Guilfest 2010 – Friday

Arriving late to a party is never fun, the same is true of festivals. The party is in full swing and we’re left to play catch up. We can hear ‘We Are The Ocean’ while we pitch tents and unsurprisingly it sounds like they are having far more fun in there than we are having out here. The sound bleeding from the back of the Rocksound tent is bass heavy and infectiously groovy.

The sun is setting and the site is abuzz, the mood in general seems laid back and relaxed. But at the main stage Orbital are a feast of lights and sound. The Fringes of the crowd are restricted to foot tapping, head bobbing with the occasional individual dancing like your dad while in front of the stage it is a seas of bodies and glowsticks pulsing and undulating to the music.

Back in the Rocksound Cave and Toronto hardcore outfit ‘F***ed Up’ are topping the bill. The barricade is vibrant and the crowd is an eclectic mix of people. Frontman Damian Abraham is a gracious host and his banter is warm and welcoming. It isn’t long before he’s out in the crowd, the mic lead like a lifeline linking him to the stage.

As the stages close down the crowd disperses, some aim for the bar while the rest disappear into the night. The party at the bar is going strong and while the music’s playing the dancers are dancing. Spirits are high and it makes for an excellent way to round the evening off.