Published Date:
29 July 2010
By Emma Barlow
NO AMOUNT of rain could have put off the 20,000 fans from all walks of life who gathered in a field at Dundrennan over the weekend to celebrate the ninth Wickerman Festival.
Having been spoiled by glorious sunshine on Friday, the crowd donned hats, sported waterproofs and opened brollies for Saturday evening's shenanigans but no one complained during what has been hailed as one of the best line-ups yet for the annual music festival, held in honour of the 1970s film of the same name.
A few days of rain prior to the kick-off on Friday gave organisers a headache as heavy beer lorries and stage structures landed on the muddy site and struggled their way through the threat of being bogged down.
But festival director and convenor of Dumfries and Galloway Council (and on whose land the festival takes place) Patsy Gilroy said she was confident the ground would bear up.
She told the Gazette amid bright sunshine on Friday: "I had confidence in the land. We've invested a lot over the years to ensure these type of trucks can make it through. The land is quite hard although some of the team were panicking a bit over the remaining few puddles, we had a great easterly wind yesterday which came in and dried off all the fields for us and now here we are with this fantastic sunshine. When you look out and see all these people sitting on the hill, watching the show and smiling you often wonder what all the worrying was about."
And the show those people watched came in the form of an opening set by newcomers The Polarsets who won a competition to open the festival.
The yet unsigned Newcastle-based trio played a great set ahead of Welsh rappers Goldie Lookin' Chain, whose comic set summed up the diversity sought by Wickerman organisers each year.
Following them onto the stage was Tony Christie who clearly had a great time wowing the crowds with hits such as Avenues and Alleyways and Amarillo.
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Little did the fans realise but the legend was struggling against terrible hay fever and told the Gazette backstage: "I was very choked up at the end and thought I would have to cut the song short but managed to hold on.
"My eyes are streaming though, I can hardly see! But it's been a great day and the crowd were with me on every song, which I loved."
Then came The Futureheads, who whipped up the crowd with their post-punk offerings and made way for the evening's headline act, The Charlatans.
With a somewhat sultry Tim Burgess fronting the set, the show lacked the sparkle often offered by the festival's big names but the crowd sang along and the Summerisle stage was surrounded nonetheless.
And with that, the sunburned faces made their way to the campsite, stopping for a bite of stovies en route and to catch a nap before Saturday's fun began.
Despite the grey skies to which the revellers awoke, spirits weren't down and out came the vampires and werewolves in celebration of the 2010 festival theme.
To pass the day before the music began was a headphone disco on ice, a kids tent, a mountain bike track and Laggan Outdoor Activities including grass sledging - amongst others.
Then came the tunes - as the heavens opened and the rains fell - in the form of a mixed set from The Saw Doctors which had fans both singing along and listening intently as the music changed tempo from fast and fun to slower and haunting.
Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos' surprise set in the Scooter Tent pulled the crowds before The Go! Team took the stage shortly after and set the tone for Ocean Colour Scene who managed to steal the weekend with their performance, kicking off with 'The Riverboat Song' and ending with 'The Day We Caught The Train', much to the delight of the 20,000 fans singing along and cheering.
The rain held off during their show and the mist came down in time to set an eerie backdrop for the Wickerman's burning, which was supported by a staggering fireworks display before those who were still standing enjoyed the music into the dark hoursbut others staggered off to bed.
Festival director Jamie Gilroy said as the last tent was being pulled down from the campsite on a grey Sunday morning: "This year's Wickerman has been a huge success and we've thoroughly enjoyed welcoming a fascinating range of people of all ages and from all walks of life to the festival. It's been exhausting but exhilarating."
And agreeing with him was artistic director Sid Ambrose, who added: "What a Wickerman it has been - baking hot sunshine on Friday and atmospheric mist on Saturday made it a festival to remember. The mix of top-name acts and new talent create a real buzz and we are really looking forward to building on this success for our 10th anniversary celebrations in 2011."
Of course, there are always the objectors to an alternative event such as this, based on a film about human sacrifice - local church ministers and scathing critics, to name two - but all they have to do is take a look at the faces of the crowd throughout the day to see how much fun is had. And human sacrifice was not on the cards for this year, but you never know how the organisers may react to the critics next year...
For more pictures, see this week's Galloway Gazette.
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Last Updated:
29 July 2010 12:26 PM
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Source:
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Location:
Newton Stewart