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A year is a long time in showbiz, and yet it doesn't feel like such a while ago we last visited the shores of Scotland's most famous loch for the festival of music and dancing that calls itself . The sun shone, people smiled, the stages rocked. And we produced a minisite.

As you may or may not know, Rockness was originally the idea of one Norman Cook, AKA Fatboy Slim. He's returning to headline the main stage on the Friday night for his sixth Rockness appearance...so it's a homecoming of sorts, and he's bound to pull some bangers out of his bag. Brighton's best-known DJ was interviewed by The Music Cafe last week, incidentally.

This year the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's involvement has expanded. On the web, we'll be bringing you video footage of some of the biggest acts from the main stage and we've just launched our new RockNess minisite.

Vic Galloway previews the festival in a special edition of his Radio Scotland show live from Inverness on Monday 7th June. He'll also be at the event recording headline sets for a highlights show on the Monday following the festival.

Vic also presents A Monster On My Doorstep on Monday 7th at 1130, a half-hour Radio Scotland documentary about the festival's effects on the local community.

Vic's also busy with his Radio 1 ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Introducing show, recording a selection of goNorth up-and-coming bands in the cosy confines of our famous camper van.

And last but by no means at all least, Radio 1's Annie Mac presents her show live from the loch on Friday evening from 7pm-9pm. Expect mischief.

I have always had a wee fascination for the art of drumming. I think it might go back to my childhood admiration for .

In case you managed to miss the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ maelstrom of multiplatform coverage, there's a current Saturday night talking heads 'n' clips show on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Two looking into what makes a rock band - it's called I'm In A Rock N Roll Band, appropriately enough.

Last Saturday's programme was about drummers and featured plenty of entertaining drummer antics stories, and musings on what is surely the oldest form of music, namely hitting something with something else in a rhythmic fashion.

Check it below for the next 27 days. Or indeed vote for your favourite. I'd pick the great Bonzo myself. Though there is something freaky about the way that Keith Moon managed to produce a coherent beat from a whirlwind of seemingly random twitchy limb movements and wiggling eyebrows.

There's also a fantasy rock band post on the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Music blog, worth joining in on if you like that sort of thing.

Here's mine:

Vox: Mark E Smith
Drums:
Guitar: Bo Diddley
Bass: Kim Deal
Keys: not sure you really need a keyboard in a rock band to be honest but if i had to pick one it would probably be

Dinosaur Jr appeared at the O2 ABC, Glasgow on 13 May as part of an extensive UK and European tour.

The line-up included frontman J. Mascis, Lou Barlow on bass and from Kyle Spence on drums. Catriona Forrest was there, armed with camera and notepad.

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It's been a while since we've featured a top tip on the blog and what better way to relaunch the feature than with the brilliant new album from Steve Mason? The former Beta Band member has kept himself busy over the years with material released under the names Black Affair and King Biscuit Time. Now it seems is the time for Mason to step out from behind the aliases.

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