Oxegen 08

[adhamh]

So I took a trip to county Kildare last weekend to partake of the festivities that are Oxegen 2008. I spent a lot of time going to see the acoustic singer songwriters like Declan O'Rourke, Glen Hansard, etc. But alas! Not an Avalon to be seen. I was deeply saddened.
However, I went to see young Mr Baxter in the Green tent and behold...a beautiful Avalon Americana! And boy oh boy could he play that thing. He swung it round his neck for a rendition of "Better" which would have made the hair stand on the back of your neck.
So great to see the greatest guitars in the world being represented on the big stage!
Hopefully next year there'll be even more!..

[stevemac]

Yeah, I noticed and bemoaned the lack of Avalon's at Oxegen, although from the comfort of my armchair watching it on TV. But the thing that struck me was how many really poor quality acoustics were on show! I'm not taking a swipe at respectable competitors here, I was genuinely surprised to see professional musicians turn up at a major festival like this and do TV with some really awful sounding instruments.

We have work to do!

[Ross A]

the thing that struck me was how many really poor quality acoustics were on show! I'm not taking a swipe at respectable competitors here, I was genuinely surprised to see professional musicians turn up at a major festival like this and do TV with some really awful sounding instruments.

We have work to do!

Can you share the artists and their guitars who sounded awful?

[dcleland]

although, endorsed or not I'd say picking the guitar to a normally wet outdoor gig you would want to leave your best instruments at home ?

David

[adhamh]

Artists playing terrible guitars -

Declan O'Rourke playing what seemed to be a Suzuki. Sounded like he was playing strings attached to a cardboard box. Then he pulled out a Martin...which was even worse.

Kings of Leon playing a Takamine - Sound engineer did what he could, but it still sounded like he was strumming a tin can.

Glen Hansard playing his famous Takamine. During the sound test the sound man was giving it a bash and it sounded truly truly truly AWFUL! So bad that my sister who knows nothing of guitars commented on how bad it sounded. However, when Mr Hansard picked it up and started strumming...It suddenly became beautiful. Unbelievable. I dont know how he made that guitar sound good...but he did. MAGIC!

There were some nice guitars on display though, such as Amy McDonald who played a nice Gibson J200. Pretty nice. etc etc...

[stevemac]

All of the above, except I don't think Declan's guitar was a Suzuki - I couldn't identify the brand but it was a 12-string with an unusual looking headstock.

I agree there were some great sounding guitars there as well, but honestly, the bad ones were really bad!

[Darach]

didn't see the gig, but Declan's been playing a Maton dread cutaway for as long as I've known him so that might be the Unidentified Guitar-shaped Object he was holding.
http://www.declanorourke.com/gallery.php

always thought he would make a great Avalon artist...really nice player...might be worth inviting him up to the factory or setting him up with a nice electro Auditorium cutaway for a tryout!