Arctic Monkeys, Madonna and Oasis were some of the jaw-dropping names initially mentioned after Dundee was chosen to host Radio 1’s Big Weekend in 2006.
Dundonians – set to welcome the festival in May 2023 – heard the announcement about the location from aboard the RRS Discovery during Colin Murray and Edith Bowman’s Radio 1 show.
Fifer Edith said: “I am so pleased we’re coming to Dundee – it’s like coming home.
“I’ve pestered my bosses for ages to do something up here because a lot of bands don’t come any further north than Glasgow or Edinburgh.
“It’s going to be an absolutely fabulous weekend.
“I don’t know what they’ve got planned for us yet, but it will be very special.
“I’m delighted that the news is out now so that I can finally say it’s Dundee – I’ve been biting my tongue for so long.”
The final choices for the Camperdown Park event, while perhaps lacking some of the superstar names of previous years, provided an eclectic and star-studded weekend of rock, indie and pop music.
Saturday:
Main Stage: Muse, Snow Patrol, The Streets, Razorlight, Gnarls Barkley, Orson, Corinne Bailey Rae and Paolo Nutini.
In New Music We Trust Stage: Primal Scream, Bloc Party, Dirty Pretty Things, Boy Kill Boy, Mystery Jets, The Fratellis.
Sunday:
Main Stage: Franz Ferdinand, Keane, Pink, Feeder, Ordinary Boys, Sugababes, Editors, The Feeling.
In New Music We Trust Stage: The Zutons, The Kooks, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, We Are Scientists, Hot Chip, The View.
Councillor Charles Farquhar said the event was “the cream on the cake” and over 300,000 people applied for 30,000 tickets for the two-day festival.
Tickets were a huge talking point with only 15,00 available each day and two Dundee posties were reported to have been suspended for stealing briefs.
But Radio 1 DJs Chris Moyles and Vernon Kay made light of the situation by singing the theme tune to Postman Pat as they opened the main stage.
The weather threatened huge black clouds from early on Saturday but provided the first spots of rain only after Keane brought the curtain down on Sunday.
That didn’t dampen spirits and neither did diva-like behaviour backstage.
Pink insisted photographers be shut in a cabin while she walked past and the Sugababes cleared a busy bar while they had their hair done!
The feel-good vibe was harnessed from first thing on Saturday by Leeds songstress Corinne Bailey Rae, making her first festival appearance.
Despite her nerves, she never looked out of place on the big stage, and her single Put Your Records On was the first big sing-along.
One of the event’s biggest successes was the way organisers kept things flowing and, within minutes, Gnarls Barkley were on stage in their pyjamas.
Orson came and went with one good song and a singer will a really silly hat then Razorlight showed them how live music is done with a typically explosive set.
Under a hail of cups filled with beer they showcased new songs which had fans counting the weeks until the release of their second album.
Muse performed live for the first time in 18 months and moved down the bill to allow Dundee University-formed Snow Patrol to take top billing.
It was a smart move.
Singer Gary Lightbody once graced pubs around town for beer money.
He was now a consummate stadium frontman and from the opening chords of Spitting Games the band had the filled-to-capacity main tent in the palm of their hands.
On Sunday locals The View kicked off the action on the second stage, followed soon by one of event’s unsung heroes, We Are Scientists.
While most performers managed only a handful of songs, the Scientists somehow managed to cram in six or seven brilliant tracks – and some great banter.
Elsewhere, the Sugababes made up for the missing Arctic Monkeys by performing a version of their hit I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor.
Feeder cemented their reputation as crowd-pleasing festival staples, while Pink provided a touch of glamour as she mixed up new tracks with old favourites.
Sandwiched between them, however, were the boys from Franz Ferdinand before Keane performed a headline spot watched by 10,000 people.
It was the perfect end to the party.
Radio 1 presenter Jo Whiley spent the two days among fans in the arena as she juggled radio, TV and on-stage responsibilities.
She said: “The crowds have been amazing.
“I’ve never met such a friendly bunch of people.
“This is definitely the best Big Weekend that we have done, and that’s because the people have been so great.”
Camperdown was on the verge of becoming the first site to host the event twice in May 2020 before it was cancelled as a result of the pandemic.
Thankfully that will happen in 2023.
Just enough time for the feuding Gallagher brothers to get back together.
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