Stunning in more than one way

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A review of Friday at Rockness 2013, featuring The Little Mill of Happiness, Ellie Goulding, Vaccines and London Grammar.

With the festival site bathed in sunshine, Fridge Magnets had the honour of kicking of the main stage. The Fridge Magnets appearance was the product of a newspaper competition to open the festival. Many of the nominated acts had strong claims to the spot but from their opening you could see why the Fridge Magnets landed the spot. They attracted a solid crowd of bouncing revellers to the front of the stage, and encouraged more to join them from the hill. That encouragement coming in the form of their music, a fusion of electronica and indie rock, and also a general call to the hill. It was the fusion of sound that won over the rock and dance camps ultimately. It’s never an easy task to open a festival, but the Fridge Magnets did that, and with some aplomb.

It was noticeable the change in the whole Rockness set-up this year. The site was more compact with the general camping moved to a more scenic area adjacent to the main arena. The main tent, Goldenvoice,  was also an edge smaller than previously and the Black Isle Bar, my next stop, wasn’t actually a bar. In fact, it was difficult to tell what it was from the outside as it only opened a few minutes before the opening act, The Little Mill of Happiness.

little mill thumb - Stunning in more than one way

The Little Mill of Happiness with a scowling Steve Obern opened up with Drug The Mule. There is no electronic frippery associated with Little Mill but just honest blood, sweat, and a wall of guitars. That said, the opener is remarkably upbeat, but without any sense of falling into boyband territory. Post Parentrovite Blues, which Steve clarifies is not a blues song, arrives next, as does a growing influx into the tent. Drying Out Wishbones continued to draw them in and although there was a lull in the pace prior to the set ender, Butterfly Wing Portraits, gave a new lease of life to a few and even got them dancing. Those that were there certainly appreciated Little Mill, but some signage outside would have been helpful.

TBP Ellie Goulding Rockness Dores Inverness UK  DSC9643 thumb - Stunning in more than one way

Back at the main stage, which you can’t miss, it was the turn of Ellie Goulding. There was a real air of anticipation as Ellie appeared on stage. She bounced about like a fireball as she laid into her drum to deliver her opener, ‘Don’t Say a Word’, to a rapturous welcome. Ellie worked the crowd well, even if she was a little surprised at the formation of a mosh pit during ‘Explosions’. Yes, a mosh pit, during Ellie Goulding – only at Rockness!  ‘Your Song’ was the point from which the set turned and the up tempo songs were stacked up to reel the crowd in. Activity in front of the stage matched that on it, as the crowd joined in to ‘Anything Could Happen’, then her Calvin Harris collaboration, ‘I Need Your Love’ , elevated it a level further before ‘Lights’ and ultimately, ‘Starry Eyed’ blew everyone away. If a set can be judged by the number of girls, and guys, on shoulders, then Ellie struck a gold medal here.

TBP The Vaccines Rockness Dores Inverness UK  DSC0086 thumb - Stunning in more than one way

Indie boys the Vaccines had a hard act to follow, on this loaded up Friday night. However, hitting the masses with ‘No Hope’, they purported to be the voice of a generation, and moved a swaying mob with a mix of tracks from their first album, the punchier and in your face ‘What Did You Expect from The Vaccines?’ to the more melodic and arguably mature sound of second release ‘Come Of Age’. The heady cocktail worked well throughout with the forceful ‘Wreckin’ Bar’ and the surfy ‘Teenage Icon’ working up a sweat. Only the introduction of a new song midway through the slot saw the crowd go through the motions. As with Ellie previously, a large part of the crowd had come to hear the singles and much lad, and ladette, sing-a-longs took place to ‘Post Break-Up Sex’ and ‘If You Wanna’. Topping it all off The Vaccines left the stage following the much anticipated ‘Nørgaard’. Again, job done, but without the interactivity of Ms Goulding.

Meanwhile back up at the Black Isle Bar, a crowd had begun to gather to welcome the much talked about London Grammar. As they take to the stage and there is a an instant connection with Hannah Reid’s soulful voice, in ‘Hey Now’, over a stark landscape that comes from the support of Daniel and Dot. The emphasis is on the voice and little is done to disturb that point of focus. ‘Darling, Are You Going To Leave Me?’ continues the prominence of the vocal. If anything, ‘Help’ is a little too melancholy but the set changes in pace towards its finale, as Dot sweeps between synth and drums to give Hannah competition. Most festivals produce a hidden gem, and although London Grammar are firmly on the radar, they were tucked away in a quiet little corner at Rockness where only those in the know knew what they were about to witness. A stunning way to round off my Friday.

You can read more of our reviews of Friday including photographs , and please sign up the Inverness Gigs Rebel Mouse page for updates as they come.

Have we caught you at Rockness ? check here.

Photos by Chris Milne if not indicated by watermark.

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Frank Finlayson
Frank Finlayson
Chartered surveyor by day, music reviewer by night, and occasionally I get to use my camera. A strange mix, but one that I enjoy. A chance meeting in the queue for Bella in 2010 led to the opportunity to write for InvernessGigs; a far cry from the days of writing for a football fanzine back in the late 80s, early 90s. My interests lie between the mainstream, the emerging and the local. Increasingly I find that we have more than enough locally to entertain us to necessitate a trip south. I’m always happy to give a listen, whatever the genre. Inverness has a plethora of talent, all of which I am more than keen to write about. If it encourages just one person to make the effort to listen to some new music I’ll be happy. You can contact Frank direct via frankieboyfin@gmail.com

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