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The Rizla Invisible Players tour travelled north of the border to the sunny banks of Loch Ness in Inverness, Scotland. The Rizla Arena is now bigger and better than ever featuring a top-class Funktion One system and the legendary decking area allowing people a place on the stage.

jazzie b at the rizla arena

rockness festival

Rizla favourites, Heavenly Jukebox, got the ball rolling followed by Scottish disco kings, Autodisco. Fellow Scottish act, The Revenge, got the party vibe well and truly underway for the arrival of Funky Dread, Jazzie B, of legendary Soul 2 Soul. Jazzie played a sell-out set featuring some old school gems from the likes of Wookie and James Brown.

On Saturday, The Arena filled with fancy dressed, welly-wearing party people keen to get hyped to a dub step, grime and garage set from Invisible Player Micachu. Local legend Steve Mason from Beta Band and Black Affair fame, jumped in next to play a multigenre mix to keep feet moving. The rain poured down but spirits weren't dampened as the now famous blue Rizla ponchos were handed out.

Den Hann took over the controls mid afternoon and played one of the best sets of the weekend, with Italo-disco bangers. Maelstrom ramped things up with a cosmic, nu-disco set before the arrival of Super Furry Animals. The whole band entered the Arena much to the delight of those who arrived early to guarantee a place. They played a jacking house set and kept the tempo up throughout, with the 2am sound curfew coming around all too soon for a demanding crowd and a charged DJ Cian.

David Shrigley got Sunday underway followed by Heavenly Jukebox vs Disco Deviance who stepped things up a gear with a really popular disco set. There was a real sense of anticipation before new Radio One signing Toddla T took to the van alongside MC Serocee, and subsequently showed why there's so much hype putting on a jumping two hour party. No easy feat to follow, but House legend Jon Carter stepped up to the controls and played a great set to a packed Arena. London-based Riton, well known for his technical skills behind the decks upped the tempo before the arrival of the mighty Andrew Weatherall, who played a truly defining set to close the party, and a successful first festival for the 2009 Rizla Invisible Players Tour.

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