The Connect Music Festival was a music festival that took place in the grounds of Inveraray Castle, located on the banks of Loch Fyne in Argyll, Scotland. It was aimed at more mature music fans and weight loss and recent headliners included the Beastie Boys, Björk and Franz Ferdinand. The inaugural festival was held in 2007 and was repeated in 2008. The festival did not take place in 2009 or 2010 with the organisers blaming high running costs and the effects of the Financial crisis of 2007–2010.
It is composed of five stages of music and two other areas:
* The Oyster Stage – Main Stage hosting the headline acts and other bands
* Guitars & Other Machines – More popular and less well known rock bands
* Manicured Noise – Electronic and Dance acts
* Unknown Pleasures – Ambient acts (playing through the night)
* The Double Six Club – A drinking and social area
* Circuses and Bread – Food and drink area
* Your Sound Bandstand – Unsigned Scottish acts chosen by the Your Sound Network
The festival was held between the 31st of August and the 2nd of September 2007. The festival damaged the Winterton shinty pitch, home of Inveraray Shinty Club, meaning that the pitch was unplayable for the rest of the 2007 season.
In 2008, the festival changed its name to Hydro Connect due to sponsorship from Scottish Hydro Electric. It was held between Friday 29 August and Sunday 31 August.
Line-up
The artists that performed included Kasabian, Manic Street Preachers, Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand, Amy MacDonald, Sigur Rós, Goldfrapp, Paolo Nutini, Glasvegas, Mercury Rev, Gossip, Elbow, Duffy, The Coral, Ladytron, The Roots, Sparks, Crystal Castles, Young Knives, Santigold and Joan As Police Woman, Gomez, Foy Vance, Noah and the whale.
* Beastie Boys
* The Jesus and Mary Chain
* Jarvis Cocker
* Cansei de Ser Sexy
* Trashcan Sinatras
* Steven Lindsay
* Amy Macdonald
* Primal Scream
* Mogwai
* Teenage Fanclub
* The Divine Comedy
* The Hold Steady
* The Only Ones
* The Fire Engines
* 1990s
* Björk
* LCD Soundsystem
* M.I.A.
* Regina Spektor
* Craig Armstrong
* Scott Matthews
* Seasick Steve
* Patrick Wolf
Friday Saturday Sunday
* The Go! Team
* Super Furry Animals
* King Creosote
* Aereogramme
* Jamie Scott and the Town
* Captain
* Stephen Fretwell
* Make Model
* Modest Mouse
* Echo & the Bunnymen
* Sons & Daughters
* Rilo Kiley
* Vashti Bunyan
* Bat for Lashes
* Astrid Williamson
* The Parsonage Choir
* Idlewild
* Big Star
* The Polyphonic Spree
* Seth Lakeman
* My Latest Novel
* Tilly and the Wall
* Newton Faulkner
* The Kissaway Trail