Oxegen Review Round-up:The weather was mostly kind and the atmosphere good, but it was the unbeatable line-up of acts that made Oxegen a success, writes Brian Keane
Spoilt for choice. That pretty much sums it up. With more than 150 acts to choose from, Oxegen 2008 was a game of trade-offs, safe bets and worthwhile risks.
Dublin rock band Future Kings of Spain had the honour of opening proceedings on the O2 Stage and got things off to a winning start. We even saw our first crowd surfer of the weekend.
Sneaky Sound System wasted no time on the Dance Stage, dropping classic dance cuts to ensure the party atmosphere was up and running.
On the Main Stage, The Coronas copper-fastened their position as favourites among Irish teenage girls. "This is the best day ever" announced singer Danny O'Reilly, before enquiring if anyone had spare room in their tent for the night.
Back at the O2 Stage, Sugababes attracted one of the biggest crowds of the day. Their highly choreographed show was packed full of their singles, and despite some microphone difficulties, it attracted no diva-like tantrums.
Editors handled their promotion to the Main Stage superbly, dazzling the crowd with their indie anthems.
Trip-hop artist Tricky provided a chilled-out set in Pet Sounds, while Kings of Leon attracted a sizeable crowd for their Main Stage show and at the O2 Stage, Groove Armada brought Friday's proceedings to a close.
DAY TWO
Early Saturday afternoon and on the Main Stage, US punk act Bowling for Soup claimed to be the "greatest band that ever lived", before bursting into their cover of The Ramones I Wanna Be Sedated.
A wander across the increasingly muddy terrain brought us to the Green Room where Delays did everything in their power to win over the crowd with their superior indie pop - and succeeded.
A torrential downpour guided people towards the same venue a short time later, only to find they couldn't get in as The Tings Tings attracted a massive crowd for their poptastic set in what was the highlight of many people's weekend.
It was never going to be easy to follow that and, despite the lavish stage decorations, British Sea Power's set was unusually staid.
Amy Winehouse made her detractors eat humble pie with a solid performance on the Main Stage and, as darkness descended over Punchestown, we saw cracking performances from Blood Red Shoes, Hot Chip and Justice. Vampire Weekend packed out the Green Room, despite having competition from REM on the main stage.
In the Pet Sounds tent, The National continued their love affair with the Irish, while The Verve's anthem-filled show on the Main Stage sent happy punters back to the campsites.
DAY THREE
People were looking a wee bit the worse for wear, but Eddy Grant helped put a smile on everyone's face on the Main Stage.
We Are Scientists provided a highly amusing set, working the crowd with cheeky one-liners, which helped cover up the fact that their music has as much depth as an Oxegen puddle.
Jaguar Love managed to clear out the 2FM New Band Stage. They're not that bad, honestly. We passed The Blizzards at the end of what appeared to be a triumphant set. MGMT went from bad to brilliant thanks to some daredevil fan escapades at the best- attended Pet Sounds show of the weekend.
There was a marriage proposal on the O2 Stage before Republic of Loose brought their racket to the masses.
A hard-hitting set from the mighty Rage Against The Machine prompted scenes of unreserved mayhem at the Main Stage and a homecoming for The Swell Season's Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová raised the roof in Pet Sounds and helped draw the curtain for this year.
