CMU Playlists

Playlist: RockNess

By | Published on Saturday 20 November 2010

This week the UK Festival Awards recognised the great and the good from this year’s festival season, handing out trophies to the best events, the best performances and, of course, the best toilets (that one went to T In The Park). The award for best line-up went to Scotland’s RockNess.

Unlike most categories at the Festival Awards, which are voted for by punters, this one is selected by an expert panel, including that uber-expert, CMU Editor Andy Malt. The judges consider line-ups of festivals large and small for this prize, taking into account event size, audience capacity and the budgets available to bookers. With a whole host of great acts from across the dance and rock genres, RockNess was a clear winner.

Festival Director Jim King had this to say about the win: “We are thoroughly delighted to win this award and when you look at the calibre of festivals nominated across the categories it shows how well RockNess is now respected. The bands love playing at RockNess for many reasons, but the single most important one is they just love performing in front of our crowd, and so it’s the loyal RockNess customers who deserve the award more than anyone”.

Having scrutinised the line ups of all the festivals up for this gong in some detail, Andy has compiled a special Powers Of Ten playlist around the RockNess 2010 line-up to celebrate their UK Festival Awards win, and explains why these ten acts were particular fab inclusions below. You can check it all out here. Though we recommend sitting next to a loch, pouring yourself a glass of whisky and adopting a Scottish accent first.

ROCKNESS TEN
Click here to listen to the RockNess playlist in Spotify, and then read on to find out more about the tracks included.

01 Fatboy Slim – Praise You
A Fatboy Slim classic, I’m sure you’ll agree. And one that comes with a brilliant Spike Jonze video, which is always a bonus.

02 Crystal Castles – Celestica
Having released their second album in April Crystal Castles recently announced that they’re bringing a highly successful year to a close with a new version of their song ‘Not In Love’ featuring vocals from The Cure’s Robert Smith. This track, from the same album, is our favourite.

03 Leftfield – Open Up
Having split in 2002, Leftfield was resurrected by founder member Neil Barnes this year in order to headline RockNess, hitting the crowd with an epic set. This track, from their debut album, ‘Leftism’, featuring vocals from the legendary, and most butter-friendly punk frontman John Lydon.

04 Ian Brown – Stellify
Back in the olden days, Ian Brown used to front The Stone Roses. Last year he fought a hard battle with Peter Andre for Worst Album Cover Of The Year in my head. Musically there was no contest, though. Try to write a song like this one, Andre. Go on, try.

05 Plan B – She Said
Plan B’s got all popular this year, hasn’t he? Having started out as a gritty rapper telling it how it is, he’s now a gritty soul singer making up stories about some guy he invented.

06 Vampire Weekend – Horchata
“In December, drinking horchata, I’d look psychotic in a balaclava”. Oh Ezra Koenig, I do like your faux-African musical stylings, but is that seriously your idea of a good opening line for a song (and indeed an album)?

07 The Strokes – Reptilia
Having convinced Leftfield to return from the dead, RockNess coaxed The Strokes out of a four year hiatus to play this year’s festival. The band have apparently now finished recording a new album. Will that album live up to this song? No, it will not.

08 Blondie – Hanging On The Telephone

Look at that, three New York bands in a row. And when it comes to New York bands, Blondie are the Kings and Queen. They may be no spring chickens, but they’re still able to floor audiences with classics like this.

09 Pendulum – Propane Nightmares

Talking of flooring audiences, Pendulum do so through sheer volume. Just in case anyone at RockNess hadn’t been shaken silly by the other bands on the bill already, they were on hand for some vibration therapy.

10 Aphex Twin – Digeridoo
Also known for his bone-shuddering live sets, mixed with an unhealthy amount of confusion, Aphex Twin is probably worth the price of a festival ticket alone. This classic from him rounds off our playlist nicely.



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