General Feeling About This Year

[Kyelo]

Reading this forum I basically think we fit into 2 camps:

1.People that have been before saying it has lost a bit of the spark it had and is becoming a mini TITP.

2.Newbies saying it was amazing.

Personally I'm in the former camp and feel since AEG took over it is going away from the less commercial festivals like Bestival and moving in TITP direction. The thinner line-up this year says to me they are looking to squeeze more profits. If the line-up next year reflects this years then I'll be going elsewhere. The same weekend as Rockness has 3 I'm keen on: Glade, LED and Parklife or others like Bestival in the UK and Exit on the continent later on in the summer.

It started so brightly but seems to be going down the same dull, carbon copy route. Shame I really loved Rockness.

What are your thoughts?

Edited June 14, 2011 by BenchBuddah

[jhg...]

The Beat Herder festival has such a good line up this year. After a slightly 'flat' Rockness, I think I might go there next year - it's small and all about the music. I may have to say farewell to Rockness. It'll take 4 hours to travel instead of 3 to Inverness but I think it's time for a change. Sad, but there you go.

[Chiefski]

Was my first time at the event and while I enjoyed it, and thought it had a lot of plus points, size, location, layout etc, I cant help but feel it could have been slightly run or booked better. Though I'm not huge on alot of the more 'dancier' type of acts I can understand they are the foundation of Rocknesses beginnings, and have a place there. Walking around the stages, I felt at times it must have felt bad for alot of the acts on that had little crowds, or in the cases of the tents had larger than the mainstagers.

While it might not please some of the core Rockness audience, I really think they need to shift their bookings to more leftfield type acts, redevelop themselves in a mold of Electric Picnic and Bestival, even Latitude slightly. If they keep based a base genre I think they will start to find it hard, as you can only appeal to one area (hell, even look at the likes of this years Download as an example of this), where if they did branch out like those festivals named, they can provide different fields of acts, while also providing something different from TITP. They dont even need to get rid of the elements they have now, just redistribute it properly.

I'll also admit to being a regular TITP goer in typing all of this, but would love Rockness to maintain themselves as something different.

[theampersanddevil]

I had a lot of fun this year and there were some steller performances to be seen, DJ Shadow in particular.

I had said before going that the line-up had nothing on it that really had me giddy with excitement. There were a few act I wanted to see but nothing unmissable. I thought this would maybe become an issue for me but it really didn't.

What was an issue was an increase in idiots. Maybe I have rose tinted glasses but T wasn't always like it is now. (or it could have been but i never noticed or cared) There was a point it changed (or i noticed or cared). Rockness this year moved ever so slightly towards that point.

Tbh i am still wondering whether the incidents that I encountered this year are maybe clouding my judgement, and at times my judgement was cloudy to begin with

Anyway, I had a lot of fun and I will see how I feel next year when it comes around. Bench I have fancied EXIT for a while and I can think of a few folks wanting to go as well.

[onemangang]

I had a lot of fun this year and there were some steller performances to be seen, DJ Shadow in particular.

I had said before going that the line-up had nothing on it that really had me giddy with excitement. There were a few act I wanted to see but nothing unmissable. I thought this would maybe become an issue for me but it really didn't.

What was an issue was an increase in idiots. Maybe I have rose tinted glasses but T wasn't always like it is now. (or it could have been but i never noticed or cared) There was a point it changed (or i noticed or cared). Rockness this year moved ever so slightly towards that point.

Tbh i am still wondering whether the incidents that I encountered this year are maybe clouding my judgement, and at times my judgement was cloudy to begin with

Anyway, I had a lot of fun and I will see how I feel next year when it comes around. Bench I have fancied EXIT for a while and I can think of a few folks wanting to go as well.

[theampersanddevil]

how bad were the incidents?

Edited June 15, 2011 by theampersanddevil

[Kowalski]

I really think they need to shift their bookings to more leftfield type acts, redevelop themselves in a mold of Electric Picnic and Bestival, even Latitude slightly.

[Paul ™]

They should let Rob Da Bank do the bookings, he's done a fantastic job with this year's Bestival. A great mix of very good electronic acts, and some superb eclectic bands.

[pipper]

This year had a lot of good music. It's my 4th year and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I did however notice the increase of neds/neds behaviour. As Rockness becomes

more popular of course it will attract more neds. The bookings of artists like Kasabian and Laidback Luke doesn't help but they want to sell tickets and make money. It would be nice to keep our unique festival but, is that generating the money needed to keep it going?

It's a bit daft to generalise everyone into two groups, those who are newbies and those who aren't. I know plenty of regulars who had a great time.

Edited June 15, 2011 by pipper

[Kowalski]

I had suggested that to Jim King, let Rob curate the line up, drop the Rockness name and launch a re-branded 'Nesstival' as the name

[MrBones]

4th year for me and I had a great time in spite of the line up, which I felt was poor for large chunks of the day. For me the line up has gone downhill each year.

There used to be such a variety of stuff on during the day where you could choose between DJs or bands. Now it's just all a bit meh during the day

[Window Licker]

Unfortunately I couldn't make it over this year, line-up wasn't up to scratch for me bar the Chemical Brothers, DJ Shadow, Modeselektor and a few others. Probably would have gone though if I had the wedge to make the jaunt.

Judging by the reviews and comments on here the past couple of days it seems Rockness is clearly in danger of becoming saturated in the next couple of years.

The age old danger that festivals seem to suffer the same faith as they grow in popularity, media coverage and a change in promoter/line-up catering to increase revenue and ticket sales.

You all say its what happened to T in the Park.

Its also what happened to our T over here, Oxegen, which used to be called Witness. Witness was great, an amazing festival, but as soon as it was remodeled as Oxegen it went to the absolute dogs. Popularity went through the roof and it was flooded with muppets, scum and basically children who had no cop on and ruined the fun and vibe the festival once held.

Similarly and really unfortunately, last years Electric Picnic showed signs of the same misfortune. Its still an amazing festival, the best Ireland has to offer, and still caters the bill for mature festival goers, however there was a noticeable increase in Neds due to the severe lack of security provided last year. That was coupled with a much more childish crowd in general and extortionate prices courtesy of MCD promotions.

God how I long for Aiken to come back and promote Electric Picnic, those were the days! Better line up, better food and better prices. Ah well.

[Kyelo]

This year had a lot of good music. It's my 4th year and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I did however notice the increase of neds/neds behaviour. As Rockness becomes

more popular of course it will attract more neds. The bookings of artists like Kasabian and Laidback Luke doesn't help but they want to sell tickets and make money. It would be nice to keep our unique festival but, is that generating the money needed to keep it going?

It's a bit daft to generalise everyone into two groups, those who are newbies and those who aren't. I know plenty of regulars who had a great time.

[Ali1874]

Guess I'd count as a newbie? 2nd festival for me this year and I remember people on here saying that it felt like it was turning into a mini TITP last year.

I had a really good festival but that was pretty much all down to me and my mates in the campsite, the lineup was pretty poor and there were only about 6 or so over the whole weekend who I really enjoyed. Didn't really notice that much of a change in the atmosphere from last year except that there were more mosh pits.

Will definitely wait until the lineup is announced next year, or at least the headliners before buying a ticket. Would be gutted to miss it but the lineup at Parklife looked a lot better undercard wise.

So basically what I'm saying is that the main problem for me was the poor lineup and not the atmosphere...

[thomohoq]

surely the poor lineup and poor atmosphere go hand in hand? When the chems ended their set, the crowd had stopped applauding while they were still on stage waving. Never seen the like.

[smutchie]

I personally had my best Rockness so far. And I'm not a newbie. Excellent weekend.

[Ali1874]

surely the poor lineup and poor atmosphere go hand in hand? When the chems ended their set, the crowd had stopped applauding while they were still on stage waving. Never seen the like.

[thebattleofevermore]

It was my first year and I'd heard all about the magic Rockness atmosphere. I still thought it was class but I definitely did notice similarities with last year's T In The Park, and I suppose the line-up was the biggest factor. For a dance festival it seemed daft to me to have 2 of 3 headliners who weren't even part of that genre, and the rest of the line-up seemed to reflect this too.

Next year, if I go, I think they should add another Goldenvoice-sized tent, and remarket the festival along the lines of Bestival et al (I think this should be reflected in the initial headliners especially).

[Stanton]

Even though the line up was weak this year, me and my mates still had an absolute ball. Camped in red for the first time, neighbours were all sound. Seen a few twats in the arena but not enough to make it an issue. the acts we did see were braw. Only grumbles were the bar staff who were useless no matter what bar we tried and those bloody sniffer dogs who busted one of my mates on the way in.

[Kasabianite]

I had a great time again this year, i particularly liked the new layout.

That said i think the Sunday lineup was comfortably the weakest day Rockness has ever had.

Another gripe would be the poor timings/stages for certain acts. 1 example of this: The Japanese Popstars were superb, however they would have been even better in a tent or even on mainstage later in the day than mid-afternoon on mainstage.

[RMcCole]

those bloody sniffer dogs who busted one of my mates on the way in.

[_Warriors Dance_]

They went a bit overboard this year with the dogs. When I was going in EVERYONE got sniffed.

[_Warriors Dance_]

There was too much Dub Step too! I was so excited about Annie Mac and most of her set was bloody dub step!!! I hate dub step!!! Not to mention she looked like she was having a bad day in her Fred Flintstone dress ha!

[Stanton]

God forbid them actually doing the job they're employed to do

[taLLbones]

Been to all rockness's apart from 2 and I for one still had a great fest from the bus up to the chat at the tent it was class.

Two gripes wee bit more knobs, but still much more friendly people and the daytime acts a bit thin.

Plus afterburner and subby tent rocked the place.

Best act Magnetic man MC was larger than life and not to be taken to seriously made the set along with Ms Dynomite.

All in all a great weekend that if you go with good mates you will always have a great time.

Time Christmas comes al decide if I go again but Im sure I will.

Might as well get it started just now Daft Punk are playing