Oxegen 2010 - Jay Z
Main Stage, Friday 9th July, 9.20pmDescribe in a Tweet: More than we expected. And we expected a LOT.
What Happened: Fair bit of drama building up to this one, with Jay Z finally weighing in half an hour late. ATL, in pure fanboy mode, attempts to charm the heavy security presence to catch a glimpse of his arrival backstage, only to see him sheepishly emerge from a expensive looking vehicle from about 30 feet away, which seems about as close as you're allowed to get. He negotiates the mud, wanders up the steps and walks onstage just as a big-screen countdown reaches zero. Bedlam ensues, with one of the finest reactions we've witnessed to an act in eleven years of this festival.
Crazy in Love: He's one of the best showmen Oxegen has ever welcomed, and certainly graced with the most impressive flow Punchestown has or ever will witness. 'On To The Next One' and 'Run This Town' get us started, before 'U Don't Know' and 'Takeover' from the first Blueprint reveal themselves as two of the greatest rap tracks ever written. '99 Problems' and 'DirtÌýOff Your Shoulder' are along shortly, with samples and reworkings of tracks by Prodigy, Rihanna, U2 and Punjabi MC also making sure anyone here because of the the mans legend (rather than his music) are kept more than happy. Jay Z seems genuinely impressed with the reaction, barely having to work at all, other than graciously thanking us and referencing various individuals in the crowd. Tops were already off, he didn't need to say.
99 Problems: Only potential problem could have been a young-ish gathering only know certain sections of his back catalogue, but the verse-chorus-DONE approach coupled with party-track samples and covers (of sorts), works a treat - you're never more than a few moments away from a massive hit or a big moment. Throw in some striking visuals and incredible musicians and... well, if we can't use the word 'flawless' here, we neverÌýcan.
Oxegen Rating: 10/10
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