Jamie xx has brought this year’s RockNess festival to a close with a blistering set.
All good things come to an end, and sadly RockNess is no exception. Scotland’s wildest party, the Dores bash has drawn thousands of fans together for a weekend of – mostly – good weather.
With the sun pouring down across the site, Sunday enters its final stage with a set from Glasgow beat merchants Optimo. Although the night itself has ended in the Sub Club, Twitch and Wilkes remain an imposing team.
Leafing through their collection, Optimo spin a fantastic late afternoon set which includes a few techno classics. Booked to play Sub Club Sound System, the duo head up a terrific bill featuring a few unknown quantities.
The newly expanded Afterburner attracts a massive crowd, with its mixture of pyrotechnics and an eclectic bill. Andrew Weatherall is clearly in a mood to party, and the dapper DJ helps inject some energy into a tiring crowd.
Simian Mobile Disco have toughened up their live, and the London duo play to a packed GoldenVoice Arena. Far harder live than on record, Jas Shaw and James Ford are backed by typically exquisite visuals.
Techno boffin Matthew Dear plays the Sub Club Soundsystem, as the crowds begin to gather. A wide ranging – at times challenging – set, the producer manages to match a cerebral temperament with a dancefloor nous.
With fans cramming every corner of the Sub Club Soundsystem, the arrival of Jamie xx is one of the weekend’s most anticipated events. Coming a long way in a relatively short time, much was demanded of the talented young producer.
However fans needn’t have worried. Jamie xx responds by raising his game, pushing the crowd to ever further levels of euphoria. Ending with a polite wave to the crowd, the producer departs as fans make their way to the Main Stage.
Paolo Nutini brings down the curtain on RockNess 2011, with the Paisley lad on exuberant form. An enormous crowd descends on the Main Stage, and as the fireworks explode overhead its clear that plenty of them will be back next year.
