Connect Festival
Inveraray Castle, Scotland
31st August, 2007

View: scenic

Possibly the most impressive UK festival location nestles in the mountainous grounds of Argyll’s Inveraray Castle, and the inaugural Connect boasts a hugely impressive line-up. Local boys The Jesus & Mary Chain are on top form, sounding evil in the best way. The Beastie Boys follow with a bouncy, fun-for-all-the-family show, not too proud to pull out the big hits. The west-coast rain was alleviated next day by the spooky art-pop of Bat For Lashes and the eternally boyish Teenage Fanclub. Mogwai’s mournful, stately post-rock proves an ideal soundtrack for the dramatic surroundings, while The Black Dog offer less cerebral joys, unleashing a sweaty techno ravaging in the dance tent. Echo & The Bunynmen are shambolic but occasionally glorious; a refreshed Ian McCulloch slandering anything that moves and woefully fluffing The Killing Moon. Last day, and MIA gets the crowd overexcited with her defiant mongrel dance-party, inciting a set-ending stage invasion. Björk, an old hand at beat-based rabble-rousing, is not to be outdone; with the aid of an impressive set of lasers, she brings down nightfall with a ferocious take on Hyperballad, rendering LCD Soundsystem less a headliner and more of a cool-down. All in all, a vital Connection was made.

Reviewed by Emily Mackay
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