Music Festivals in Scotland and Rockness
Scotland is know throughout the world for many things including tartan and bagpipes and when many are asked about Scottish music it is the bagpipes that most bring to mind first. The bagpipes appear all over Scotland and many of the most popular tourist attractions often feature a piper in full traditional dress banging out a few well known tunes. Used heavily in warfare the sound of the bagpipes is very distinctive, and many would describe it as terrifying however there is much, much more to Scottish music than bagpipes and ceilidh bands. In recent years the UK has seen a massive increase in the number of annual music festivals and in Scotland there are a few well worth a mention such as the relatively new Rockness music festival near Inverness.
Music has always had a vital role to play in the culture of the nation of Scotland. From the imposing sounds of the bagpipes on the battlefield to the traditional folk songs documenting historic events music and onto the sounds of the Gaelic Psalms and the fun of the traditional ceilidh band, music appears in most aspects of Scottish life and history. However Scottish music has never remained static, it is forever changing as new influences take hold and new instruments and technologies are developed the sounds of Scotland have embraced change. Today the music of Scotland is amongst the most diverse of any nation from the staunch traditionalists to the bold new pop acts all are distinctively Scottish in essence and there are many music festivals to choose from where you can hear the very best of Scotland alongside others from around the world.
Of course there are highly specialized music festivals in Scotland which focus solely upon a specific genre of music. However the most highly attended music festivals offer the opportunity to enjoy all types of music with different tents and arenas presenting a different style or genre. While festivals such as the Hebridean Celtic Festival and Celtic Connections focus on traditional and modern Celtic acts, festivals such as Wickerman, Tartan Heart and Rockness present more modern pop sounds and some of the big acts of the day.
Rockness, being only it's thrid year, is one of Scotland's youngest music festivals but this year over 35,000 people attended. Taking place at Clune Farm, Dores (not too far from Inverness) the music festival has one of the most astounding locations on the banks of Loch Ness. Staged by Loudsound and Slingshot, Rockness may well be in a rural and remote setting but great care is taken to ensure that the traffic and superb transportation links flow freely and smoothly.
The first festival was held on Saturday 24 June 2006 and was mainly a dance event headlined by the popular DJ Fatboy Slim on the main stage and Daft Punk in the Clash Arena (a big top tent) with an attendance of around 10,000. The following year saw the event extended to two days. Again it was mainly a dance event with the Chemical Brothers headlining the first day and the rock act Manic Street Preachers headlining the second. Daft Punk again appeared in the Clash Arena which held only 10,000 capacity, as it was soon filled the sides of the tent were soon lifted to allow the full, 30,000 strong, crowd to enjoy their performance.
Rockness 3 saw a small increase in the crowd to around 35,000 and Fatboy Slim returned to headline the first day (which was mainly dance orientated). The second day was more rock orientated with Editors supporting the headline act Razorlight. Throughout the two days smaller tents pumped out dance sounds until the early hours with DJ's such as Pete Tong making an appearance.
A crowd of thirty five thousand party goers in the confined space of a town center is a policeman's nightmare as it, more often than not, there are numerous arrests, countless fights, many injuries and even deaths. Not so at Rockness, the atmosphere is incredible, everyone smiling and happy with not a care in the world. I did hear that there was one short fight and around ten arrests but this is nothing when you consider the numbers. Sadly one poor lad died which was widely reported in the newspapers but as the cause is not known (and witnesses reported no trouble) it is unwise to speculate. Overall it is one of the most friendly festivals I have visited in nearly 30 years of festival going!
Although Rockness can be considered "family friendly" (I went with my wife and kids and the majority were teenagers and younger) Wickerman and Tartan Heart are far more suitable for the family. Both festivals are absolutely amazing for their friendly crowd with kids running around freely and, when close to the stage, the youngsters are often equipped with ear defenders!
Music has always had a vital role to play in the culture of the nation of Scotland. From the imposing sounds of the bagpipes on the battlefield to the traditional folk songs documenting historic events music and onto the sounds of the Gaelic Psalms and the fun of the traditional ceilidh band, music appears in most aspects of Scottish life and history. However Scottish music has never remained static, it is forever changing as new influences take hold and new instruments and technologies are developed the sounds of Scotland have embraced change. Today the music of Scotland is amongst the most diverse of any nation from the staunch traditionalists to the bold new pop acts all are distinctively Scottish in essence and there are many music festivals to choose from where you can hear the very best of Scotland alongside others from around the world.
Of course there are highly specialized music festivals in Scotland which focus solely upon a specific genre of music. However the most highly attended music festivals offer the opportunity to enjoy all types of music with different tents and arenas presenting a different style or genre. While festivals such as the Hebridean Celtic Festival and Celtic Connections focus on traditional and modern Celtic acts, festivals such as Wickerman, Tartan Heart and Rockness present more modern pop sounds and some of the big acts of the day.
Rockness, being only it's thrid year, is one of Scotland's youngest music festivals but this year over 35,000 people attended. Taking place at Clune Farm, Dores (not too far from Inverness) the music festival has one of the most astounding locations on the banks of Loch Ness. Staged by Loudsound and Slingshot, Rockness may well be in a rural and remote setting but great care is taken to ensure that the traffic and superb transportation links flow freely and smoothly.
The first festival was held on Saturday 24 June 2006 and was mainly a dance event headlined by the popular DJ Fatboy Slim on the main stage and Daft Punk in the Clash Arena (a big top tent) with an attendance of around 10,000. The following year saw the event extended to two days. Again it was mainly a dance event with the Chemical Brothers headlining the first day and the rock act Manic Street Preachers headlining the second. Daft Punk again appeared in the Clash Arena which held only 10,000 capacity, as it was soon filled the sides of the tent were soon lifted to allow the full, 30,000 strong, crowd to enjoy their performance.
Rockness 3 saw a small increase in the crowd to around 35,000 and Fatboy Slim returned to headline the first day (which was mainly dance orientated). The second day was more rock orientated with Editors supporting the headline act Razorlight. Throughout the two days smaller tents pumped out dance sounds until the early hours with DJ's such as Pete Tong making an appearance.
A crowd of thirty five thousand party goers in the confined space of a town center is a policeman's nightmare as it, more often than not, there are numerous arrests, countless fights, many injuries and even deaths. Not so at Rockness, the atmosphere is incredible, everyone smiling and happy with not a care in the world. I did hear that there was one short fight and around ten arrests but this is nothing when you consider the numbers. Sadly one poor lad died which was widely reported in the newspapers but as the cause is not known (and witnesses reported no trouble) it is unwise to speculate. Overall it is one of the most friendly festivals I have visited in nearly 30 years of festival going!
Although Rockness can be considered "family friendly" (I went with my wife and kids and the majority were teenagers and younger) Wickerman and Tartan Heart are far more suitable for the family. Both festivals are absolutely amazing for their friendly crowd with kids running around freely and, when close to the stage, the youngsters are often equipped with ear defenders!
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Rockness is over for another year (see Rockness Photos) but if you are planning to visit Inverness see our listings of hotels in Inverness at http://www.invernesshotelscotland.com/
posted by Marcondes Allen at 7:53 PM
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