OUR OXYGEM
Ms Sunday World Shines as Rain Fails to Dampen Music Fans' Spirits
by Eddie Rowley
OVER 70,000 rock revellers
banished the recession blues
this weekend as they partied
in the sun, rain and mud at
Oxegen.
The good-natured crowd lapped
up a feast of music fare from Blur
and The Blizzards to Keane and
Kings Of Leon, but it was our
Miss Sunday World Aisling
Bourke who stole the show.
Blonde beauty Aisling (20) from
Thurles, Co Tipperary, turned heads
and wowed the music fans as she
sashayed through the throng.
Model and massage therapist Aisling
was mobbed by festival-goers, and backstage
she was the toast of the celeb set
who flocked around her in the VIP section.
"I'm having an absolute ball.This is my
first time at Oxegen and I'm thrilled to
get the chance to do it in style with lots
of VIP treatment," Aisling said yesterday.
Experience
"I'm also getting the full experience.
I'm camping out and roughing it as well.
So it's not all red-carpet stuff, but I'm
loving it.The biggest problem is making
sure I don't miss my favourite acts
because there's so much on offer."
Aisling got up close and personal with
a host of stars, including singer Tom Chaplin of top British band, Keane; and
Huey Morgan of New York combo Fun
Lovin' Criminals.
"She's absolutely gorgeous," Chaplin
told the Sunday World after meeting our
Aisling prior to his high-energy performance
with Keane on Friday night.
Meanwhile, out in the audience a happy-
go-lucky male gang from Cavan was
thrilled to meet our girl.
Besotted fan Jim Smith said: "Jaysus, I
recognised her from the paper alright,
but she's better looking in the flesh. Is
she goin' out with anyone?"
The stunner also attracted the attention
of two young Gardai, Paul Leary and
Stephen Brazil, who were among 200
members of the force, along with 1,800
security staff, keeping an eye on the goingson
at the big music shindig over the weekend.
Promoters MCD said they coughed up
a whopping €2 million on security at the
event to ensure the safety of Oxegen
concert-goers.
One lucky fan, Barbara Hamill, is also
living her dream this weekend after winning
a Sunday World/FM104 competition
to be an official Oxegen photographer.
Amazing
Barbara, who is within touching distance
of everyone from James Morrison
to The Killers and Dirty Epics in the
snappers' pit at the front of the stage,
said: "This is such an amazing experience.
It's every fan's dream to get this
close to all these amazing performers."
Fans couldn't believe their eyes on
Friday evening when Lily Allen wandered
out from her dressing room and
took a stroll through the party-goers. A
couple of burly minders shadowed the
star to ensure she didn't get mobbed.
Blur's frontman Damon Albarn paid
tribute to the late Irish superstar Joe
Dolan on Friday night. Joe had covered
Blur's song, The Universal. And just
before the Britpop legends finished
their set with the song, Albarn said:
"This is for the great Joe
Dolan."
Joe's nephew, Adrian
Dolan, said yesterday: "Our
family is delighted that
Damon Albarn paid such an
amazing tribute to Joe in
front of 70,000 fans. It was a
beautiful moment."
The rain failed to dampen the
spirits of the crowd over the last
couple of days as they lapped up a variety
of entertainment, including all the
thrills of the fun fairs on the
huge Oxegen site.
For those who wanted to
take a break from the
music, there was art,
comedy and independent films to while away the time.
Hundreds of female revellers were also
availing of the services of the Oxegen
beauty and massage parlour.
The hungry horde feasted on a variety
of food, including seaweed sausages
from Mayo, at the 250 nosh outlets.
There was also an eco-friendly theme as
the Oxegen organisers strive to reduce the
party people's carbon footprint in a bid to
make this the greenest festival in the
world.
The music continues today with the
Killers, Razorlight and Lady GaGa
among the must-see acts.
Gardai are investigating the stabbing
of a man in his 20s in an Oxegen car
park around midnight on Friday. He
was transferred to St James Hospital
where he is reported to be stable.
There have been 47 arrests at the
event since Friday morning for drugs,
public order and road traffic offences.
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BY NIAMH BYRNE (PICS: ERNIE LESLIE)