Last updated at 07:44, Wednesday, 25 July 2012

It's CockRock 2012 - bigger acts, bigger site, better than ever before. Join us for updates during the weekend, photos and video.

• VIDEO: Watch highlights here

Sunday 10.22pm

Well, it's nearly all over - blistering high energy set from Minx and Dr and the Medics rocking the bar stage now. It's a great replacement for the main stage - and as the Doctor said, the crew have worked extremely hard to make sure the festival continued after a "near tragedy ofthe wind". 

A big hello to Rob Logan (your wish has been granted, Rob), who as always was awesome. ( he asked me to say that too). 

Bar tent is rammed with people - good old Cumbrian festival-goers, they don't let the weather stop them enjoying themselves!

Buzzcocks next. Ever fallen in love with someone you shouldn't have fallen in love with?

Sunday 6.52pm

It's a sad end for the new shiny main stage as the crew are dismantling it as we speak - the weather was just too unpredictable for any band to go on there. But CockRock will not be beaten - although the main arena may be empty, the tents are packed to almost capacity and the bar stage has taken on the main stage duties. 

This is the year festival-goers can say "I was there" when the Buzzcocks played such an intimate venue - it may not be what organisers planned, but it's still a coup. 

The enforced reorganisation has been handled professionally and from a punter's point of view, gone really smoothly - and at least it'll be warm in the bar with all those bodies - just what we need!

Just watched Karl Phillips and the Midnight Ramblers in the bar - they were completely mental and threw themselves into the set.

House of 3 Hands are on now....... 

We're sitting in the remains of the catering tent with the wind whistling around us!

Sunday 5.39pm

Wind is getting up - still nothing confirmed about the status of the main stage yet.

Leroy Johnson on the bar stage now-ish - thoroughly enjoyed the group the last two times we've seen them, they're a great band. Met the Minx. from Manchester and also coming up are the up-and-coming House of Three Hands - always worth a watch.

There's also a drag artist at Tent 42 later, which should be fun.

Sunday 4.21pm

We've just caught the end of Sneaky Finch's set in the bar, and very fetching they were too in their Hawaii shirts. Very good covers, including a nice Hey Jude! 

They were quickly followed by the Solway Deltas Blues Band, who were due to be on the main stage, but went down a treat in the bar. It's the first time we've seen them with this line-up, but they've lost none of their charm and good ole honest blues shenaningans. A real treat of the festival for me.

The catering tent for stewards and artists next to the masin stage is being carefully dismantled now before it blows away. . . .

Sunday 2.56pm

We've seen the Two-ers, Secure Unit, our mate Jade Ashcroft's band and Spud so far this morning. There's a great covers band on the session stage - Jakarta Club too now!

We're looking forward to the Solway Deltas next. . . .

Sunday 2.41pm

Winds still high and bands scheduled for the main stage have decamped to the bar stage - which hasa lovely intimate feel. 

It's the old Dunkirk spirit that's come through and festival-goers are determined to have a good time no matter what!

Sunday 1.38pm

For the time being, all main stage acts will be in the bar, to give the crew time to sort out the main stage issues. Adam is confident that the bigger acts will perform on the main stage later on.

Tents are congregating on a fence at the bottom end of one of the campsites as the wind takes them and traders are struggling with their marquees. The wind is gettting stronger - we reckon about 10 miles an hour or so.

Sunday 12.52pm

There's spots of rain in the air and reports coming from the campsite that tents have been and are being blown away. We've decided it's a weird wind for Cumbria, kind of coming in from the east, rather than the west as normal.

Forgot to mention Tinchy Stryder - although the crowd enjoyed the set, he only played for 35 minutes, which disappointed a few people. Again, not really my bag musically, but what he did seemed to impress the crowd - although not as bigger audience as Zane Lowe.

Sunday 12.23pm

The main stage is damaged and they've had to move the Committed 2 Rock choir into the bar. Part of the back of the main stage has come away and some of the lighting rigging has come loose. The crew is working hard to fix it. As the choir is singing "the show must go on" and I'm sure the organisers will get it fixed. 

We'll keep you posted.

Oh - and the heart attack was a bloke having chest pains in the car park of Mitchells on Friday - but he was back yesterday on site and fine.

Sunday 11.36am

We've got on site and it's VERY windy. It's going right across the site and some of the traders are suffering because of it. Doesn't seem to be putting festival-goers off though.

Sunday 9.52am

What a glorious day at CockRock yesterday - topped off by the only way it could have been, with Five & Dangerous in the bar. This Thin Lizy tribute band are,  bit like Crooked Dice, more than just that.

The experience on stage and the flamboyant frontman Pecker was just the perfect way to end the Saturday for the mainstream festival-goers.

(The action continued later in Tent 42 and the dance tent).

We heard some unconfirmed reports of pockets of issues around the festival but nothing major - as we were saying, you get a large amount of people in a small space and it's inevitable something will happen, it's human nature.

We also heard rumours of a heart attack in the dance tent, but again, not confirmed.

We're looking forward to today, although the weather looks a bit cooler than yesterday, and will report back later!

Saturday 10.48pm

I think the crowd could've watched the Lottery Winners for a lot longer than their set. Atmosphere is kicking up a gear as the site awaits the performance from Tinchy Stryder.

We're waiting for Five and Dangerous in the bar stage and Horizons and As Long As We Live in Tent 42.... if we can get in!

There seems to be more people on site now, filtering down from the campsites.

Forgot to say earlier, spotted Allerdale council leader Alan Smith having a walk around. He was impressed with the set-up and said the Staamper family and organising committee of CockRock were a credit to Cockermouth.

Saturday 9.58pm

Random fact of today: Apparently, the compere's snack of choice is a Haigh's scotch egg, say Ness and the Mighty Tree - main stage comperes of choice and very good value they are too (the comperes, not the eggs, although the eggs probably are too.)

Saturday 9.48pm
The Lottery Winners are on stage now - about to play a song they've never played before because they only wrote it on Wednesday!

They remain one of my favourite bands and are practically Cumbrian, they're up here so often!

Their tunes are uplifting, with soaring chords that can't help you do anything but feel good.

The crowd are lapping it up!

Was speaking to a couple of people I know who were saying they thought this was the best CockRock ever - and praised Zane Lowe up to the skies - in fact, he said although he knew he was in a field in Cockermouth, he felt as though as he was transported to Ibiza!

Lead singer Thom has just had a call from his mum - on stage - and got the crowd to say hello to her.

You can't not like the Lottery Winners. Cheeky chaps.

Saturday 8.13pm

It's been a hectic couple of hours - it's turning a bit colder but the crowd is showing no signs of thinning, apart, sadly from those in front of Top Boy Round Here, on the main stage now. In a similar ilk to Zane Lowe, you'd think they'd be as popular, but there must be about 100 people near the stage, if that.

There's people having a kickabout at the front of the stage, might be putting people off, but I don't think so.

You've got to feel sorry for them, they're really trying their best, but it's just not happening for them.

Crowd getting a bit busier now, but not by much. Maybe it was just the wrong time of day for them.

Meanwhile, The Exiles, from Carlisle are rocking Tent 42 and The Indices in the bar tenthave drawn a good crowd too.

Saturday 6.18pm

Well, not being a dance fan, I appraoched Zane Lowe's set with trepidation and a resigned air. But, folks, we're a couple of songs in and I can't fault the logic in having him here.

He got CockRock jumping - physically and literally - within about a minute-and-a-half of being on stage and the main stage area is rammed to bursting.

He's certainly a big draw and everyone looks to be enjoying themselves. A LOT.  Have to say it, there's a great beat to the tracks that hits you right in the chest - or it could be that I'm right by the speakers........

Earlier, we went for a sit in the Green area, around the open fire in the middle, just to relax for five minutes after a day of dashing about. Didn't turn out to be that relaxing as there was a great big group of kids and adults drumming very nearby. 

Didn't bother us that much, but I did feel sorry for the bloke trying to make a phone call next to us!

I was also atacked by a six feet flamingo-thing, being ridden by a mental bloke - there were two of them, too and proved very popular with festival-goers!

Saturday 5pm

Collision are on the main stage at the moment - and have drawn the biggest crowd of the day so far, with their high energy covers. A much under rated band, they're very popular on the local circuit and deserve their set on the main stage. 

It was helped by a special guest appearance by Clint Stamper, one of the CockRock organisers and former drummer of the Naturalz. He had a ball on stage and it was almost as if Collision were famous - you never see that many photographers down the front of the stage unless it's a headliner! Go Collision!

We also spent a bit of time watching the most excellent Jeramiah Ferrari in the bar tent - if there's two bands you should see this year, they are one of them. 

Sitting now with Rob of the Lottery Winners and the band's manager Andy. They're on before Tinchy Stryder and are  the other band you see this year with Jeramiah Ferrari.

Collision doing Walking On Sunshine and Rob's either really enjoying it or yelping in pain.....

Saturday 3.30pm

Watched Crooked Dice for their whole set - not bad at all for only their second gig ever - but they're all experienced (old) (sorry guys!) and are very watchable, doing 80s rock classics with aplomb. They drew a big crowd and should be very pleased with themselves. Then it was on to see Cat Like Thief, giving large in the bar, and a nip over to the Session stage for The Conspiracy, who the audience looked like they were enjoying.

ITent 42 is doing a roaring trade as ever and as ever we can't actually get in there to video or photograph anything! 

I can't believe how fast two-and-a-half hours has gone by. We'll be back soon!

Saturday 1pm

Crooked Dice are setting up on the  main stage now - the Live & Unsigned winners were due to play, but didn't turn up. Site seems quiet but at least the weather is okay - bit cloudy but warm.

Just been talking to Ness, one of the main stage comperes, who introduced the Fun Lovin Criminals last night. Huey gave her a kiss and hug before she went on stage and it so flummoxed her that shge almost found herself introducing them as the Fine Young Criminals.

Seems Huey seems to have that effect on people, woman in the front row kept screaming at me last night "I love him! I love him!" - not entirely sure what she wanted me to do about it!

The lovely Fliggy from Cat Like Thief has joined us for a cup of tea. They are playing the bar stage a bit later and are well worth catching - they are often on the radio!

SMore later. . . .

Saturday 11.31am

After some mega internet problems, phots are going up slowly now and video shouldn't be too much longer. Fun Lovin Criminals did indeed stick around and DJed and hung out in reggae tent.... Weather looking good for today - believe there are some day tickets left too!

Photos and video shortly.......

Saturday 8.43am

Well, it's the morning after the night before - and what a night!

The CockRock site has changed - and although it takes a bit of getting used to, it's certainly shown CockRock has matured as a summer festival.

A bigger green area, a fancy new main stage, a session stage rather than tent and the addition of a reggae tent mean the festival can hold its head high as it continually evolves.

We arrived on site at around noon and already the buzz was in the air. Delivo kicked off the day with true class in the bar at 4pm.

Great band to open a festival, and despite lead singer Ben's broken wrist (his second in two months) and being in a cast, he lost none of his boyish enthusiasm on stage.

We were beset by technical difficulties yesterday and couldn't upload anything while we were there, which was a shame as it really was a great day one of any festival.

After a storming bacon sarnie at the Orange Square stall, we were fortified to face the rest of the day. It passed in a blur - running from stage to stage to catch acts including Oven, Cinnamon, Pikey Beatz and Colt 45, exploring the vintage market, catching up with mates. 

Was disappointed to find myself actually pictured in the programme - next to the Gav McKew stage from last year. My secret crush on the pint-sized singer has been blown!

Even more disappointed to miss his set on the Gatherer stage - couldn't really work out when he was supposed to be on... never mind, there'll always be another time to see Gav (he would perform in a phonebox if he could.)

On the main stage, Senser were amazing - a great call by the committee and got the crowd jumping, although may have been better just slightly later in the evening, but still were a great opener for Lower than Atlantis, The Subways and the main act Fun Lovin Criminals.

It was the one act everyone was waiting for. And they didn't disappoint. A blistering set from FLC, including a mix of old and new numbers. Huey was immaculately dressed and accroding to my sources, absolutely loved the festival.

So much so, there were rumours they were going to play Tent 42 later that evening. Not sure if that was true, but will find out today!

We've got an even busier day today - very excited as our friends' new band Crooked Dice are opening the festival and there's all sorts going on! Hopefully we'll be able to upload from the site all day today.

First published at 09:01, Saturday, 21 July 2012
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk