They do things differently in Oslo. At the Oya festival, held last weekend in the city's beautiful Medieval Park, there were many sights you don't usually associate with three-day rock'n'roll bashes.
Ikea furniture scattered throughout for the masses to lounge on. Organic food at every stall to feed the multitudes. Gangs of kids roaming the site plucking plastic glasses and empty pizza boxes from the ground to be recycled and thus maintain Oya's environmentally-friendly status. Gangs of somewhat older people walking around decked out in Turbonegro sailor caps or paddling in the fjord which surrounds the site.
Oya does, however, feature such festival staples as the good, the bad and the ugly of modern pop. Bands to cheer include Montreal's spectacular Wolf Parade, an act destined to be "the new Arcade Fire" because of their edgy, anthemic, energetic panache.
There was also Turbonegro, delivering outlandish pop-metal anthems such as City of Satan and Blow Me (Like The Wind) to much air-guitaring and synchronised chanting. The Magic Numbers, too, continued their summer of big love with a sun-dazzled set and Serena Maneesh put a big bright psychedelic splash into the weekend.
Bands you would be happy to never encounter again included Fischerspooner (it will come as news to Scissor Sisters that they have spawned a tribute band), Robert Post (the Norwegian for "Travis") and Kings of Convenience (the Norwegian for "dull").
And the downright ugly? That would be the most famous junkie in pop. Pete Doherty finally appeared at the former home of the Bishop of Oslo after an extended date with the police on his arrival at the airport. His experience with them and their plastic gloves obviously had a Live 8-like effect on the poor soul. In the midst of a turgid, tuneless, lifeless set from Babyshambles, Doherty threw up onstage. That, sadly, says all that needs to be said about this pathetic car-crash.
Naturally, there was always going to be one band who would stand head and shoulders above everyone else at Oya. Naturally enough, this turned out to be Franz Ferdinand. Forget U2 and The Killers. Ignore Coldplay and James Blunt. The most alluring, compulsive act in pop right now are Franz Ferdinand. No one else comes remotely close to what the Glaswegians are doing.
They bound onstage to the theme tune from Dr Who and deliver a sharp, sleek, colourful and confident set. All summer long, the band have been on the festival trail and it shows. There's a punch and vigour to their set that comes from the knowledge that they have a second album in the bag that's every jot as impressive as their debut.
You Could Have It So Much Better with Franz Ferdinand will be released in September and it's one of the reasons why their set in Oslo zinged. From it, they play Evil and a Heathen, Do You Want To and the title track. These songs already sound like old favourites. Of course, such old tunes as Take Me Out, Matinee and Michael now sound like bona fide classics.
What's striking is how they no longer sound like the sum of their influences; they simply sound like themselves. By taking the sound that worked so well last year wider and deeper, they've set a new pop aesthetic for this year and beyond. It's bright and bold music you can dance to, pop music you can scream along with and articulate music you can think about all day and all night.
Most of all, it's fun. Alex Kapranos has been transformed from skinny, pale, white boy into a funky showman in the body of a skinny, pale, white boy. He wows the crowd in Norwegian, introduces songs and fellow bandmates with smooth, hilarious patter and generally has a giggle.
The rest of the year is already mapped out with tours and releases. Having done it once already, Franz Ferdinand know what lies ahead. Going on this night in the Norwegian woods above Oslo, though, this is one band who have what it takes for the long haul.
Franz Ferdinand play Lansdowne Road, Dublin on August 24th. Turbonegro support Iron Maiden at the RDS, Dublin on August 31st
