Until someone started throwing the mud around. Not my bag now, but mind you, there were plenty of mud urchins floating around who seemed to enjoy that immensely.

Pretty much at the last minute, I got asked down to Oxegen to play a little stage in the green campsite. ‘Tex’s New Dawn Stage’, in association with the most awesome little music pub in Ireland – Boyles of Slane – and the best little rehearsal studio in Meath – The Farm.

So in I trucked with all the elements of the Bill Coleman Experience on Friday afternoon, and we were set up and done by 1:30 just in time to save the electronic stuff from the rain. A good time was had by all, including Nettles who were on just before me. Check them out, acousticy, folky stuff with a sax chucked on top. Kinda groovy

And the rest of the weekend, except for Saturday, was spent wandering around in the aforementioned mud, checking out music. Pretty neat. Highlights of my weekend were, in no particular order:

Casio Kids – 7pm in the Red Bull on Sunday – pretty much exactly what it says on the tin, lots of fun. Unfortunately, whatever they were doing was too much for the mic on my camera, so I’m not going to inflict that on you. Here’s a pic though…

Random fact: that’s the back of Ruby Sessions/Bell X1 Marc’s head (with the red, sorta-mohawk thing going on) in the foreground. Amazing the amount of people you can randomly meet in a field with 80,000 people in it.

Wallis Bird – 5pm in the Hot Press tent on Sunday – absolutely savage. I’m amazed she didn’t do herself an injury with all the lepping around, but it was very refreshing to see someone so full of energy and so genuine. Great tunes too.

James – 4:30 on the Main Stage on Friday – they happened to play a load of tunes off ‘Laid‘, an album I pretty much wore out listening to it back in the day, so that was always going to keep me pretty happy.

Duke Special – 6:40 on Oxegen 2 on Friday – gotta love the Duke. At one point he jumped off the stage to do a bit of the old ‘audience connect’ stuff. Seemed to not realise how long it would take him to get back on stage again. I tell you, he can run ! Lovely version of ‘Freewheel’ at the end which I haven’t heard him play live in ages. ‘Digging an Early Grave’ was another highlight.

Villagers – 9:25 in the IMRO tent on Sunday – pretty rocking. First time I’ve seen them in the flesh and WELL worth leaving Glasvegas for.

Finished off the weekend with some NIN. WoAH !!!!

And now I need to finish cleaning my boots…