Rock Ness 2009
Friday 12th to Sunday 14th June 2009Loch Ness, Scotland, Scotland MAP
£139 3-days with camping, £130 without camping (pay later options available)
With the clouds replaced by a scorching heat and there being a half hour delay getting into the main arena for no apparent reason, Sunday is hungover. Sunday is tired. It is only 12 o'clock after all. Ironically, when the gates open, I don't even head for the main stage.
On the main stage afterwards, Baddies, bring some Devo-laced rock 'n' roll to about 30 people at the barrier and a passive couple of hundred on the hill. Dressed uniformly in sky blue shirts and literally busting their balls on stage to an unresponsive crowd, I can't help but feel that Rockness booking this year is a little schizophrenic. It doesn't do a band like Baddies any favours to play to what is, an essentially, dance orientated audience who are completely unfamiliar with their material. That said, the band are hardly at fault, trying to stir the masses as much as humanly possible, 'Holler For My Holiday', being a considerable highlight.
I have no problem with tribute acts. Especially when they are better live than the original act. I do have an issue with putting a tribute act on a main stage when the industry is saturated to flooding point. Right, that's the negative out of the way.
The positive - it's The Complete Stone Roses, who are as perfect as can be. Singer John McKenzie puts Ian Brown to shame. If you don't believe me or you never got to see Stone Roses live, go watch Stone Roses at Blackpool Tower. They batter through the classics with an anal attention to detail and musical precision pretty much unrivalled by any tribute band. I'm not saying that they don't deserve to be on the main stage at all, I'm just saying that the booking feels like a cheat.
Back to the main stage and it's time for the strangest booking of the weekend. Biffy Clyro. It's such an odd choice for this festival, especially considering the 'brutal' direction of their new material and that Marmaduke Duke (who doubtlessly would have been better suited to Rock Ness) are such a runaway success. Regardless, as one gentleman standing next to me said, "Ye cannae beat a bit o' Biffy", there are plenty of Biff-ites in attendance to make a huge arena moment when they almost crush '57' under the wheels of their speeding metal juggernaut.
I suppose the act of the weekend comes down to one choice. A taste test. If you prefer your dance grandiose, fun and a little more laid back, you'll go for Basement Jaxx. If you're more into a hardcore, pull no punches, balls to the wall approach, the pick is The Prodigy. Though, it has to be said that with so many acts on the bill, including Orbital, whom I feel guilty for not having gone to see, that the real discussion of, "Who won the hearts of Rock Ness?" is a moot argument.
More to the point, it's a case of where you're taste lies. With a more eclectic selection of bands than in previous years, it's hard not to wonder if the festival owners are looking to increase the size of the festival to challenge T in the Park or if they are trying maintain the spirit and size of the festival, whilst still mixing it up a little. With many preferring Rock Ness over 'T', because of it's size, location and line-ups, I hope the festival continues to be the most beautiful festival on earth rather than the pee-flooded behemoth that T has become.
review by: Ross Gilchrist
photos by: Louise Henderson / Tommy Jackson
Latest Updates
Rock Ness
festival home page
festival home page
last updated: Wed 8th Jun 2016
Rock Ness confirms it will take a year off this summer
last updated: Thu 20th Mar 2014
Basement Jaxx unite the downsized Rock Ness crowd in song to top Friday night
Rock Ness 2013 review
Rock Ness 2013 review
last updated: Thu 13th Jun 2013
Rock Ness delivers a crowd pleasing hardcore dance edge throughout Saturday
Rock Ness 2013 review
Rock Ness 2013 review
last updated: Thu 13th Jun 2013
it would be a crying shame to lose one of the most beautiful festivals we have
Rock Ness 2013 review
Rock Ness 2013 review
last updated: Thu 13th Jun 2013