Sunday 14/06/09 RockNess Festival 2009, Day Three @ Loch Ness, Scotland

Day Three and The Whip slowly get into their set in the Clash tent, which picks up towards the end with indie-electro goodness.  Whereas Scratch Perverts provide a tad of drum ‘n’ bass and, well, are quite scratchy.  The Complete Stone Roses are a surprise on the bill, being a tribute band and having a festival slot is something not often heard of but they seem to satisfy.  A little later on The Wombats take to the main stage and seem to still be churning out first album tracks with only the slightest appearance of rather disappointing new ones.  It would seem once you have seen this band once you have seen them a million times, perhaps there is only so much they can do with their particular musical style.

You are always guaranteed a good show with Soulwax, and seeing them play live is an extra treat especially seen as though a lot of the acts at this festival are DJing.  The impressive thing about them is the actual sounds they manage to make from mere instruments, which can be forgotten about with the opening of a laptop.  Onstage they play very expressively and finish with favourite ‘NY Excuse’.   However the crowd were disappointed that it was only a forty minute set, and for some reason there were no special effects, the screens in the Clash tent had been taken down with it being the last day.  On the other hand their set was much more satisfying than Erol Alkan’s offerings at the Sunday Best stage.  Yes he played the types of songs and remixes you would expect him to, and he mixed them well, but there was something arrogant about the way he strode back and forth between numerous encores.

Biffy Clyro (a.k.a. Scotland’s pride and joy) play second to last.  Topless, sweaty and tattooed they are quite the spectacle.  A far cry from Simon Neil’s recent Marmaduke Duke escapades, this is grungy, raw and sexy.  From the rough guitar and screaming vocals of ‘Saturday Superhouse’ the band take a slower turn, an acoustic guitar emerges for the beautiful ‘Machines’, and with the misty Loch in the distance even Nessie would appreciate this whirlwind of a weekend.  Biffy then finish with ‘Mountains’ which is impossible not to enjoy after its success last summer.  When it comes to the big ones, RockNess has got it sorted.

In comparison to the previous two evenings, tonight is the most packed and people are pouring from the campsites and all entrances towards what promises to be an epic finale, and it is evident when The Prodigy take to the stage that the journey here has been well worth it.  Everyone goes insane, limbs fly all over the place as the band soar and scream through every beat-blasting tune, from ‘Smack My Bitch Up’, ‘Breathe’ and ‘Firestarter’ to the more recent ‘Omen’ and ‘Invaders Must Die’.  Each track perfectly combining rave, electro, punk and drum ‘n’ bass – the most invigorating finish to what has been an immense festival.  This manic night ends with a bang as a surprise firework display delights festival goers and ends this weekend in style. Overall, RockNess has got it spot on.  The surroundings are calm and the pace is relaxed, but the music is exactly the opposite. Immense.

RockNess 2009 in photos: