Rock Ness @ Dores, 7-8 Jun
There’s a sweet sense of rebellion to the outdoor music festival. When it takes place in the looming shadows of Jimmy Page’s haunted mansion on the banks of Scotland’s favourite tourist trap, it gets even better
The biggest problem with this year’s Rock Ness, besides dodging apparitions, is deciding what to see. Saturday is headlined by the grand poobah of beats, Fatboy Slim, ably flanked by newcomers Cage the Elephant, borne from Kentucky soil and bringing some jammin’ punk-funk to the festival. Psychedelic beach tunes from Norway’s Lionheart Brothers sound a lot like the opening to some 70’s sitcom, nice for summer beer guzzling. The Bookhouse Boys from London, whose electro-pop belongs on the soundtrack to a Tarantino flick, could deliver the breakout performance of Rock Ness.
By Sunday, all the drunken enthusiasm and camaraderie may well be reduced to half-naked mooncalves, peeing openly and stealing booze from neighbouring caravans. Meanwhile, the rock oriented bent to the musical line-up stands out like a who’s who of NME cover stars. Editors make an appearance, CSS bring the booty shake and Razorlight headline; what are the odds of Borrell keeping his torso under wraps past the second song? Expect festival veterans The Cribs from Wakefield to bring on some heavy punk action while Glaswegian quartet, The Dykeenies, indulge in a spot of emo. Mainstream success seems assured. Representing for dance lovers, cut ’n’ paste master DJ Yoda and smouldering songstress Roisin Murphy usher in Karl Hyde’s Underworld and ambient legends, The Orb.
Wellies on.