Older acts to take breath of Oxegen

THE ROAD to the Oxegen music festival, which takes place at Dublin’s Punchestown racecourse from July 10th to 12th, has turned into a comeback trail for many acts who were once among the biggest draws in music.

Veteran pop act The Pet Shop Boys and American indie pioneers Jane’s Addiction were added to the bill yesterday and join Blur, Squeeze and The Specials among bands who are going back to the future for a new audience.

Oxegen may have a reputation for showcasing new acts like The Killers, who have gone from the new band stage to their second headline festival-closing slot at Oxegen this year, but it has also featured acts such as James Brown, The Who and Rage Against the Machine seeking to reclaim their reputation.

The inclusion of Pet Shop Boys will please The Killers’ lead singer Brandon Flowers, who acknowledged the influence of their synth-driven music by performing with them at the recent Brit Awards. Pet Shop Boys were given an award for an outstanding contribution to music.

The addition of Jane’s Addiction, Nine Inch Nails and the Eagles of Death Metal is bound to please fans of the alternative scene, with one fan on Irish Times’ music writer Jim Carroll’s blog writing: “Can’t really deny it. The Oxegen line-up has just gone thru the roof.”

Britpop stalwarts Blur, who reformed at the end of last year, will headline Friday night on the main stage. Festival favourites Kings of Leon will headline Saturday night and The Killers will round off the festival on Sunday night.

Among the acts who find themselves considerably up the bill this year are pop-rock Irish band The Script who play Friday night having made their debut on the new stage last year. “We’re third from the top, so it’s a nice, nice slot. It’s going to be dark,we’re going to have a light show. It’s going to be a special night,” said singer Danny O’Donoghue.

MCD spokesman Justin Green said the mixture of the old and the new was in keeping with previous years. “If you look back over the years, having new acts along with more mature acts, is what the festival is all about.”

Of the biggest acts of the festival, Kings of Leon and The Killers have been regulars at Oxegen, while they and Snow Patrol, played the O2 recently.

Tickets for Oxegen ’09 go on sale today at 8am. In keeping with the straitened times, ticket prices at €224.50 for a three-day pass with camping, have been kept the same as last year. Cash-strapped fans will be able to place a deposit of €120 to secure their tickets with the remaining balance to be paid by April 30th.

In what was something of a vintage day for concert announcements, Neil Young has been confirmed for the O2 in Dublin on Sunday, June 21st while thrash metal legends Metallica will play Marlay Park on August 1st.

Michael Jackson announced his comeback with 10 shows at the O2 in London yesterday, but there are no plans for him to play in Ireland.