aaamusic | On 07, Apr 2011

PLUS SNAFU AND PROPAGANDA JOIN ROCKNESS
Continuing to establish itself as the leading electronic / indie festival, ROCKNESS announces more acts, the BRAND NEW ROCK N ROLL CIRCUS and a celebration of 20 YEARS OF SOMA on the ARCADIA AFTERBURNER to join the already colossal line up.

Rocketing onto the MAINSTAGE is the Midas of house music LAIDBACK LUKE! Supercharged with all the big blockbuster beats he can lay his super hero hands on, LUKE will be tearing things up at this year’s festival where he will be joined by Road to RockNess Headliners, THE JAPANESE POPSTARS.

Also joining the Main Stage over the weekend will be THE BOXER REBELLION, MORNING PARADE and the sonically adventurous outfit hailing from Kilsyth, TWILIGHT SAD.

Exciting new additions to the ARENA line up include the hottest Dubstep duo of the moment and Beatport heroes NERO, and ready to shake the loch to its core with his bass bin crushing dance floor beats is the revolutionary SKRILLEX!

Get ready for a hilarious and screw-face inducing roller-coaster ride through the twisted mind of BEARDYMAN and then get stunned by Drum & Bass debonair SUB FOCUS whose adrenalin-fuelled-audacious LIVE performance is going to get the crowds jumping.

The ARENA also welcomes Glasgow rock outfit SONS AND DAUGHTERS, and Edinburgh’s finest, BROKEN RECORDS, bringing their gargantuan joyous Scottish 7 piece sound to astound the masses.  As well as London’s alt-indie quintet CHAPEL CLUB, the unconventional and genre defying JIM JONES REVUE, DOG IS DEAD and SOUND OF GUNS.

AND ON TOP OF THIS…..

ROCKNESS is thrilled to introduce an electrifying new addition to the festival, the ROCK N ROLL CIRCUS.  This brand new structure for 2011 is set to take you on an all encompassing musical journey that will enlighten and excite any true music fan. The arena will open by showcasing cutting edge emerging artists and truly magnificent talents in the music scene right now and as the sun sets it will be transformed into a full on-unadulterated hedonistic RockNess club experience taking you into the early hours!

So on entering the festival make your first stop across the weekend the ROCK N ROLL CIRCUS, where you will get sucked in by a band described by ‘Popjustice’ as a “Delicately swooshy fairytale electropop with a glittercanon where its heart should be” – SOUND OF ARROWS and we introduce a prolific songwriter with an extraordinary vocal talent, SAINT SAVIOUR, a lady who has already toured with ROCKNESS favourites, GROOVE ARMADA!

Also adorning the arena is WORSHIP showcasing their moody, haunting music, soaring vocals and tense, synth-laden atmosphere to the new arena.

As night time rolls in the ROCK N ROLL CIRCUS will then be transformed into a festival CLUBBING experience like no other by indie club phenomenon PROPOGANDA who take their show to over 20,000 people every week in the UK, Ireland and Australia.  DJ DAN, Propaganda creator and Oasis after show DJ, is guaranteed to keep you dancing and singing along to the best new and classic indie music.  Be a part of the biggest guilt-free arms-in-the-air FRIDAY night opening party ROCKNESS has ever seen!

After the Friday night debauchery the ROCK N ROLL CIRCUS will be the perfect setting to ease yourself back into the SATURDAY with incredible music from one of the ‘must see’ acts of 2011, JAMIE WOON, who has received huge critical acclaim for his music and is already set for big things in the coming year. And if you haven’t heard of one of the UKs most in demand enigmatic artists WOLF GANG, we highly recommend getting him on your ROCKNESS ‘ones to watch list’. 

Next up and representing SCOTTISH ladies is an urban singer who hit the spotlight by collaborating with Chipmunk on his “Diamond Rings”, EMELI SANDE.  Then like a breath of fresh air the glorious and undeniable complex and compelling sound and lyrics of THE GOOD NATURED will be filling the arena to the rafters.  SATURDAY also welcomes the YAAKS a Brighton 5-piece who have been making a real stir of late, finding their way onto the BBC Radio 1 up-front playlist.

And as the sun goes down and you feel re-energized to party hard, SNAFU seize the reigns and pull in the help of two of their favourite DJs and producers to ensure their first year of the ROCK N ROLL CIRCUS goes off with a bang.  Headlining the SNAFU stage is France’s most wanted radio host and selector – IVAN SMAGGHE – who stands at the crossroads between glamorous Parisian hype and musical integrity, best known for his techno, electrohouse, minimal sounds and past projects with BLACK STROBE… perfect festival fodder! The Fidget King JESSE ROSE is on board, and he’s guaranteed to be dropping his MADE TO PLAY big tunes to truly get the party bouncing.  Completing the Snafu sound are Glasgow’s BIGFOOT’S TEA PARTY with CHRISTOPHER KELLY and REDUX, and Snafu’s MOTHERSHIP with resident ADAM ACKERS. SNAFU is a full creative spectrum who has a long history of championing and showcasing the local talent and booking big name guests so watch this space as they welcome their superb residents and the sound of SNAFU.

The SUNDAY ROCK N ROLL CIRCUS has been specifically programmed for you to enjoy and expand your musical passage across the festival site and recharge your batteries whilst experiencing the finest in new music. Described by Mojo magazine as ‘dark, lustful blues-folk’, SMOKE FAIRES will be a sublime performance to put on your weekends agenda and BOY & BEAR a band, rich in folk harmonies, startling elegance and living breathing rock influenced form will also be making their debut.

Then indulge in the stunning sounds and musical purity of singer songwriter LUCY ROSE, the truly talented Folk singer/songwriter PETE ROE and bringing their stunning lyrical genius STORY BOOKS.

SUNDAY NIGHT will take a turn in to insanity as we close the festival by cordially inviting you to ‘AN AUDIENCE WITH THE CUBAN BROTHERS’ . The Rock Ness Legends will be bringing a whole host of famous friends to create their hilarious mix of havoc, mischief and mayhem. Watch this space for an announcement on possibly the funniest 2 hours the festival has ever seen.

AND FINALLY…

Get ready for the BIGGEST BIRTHDAY PARTY ROCKNESS has ever hosted as we help SOMA RECORDS celebrate 20 YEARS of releasing stunning and eclectic electronic dance music from across spectrum.

The Scottish party will last for 3 days (of course) and is taking place on the ARCADIA AFTERBURNER, who will once again be bringing their unique collaboration of artists, technicians and engineers, showcasing new innovative ideas through installations and productions, full on pyrotechnics and futuristic circus acts.

Joining EROL ALKAN on the FRIDAY night will be Parisian techno minimalist PAUL RITCH who will be bringing his LIVE show!  Continuing the party vibes and getting your arses shaking on the dance floor will be a lady who requires no introduction, HEIDI, and completing the SOMA FRIDAY line up is one of the most in demand and highly respected DJs of our time EWAN PEARSON.

To make the SATURDAY party last even longer, ROCKNESS have EXTENDED THE AFTERBURNER TILL 3AM guaranteeing the SOMA party is bouncing well and truly into the early hours of the morning!

Taking you deep into the infamous SOMA AFTERBURNER experience is a duo whose mastery of audio principles allows them to turn conventions on their heads, casting functionality aside as they plumb the deep, uncharted depths of pitch-black techno, PAN-POT.  SOMA have then called on a friend of the family and guy who will be home from home, Scottish global electronic legend FUNK D’VOID.

Then bringing a collage of electronic influence ALEX UNDER will be commanding the afterburner decks, joined by GARY BECK renowned for his unique sound, SOMA producer MASTER H & Glasgow’s HARVEY MCKAY.

To close out the weekends celebrations on SUNDAY, SOMA have enlisted one of techno’s rising stars, JAMIE JONES, Glasgow’s SUNDAY CIRCUS, and a man who continues to mould the techno landscape and will be shaping your Sunday night into one of big electronic beats and dance till you drop sounds is ANDREW WEATHERALL.

But they have called upon a true electronic messiah and king of the decks DERRICK CARTER, to guarantee that ROCKNESS 2011 comes to an unforgettable euphoric clubbing climax!

Festival Director, Jim King said, ‘We think this is a great announcement and shows the strength in depth of this year’s line up. Laid Back Luke is one of the most exciting Djs of the last 2 years and its great to welcome him, Nero, Skrillex and Sub Focus to the festival for the first time. Im also particularly excited about some of the new emerging acts like Jamie Woon, Wolfgang and Smoke Fairies who will make the new Rock and Roll Circus a really great addition to the festival.

Finally, Happy Birthday Soma. Electronic Legends. We salute you.’

RockNess 2011 takes place 10-12 June, 2011 in the village of Dores, close to Inverness in the Scottish Highlands.

Exclusive coverage of this year’s festival will be available on BBC ALBA and the BBC iPlayer
TICKETS ON SALE NOW

Student offer – £145 weekend camping/non camping plus free coach travel in Scotland and selected UK destinations from Citylink pick up points.
General offer – £149 weekend camping/non camping
General offer – £159 weekend camping/non camping weekend camping/non camping plus free coach travel in Scotland and selected UK destinations from Citylink pick up points.

FULL DETAILS AT WWW.ROCKNESS.CO.UK