The bad weather and good spirits kept up at Oxegen on Sunday with another set of excellent performances from a variety of world renowned artists.
Kicking off things during the afternoon, there was plenty to be found in the Red Bull Electric Ballroom as the likes of former FM104 house DJ Al Gibbs got campers back into party mode before fans made their way to the Main Stage for Pitbull, who provided a set full of cheesy europop tunes that got everyone in Punchestown moving. Drawing a surprisingly large crowd onsidering the relatively early timeslot of 18.40, the American was delighted with the enthusiasm shown by the Irish audience and set up a rapport with fans that lasted throughout the hour long show as he executed a range of covers (including some Guns’N’Roses) before delving into more familiar material such as ‘’Give Me Everything’’ and ‘’I Know You Want Me’’ to the finish line.
Next up was sure to be an interesting experience if nothing else as the recently ‘reincarnated’ Snoop Lion took to the stage. Following a lengthy introduction which included classic songs like ‘’California Love’’ and ‘’Still D.R.E’’, we finally caught a glimpse of the rap icon who made it clear early on that fans had nothing to worry about as he stuck firmly to vintage material which pleased the expectant crowd no end as they rapped along to the likes of ‘’Gin And Juice’’, ‘’Tha Shiznit’’ and many others.
A short section of reggae taken from the new album served to quieten the buzz which Snoop responded to well by returning to the classics such as ‘’Drop It Like It’s Hot’’ late on and ending the show with a wonderful rendition of ‘’Young Wild & Free’’ at sunset that captured the atmosphere of the weekend in a perfect manner. As he exited the stage to the sounds of Bob Marley’s ‘’Jammin’’, it was plain to see that for many this was the most enjoyable experience of the weekend, due in large part to Snoop’s excellent interaction skills with the adoring crowd, in spite of his failure to grasp the fact that he was not in Dublin as he repeatedly stated. We’ll forgive him though.
As the night began, drum and bass specialists Chase & Status came onstage with the lashing rain in full flow, although nobody was to be put off, in fact it seemed as though the rain was driving them further on, creating a special atmosphere that was severely enhanced by a collection of hardcore electro tunes such as ‘’Let You Go’’, ‘’Blind Faith’’ and ‘’Time’’. Collaborating with an onscreen Plan B worked a charm on festival goers aswell, especially as signature hit ‘’End Credits’’ was delivered in what was surely one of the finest performances of the weekend. Despite the reputation of acts such as this for possible crowd trouble or violence (with Swedish House Mafia acting as a terrible example last summer) there was not a hint of hassle in sight with the crowd joining in communal dance and actively enjoying each other’s company. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of all was the live band setup that Chase & Status employ, marking an impressive change of pace from the button pushing techniques that dominated the weekend.
Last but not least was the main attraction in the form of French superstar DJ David Guetta who took the same no nonsense approach as Calvin Harris the night before with an onslaught of chart hits that set the crowd alight, the likes of ‘’Love Don’t Let Me Go’’, ‘’Memories’’ and ‘’Titanium’’ making notable appearances throughout a set which included covers of Avicii and even Harris himself to the pleasure of many in attendance. While maybe not as impressive as the two acts that went before him, there was no doubt that the crowd were loving the reliable set of songs that Guetta provided, and it made for a fitting end to a weekend filled with dance hits.
In conclusion, while many have stayed away from Oxegen this year due to it’s changing appearance, you can be sure that those who went will have had an excellent experience and speculation that this might be MCD’s last outing with the festival now looks doubtful. After a successful weekend by all accounts, it now seems quite possible for Oxegen to continue in its changed format.
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