The Roskilde Festival 2003 diary
 
Thursday 26.06
The new Metropol stage hosts all the electronic music of the Roskilde Festival 2003. This replaces the old White and Blue stage that over some years now has served as normal music stage during the day and in the night for electronic music in different genres. This means that the electronic music has more space at this year’s festival. Thursday kicked off at 17.00 with the French duo The Youngsters. Erol Alkan took over the stage and at 20.45 FC Kahuna entered the stage. The sound of Cosmos was turned on at 22.00 when Tom Middelton was behind the two decks and a mixer - he delivered a fabulous mix and took the audience into the night. At the Arena stage Depeche Mode´s front singer Dave Gahan gave the audience a fantastic show with songs from his new debut album “Paper Monsters” and old Depeche Mode songs, the highlight came when he played a medley of “Policy Of Truth”, “Enjoy The Silence” and “Just Can’t Get Enough”. What a beautiful day and a perfect start for the Roskilde Festival.

    
 

The new Metropol stage  with all its lights, decorations and visuals, a great spectacular and a perfect stage for the all electronic music genres that Roskilde Festival is hosting this year.   FC Kahuna in action…… Machines Say Yes
 
Tom Middelton backstage at the Metropol stage.
 
   Tom Middelton doing his thing with the two 1210´s.
 
At the Arena stage Dave Gahan gave the audience a marvellous concert.  

Dave Gahan – “Just Can’t Get Enough”.

 

    
Friday 27.06
Day two at Roskilde and it was an early start, with Hobby Industries Summer Camp, Dzihan & Kamien, David Holmes, Solu:tions and The Streets playing until the highlight of the day – the Underwater label night. Underwater is the name of ex. Underworld member Darren Emerson´s record label that in a very short time has placed itself on the map of progressive and tech-house music scene. Tim Deluxe had to cancel due to a missing passport, so the time schedule had to be changed. At 23.00 the Icelandic group Gus Gus gave the Metropol audience a taste of what they can do with a mixer and two decks. The Danish DJ Rune RK was rushed in as a substitute for Tim Deluxe and he played an amazing one hour set. At 2.00 Darren Emerson, the man we all had waited for entered the stage and gave the Metropol punters a night in tech, funky and progressive house that they won’t forget for a long time.
     
 
Gus Gus in action.  
The substitute Rune RK hammering the Metropol Stage.
 
 
Darren Emerson behind the decks – giving the punters what they came for, including Underworld classics.   Darren Emerson, a man known at Roskilde, being here in 1993, 1994, 1998 and 2000.
     
Saturday 28.06
Day three and it's Saturday. Xploding Plastix, Artificial Funk (Rune RK) and Lemon Jelly delivered the afternoon program. At 19.00 Dirty Vegas went on stage and gave the audience soulful versions of their “Days Go By”, “Ghost” and other great tracks from their critical acclaimed debut album. The Argentine Hérnan Cattáneo took over with progressive house until the Dutch electro genius Junkie XL turned on his radio and gave us a fantastic set with vocals from Peter Tosh, Gary Numan and Saffron. The final act of the day was five DJ´s that seldom come together, they are David Duriez, Llorca, Alexkid, Jori Hulkkonen and Tuomas Salmela, playing on 10 turntables and five mixers – an amazing setup and what a sound filling the Metropol Stage until the sun came up.
     
 
The Dirty Vegas boys (Paul Harris, Steve Smith and Ben Harris)
  
  Hernán Cattáneo spinning the discs.
 
Junkie XL behind his radio setup.   The fabulous five behind 10 Turntable Nightmare; David Duriez, Llorca, Alexkid, Jori Hulkkonen and Tuomas Salmela.
     
Sunday 29.06
It’s the final day, and the temperature has dropped with a little rain - what a festival so far, and what a program to close the festival. On the Metropol stage Frost and Metro Area were the two first acts. Sander Klienenberg was behind the decks at 18.00 and gave the audience a great warm-up for the closing act Chicane. At the Arena stage at the same time Chicane went on stage, the masters of trip-hop, Massive Attack went on stage. Whooow what a concert and then hurry over to the Orange stage where Bjørk was doing her thing. At the Arena stage at midnight the Danish duo Filur played, but at that time I was home resting in my bed, ready for work the next day.   
     
 
Sander Klienenberg behind the decks – playing his remix of Madonna's “Hollywood”.   Chicane live.
 
The two residence DJ´s that files out the intermissions between sets. Jesper on the left and Nicka on the right.   Bjørk closing the Orange Stage at Roskilde Festival 2003
 
Massive Attack with all their amazing visuals – what a concert.   Jesper and Lars - the two behind the visuals at the Metropol Stage.
     
That’s it for me this year – hope to see you next year.

Photos and words: Christian Almind

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