Saturday brought cloud and occasional drizzle, but the Glasgow Gospel Choir more than lifted the spirits. Singing a mixed set of backed and acapella songs from across the spiritual spectrum. This sense of being lifted was carried on in The Solus tent by Scottish two piece Conquering Animal Sound. CAS are almost impossible to categorise. They are certainly an experimental ambient electronica outfit and a bit trip hoppy - imagine Portishead backing Bjork. They generate their own backing loops as they play using voices, a guitar and a multitude of other percussive and musical instruments, so that songs start fairly stripped back building to a full, multi-level soundtrack backing the singer's haunting voice. It was an excellent 40 minutes.
Over in The Ingrid Pit Word Stage, there was a mix of comedy, poetry and music programmed across the weekend. The poet Divine (so named, I hope, so that he can always start a set with 'Im Divine' and finish it with 'Ive been Divine') entertained with a number of love poems and a sideways observation about BP's troubles in Louisiana and ideas of the earth bleeding at man's hands were both pertinent and poignant. Fee Kenziemac played some covers and her own well written material during a half hour set, where a bare bones version of The Cranberries 'Zombie' allowed her to display how good her voice really was.
Cleanliness on site was hit and miss through the weekend. Viking Jeff's litter picking crew did sterling work keeping the arena tidy throughout the weekend, though the sight of the disgraceful campsite on Sunday morning must have brought a real sense of despair. You get given bags for rubbish when you arrive. You can easily ask for more. There is no excuse for the absolute squalor some people seemingly like to camp in. There must have been hundreds, maybe thousands, of £s of perfectly serviceable equipment - some clearly only used that weekend left behind. The toilets were mainly kept clean, though the campsite toilets were unusable due to a lack of cleaning by Sunday morning. Every urinal was overflowing by Saturday afternoon. And is there a reason why the organisers refuse to signpost water points? Not so you have to buy it in bottles surely?.
An explosive set of full on brass backed ska by Bombskare set everyone up for an increasingly energetic day and a rain depleted crowd thoroughly enjoyed the distinctly Scottish indie sound of Sons and Daughters especially set closer 'Johnny Cash'. The final band on the mainstage was Ocean Colour Scene. If you are a massive OCS fan, this was a superb set where the rarely played 'Robin Hood' and 'Get Blown Away' were highlights. If you like a singalong to the ones you know, the chance to listen to the opening 'Riverboat Song', run up the hill and catch a storming set by , The Undertones who played all their songs you would want to sing along to, then back down to catch the closing 'Caught The Train' and a cover of The Beatles 'Day Tripper', this worked for you too. A win/win situation all round really.
The entire site stops for the burning and the huge archer effigy was spectacular when the flames caught. It's difficult to go wrong with big fireworks and the festival put on a spectacular display. Back down on the main stage, an 808 State (DJ set) finished the night off in the arena, although Bass Camp ran 'til 5am again.
Overall, this was a great festival. The organisers' eclectic music policy and an overwhelmingly friendly crowd make it a brilliant way to spend a weekend. Mountain Biking, Grass Boarding, Ice Skating and a popular Kids area means there is something for everyone. Just don't try and separate us from our cash at every turn. And move that bloody bungee ball next year please!
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