Not very many people care about Arcade Fire these days...

We reckon that Arcade Fire gathered the smallest crowd for a main stage headliner in eleven years of Witnness and Oxegen. Are we really that fickle?

An awful lot of people care about Two Door Cinema Club these days...

By the end of their set there's way more watching our Bangor pals than had watched Arcade Fire the previous evening. Notably, they're singing along to album tracks.

The credible bands weren't much of a draw...

The likes of Broken Social Scene, The Cribs, Local Natives and Frightened Rabbit, four of the coolest bands on the planet, attracted barely three or four hundred punters each. Yet Black Eyed Peas had one of the biggest crowds of the weekend. Seems the supposed 'real' music fans and muso types stayed at home this year.

If 2009 was freshman year, 2010 was graduation...

Last year, nordie bands invaded in great numbers, mainly down to the introduction of the IMRO stage. IMRO didn't make it back this summer, but our lot didn't need them - Panama Kings, General Fiasco, Two Door Cinema Club, Cashier No.9 and Joe Echo all featured in decent slots off their own bat and recent successes. All triumphed, drawing big crowds and making a lot of new friends.

The Dance Arena stole a lot of the crowd...

When flying solo and remaining sober to drive, the dance arena is a terrifying place to visit. But given the rain and a decent line up, the enormous banger-hanger is rammed for the duration.

Hip hop must be live these days...

When ATL last saw Jay Z in Dublin, it was himself, an MC and a DJ. When he performed at Oxegen on Friday night, he used 96 channels. Dizzee Rascal had a brass section, several backing vocalists, three MCs, drums, percussion, guitar, bass, keyboards and a confused looking DJ (probably) muttering "I used to all this with a button". Even Eminem had a few musicians onstage, as did Professor Green. It totally changes things (for the better), allowing these acts the opportunity to re-event their sound and making sure no one could claim they "aren't putting on a proper show". Incredible stuff.

People's approach to personal hygiene and micturition is becoming increasingly cavalier...

We saw things readers. The type of things you always remember but dare not speak about.

People will dance to anything...

Give them a beat and they'll give you a wee rave. We saw punters stopping outside chip vendors for a wee dance, just because they had a loud radio playing. Punters were treating the soundystems in the fairground as actual DJ sets, raving by the rides for hours on end. If a phone started ringing in someones pocket, they'd be surrounded by people within seconds.

Security have wised up a fair bit...

Now we're not saying this was universal and it's possible you'll have had issue with a security guard over the weekend, but they definitely seemed a lot more patient, polite and generally clued in. Our theory is the addition of extra female security has defused potential issues we've witnessed in the past. At least this year you could reason with them.

The bars are great...

No queues as far we could see and not much issue with the cup system. And €5.20 a pint is actually very reasonable when you compare it to what you'd pay in an average Temple Bar pub. Also, that cocktail bar by the ferris wheel was an absolute treat.

The VIP area is now completely free of VIPs...

Seriously folks, you're missing nothing. They're may have been mini-golf in the VIP area, but there certainly wasn't any very important people. Lots of random blaggers avoiding seeing any actual bands, yes, but VIPs or musicians... no.

There was a surprising lack of vuvuzelas...

Not a TOTAL lack, mind - still a fair few parps and drones to be heard....

Jay Z is just all types of awesome...

As reports came in that Eminem refused to go onstage at T in the Park until a bus arrived to transport him 40 feet to the stage (and even then he wouldn't walk in the mud), Jay Z happily dandered out of a car across a muddy path and towards the stage at 9pm on Friday night. How does ATL know this? Because ATL waited for 45 minutes in the pouring rain (while dodging very large security men) to catch a glimpse of his arrival.

We'll be back next year to do it all again...

We've been a little critical of the festival this year but rest assured 90% of the problems were just down to the horrendous weather and the grumpiness it brings. Oxegen - we still love ya...