theRockEnvironment

July, 2009

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interview02Rock the Environment

QWhat have Razorlight been up to lately?

AWe have been touring a lot in Englandand this summer we will be playingmusic festivals all over Europe.

QThis is your fourth time playingOXEGEN, what were your highlightsfrom previous years?

AThe last time I was at OXEGEN, I didan interview for a local radio station,as it turns out the guy conducting

the interview was the guitar player from aband I loved when I was 17. I also rememberwe played an amazing gig even thoughneither Johnny nor Carl had any sleep thenight before.

QWhat can we expect fromRazorlight on stage at OXEGEN?

AWe like pleasing crowds, so we willprobably blast out our greatest hits todate with a bit of on stage rock n’roll

thrown in for effect, everything the audiencewant to see at a festival.

QYour new album, Slipway Fires wasreleased in November. What kind ofsounds can we expect and will you

be playing anything off it at OXEGEN?

AWe will also play a few songs fromthe new album that still has aRazorlight sound - it’s like a mix of

the previous two albums with a heavierrock vibe.

QHow doesOXEGENcompare

with otherfestivals?

AOXEGEN hasa great vibe,the Irish

crowds are fantastic;they are very easygoing and are lessconcerned about thewet weather or

Editor’sWelcome Razorlight

ReturnWelcome to our second edition of Rockthe Environment OXEGEN festival Ezine.

Working with the OXEGEN festival Isometimes wonder if trying to raiseawareness about environmental issuesat a festival is fruitless?

After all, we really all want to have agood time and perhaps escapeinconvenient truths like Climate Change.So when we came up with initiativeslike the Green TV ‘create your ownvideo’ competition, we worried thatpeople might not care enough aboutgetting a green message out there.

However I was massively surprised andimpressed by the creativity, which all ofyou have demonstrated with youramazing Green TV videos. These haveshown that you really do want to makechange happen!

The bands are full of surprises as well,from The Coronas’ depth of knowledgeon green issues in the first Ezine to TheBlizzards’ message of ‘you have to startwith yourself’. Musicians can and aremaking changes to their individuallifestyles and perpetuating awarenessamongst their fans.

With this year’s OXEGEN festival fastapproaching, this Ezine gives you thelow down on what to bring on page 4.We talk with The Blizzards, who werevoted the best live band at the last twoOXEGENS and we have a chat with Bjorn from Razorlight! We also gobehind the scenes with AndrewHaworth, Live Nation EnvironmentalManager, to look at what goes intomaking the environmental side ofOXEGEN run smoothly.

Finally, I hope you all have a brilliantfestival and come visit us at ECOGENover the weekend to boost yourenvironmental awareness, plus wemight have a few surprises for you!

Dylan Townsend

Dylan Townsend of GreenroomConsulting is the environmental

consultant for MCD.

As Razorlight prepare for another electrifying OXEGEN gig,Collette Devlin challenges guitarist Björn Ågren to take the 60 second interview…and your time starts now!

great time when suddenly we came across atilted over portaloo with a blow up dollsticking out! It was hilarious!

QAny tips for staying green at a festival?

ARecycle all your plastic bottles and paper.

QDo you feel musicians have a role toplay in reducing the negativeeffects on the environment?

AEverybody has a role to play.Obviously big businesses havechanges to make, however if you

think about how many people are in theworld, and we all do a tiny little bit, that addsup to a big difference! Every little bit helps.

QWhat do you do in your daily lifeand as an artist to reduce yourcarbon footprint?

AWe as a band advise our promotersto try and do what they can for theenvironment, for example using LED

lighting where possible and using recycledpaper for various things.

At home I try to do what I can; I’ve got alittle smart car but I mainly use publictransport. I don’t watch much television andI play my acoustic guitar instead of theelectric guitar.

QHow do you think Climate Changewill affect your lifestyle now and inthe future?

AThe weather patterns will change alot, which will obviously lead to moremuddy festivals!

TIME’S UP WITH JUST A SECOND TO GO -Well Done Björn!

muddy clothes, they just like to enjoy themusic and have a really good time!

QIf you were in the crowd this year,which band/artist would you goand watch?

ABlur and definitely the Kings of Leonbecause they are a raw band like us.

QYou are packing for OXEGEN as afestival-goer, what top five items do you bring?

AThe two top items would have to bea loo roll and then another loo rollbecause you know the portaloo

paper will run out at some stage You arealso likely to spill something very stickyinside your tent and its ideal for cleaning up.Another essential item is a leather jacket;not only does it keep you warm and dry butyou can sit on it too! I would also bringspare bags for collecting my rubbish and forkeeping stuff separate and dry in arucksack. Finally, mix tapes and a tape deckare great for your campsite.

QBefore you were famous, festivalmemories?

AI used to go to music festivals all thetime. I remember one blisteringSunday afternoon we were having a

news 03Rock the Environment

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festival for the

A few other things to

remember...• Always agree upon a meeting point with

your friends in case you get lost. You don’t

want to spend the whole festival on your own!

• Don’t carry a huge rucksack into the site, it will

only annoy you and get in the way of other

festival-goers. A backpack should be sufficient.

• Do not carry valuables with you, i.e. keep what

money you need in your pocket to avoid

carrying the contents of your wallet. There are

also various ATM machines around site for

your convenience. Fans are also encouraged to

make use of the safety lockers onsite for

storing personal items.

• If you are on medication, be sure to carry

it in its branded box otherwise it may

get confiscated.

• No glass is permitted anywhere at the festival,

so if you are bringing alcohol into the

campsite, bring cans! Please note you can’t

bring cans into the arena with you.

Don’t missOXEGEN is renowned for an impressive line-up of the hottestnew acts and more established rock and dance acts. Inaddition to them, OXEGEN makes the weekend one toremember with a range of other attractions and facilities.

Festival FunfairsFestival-goers can again experience adrenaline rushes at thefestival funfairs. For the first time ever, OXEGEN will featurethree large funfairs, one located in the main arena, one in theBlue Campsite and one in the Red Campsite. Among the manyhair-raising thrills will be two of Europe’s largest travellingslingshots with masts standing at 45 metres high – they’llcatapult the bravest OXEGEN fans to speeds reaching over160kph!

Adrenaline junkies can also have a go on one of the twoboosters which spin you round and round at awesomespeeds. Other attractions include bumping cars, a giant Ferriswheel and a ghost train. The House of Terrors will also scarethe living wits out of all who enter! With over 20 majorfairground rides, rodeo bulls and lots of games and stalls, thisyear’s OXEGEN Funfairs will be the biggest ever. ChillMaybe you need time to chill out on rugs and listen to somebeat poetry? You can do that too at the Moroccan Marquee. ShoppingWith plenty of shopping options you can pick up everythingfrom festival essentials to the latest fashions and fancy dressas well as official OXEGEN ’09 merchandise.PaintballingOXEGEN have teamed up with Skirmish, Ireland’s premierpaintball company, to bring the fun and excitement ofpaintballing to the festival this year!

of a

Get ready

sorry with wet soggy, muddyshoes! Make a festivalfashion statement and standout from the crowd with atrendy pair of wellies.• Sunscreen and sunglassesEven though you are in Ireland,you can still get burned! Plus

cool sunnies will helpyou blend in with the

rock stars.• Liquid toothpaste

Because brushing your teeth can be tricky in a field...

• VitaminsTry Berocca – they

provide plenty of vitaminsand minerals that will ensure youhave enough energy to dance theday away, plus they are great for hangovers!

• Camping chairSit back, relax andenjoy the music!• TorchA pocket-sized torch is perfect for

finding your way back to camp.• Tent marker

Use a flag or piece of material so you can identify your tent from the thousands of

others after the gig.• A basic first aid kitOXEGEN will have trained first aiders onsite but it is always handy to have a fewplasters in your bag – you neverknow if those new shoes will give you blisters.

lifetimeCheck list• The ObviousYour ticket with ID to prove you are over 17 years oldand your parking/camping ticket. Your site map and running order.• Baby wipesThe number one indispensible item that you can’t go to a festival without! Think of them

as a shower in a packet! • Loo rollIf you have enough, you can even trade with other campers!• Dry shampooThis one is especially for the girls; simplyspray into hair, brushout and voila, freshly‘washed’ hair.

• Roll-on deodorantBecause aerosol cans arenot permitted at the festival

• Hand sanitizerYour hands carry the most germs, rub ina small amount for germ-free hands!• Wellies and warm clothesBecause the Irish weather is sounpredictable you can never tell what isgoing to happen – better to be safe than

Eco tips to live by OXEGEN1. Don’t leave any rubbish or camping equipment behind you.

2. Don’t drop your litter. Use the bins and recycling units!

3. Cut down on packaging by buying your fruit and vegetables loose.

4. Use re-sealable containers to keep your food fresh (this reduces the amount of plastic

film and aluminium foil you throw away).

5. Use rechargeable batteries for torches, radios, etc.

6. Buy fair-trade and organic food, drinks and products at stalls if possible.

7. Look out for recycled goods and those packaged in recycled materials.

8. Say no to plastic bags! Bring your own re-useable canvas bag.

9. Please don’t drop your cigarette butts. Every butt you throw on the ground has to be

picked up by someone else. Use an empty film canister to collect your butts.

10. Separate your waste at your campsite and bring your recycling to the appropriate bins.

11. Use only phosphate-free shampoo and soap in the showers and remember to take a

short shower!

12. Turn off taps and showers when finished.

interview

Over their four yearstogether, The Blizzardshave achieved one of themost impressive rises tothe top. They recentlytriumphed at the Meteor

Music Awards when they won ‘Best Irish LivePerformance’ for their 2008 OXEGENperformance. Since thrilling the Punchestowncrowds last July, the band have enjoyedsome amazing success, with their albumDomino Effect climbing to number two in theIrish charts and spawning three hit singles.

QYou recently opened Slane forOasis, how was that?

AFor a band in our position it was kindof surreal. It’s great to stand up onthe stage with the best live acts in

the world and see how you can actuallystand up to them.

QThis is your fifth time playingOXEGEN, what were yourhighlights from previous years?

AMeeting James Brown is going to behard to top. I shook his hand and gota picture. I actually thought I broke

his hand because he had a frail handshake.

QYour OXEGEN performances havewon you two consecutive meteorawards for ‘Best Live

Performance’. Can we expect anotheraward-winning show this year?

AWe spent the first couple of yearsbeing nervous on stage but nowwe’re used to it, so it’s much more

enjoyable. We only get to do gigs likeOXEGEN once or twice a year, while otherbands are performing all the time. Thus wehave more energy, which we use to make upfor the fact that we don’t have fancy propsand lighting other bands might use on themain stage.

I think it also helps a performance whenyou choose a great set; we just blast oursongs out and people enjoy this!

QYou said recently that your newalbum Domino Effect would reflectthis on-stage energy. What can we

expect from the album and will we hearcatchy tunes such as ‘Trust Me I’m adoctor’ and ‘Buy it, Sell it’ at OXEGEN?

AWe’re going to play all our hits. A lotof people who heard our songs onthe radio have never heard our

album and are usually quite surprised at thelive gigs because some of our songs arequite heavy and a bit more rocky.

While recording Domino Effect we tried asmuch as we could to play it all live. Wedidn’t use computers like many bands areusing at the moment, we went for the oldschool approach, digging in until we got aperfect take.

QHow does OXEGEN compare toother festivals?

AThe thing with OXEGEN that mostpunters don’t realise, is that theorganisation is incredible and a lot of

hard work goes into it. As a band, it’s theeasiest thing in the world, all you have to dois arrive and go on stage, everything else istaken care of. There is also a really niceatmosphere backstage. There’s no hierarchy,there’s just a nice vibe. If you like a band yougo up and tell them.

QIf you were in the crowd this year,which band/artist would you goand watch?

AI’d like to see Blur. And I am a hugeSpecials fan. I was brought up onthem and we started out doing

Specials covers. It’s a huge buzz for me towatch them this year.

QAny tips for staying green at a festival?

AIf you’ve ever seen a campsite aftera festival all you see is the amountof plastic bottles that people have

just left behind. People need to realise theamount of waste they create. Every time Iplay, I try to bring my pint glass back up fora refill rather than waste another cup.

QDo you feel musicians have a roleto play in reducing the negativeeffects on the environment?

AI think big bands that are at thepinnacle of their career should beusing their influence to help the

environment.

QWhat do you do in your daily lifeand as an artist to reduce yourcarbon footprint?

AI know that recycling is a basic thingwe can do. I can’t even throw out apiece of paper now without

separating it into bins. I have this in-builtguilt if I throw anything out that can berecycled. I just can’t do it. You can’t just lookat the government and say ‘Why is theenvironment so bad?’, you have to start withyourself. Stop worrying about other people,and start doing it yourself.

QHow do you think climate changewill affect your lifestyle now andin the future?

AI think people just need to accept thatit is happening. I think even nowpeople are still trying to pretend that

it’s not. For example, the US Open is held insummer so that the weather is beautiful, butthey had to call it off for a few days due totorrential rain, which has never happenedbefore in New York. People are waiting forthe big bang, and all of a sudden the world ismessed up. That’s the big thing with theenvironment – until something massivehappens, people won’t react.

04Rock the Environment

Prepare for asummer

blizzardCollette Devlin catches up with Niall Breslin, aka Bresy, from The Blizzards and discovers theMullingar band are determinedthat their return to the OXEGENmain stage lives up to the dizzyingheights of last year!

interview 05Rock the Environment

How did you get into your job?I have been in this position for a yearand a half now but I have been in theenvironmental area for about six years.I was doing environmental journalismand then I set up a couple of ecobusinesses as an ‘ecopreneur’. I began to consult with differentorganisations when MCD contactedme because they wanted to takeeven bigger steps to lower OXEGEN’senvironmental impact. What type of work do you undertake before theOXEGEN festival?Throughout the year, before the festival I complete officeaudits at the headquarters ofthe promoters to make sure all their practices areenvironmentally friendly. Pre-site for OXEGEN I spend mytime getting things prepared,making sure our initiatives arein place and ensure oursystems are as close to thenatural cycle of materials aspossible. Transport isresponsible for the biggestCO2 emissions at theOXEGEN festival. Last year I did a transport audit,which was part of aEurope-wide festivaltransport audit lookingat how to reducetransport emissions. I also liaise between all the different

departments in MCD, making sure that these initiatives will work atOXEGEN.

What does your job entail onsite atthe actual festival?My main job for the weekend will be curating and presenting an entiregreen area called Ecogen. GreenroomConsulting, the company that I run, also gets the opportunity to create fun concepts to increase awarenessaround enviornmental issues throughinitiatives like the Ecogen area, the Green TV competition and also this Ezine. I will also make sure thatduring the festival certain actions onsite are running smoothly. I workalongside Andrew Haworth, who will be looking after a lot of thefundamental environmental actions at the festival.

Who are the most eco-friendly bandsyou have come across?According to Billabong’s competition to find the greenest rock star, JackJohnson is definitely number one.However, Radiohead are the greenestartists that I’ve seen. Last year MCD hada gig at Malahide Castle and Radioheadasked for LED lights, which reduce theenergy used for lighting on stage, theymade sure every cup, saucer and platewas biodegradable, they also askedMCD to make it possible for people tocycle to Malahide Castle.

EnvironmentalConsultantDylan Townsendis an EnvironmentalConsultant for MCD, helooks at the practices(waste, energy,transport andenvironmentalmessage) from asustainabilityviewpoint for theOXEGEN Festival andother MCD events.

SCENESBEHIND THE

What type of work do you undertake

before the OXEGEN festival?

Before we go onsite it’s a case of

running a risk assessment and

identifying what the environmental

impact of the events and the site will be.

After recognising the impacts, we see

what we can do about them, whether

it’s something we can reduce,

something we can control or something

we can remove by using an alternative.

Sometimes it’s little things such as

making sure we keep the site clean and

tidy by giving access to the bins with

ease and looking at transport solutions

to see how people can get to and from

the site in a sustainable way.

What does your job entail onsite at

the actual festival?

Liaising and working with the council on

issues such as water quality, water

availability, toilets and sanitation, and

liquid management. It’s literally

monitoring what’s going on onsite,

making sure we have good quality

water and that it’s available in good

quantities. Making sure toilets are

accessible, as clean as they can be and

that we have hand washing facilities.

Ensuring the litter is being managed and

controlled so that there are no fire risks,

and no contamination of the land, so

that it’s a more engaging, pleasant

environment for the customers.

Any green tips for festival-goers?

This will be the most environmentally

friendly and environmentally conscious

OXEGEN we’ve ever put on and we’ll be

collecting and sharing our

environmental performance so people

can better understand the impacts.

Public transport is fantastic this year,

so try to get there by bus. If you can’t

get there by bus come in a full car. It’s a

lot more fun – if you’re travelling

together,have a bit of a road trip.

Have a look at what you’re bringing

with you so you don’t create

unnecessary waste onsite.

Don’t forget to visit the Ecogen area,

which is a great revelation; it’s fun and

engaging for the audience, it promotes

the right messages without being

patronising. It’s a real step forward,

allowing the audience to see a bit more

of what’s going on and find out a bit

more.

Any ‘green’ advice for bands?

Look at how they get to the event, the

transport element is huge. also looking

at what their requirements are onsite,

what they might need on stage, how

they design their shows to ensure that

we use as little energy as possible.

Who are the most eco-friendly bands

you have come across?

Radiohead have done a huge amount of

environmental work over the last few

years and they along with Jack Johnson

and KT Tunstall are leading the way in

terms of environmental touring.

Andrew Haworth

an Environmental

Manager with Live

Nation, he will be

working with OXEGEN

to keep the festival as

green as possible.

Environmental

Manager

This year is a very special one for the BacardiB-Live crew as they celebrate their 10th anniversary at irish music festivals. Throughout this time, Bacardi has mixed the hottest music with the very best Bacardi cocktails to ensure irish festival goers are treated to the ultimate festival experience.

Bacardi B-Live showcases both international and local emerging artists, providing a collaborative environment and rousing audio and visual experiences, and has always been a firm festival favourite and a definite must see over the weekend.

Oxegen 09, and their 10th anniversary, will be no exception and the hugely-talented BacardiB-Live bartenders will be on hand all weekend demonstrating their flair and serving up the latest and most refreshing cocktails - including ireland’s festival favourite - the Bacardi MOJiTO – The Original.

Basil Isaac will play host at the arena over the course of the three days, occasionally even leaving his masterful percussion and hopping on the decks. With such an excellent line up of DJs and live performers from home and abroad, sure you may as well set up camp here.

Kicking off the weekend on Friday will be UK dance act, DISCO BLOODBATH who will fill the arena with their unique blend of raw disco and vintage house.

definitely, no point in leaving the area after this, as Friday night also sees the appearance of BeArDymAn, the UK beatbox champion twice over who uses cutting edge technology to layer his voice over beats. Having witnessed Beardyman at Sonar in front of 10,000 people, this guy is a must see for everyone.

a clubber once called a tune by a clubber once called a tune by aMartin reeves “krafty” while he was in the middle of cutting up some beats. Thus the legendary KrAfTy KuTS was born, and he turns up at the B-Live arena after Beardyman.

Welcome to the Latin QuarterWelcome to the Latin Quarter

efinitely, no point in leaving the area

beats. Having witnessed Beardyman

krafty kuts

Disco BlooDBath

BearDyman

Bacardi and the Bat device are registered trademarks of Bacardi & company Limited.

BACARDIBACARDIBACARDI .

HOrSe meAT DISCO are performing a slot on the Saturday afternoon. Horse Meat disco has become an institution to many due to their dedication to the world of disco. inspired by Manhattan nightlife legend adam Goldstone, HMdfounders James Hilliard and Jim Stanton hark back to the disco frenzy of seventies New York. also in the HMd collective are Severino from italy and Filthy Luka – a complete disco addict. expect quite a few surprises with HMd as their club nights tend to also include some very creative performances.

IDIOT PrOOfwill push the boundaries and keep ‘real house music alive’ on Saturday evening.

fILTHy DuKeS will then take to the stage and bring us into the night zone. These guys used to be dJs, now they are in a band. For this performance they will be dJs again and their set will be packed with bleeping, popping analogue

shakedowns.

The final day of BacardiB-Live at Oxegen will be opened by the irish, when remeDy IreLAnD gets going on the turntables. They will be followed by THe unABOmBerSdelving into a mystic brew of house, disco, broken beat, techo and northern sulphuric soul –

a set of musical dynamite that will transfer energy to all on the final day.

THe SLAmmIn BOyS aka Mark Hogg and Jamie Scahill will bring their Manchester residency to the Oxegen community. These guys are well worth checking out, they have performed everywhere from russia to Spain, to denmark and the US.

A SKILLZ will follow, showcasing his deck skills with fusions of funk hip-hop breaks. This guy is one of the funkiest beatmeisters. His fierce production skills and turntable dexterity have seen him explode onto the global scene and he will be bringing that fiery enthusiasm to the Bacardi B-Live arena.

all good things must come to an end, but not before BASIL says so, and closing duties will be left to him – you can be sure he will do it iN STYLe.

if you lose your crew at Oxegen, head straight for Bacardi B-Live, you won’t be long standing alone. Getting lost at a festival never felt so good.

will push the

on Saturday

with bleeping, popping analogue

They will be followed by THdelving into a mystic brew of house, disco, broken beat, techo and northern sulphuric soul –

iDiot proof

the unaBomBers Dublin StreetsDisco BloodbathBeardymanKrafty Kuts

frIDAy

Sound CheckHorse meat DiscoIdiot Prooffilthy Dukes

SATurDAy

remedy IrelandunabombersSlammin BoysA Skillz

SunDAy

Log onto www.bacardi.com for more details.

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BACARDIBACARDIBACARDI .

site map06Rock the Environment

In assocciation withBACARDI and the Bat Device are registered trademarks of Bacardi & Company Limited. .