Oxegen 2011 - Hurts
Vodafone Stage, Saturday,Ìý 5.15pm
Describe in a Tweet: An afternoon at the opera.
What happened: Hurts know how to enter a stage. A swirling electro track booms while the backing band stand motionless looking like the Kraftwerk lads on a jolly to the Proms. Their grandiose pop is effortlessly entertaining, their suits indicate a trip to Saville row and in Theo Hutchcraft they have probably the most striking vocal performance of the weekend. Unfortunately the atmosphere is affected with a poor turn out to the Vodafone stage. Nonetheless 80’s synth-pop tinged melancholia is the order of the day with tracks such as ‘Wonderful Life’, ‘Blood Tears and Gold’ and especially ‘Better Than Love’ mean a lot to those who have made the effort.
Puzzlingly the Mancunian’s reference themselves as a band from Germany, when it’s very clear from their thick Northern brogue that they have more in common with Coronation Street than they do the Autobhan. Great show, poor crowd.
Crazy In Love: Hurts win the most epic gesture of the festival award, throwing a dozen white roses into the crowd.
Why Don’t You Love Me: They may have ‘suited’ a later slot in one of the tents. Badum-tish.
Oxegen rating: 7/10
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