Rockness 2012: Day Three (Sunday)

Final day of Rockness, and it was obvious from the get-go that the festival-goers were ready to bring the festival to an explosive conclusion by having the best time they possibly could. Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs played a set which was another of the festival highlights, featuring tracks from his debut album Trouble. His stage set-up is impressive – full of lights – and he wears an interesting feathered body piece while making all of his music single-handedly on the spot for the crowd, who are in awe.

On the main stage, Scottish band Kassidy receive a warm reception as they play songs from both of their albums Hope St and One Man Army. Surprisingly, their set also featured a cover of Adele’s Rolling In The Deep, which went down a treat on Sunday afternoon. Glasgow-based band Errors were next up in the clash-sub club presents tent, their music – loud, emotional and electronic – only made more affecting in a live setting. The crowd gradually builds as the band play through their set and by the time they are nearing the end, everyone is nodding their head along.

Due to the health and safety fears closing down The View’s set on Saturday, they had been rescheduled to play in the larger golden voice arena on Sunday afternoon. This was well publicised and crowds bustled to get their place in the tent, for fear of missing out. The band give some short warnings throughout their set for everyone to keep safe, but ensure that they remain as energetic as possible.

Death In Vegas were next up in the golden voice arena, taking to the stage later than they should after a large amount of time is spent on trying to get their set-up right. The set was somewhat underwhelming given the powerful nature of the band’s music, but did build slightly throughout. The main stage saw Nile Rodgers’ Chic warm the whole crowd up – young and old alike were dancing together and having a fantastic time. Their music is universal and so many of their songs are very well known, so the set appealed to everyone, creating a lovely Sunday afternoon atmosphere, which climaxed in an impromptu mass can-can, featuring hundereds of festival goers coming together to dance, sing and have a good time – a beautiful sight.

Next up were Friendly Fires, whose lead singer Ed Macfarlane definitley wins top funky dancer of Rockness 2012. The band are great musicians, enjoy themselves and their mix of dance and indie goes down brilliantly with the Rockness crowd, who bounce up and down together, singing all the words. Zane Lowe was next on the main stage, his decks set up on a giant ghetto blaster. From the word go, Zane was determined to get the crowd hyped up for the imminent arrival of headliners Biffy Clyro. He ordered everyone sitting down to get up and played a set full of songs which he seamlessly sliced together with skill. Playing remixes of popular chart tracks alongside fully-fledged dance and hip-hop, Zane was the perfect person to play the penultimate set of Rockness 2012. Over in the golden voice arena, DJ-ing duo Knife Party mean business as they begin a set which to a crowd which is fully up for it from the second they take to the stage. They work their way through a set which has the whole crowd dancing, jumping and generally having a great time.

10.30pm saw Biffy Clyro headline the main stage for the final set of Rockness 2012. The perfect choice to headline the last night of the festival; a talented, popular band who are Scottish and always manage to engage a full crowd with ease. It is clear to see that the band are professionals who love what they do – they work their way through hit after hit, the whole crowd singing along at the top of their lungs. I couldn’t think of a more fitting end to Rockness 2012, and when the fireworks emerge from behind the stage to signal the end of the festival, it is clear to see, and hear, that all who have participated in Rockness have had the most amazing time.

Photos © Nuala Swan and must not be reproduced without prior consent