July 12, 2008 1:22

Cat Power's shadow play ends first night of Oxegen

Chan Marshall mixes covers and originals for festival set

Cat Power brought the first day (July 11) of the 2008 Oxegen Festival to a close with an enigmatic performance on the Pet Sounds Stage.

Backed by her regular Dirty Delta Blues Band, Chan Marshall skipped around the stage, often preferring to sing from the shadows rather than joining her group in the spotlight, as she performed a set that mixed recent covers from her latest release 'Jukebox' with her own compositions.

Though competing with headliners Kings Of Leon, a hardcore group of fans saw her perform a soaring version of the Hot Boys' 'I Feel', the rechristened Hank Williams classic 'Ramblin' (Wo)man' and an aggressive cover of Smokey Robinson's 'Tracks Of My Tears'.

Marshall also included Muscle Shoals' adulterous love song 'Dark End Of The Street', which was originally pencilled in for 'Jukebox' before being left off the final edition.

However, Cat Power's own songs did not wilt alongside the more famous selections, with the likes of 'Lived In Bars' and 'Could We' shining through.

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