SUMMER FESTIVALS M U S I C
Over the next five pages we profile the best of the music, community and literary festivals happening in Scotland this summer, making it easy for you to pick a favourite. . . or six
The one for . . . BIG, BIG NAMES IN A BIG, BIG FIELD The one for . . . MONSTER PARTIES
The one for . . . HITTING THE NORTH
T IN THE PARK Balado, Kinross-shire Fri 8–Sun 10 Jul, tinthepark.co.uk Price: sold out Love it or loathe it, T in the Park is a part of Scotland’s collective consciousness. It’s a highlight on the summer calendar for music fans, clubbers and occasional gig-goers alike, and although its reputation for a full-on bash is well-deserved, laid- back areas like the Healthy T zone and environmental ventures like the Green T scheme are worth noting. Since its launch in 1994, TitP has celebrated the commercial end of pretty much all musical genres – dance, folk, pop, rock, rap, ceilidh music and heavy metal – but it also serves as a valued grassroots showcase for Scottish talent, thanks to the T-Break tent: it has played host to past gigs from the likes of Snow Patrol, Biffy Clyro and Frightened Rabbit, and this year brings math-pop from Lady North, itchy disco from Discopolis and serial support-act talent, PAWS. (Nicola Meighan)
ROCKNESS Dores, Loch Ness Fri 10–Sun 12 Jun, rockness.co.uk Price: £159 weekend, camping included (student discounts, VIP deals and non-camping tickets also available) Award-winning dance-rock brouhaha RockNess can lay claim to being one of Scotland’s most picturesque mainstream festivals, and a tourist attraction to rival any nearby (and relentlessly shy) outsized amphibians. Along with its programme of commercial big hitters and home- grown stars, RockNess now offers a comedy strand and annual DJ competitions – and this year sees the launch of its Rock‘n’Roll Circus: a venue by day and club by night. RockNess was launched in 2006, largely as a vehicle for Fatboy Slim and his Brighton Beach Party posse, and while the festival’s size and stature has flourished, that initial (if not exactly groundbreaking) aesthetic still rings true: if you like your beats with breaks, your electro with pop and your rock on the dancefloor, this one’s for you. (Nicola Meighan)
Line-up: Beyoncé, Foo Fighters, Pulp, Coldplay, Tinie Tempah, Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes + Pop and rock stars in abundance – Vast crowds, booze and portaloos are never a good mix ■ See next issue (out 22 Jun) for our extended T in the Park coverage. Line-up: Chemical Brothers, Paolo Nutini, Katy B, Frightened Rabbit, Magnetic Man + Potential for witnessing a mythical water-borne phenomenon – Kasabian are on the bill ■ See pages 36–40 for more coverage of RockNess.
NORTHERN LIGHTS Seaton Park, Aberdeen Sat 30 & Sun 31 Jul, northernlightsfestival.co.uk Price: £90 weekend, £50 per day
Introducing a brand new contender on Scotland’s expanding festival scene, as Northern Lights welcomes an unexpectedly star-packed line-up to Seaton Park, a public field on the north of Aberdeen’s city centre. As well as the acts mentioned below there’ll be sets from The Waterboys, Idlewild, Edwyn Collins, Tinchy Stryder and a secret special guest, which seems to suggest that the mainstream appeal of T in the Park or RockNess is what the organisers are aiming for. It’s a bill which indicates they’re determined to hit the ground running, although it also confirms a currently developing identity. Still, Aberdonians are nothing if not good at throwing a party, so don’t be surprised if it stays the course. We’re particularly excited about Kelis (pictured), storming the Aberdeenshire fields with some savvy urban pop. Be aware though, Northern Lights is a non-camping festival, so you’ll have to ditch your tent in favour of a B&B if you’re travelling from a distance. (David Pollock) Line-up: Madness, Kelis, Maximo Park, Paloma Faith, Noisettes + Budget price, big-budget line-up – An unknown quantity
The one for . . . FAMILY-FRIENDLY ADVENTURE WICKERMAN Dundrennan, Dumfries and Galloway Fri 22 & Sat 23 Jul, thewickermanfestival.co.uk Price: £90 weekend (£45 for 13–15- year-olds), camping included, £60 for Saturday only. Under-12s go free
The only event to be named after a legendary horror musical, and a child-friendly hoopla in which a vintage-rock backdrop is colonised by grass sledges, synthetic ice-rinks and mini-tanks, Wickerman is not so much a music festival as a rock‘n’roll playground. Now in its tenth year, it was launched by programming maverick Sid Ambrose in tandem with a gaggle of local teens who struck gold with their vision for an action-packed environment augmented by kids’ zones, family sites and hula-hoop workshops. It’s also got one of the best local stages around, The Solus Tent, which this year showcases Rachel Sermanni, RM Hubbert, Randolph’s Leap and Miaoux Miaoux. Did we mention the annual burning of a 40ft Wickerman effigy? We could go on . . . (Nicola Meighan) Line-up: Feeder, Echo and the Bunnymen, Noisettes, The Damned + Camping options for everyone: Quiet, Luxury, Late & Loud . . . – Real life will seem colourless after a weekend surrounded by ceilidh punks and body art
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