Highlights/Lowlights

[Elbear]

As we start coming back on here to talk about the festival, what were the best and worst bits of the weekend for you?

Mine are

Highlights

Groove Armada

Fake Blood

Chemical Brothers

Ms Dynamite (took me by surprise)

The whole Bacardi stage

The Goldenvoice on Sunday (Specifically Beardyman joining Rob Da Bank for his set)

Lowlights

All the moshing/mosh pits at Dance acts

£7.20 for a double Vodka and Red bull

Lack of a third big tent (Soulwax tent)

Magnetic Man

`

Edited June 13, 2011 by Festie--Follower

[cambyman]

Glasvegas are terrible and along with Nutini should not be closing the main stage on a Sunday.

Wasnt 2 impressed with the chemical brothers just had a feeling if déjà vu from last time they played.

Agree with the mosh pits above. Really enjoyed Example.

Although it may not seem like it from above had a cracking weekend, just in and totally shattered. I'll fire the PC up later and do a more comprehensive review later

[indie74]

Kasbian were utter rubbish on route home will review better later

[Alpha Kenny 1]

DJ shadow and Chemical Brothers were both superb. Frightened Rabbit were very good as well.

Getting slapped and my hair pulled at Chemical Brothers after some bint tried to steal my hat and me going for a kip on the Sunday made me miss out on SMD.

[thebattleofevermore]

highlights:

Jamie xx vastly improving his live set from the last time I saw him, so chuffed

dancing on stage with Jackmaster

when Modeselektor dropped the new Buraka Som Sistema song, I actually went berserk

seeing Annie Mac in person

Ms Dynamite

the chemical brothers' light show

my neighbours being sound all weekend

those veggie cheeseburgers omg!

the weather!

the atmosphere at the bacardi get together

lowlights:

not finding the efest camp!

the two utter creeps I had to endure during The Chemicl Brothers and Jamie xx

£6 for a Drambuie margarita

Annie Mac playing a very predictable and slightly disappointing set (expected at least some moombahton!)

pissing it down this morning trying to take my tent down

the bus there being an hour and a half late, then the clutch overheating. we got there 3 hours later than planned!

[Ali1874]

Really enjoyed myself, had an amazing time in the campsite with mates and enjoyed most of the acts I saw!

Highlights:

- Act wise: The Wombats, Chemical Bros, Magnetic Man, Zane Lowe, Laidback Luke

- Amount of different drinks on sale at the bars (prices are a different matter but not terrible compared to other festivals)

Lowlights:

- Glasvegas. I'm a pretty big fan but the lead singer looked off his face and it was like they were playing a track over him. He kept asking for the mic to be turned up, missing lines etc. Was strange and I was pretty gutted.

- How cold it was at night!

Can't think of anything else just now, as I said up there most of the fun came from the campsite/drinking with mates but saw a lot of very good acts! Will probably add more later after some sleep.

[bumper31]

Highlights:

Goldenvoice tent line up on Sunday.......Banging - Special mention to SMD (apart from the last 10 minutes), Rob Da Bank and Beardy Man

Really enjoyed Kasabian

Laidback Luke

VIP location - massive improvement and finally worth the extra

Cuban Brothers/Barry Peters - never fail to put a smile on my face

Katy B bouncing, that lass will get back trouble Musically good fun too

Lowlights:

TW*TS with their shirt off, eyes in different directions, look like they shouldn't be able to stand up, yet they still manage to crash into me without fail....and some little rat boy f**k who was lucky he didn't get his rat head ripped off. The stewards kicked them out but they just came straight back in

Use a toilet or don't drink as much......the fence was not a urinal although it resembled and by god smelt like one by sunday!

20 minute walk to the buses like a magical mystery tour

Zane Lowe......don't understand how he gets work

Too much dubstep

Weather

Tuborg

Sounds like there where more negatives, and generally I had a good time but a lot has put me off this year, especially the crowd, it has shifted from the chilled crowd it used to be.

[adustlandfairytale]

Highlights:

Kasabian

Chems

We Are Scientists

Frabbit

THEY TOOK OUR JOBS!

Campsite Banter

Lowlights:

The fact i'm back home right now and have to wait another year.

Oh and going on the big wheel. I hate heights.

[Scottttyyyy]

Had a great weekend!

Highlights:

the Afterburner, Jamie Jones was great

the weather apart from this morning

the amount of babes!

Magnetic Man. not really into dubstep but i thought they put on a great show

The Chemical Brothers!

Pan-Pot!

Lowlights:

£3.60 for a can!!

the weather this morning..

the shuttle bus not even getting us to Rock Ness before the first act

being so hung over on the sunday

[Poleski]

Highlights:

Arcadia Afterburner

The Chemical Brothers

Laidback Luke

Simian Mobile Disco

New layout of the festival. The village idea worked well. Only ventured into the Rock & Roll Circus once but it was interesting and different.

Sound quality (most of the time - sometimes I thought it was a bit too bass heavy).

Meeting Boys Noize

Fake Blood

Sub Focus

Rob Da Bank (epic set with Beardyman!)

Late finish on Saturday

We Own stall. Spent most of my money there!

Low lights:

Bacardi Get Together wasn't as good as it was hyped up to be if I'm honest.

Boys Noize (partly because of sound problems, but his set wasn't his best either.)

Having to hear Glasvegas while I was in the queue for the Boys Noize signing.

Weather wasn't the best.

Leaving.

[Lizzim]

Higlights

First time at Rockness so the location blew me away.

Example

Simian Mobile Disco

Seeing Miss Dynamite running around the main stage field after Magnetic Man. She nearly tripped over us - twice.

The girl who thought me and my OH were the lovliest couple ever.

Chemical Brothers

Lowlights

Missing the efest meeting - although I think we were camped close by.

Leaving our car in Inverness with a suspected blown head gasket. Potential new engine or scrapping entirely. In for a new radiator minimum. Glastonbury transport plans in jeopardy.

[coma girl]

Highlights:

Campsite banter, first time I've ever been to a fest and not wanted to venture into the arena

meeting up with pals from home that I hadn't seen for ages

Lucy Rose

Chems

Kasabian

Comedy in Howards End

Nero

DJ Yoda dance off

Finding Efest camp

Lowlights:

Losing my bag on Friday which contained my waterproof

£3.60 for a can and the useless bar staff in the bar next to Arcadia

Taking my tent down in the pissing rain

Having to go to work this afternoon after 2 hours kip

Edited June 13, 2011 by coma girl

[lalalaura]

Highlights:

Long Highland Ice Teas from the Bacardi tent...hummina hummina, who'd have thought

Magnetic Man

Laidback Luke

The f**king Cuban Brothers MADE my weekend, best performance I saw. Believe it!

Salsa baccy!

The Wombats

Realising how small Katy B was

Lowlights:

Being camped next to about 30 wee bams from up north who spent the weekend taking turns shagging each other and stealing stuff from our tent...thanks c**ts

The cash machines being f**king old slow and dear

Pablo Nutella closing. So disappointed he was announced but decided to give him a go anyway...disappointed times 10

Next year

[Kyelo]

Although I enjoyed myself this year just didn't seem to have the same spark as before, the taxi driver back said he had been hearing more complaints than compliments this year!

Anyway...

Highlights

Kasabian

Meeting some South Koreans and Japanese who tried to teach me their languages and cooked me some food

Met Gary Tank Commander lol

Boys Noize

Fake Blood

The Bacardi Bar(and hot staff!)

Drambuie cocktails(and freebies!)

Erol Alkan on Arcadia

My red wine shower and rum in ze eye!

Lowlights

Slipped down hill when very drunk and have totally destroyed my knee and ankle! They feel as fragile as my knee when I dislocated it!

Tuborg and Strongbow!

Weather that wouldn't make its mind up!

£80 taxi ride home on Sunday night because of my knee

Glasvegas, seen them twice before but my friend wouldn't listen. Bollox live band.

Have to say, and never thought I'd say this, I get the feeling that since AEG took over the line-up has thinned a bit, if the line-up isn't a topper next year I may venture elsewhere(Glade, LED, Parklife come to mind).

[theampersanddevil]

DJ Yoda dance off

[Pengers]

Having been to all 6 of rockness festivals, I'm sad to say that this was by far the worst of the lot.

Line-up very poor, alot of people who were in tents should of been on main stage and vice versa. Also Paolo Nutini headlining (even though I thought he did a very good job), should not be headlining a festival the size of Rockness. Also way to much dubstep.

New layout not great. People in general camping having to walk for ages to get to the taxi ranks. Old Layout was much better.

No Rizla Arena (Bacardi doesn't compare!)

Toilets in horrible states, don't think they were cleaned as often as they used to be. Unisex toilets in the VIP campsites, and 3 of them are broken by Saturday night.

That amazing special atmosphere that used to be at Rockness appears to have gone, and I fear that it is going to become a mini T in the Park, with more and more fools coming every year.

[TheHiddenPassenger]

Highlights:

Chemical Brothers

Sub Focus

Some moany prick during Laidback Luke "WTF why are you moshing to techno you c**ts?!" - Soon as he said that LBL dropped 'Chop Suey!' by System of a Down, priceless.

Campsite banter, especially the last night

Japanese Popstars

The guy who got down and planked during Beardyman whilst everyone ran round him in a circle

Example

Location/View

Afterburner - Erol Alkan and Pan Pot were absolute quality

Getting 3 mojitos for free

Smoothies

Black man with a megaphone singing Fresh Prince of Bel Air!

Lowlights:

The whole AEG/Seetickets ticketing malarky - definitely stressed a lot of people out

Missing Skrillex, Nero and DJ Yoda because the bus journey took about 5 hours :angry:

No Chemical Brothers encore

Fake Blood not playing Mars

Shitty weather for putting the tent away

BBC Alba showing no highlights of Chem Bros

Having no clue what some of the highlanders were saying "fit'ye fae?!"

Clash of bass when trying to listen to the mainstage and hearing other stages/tents

Walking past an act who have about 4 people watching them - makes me feel sad for them

Waiting to get on the bus for like an hour after the time it was supposed to leave

Overall, had a bloody amazing 1st Rockness - cannot wait for next year

[Poleski]

Some moany prick during Laidback Luke "WTF why are you moshing to techno you c**ts?!"

[coma girl]

terrible lack of bins in the campsite, place looked awful.

[themangus]

Highlights:

The Twilight Sad, Bombay Bicycle Club, Frightened Rabbit, Japanese Popstars, The Cribs.

The Comedy tent having a decent sized crowd in it throughout - Billy Kirkwood being on superb form, Chris Henry's set.

Never being in a queue at a bar more than 2 people deep.

Camping next to lots of cool, chill people.

& Meeting a host of cool people around - including some lovely Dores residents, some efesters & some randoms... Plus Ally Mcrae & the detour chaps, Jim King & Sean Hughes.

Lowlights:

The unsigned bands 'stage' at the Jaeger tent - wasn't advertised at all. Shockingly organised to according to 'Letters' singer: Letter to AEG

The comedy tent getting bashed for sound.

People pissing everywhere... I'm used to seeing the fences being used as urinals - but barging your way between people standing at the sound control stage, at the mainstage to piss is diabolical.

Despite being told at least three times where it was - not finding the efests camp && friends turning up at different times on Thursday night meaning we never got to catch anyone on Thursday night either (although, we did instead see some really cool stuff at the GoNorth showcases instead.)

Poor use of sunscreen

[Fac170]

Highlights: Beardyman, just brilliant my highlight of the weekend

Chemical Brothers, gotta love that light show. 'Don't think; just let it flow'

Simian Mobile Disco, Bouncing

Groove Armada, rarely fail me

Harri and Domenic, Subclub great sets

Derrick Carter, Arcadia, just superb

Great company, fantastic banter.

Lowlights: Sniffer dogs, heavy police presence on Friday/Saturday morning. f**k me I thought i'd

was heading to the highlands and landed in China

Take away the view and i'm afraid Rockness you are just a small TITP. the atmosphere

may have been different in the beginning but I don't see much difference now. For

those championing it as something different, it isn't.

Very lightweight lineup during the day, one or two bigger bands would have nailed it.

Glasvegas, WTF!!!! pretentious w*nkers "this ones about socio economic mumble mumble"

What a knob. "Who do you want me to sing, patsy cline? Tom Jones?" What about playing

a Glasvegas tune you dick.

Having said all that, now that I know its just a small TITP, sort out the line up,

and I would be back. The tents were rocking even if the main stage wasn't.

The VIP area was great chillout space, there was great scoff in some of the local

foodstalls and there were some great characters, Hooly and Marge, brilliant!

[stramasher]

HIGHLIGHTS:

Missing the fatal RTA on the A9 by half an hour on friday. RIP.

1st Rockness. Tick.

Beautiful location.

Laidback campervan area.

Mega watt campervan sound systems. Mega.

Chemical Brothers. Tremendous as usual. Love'em.

Ms Dynamite & the MC with Magnetic Man. Good fun the pair of them.

All friendly folks we met and saw.

Friendly sniffer dog.

Friendly cops apologising after the search and giving me my sneaky-in bag of wine back.

Comedy tent. Saw loads on Saturday.

Comedy tent MC.

Kasabian with a bit of Pulp Fiction/Donna Summer (?)

Liked the pre-arena area.

Saved from seeing a terrible sunday headliner.

Earning a free pass into Lethangie

Music on till late.

Goldenvoice tent being open-sided.

LOWLIGHTS:

Missing Jim Jones Revue cos of friendly sniffer dog.

Pathetic alcohol restrictions for camping areas.

Cash bars requiring multiple folk to serve you. PITA. Tokens is were its at.

Briefs £50 too expensive.

Having to head home on the sunday.

Chem Bros set should have been longer.

Did not make enough time to go exploring the whole arena.

Struggling noo.........

[RMcCole]

Band wise I thought Zane, TDCC, Kasabian, Sub-Focus and Modeselektor were all brilliant. Heard a couple of new bands that I'll go and download now. I was disapointed in Alkan but I can't complain too much as it meant I went to see Modeselektor instead. I missed out on Magnetic Man due to being gibbered, which was annoying.

The Bacardi Bar was a tremendous addition - it looked smart as f**k! Some guy was taking photo's of the drinks for his website which saw me and another of my group bag outselves a free cocktail as he wasn't planning to drink them. Ended up firing into Pina Colada's for the rest of the weekend.

Got sunburnt quite badly

All in all a top weekend!

Edited June 14, 2011 by RMcCole

[rachbon]

highlights

hilarious banter for the whole weekend! (shame on you, it's a sit in, hermaphrogoat)

dance off at dj yoda

great crowd at the efest camp

free drambuie

the traditional cider in howard marks tent

my wee brother having a great time at his first festival

the chunky chips and dips stall

the weather, it wasn't as bad as i was expecting

scott agnew and his slut boy

chemical brothers, amazing!

frightened rabbit

jamie xx

boys noize

bacardi bar

not getting sunburnt

lowlights

the ridiculously strict security

howard marks tent running out of the nice cider

bar staff in howard marks not having a clue what they were doing, although i did feel a bit sorry for them because they obviously had been given no training.

freezing at night then roasting during the day so it was impossible to sleep

bus driver getting lost on the way up

getting a bus an hour and a half late on the way back

i had an amazing time and have very few complaints about this year's rockness.

Edited June 14, 2011 by _rachelbon

[Thrash D Garbage]

Highs

Jim Jones Revue

Frightened Rabbit

The Wombats

Quality banter in campsite

The Sunday power hour in the campsite

The general friendly atmosphere from randoms

Lows

Not finding the efest campsite, although I did think we were pretty close

Doing my back in on the Friday night, and running out of painkillers for it by Saturday night.

Glasvegas and Nutini - Pure unadulterated garbage from Glasvegas, Nutini is just nowhere near headliner material(thought he was good at T last year)

£3.60 for a can of lager/cider, that is a rip off.

Weather not making up it's mind

Exiting the carparks on Monday, absolute shambles. It's funny how you can hardly move for folk marshalling you in, but when it comes to getting out they're nowhere to be seen, just like TITP (the cynic in me reckons it's all to do with there not being any money to hand out on the Monday)