Party on down to Camperdown

Many top artists will take to the stage on August 12-13 for Carnival Fifty Six in Camperdown Park. The big names include Mark Ronson, Rudimental, Basement Jaxx and Kyle Falconer

What could have been seen as a huge body blow will surely turn out to be a blessing in disguise by the organisers.

Clean Bandit, one of the big names at next weekend’s big open air festival, Carnival Fifty Six, revealed this week that they were having to pull out. But the organisers have played a blinder with the announcement that the band is to be replaced by The Charlatans, which is sure to result in a late dash for tickets.

The party already has Mark Ronson, Rudimental, Basement Jaxx, The Fratellis, The Cuban Brothers, Sasha, Hot Chip, Honeyblood, Prides and Dundee’s own Kyle Falconer, Sinderins and The Law.

The Charlatans lead singer Tim Burgess reckons the line-up change will please Mark Ronson.

“We’ve known each other for a long time, in fact I think the first ever gig Mark went to was us in New York – he wrote a school report about the gig.

“I can’t wait, it sounds like it’s going to be great fun.”

Their current album Different Days is perhaps their most ambitious yet, involving a host of guest artists including Paul Weller, New Order’s Gillian Gilbert and Stephen Morris, Johnny Marr, ex-Verve guitarist Pete Salisbury and also crime novelist Ian Rankin and Catastrophe writer/actor Sharon Horgan.

“It just took off, it’s amazing and I’m thrilled with how it’s gone,” Tim says.

“It started out with small beginnings, then a few things clicked and we created parts for some people we wanted to be on the album. It just took on a life of its own really and I thought ‘Oh my God, this is a thing!’

“It’s been great because when we play live it’s like a whole different set and it’s appealing to different people so we don’t have to just play all the old crowd favourites.

“At Dundee we will be playing quite a few off the album but it’s a festival gig so you have to play the older stuff too. The history of the band has to be represented.”

Meanwhile Dundee’s own Kyle Falconer, lead singer of The View and himself a good mate of Mark Ronson, will be showcasing his own new material as he launches his solo career in earnest on the indie and guitar-based Jam Live stage just a few hundred yards from where he grew up.

But the Dryburgh boy insists his solo move doesn’t signal the end of The View.

“We’re just taking a year off, everybody is doing their own thing – some of the guys are travelling or just taking it easy. We’ve been working nonstop for more than 10 years.

“I just have a load of songs that are completely different, everything The View does is quite electric and a lot of this stuff is different, a lot of acoustic guitar and strings.

“I think if we did them they would just turn into something The View would do.

“I’m really looking forward to playing at Camperdown, it’s not looking like your average festival and I think great doing something like this.”

With more than 100 artists, it promises to be the biggest and best carnival held in Dundee for more than a decade.

There are seven stages in all, with the Mardi Gras main stage celebrating one of the city’s most famous nightclubs. There will also be the VIP secret garden, a big wheel, the Discovery Live stage with top comedy acts alongside bands including Model Aeroplanes, Tijuana Bibles and The Mirror Trap.

Add in the Rhumba Club/Festival of House big top where Basement Jaxx, Sasha and Hot Chip are doing DJ sets, as well as the finest underground names including James Zabiela, Denis Sulta, Harri and Domenic and Dixon Avenue Basement Jams. it’s

It promises to be the biggest and best carnival held in Dundee for more than a decade

Rudimental and Mark Ronson will be among several big names taking to the stage in the Park next weekend.