O2 Wireless 2008: Rated!

United Kingdom | by Daniel Fahey | 08 July 2008

Overall - 6/10
O2 Wireless has the potential to become a serene utopia that appeases the capital's stuffy-collared city folk from their garish computer screens during the summer. But instead the festival feels like an ongoing ad break on terrestrial television with brash and tasteless adverts plastered around the site. The true pitfall of this year's festival, however, is the lack of big name names beyond the headliner. Jay-Z is preceded by Mark Ronson and Hot Chip, while Fatboy Slim has a little help from Underworld, but elsewhere decent acts felt few and far between.

Getting There And Back - 8/10
Situated, slap-bang in the centre of London the festival has possibly one of the best transport links in the country. Marble Arch and Hyde Park Corner are merely minutes from the entrance and a great number of buses stop even closer. Taking a car would be a more arduous task with the congestion charge, heavy traffic, rising fuel prices and parking difficulties to think about. But with a non-camping festival, how much stuff does one really need to take?

The Site - 5/10
An estate agent would comfortably use the word 'compact'. The main stage is large enough, but the close proximity to neighbouring tents means there are a lot of sound clashes, especially from the Monster Energy MC commenting on the skateboarding half-pipe and the compare rousing the crowd for a competition of Guitar Hero. The Gaymers karaoke bar is offensive and would feel out of place at any other festival, while the company stands pitched around the site (O2, wine, milkshakes, cars, etc…) make it feel a little like you're walking through a trade fair. The one-way system for band tents is annoying and restrictive, but the queuing system implicated at the bars seems to work well, even if the queues look as if they're snaking for miles.

Atmosphere - 6/10
At times the atmosphere drags like an office party, but crowds on the weekend days seem a lot more relaxed. The festival's ambience hangs from the lure of the headliners, with most choosing to sit in the sunshine and chat during the earlier acts. It is not the sort of event that you can go alone and make friends with the person next to you, but its more like London itself: protective restrictive and overtly expensive.

Music:

Uppers:

Fatboy Slim - 8/10
Norman Cook seems to be back at his best. The floating stage he's been performing on has been grounded, while his ear for a great party track has returned. His own 'Praise You' and mash-up of The Rolling Stones 'Satisfaction' with 'The Rockerfeller Skank' are highlights, as his choice of track barely drops below 'anthem'.

Jay-Z - 7/10
It may've been an almost carbon copy to his Glastonbury appearance, but it is easier to see why he was so popular in Pilton. Throwing in samples of Amy Winehouse's 'Rehab' and 'Black To Black' as well as thundering through his own hits like 'Heart Of The City' and 'Girls Girls Girls', the rapper highlights his versatility. The set is far from disappointing, but still quite a way from life-affirming.

Bootsy Collins - 8/10
James Brown's ex-bassist unveils a delicious sunshine set of covers from the Godfather Of Soul. '(Get Up I Feel Like A) Sex Machine' and 'Soul Power' are done justice by a Brown look-a-like, while Aretha Franklin's 'Respect' shows the extent of the funkster's song-writing ability. Pimp hats, dancers in platforms and plenty of horns – it's like travelling back in time.

Counting Crows - 8/10
The laidback Americans brought the festival to a chilled and emotional close with lead singer Adam Duritz even shedding a tear during the gorgeous 'Coulourblind'. 'Mr Jones' is the stand-alone highlight, but the new layered material as intense and rewarding as any of their older work.

Downers:
Morrissey - 6/10
After spending a lifetime persuading friends and peers that Morrissey isn't at all morose or boring, the singer finally produced a show that will leave many of his past defenders on the ropes. He was as enjoyably outspoken as usual, but his choice of songs, plucked from his latest offering 'Ringleader Of The Tormentors' and the upcoming 'Years Of Refusal' suggest that his best days may be behind him. Even his selection of album tracks from the Smiths-era fail to redeem him.
 
Random Events

Taking The Piss
The girl making herself laugh as she peed against the door of an elegant Mayfair house following the Fatboy Slim day. The rest of the festival is far too regimented for randomness.