The subdued atmosphere can perhaps have been put down to a number of things.
Firstly, C2C is definitely more of a family-friendly festival than Wireless, for example. Secondly, the O2, while a unique and interesting location for a festival, isn't conducive to the sort of chaos and carefree fun you'd see at, let's say, Parklife. Thirdly, there was a noticeably older contingent at C2C than most hip-hop and R&B festivals.
What struck me the most, however, was the fact that many in attendance, especially the younger crowd, seemed to care more about what they looked like than the music. I've never seen so many people in one place dressed in spurred boots, denim shorts, ten-gallon hats, and checkered shirts.
People were posing for photos at every turn, even "yeehaw"-ing on occasion, reveling in the chance to play cowboy for the weekend.
At one point, I thought costumes must be mandatory and I'd missed the memo.