O2 Corporate Branded Extravaganza, Hyde Park

[editor]

you didn't really miss much vix, B&S were lost in the field, with the shit sound and so many people simply not giving a shit.

And you missed the best band of the day - SFA!

Man Don't Give A Fuck was awesome and atmosphere in the tent (once I managed to get in) was buzzin'!

 

[MBV]

I was totally surprised when the Strokes came on after B&S. Firstly it seemed too early and secondly I just assumed SFA would be on the main stage.

I am glad I didn't pay full price for my tickets as the sound seemed a bit off. When I got there it was a bit of weird vide but as the night went on and a few beers later it wasn't a bad night.

 

[rennie]

what time does it finish? I have to work on saturday!

 

[William of Walworth]

I hate corporate festivals.

I've been to a few, and often some of the bands were great soo I'm not too absolutist about it.

(Although there is a certain in your faceness level of coporate spsnorship thats a real downer ...)

Parts of the lineup of this one were REALLY tempting. (and that was before I decided to go away last weekend anyway )

But I'm unlilely to go to a festival again where hardcore frisking and bagsearches, I mean of everyone, for alcohol etc., are involved.

Editor mentioned the real ale earlier, can't quite believe a bash like this would bother with it.

 

[editor]

Editor mentioned the real ale earlier, can't quite believe a bash like this would bother with it.

It was only in the one tent (happily the one where my ex was serving!) but there was a full range of real ales.

 

[flangelina]

You're a fool - go! The line up is amazing.

Massive Attack
Flaming Lips
Pharrel
Gnarls Berkley
Metric

I'm going to 02 Wireless in Leeds on Saturday, and the line up's much the same. No Flaming Lips, but there will be Goldfrapp and DJ Shadow Any idea what he'll be like live?

 

[rennie]

incidentally... those who have been there already... where's the entrance in Hyde Park? I'll be walking from covent garden n need to figure out the quickest route!

 

[clandestino]

It's just up for Hyde Park Corner, so straight along through Picadilly Circus and through to Green Park will do you. We walked from the Photographers Gallery and it didn't take that long. Have a look at the Damien Hurst statue in the courtyard outside the Royal Academy on your way!

 

[Chairman Meow]

A good tip for any of you who are wine drinkers - buy a wine box, drink some out of it, tear the box off and shove the inside bag down the front of your jeans, and wear a floaty top over the top. Works best if you are a woman of childbearing age, cos done well you just look like you have a post baby jelly belly. Works for me every time, in extremis.

 

[William of Walworth]

It was only in the one tent (happily the one where my ex was serving!) but there was a full range of real ales.

But I'm still a tad surprised ... pleasantly so

 

[Dan U]

fuck festivals in Hyde Park

i worked by hyde park for years and what started as one or two events turned, via a star trek convention, to a huge swathe of the park barred from PUBLIC use from june - september pretty much.

AND its the best bit to play footie in
AND its then roped off most of the winter for re-turfing and recovery

the whole area is covered in swathes of litter for at least a day afterwards, often longer.

its a PUBLIC resource not a cash cow for promoters and corporate sponsors

and they want to do MORE events

<rant ends>

 

[editor]

Looks like the forum on their website isn't going to plan!

http://forums.o2wirelessfestival.co.uk/tt.aspx?forumid=4&p=1&tmode=1&smode=1

 

[Orangesanlemons]

LMFAO!
Seriously, you have to have an O2 phone to get into certain areas? Tell me they're joking!

 

[bluestreak]

i am going now. flaming lips for free... i'd be silly not to.

 

[Dubversion]

i am going now. flaming lips for free... i'd be silly not to.

i keep telling myself that, and then baulking...

 

[Error Gorilla]

I really wanted to go and see Depeche Mode headlining on Sunday night but I couldn't afford it and I missed the free tickets last week. On reading some of the reports on here I'm glad I'm I won't be there.

 

[editor]

i keep telling myself that, and then baulking...

1. Drink a ton of beer before arriving
2. Grit your teeth and endure the bag-rustling bollocks
3. Go to bar and order pear cider
4. Shunt floppy-fringe, indy-pop kids out of the way and go to front of stage
5. Enjoy the Flaming Lips
6. Leave promptly.

 

[editor]

Some pics here:
http://www.urban75.org/london/o2-wireless-2006.html

 

[Orangesanlemons]

Cheers, that was a decent primer. Good to see I can be Brighton-bound again by eleven at the latest. Rock n' fuckin' roll!

 

[rich!]

Some pics here:
http://www.urban75.org/london/o2-wireless-2006.html

this one's great:

http://www.urban75.org/london/images/o2-2006-08.jpg

I particularly like the "hippy formal" look...


(true, the tumbleweed stage shots are funnier, but that one's great...)

 

[bluestreak]

cunt. some of have to look smart for work you know.

 

[dogmatique]

Home already. Twas okayish i spose, but the littering of fenced off areas, the second tent that you couldn't get into... gah.

I'd be annoyed if i'd have paid. Left during Massive (yawn) attack.

 

[Orangesanlemons]

That was most enjoyable for a freebie.
Got there just in time for Flaming Lips. A short, sweet set with all the hits, plus Bohemian Rhapsody, inflatable spaceman, santas and spacegirls. Good fun, but the crowd were a little too quiet. Wayne sounded frustrated by the end.
Massive Attack's set was Mezzanine-based with a few from Blue Lines, just the one from Protection and (thankfully) very little from 100th Window. The guests made it - Horace Andy (obv), Terry Callier and *yay!* Liz Frazer doing Teardrop.

LMFAO - just noticed it's on c4 right now! Most bizarre.

 

[Lisarocket]

LMFAO - just noticed it's on c4 right now! Most bizarre.

Totally weirded me out on Thurs night (yes, i know. I went to the David Gray day ) when i got back in tanked up on pear cider to see the gig i'd just been to on telly only about 3 hours after i'd been at it

They should have shown John Cale doing Venus in Furs though...a classic moment

 

[Lisarocket]

I'm thinking if the weather is nice tomorrow i might go and catch a bit of Matisyahu and Depeche Mode. Does anyone know if there are any cheap/free tix going anywhere. I thought they were doing £20 tix through Lastminute.com, but when i checked it was just for James fucking Blunt today.

Heh. Obviously the tickets haven't sold very well for whiney git day

 

[maes]

I thought it was shite, had to get VERY drunk to block out the corporate pain it was free though, had some good mates there, Gogol Bordello & the Flaming Lips were awesome. The pear cider was pricey but yum.

 

[Lisarocket]

I thought it was shite, had to get VERY drunk to block out the corporate pain it was free though, had some good mates there, Gogol Bordello & the Flaming Lips were awesome. The pear cider was pricey but yum.

I agree...
It is really corporate...and i was pissed off about not being able to take in a "professional looking" camera, and the fact the the advertised 5th stage was one that i couldn't get into, because i'm a 'customer' of another mobile company. I got very drunk on pear cider (overpriced...my overdraft hated it!) in honour of Glasto tho, so i ended up having a good time on thursday. Yes...and at the risk of a flaming, David Gray and his band were actually pretty good live!!!! The atmos in the crowd was great...

Apart from all that though i'd still like to spend a free or cheap sunday in hyde park if anyone has any ideas on how i can get in for nowt

 

[ddraig]

on telly now, don't look that busy in parts.
that man (flaming lips?) in his big plastic ball crowd surfing is

 

[aylee]

Went today. Yes, the O2 bollocks was tedious (they even handed out those bubble-blowing guns to people to send bubbles floating across our field of vision) but I have learned just to ignore that over the years. But it was a good bill .... started by seeing Polytechnic and New Young Pony Club .... both very promising bands but I felt soooooooo old watching them .... the only ones in the bands with razors are probably NYPC's female members!

After the football, it was on to the main stage to see the Mystery Jets, Goldfrapp and Depeche Mode. The Mystery Jets were excellent although the crowd was clearly a bit baffled by their spiky prog. Alison Goldfrapp was a minx as usual with her theremin, and Depeche Mode closed out the night with an excellent set although a bit heavy on new stuff for my liking. None of it was original and there was no naked mud wrestling, but I enjoyed myself. Sorry if that's a crime!

 

[Error Gorilla]

Depeche looked excellent and it looked like a big crowd too. Wish I could have been there but the O2 corporate wankathon that some have described would have pissed me right off.