By Alan Wilson, Rocktalk writer.

DUNDEE ROCKED again last night for the second time in 24 hours as day two of the GoNorth Showcase Festival brought music fans out in their droves.

Hundreds of fans poured into the six venues where again around 30 unsigned bands from all over the UK and from Norway and America showed why they are hotly tipped for the top.

Dundee acts were still to the fore, with Page 6 kicking off the early action at Fat Sams, playing songs from their debut album, The Many Facets of Walter, and delighting their sizeable audience with some new material.

Other up-and-coming Dundee acts performing last night were the wonderfully-named Baxter Park Sunbather, Tide, Avast!, Grace Emilys and Ado!

Finishing off the night in great form were The Leatherettes at the Rocktalk Stage, while Fife’s Root System stole the show at the Westport Bar with a superb slot.

Other highlights included Blah Blah Blah and 6 Day Riot from London, The Mexicolas from Birmingham and Edinburgh hopefuls Broken Records.

Rock Ness promoter Robert Hicks, who oversaw the massive trawl through 700 bands to finally choose the near-60 acts chosen to play GoNorth, was delighted with the way the showcases had gone.

“We say it every year but the bands do get better and better,” he said.

“It’s been a great two days. The venues have worked very well. They’ve all had healthy crowds and the people of Dundee have been out supporting live music as they always do.

“I’m never disappointed by the shows I’m involved with in Dundee and this has been a fantastic festival and the music has been great.

“The pick of the bunch are coming up the A9 with us now to play at Rock Ness this weekend and they will add to what is an already amazing line-up.”

Earlier, the Vision building at Seabraes once more hosted a series of seminars and workshops, including a media panel hosted by Rocktalk, which had a real “Dundee” feel to it, including Dundonian Craig McNeill, head of creative strategy at Beggars Group, who produced two “rockumentaries” on Dizzee Rascal and Jack Penate, which were shown at DCA as part of the festival.

Another Dundonian, Craig MacLean, spoke on life as a freelance journalist living in England and writing about music for various publications.

Also taking part was XFM Radio DJ Jim Gellatly, also from Dundee, and the winner of the John Peel Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music Radio at the Radio Academy Awards.

There were also panels on live music with panellists Robert Hicks, Angus Robb from Fat Sams and Helen Chalmers, who organises the Wickerman Festival from an office in Dundee.

Around 80 delegates were also given a surprise “mystery tour” of Dundee in an open-topped bus, visiting the new pavilion at Baxter Park where Dundee band The Law showcased their outstanding talents in a 20-minute set, and being fed with a Dundee “peh” before heading to the Frigate Unicorn, where Orkney singer-songwriter Amber Wilson played a short set.

The delegates were given goodie bags containing Dundee cake.

Many of the delegates, bands and fans partied into the night before heading up the A9 to Inverness to catch the Rock Ness Festival today and tomorrow.

Some 20 of the bands playing GoNorth are to play on the XFM Xposure Stage at Rock Ness.