Alabama 3, and Gary Numan play outstanding sets on Friday at Wickerman

It would be criminal, neigh, impossible, to write any feature on this tiny Scottish wonder without stressing just how far from civilisation it actually is. The wonderfully compact festival site hosts around 10,000 people, which is forty times the size of the village near which it is based, the bustling hamlet the locals call Dundrennan. The festival has a great old school feel, and actually feels like a festival, which, in an age of festivals in car parks and mobile phone masts on site to cater to those that just can't do without, is refreshing in the extreme.

Given that the sun-gods had decided that today was to be the day that Scotland got it's annual quota of sunshine, it would have been rude not to begin Friday at the main stage, and what a decision that proved to be. Without meaning to gush, Suzuki Method sound like the band the UK music scene needs to kick it into shape. Think Joy Division without the suicidal tendencies, think The Smiths without a wanker of a frontman, think best band you have never heard, and you may get somewhere close.



'Friendly Fires Save Our Cities' and 'Start Today Stop Tomorrow' already sound like classics, and for such a young band, they have talent and stage presence in abundance. Having already drawn the attention of the likes of Clint Boon and Tony Wilson, and with Sony apparently knocking on their door with a freshly inked deal, the future seems bright for the Salford quintet, and for once, the band are worth it.

The Manchester connection continued with ska-punk five piece Sonic Boom Six, and to say they had a hard act to follow is a gross understatement. The sharp contrast took a little while to acclimatise to, but once the band hit their stride, it was impossible not to enjoy. Frontwoman Laila K bounced around the stage like a pixie possessed for the full hour the band were onstage, and the energy created was tangible, especially this early in the day. Few bands ever manage to get a crowd bouncing by lunchtime, yet Sonic Boom Six achieved full on circle pit madness. 'Face Forward' typified the set, but it was the surprisingly good cover of 'Don't Mug Yourself' which really stood out, not least for the it's inventive yet faithful retelling of The Streets' trademark.

The biggest crowd of the day so far came with The Fall, despite the fact that most of those present wouldn't be able to name any of the band's output. Such is the mystery and intrigue surrounding this band, that even if you have never heard a track recorded by them, you will still know of them. Mark E Smith's pet project are one of those bands which have carved their own very special niche in the British music scene, and despite their distinct lack of mainstream success, they can still command a sizeable crowd today. Smith's lachrymose delivery, combined with the not inconsiderable talents of the latest iteration of The Fall, ensured that the set was nothing if not intriguing. However, the problem with this band is that they make no effort to interact with the crowd, and hence they are unlikely to ever win new fans with their live show. The fans loved it, the non-fans didn't, and I think that's just the way Smith wanted it.



Prior to the festival, it was widely anticipated that Brixton acid-gospel octet Alabama 3 would provide one of the highlights. Such anticipations were not ill-founded, and the band delivered a set which will be talked about around these parts for years to come. High points such as 'Woke Up This Morning' and a scathingly brilliant take on 'Mao Tse Tung Said' act as good markers, but they are completely inadequate if you are to gain an understanding of just how good this band are as a live entity. For an hour or so, Jake Black and company held the rain threatened crowd rapt, and delivered the standout set of the weekend. Much like The Fall, Alabama 3 are a band almost unknown to the general populace, but the crucial difference is that they manage to make their sound accessible to all, and ensure that everyone who makes the effort to come out to see them walks away having had a damn good time. Tonight was no different.

Despite the torrential downpour immediately preceding his set, 80s electropop outcast turned industrial metal demi-god Gary Numan drew a sizeable crowd for his headline set on the main stage. In recent years the former Tubeway Army frontman has undergone something of a resurrection, and despite the image change having been well and truly bedded in, it still seemed to take a few by surprise tonight. In this reviewers opinion, however, the new and improved Gary Numan is a force to be reckoned with, and it is no surprise that his name is now mentioned alongside such luminaries of the industrial genre as Trent Reznor and Marilyn Manson.



By far the most popular track of the set was the insanely edgy take on 'Cars', which took the original, and added a whole new level of spite and malice, but the true highlights of the set came from recent album 'Jagged'. 'Halo', 'In A Dark Place' and 'Haunted' all showed just why Numan is now being hailed as a pioneer of this genre, with the latter track soaring across the damp Dundrennan fields magnificently. Leaving the stage at around 1am, Numan appeared visibly shocked by the ovation presented to him by the sizeable crowd, but he needn't have been surprised. With his reinvention Numan has found a new and exciting direction which, whilst surprising, is ultimately thrilling, and will be enjoyed by anyone who appreciates great music, not just those fans of the industrial genre.

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