Review: CockRock Festival 2010

Now in its sixth year, the Cockermouth Rock Festival has gone from strength to strength, growing in capacity, atmosphere and excitement and this year was certainly no exception to the trend. 

Set in the heart of the beautiful Lake District in Cumbria, Cockrock spanned breathtaking panoramic views of the District's vast mountain range and deep, sloping valleys; a stunning setting for any festival in the world.  

This year saw over 150 bands and DJs grace Cockrock’s seven stages over three days, boasting an array of promising young talent eager to make an impression as well as a strong mix of established acts looking to cement their places in the annals of Cockrock history. 

Despite a week of torrential rain building up to the festival, the opening Friday kicked of in excellent spirits with over 4000 people of all ages descending upon the site to pitch up camp and get into the festival spirit.  

The festival arena itself was awash with mud, making things slightly tricky underfoot but still kept a warm and inviting atmosphere. Akin to a village fete rather than a music festival, the Cockrock arena’s stages and music tents were relatively close knit, with a cluster of food stalls and fairground attractions circling its perimeter.  

Standout band on the Slingshot Stage for the opening Friday were undoubtedly Catfish & the Bottlemen, whose blend of upbeat and catchy Kooks style riffs will surely make these young lads ones to watch for the near future.  

Headlining the Bar Stage on Friday night was legend Chris Helme of the Seahorses, who mesmerizing voice enchanted a packed out tent with a short acoustic set. The set comprised of Helme’s well written post Seahorses material plus a few sing along classics, making for an unforgettable night at Cockrock. 

Manchester based quartet Kid British brought their unique hip-hop/ska infusion sound to the Slingshot stage on Friday night, attracting perhaps the biggest crowd of the day and deservedly so, as they bounced along with an enthusiasm and energy that resonated throughout the site.  

After the bands had strummed out their final few chords, the Dance Tent got into full swing each night, pumping out a mix of rock, dance and dub-step until the early hours, ensuring nobody at Cockrock was left wanting for anything. 

Saturday saw the sun creep out from behind the clouds, wrapping the festival in a golden warmth and setting up things perfectly for a day packed full of great music.  

Female led electro-synth band Trip to Dover entertained a large crowd at The Bar Stage before a young covers band, aptly named Front Covers ploughed through an eclectic mix of Foo Fighters, Stones and Chilli Peppers tracks with a raw, fast paced energy.  

The Rapid Fire Stage played host to a deluge of rock and pop acts, with highlights including Major Major and Johnny Foreigner. Double headliners The King Blues and returning Brit-pop heroes Dodgy made the main stage the place to be on Saturday night as thousands of festival goers packed out the arena in anticipation of what would no doubt be a fantastic night. 

Heralded by Kerrang! As ‘The most exciting live band in Britain’ and off the back of a sold out tour with Enter Shikari, The King Blues enjoyed their biggest headline show to date at Cockrock, with single ‘Save The World, Get The Girl’ already sounding like a true classic. 

Brit-pop legends Dodgy were perhaps the most hotly anticipated act of the weekend and they certainly lived up to the hype. Sing along anthem Staying Out For The Summer brought back memories of days gone by and UK top five hit Good Enough made for a perfect set closer from a trio whose legacy dates back to the early 90’s. 

However, it was perhaps slam-poet Micky P Kerr’s performance at The Bar Stage that stole the show on Saturday. His unique blend of hilarious lyrical ramblings about life and everyday situations had the crowd in stitches before he took to the guitar to further display his talents with a set of well crafted yet equally enthralling acoustic tracks. 

By the time Sunday came, dark clouds had claimed their places in the sky and the weather was nothing short of disappointing, however, this came in stark contrast to the quality of music that was on display throughout the day. 

Young Stevenage based band The Gavels brightened up the mood on the Slingshot Stage with their blend of jaunty guitars and slick indie beats and, now firmly established on the London gigging scene, will surely be ones to watch out for over the summer months. 

Thundering riffs came courtesy of Manchester based power trio The Feud over on The Rapid Fire Stage. With a well deserved crowd, The Feud tore through possibly some of the best guitar music of the weekend, culminating in a full on assault of Rage Against The Machine’s classic Bullet In The Head. 

Headliners and punk legends/icons Sham 69 took to the Main stage on the final night of Cockrock and gave what can only be described as the most electrifying and rousing performance of the weekend. Although the band struggled with commercial success in the 1970s, that didn’t stop the packed out crowd from joining in on tracks like Borstal Breakout, If The Kid’s Are United and of course, the timeless Hurry Up Harry. 

By Monday morning the camping area was practically torn to shreds, with tent linings, poles, guy ropes and broken chairs strewn across the field after another night of what can only be described as Biblical weather. The main arena itself looked somewhat beleaguered too; there was enough mud to cause a landslide. But the weekend wasn’t simply about the weather; it was about the bands and the standard of young talent on display. Judged solely on this, it would be fair to say that The Cockermouth Rock Festival has a very bright future indeed. 

Reviewed by: Elliot Kuruvita

Find more information on Cockrock here. 

Tickets are no longer available for this event