set was so high because it was one of the few places to find shelter from the heat.

Anyway, I was waiting for Jimmy Eat World on the Ticket Stage. My buddy “Doris” is a bit of a JEW fanatic, so it was nice to take the opportunity to meet up with her and see one of the few really decent emo bands around. Is it wrong to call them emo? I don’t know. All I know is they rocked a whole lot o’ socks off. The big numbers from Futures and Bleed American were present and correct, much to the joy of the assembled masses. Credit too, must go to Jim Adkins. Not for him the whole, “This is the best show ever, it’s great to be here!” crap. No, Jim spent his time waving at people, telling them to come over and listen. That man has his eyes on the prize, and you gotta respect him for that.

Doris and I met up with the others watching The Killers. Though I quite like many of The Killers’ songs, the sound was still muddy, and I was much more interested in checking out Death From Above 1979. While Mimi, Edgar and Olivia went in one direction, Doris and I headed to the New Band tent to catch the Canadian duo in action. As we entered I realised the ground was covered in concrete. The Ticket Stage had been situated here last year. I remember thinking that was a bad idea, and the same thought may have went through my head as Death From Above 1979 trashed through their set. This was loud, riotous, angry music for a day when it was too fuckin’ hot, and I loved it.

Having lost track of the others, I gave Mimi a ring. The line wasn’t great, but I learned that they were at the Ticket Stage. A long shadow had been cast across the front and they were sprawled out in it. In hindsight, we probably should have gone there, but Rodrigo Y Gabriela were playing in the Green Room tent and I wanted to introduce Doris to their acoustic flamenco/metal hybrid. Unfortunately, a packed sweaty tent is not the best place to hear the duo’s complex playing, and we made good our exit after a few songs. Rodrigo Y Gabriela are a brilliant live act, but if you really want to enjoy them a seated venue is more appropriate.

Still, at least it gave us enough time to get a good spot for the Foo Fighters. Having released what they consider their best album yet, the Foos were in good form, particularly as this was the last night of their tour. Dave Grohl, The Nicest Man In Rock(tm), couldn’t wait to get home so he and Mrs. Grohl could try “making babies.” I hope he’s got a lot of energy, because neither he nor anyone else in the band was holding back.

There were plenty of highlights. “One By One” crept up on us before it exploded in a hail of guitar, while the riff to “Stacked Actors” sounded like some cool friend you haven’t seen in a while, and we can’t forget Dave’s wonderful solo rendition of “Everlong.” Taylor Hawkins stepped up to the microphone during the encore, which gave us the opportunity not only to see how well he could perform up front, but Dave behind a drum kit once more.

The Foo Fighters have been doing this for a long time, and the idea of closing Ireland’s biggest festival, as well as playing against James Brown, didn’t faze them. I don’t believe anyone could have walked away from their set feeling disappointed.

The festival finished, we all headed to our tents and got at least a few hours’ sleep. It’s not every day you get woken up at six in the morning by a danceoff, or spend nine and a half hours sitting in a car that thinks it’s an oven. But that’s a music festival, man, and everything is just part of the experience. Oxegen 2006 has a lot to live up to.

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