Connect Music Festival

Connect Music Festival
Jarvis Cocker performing on the main stage of the inaugural Connect Music Festival held on the banks of Loch Fyne on the west coast of Scotland, UK
Genre	Alternative rock, Punk rock, Indie rock, Dance
Location(s)	Inveraray Castle, Loch Fyne, Argyll, Scotland
Years active	2007, 2008

The Connect Music Festival was a music festival that took place in the grounds of Inveraray Castle, located on the banks of Loch Fyne in Argyll, Scotland. It was aimed at more mature music fans^[1] and recent headliners included the Beastie Boys, Björk and Franz Ferdinand.^[1][2] The inaugural festival was held in 2007 and was repeated in 2008, sponsored by SSE and named Hydro Connect. The festival did not take place in 2009^[3] or 2010 with the organisers blaming high running costs and the effects of the Financial crisis of 2007–2010.

Format[]

It is composed of five stages of music and two other areas:

• The Oyster Stage - Main Stage hosting the headline acts and other bands
• Guitars & Other Machines - More popular and less well known rock bands
• Manicured Noise - Electronic and Dance acts
• Unknown Pleasures - Ambient acts (playing through the night)
• The Double Six Club - A drinking and social area
• Circuses and Bread - Food and drink area
• Your Sound Bandstand - Unsigned and new Scottish acts chosen by the Your Sound Network

2007 Festival[]

The festival was held between 31 August and 2 September 2007. The festival - due to the large crowds and rain during the weekend - damaged the Winterton shinty pitch, home of Inveraray Shinty Club, meaning that the pitch was unplayable for the rest of the 2007 season.^[4]

Line-up[]

Oyster Stage[]

Guitars & Other Machines[]

Manicured Noise[]

Your Sound[]

The bandstand stage, set for new and rising bands, included performances from Frightened Rabbit (Saturday), Rick Redbeard (Saturday) and The Twilight Sad (Sunday, playing directly following headliner Björk).^[5]

2008 Festival[]

In 2008, the festival changed its name to Hydro Connect due to sponsorship from Scottish Hydro Electric.^[6] It was held between Friday 29 August and Sunday 31 August.

Line-up[]

Artists performing included Manic Street Preachers, Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand, Amy MacDonald, Sigur Rós, Goldfrapp, Paolo Nutini, Kasabian, Glasvegas, Mercury Rev, Gossip, Elbow, Duffy, The Coral, Ladytron, The Roots, Sparks, Crystal Castles, Young Knives, Santigold, Joan As Police Woman, Gomez, Foy Vance and Noah and the Whale.

References[]

External links[]

• BBC Coverage