Dores, 7 June 2008

Rockness 2008 (photo - Fiona Carr)

ANOTHER WEEKEND of glorious weather for Rockness! With some English festivals already cancelled this year due to flooding and heavy rain, the organisers must have been praying to the sun gods in the run up to the two day festival. My two main aims this year were to see more of the bands and DJ’s playing on the smaller stages than I did last time… and to avoid getting as sunburnt as last year!

Despite the heavy rain on Friday night, I awoke in my tent on Saturday morning warm and dry. Before long the stove was being fired up and I found myself cooking breakfast not only for myself but for our friendly campsite neighbours who we’d met the night before.

Soon it was time to head into the main arena, with the sun blazing down with hardly a cloud in the sky. A spot on the grassy bank in front of the main stage really brought home what makes Rockness so special – the views beyond the main stage are really something that has to be seen to be believed, with the sun reflecting off the loch. Unfortunately, Nessie was nowhere to be seen.

With the Soulwax arena being late in opening, I took the opportunity to explore the stalls and other attractions (including an inflatable church where you could get married) to be found in the main arena. And with six stages and arenas to choose from (not counting the highly popular MySpace bus), there is always some band or act to go and see.

Before too long there were sounds emerging from the Soulwax arena so a quick stroll back down the hill meant I was in time to see Layo and Bushwacka, one of the few dance acts I was keen to see. Unfortunately, they didn’t play many of their commercial hits, and so only the most ardent of fans seemed to really know any of the material being played.

Much of the rest of the day was spent soaking up the atmosphere and catching up with friends who were only attending the festival for the day. A mid-afternoon stroll to the much improved cocktail bar proved to be an inspired idea, enabling me to catch a few bands on the GoNorth stage in the Bollywood arena. Both Mexicolas and local band Lowtide Revelry enjoyed fairly large crowds in the tent, with many fans singing along word for word.

Soon it was early evening, and a trip to the Argyll Fine Foods tent was in order. This was definitely a big hit, with everything from organic cheese on toast to mussels on sale – a lovely change to the normal offerings on sale at festivals! One organic burger later, and I was ready to head back to the main stage for Calvin Harris. Having not been that impressed by his latest releases, but having heard great things from friends who have seen him perform live, I wasn’t too sure what to expect. Although he put in a lively and energetic performance, and got the crowd going, I felt his music just wasn’t for me.

After catching up with some friends, it was time to head back to the main stage for the closing act, Fatboy Slim. After being hugely impressed by his set at the first Rockness and again at the Ironworks a few weeks ago, I was ready to be wowed again, and he did not disappoint. With a set lasting almost two hours, accompanied by a fantastic light and laser show, Fatboy Slim was most definitely the highlight of my weekend. All too soon it was over, keeping the crowd happy by closing his set with ‘Love is in the Air’.

And as the day ticket holders headed home happy on their buses, the party continued for those of us camping. With some of the stages open till 4am, there was still lots to see and do after hours. After a failed attempt to get into the packed-out SoCo arena to catch Mylo, I returned to the Bollywood arena where the fabulous Ski Bunny were DJ’ing. From remixes of Sunday main stage act The Cribs to classic Madonna tracks, they had something for everyone.

By the time they finished, I had decided to call it a day and returned to my tent, tired but very happy, and looking forward to what adventures Sunday would bring.

© Elizabeth Sinclair, 2008

Links

• Rockness