So DTRH (nowhere very near Doune, these damn satnavs, glad BM does not use one…) 8 commenced with a lot of rain, turning the fields of Cardross Estate (nowhere near Cardross, these damn satnavs again) into a mulch, but spirits were not too dampened, despite pulses of showers throughout the weekend until Sunday, really. There were some cancellation issues (Saturday headliners Songhoy Blues did not get any further than Morocco, we understand, and Ulrika Spacek also did not appear, while Friday headliners Liars did a few songs and had to go off due to technical issues). BM also missed a good few acts due to working (in the muddy carpark, and at the main entrance) – HQFU and Ubre Blanco were on just too late on Friday to contemplate after a long shift, and Happy Meals clashed with PAWS, oh well another time etc.
So of what BM did see, here were the top 5… BM would have to say that audience numbers were a bit sparse, no more than 150-200 people at the most for any act listed here…
PAWS can always be relied on to make a racket and so they did, debuting some new material as well as the tried and tested, on the Friday night at the Baino stage.
Glasgow-based collective Spinning Coin did their thing on the (main) Jabberwocky Stage on Saturday early evening. It had stopped raining, the five-piece played some new material and all was good…They debuted some new songs, and in a TFC meets Pastels way it was very pleasant indeed.
The Lovely Eggs (from Lancaster) played The Lodge tent on Sunday and sounded pretty good – some punk attitude channeled through male/female duo vibe, shades of The Ting Tings, but some good Northern English humour as well.
Pronto Mama rocked the Jabberwocky stage in the mid Sunday evening sunshine (finally!) with a selection of album tracks from “Any Joy” – always good, always spot on with the riffs, the words and the instrumental breakdowns, just a shame there were not more punters about to appreciate them…
And there was a fifth in this top 5, well it was Martha Ffion, who played a classy set of indie folk on the Sunday early evening, some sensitive songs plus some clattering hoe-downs, with her band.
So another year in Stirlingshire, dates changing next year, maybe May or June might be a better bet for the weather but Doune knows best…