Feature by Northings
A Festival Away
Braving the Great Outdoors
CATRIONA PAUL checks out the Highlands and Islands input to a couple of less fashionable events in either side of the border September
WITH SO MANY music festivals taking place in the Highlands and Islands, it’s not necessary to go walkabout in search of good tunes. But it is the summer holidays. For those of you who fancy a couple of nights someplace different, here are a couple of festivals taking place in September where Highlands and Islands musicians are well represented by.
Solfest in West Cumbria is a new Celtic, World and Roots Festival which offers an impressive line-up. The ever-eclectic, definition defying Shooglenifty will be there, as will Croft No Five (with a new CD just out) and Cloud 9, the all female four-piece with roots in the Feis Rois Ceilidh Trail. Other artists include King Voodoo, rockabilly royalty from Aberdeen, Oysterband, McDermotts, 2 Hours, Flook, Blue Horses, Rachel Williams and The Christina Pato Band.
At the smaller Knockengorroch Festival at Ae Forest near Dumfries, Shooglenifty will put in a second appearance, this time alongside Scotland’s finest Latino-Scots band, Salsa Celtica, and piper, saxophonist and composer Fraser Fifield.
So is the festival experience for you? Based on my recent experience at the Wickerman Festival near Kirkudbright, here are some criteria to consider.
“Local band The Dangleberries wowed with a storming set on bagpipes (5 sets!) and guitars.”
1. What’s the quality of the line-up?
This can vary considerably between festivals – Celtic, World and Roots won’t necessarily appeal to someone in search of city-cool. At the Wickerman, the headliners were Spiritualized, Buzzcocks and The Levellers but the defining feature of the line-up was its eclecticism.
Fluorescent goth-rockers AntiProduct performed alongside the alt.country sound of The Sundowns; laid-back angst from Roddy Hart vied with the upbeat ska band Selector; meanwhile, the Acoustic Tent trundled on and the Northern Soul Tent kept the faith. Local band The Dangleberries wowed with a storming set on bagpipes (5 sets!) and guitars.
Amongst the winners were Fred, a Glasgow band (with tunes that brought to mind The Killers and The Strokes, with a dash of Starsailor) who played an heroic set on the Summerisle Stage as rain sheeted down, whipping across the stage to the detriment of anything electrical. Newly-made fans hunkered down under cover of the sound tent and dashed through the wet to buy the new single. With talk of a gig in Ullapool and the boys eager to play Inverness, catch them if you get the chance.
2. Are you prepared to camp?
You’re missing out if you don’t, but if you’re going to hate every minute under canvas, perhaps music in fields ain’t for you. Cheap tents don’t bear up well (a gale threatened to take off with our tent, leaving a broken upright and bust zips in its wake). On the other hand, drunk people can easily fall over/into expensive tents. Take your chances either way.
“Realise that make-up and mud don’t necessarily mix.”
3. Are you a people person?
Expect an interesting crowd – likely, with a disproportionate number of hippies and pagans. You might also want to check out if the festival is promoting itself as “family friendly”. Finally, although slightly incongruous, expect clubbers attracted by the prospect of dancing ’til 5am.
4. How close to nature is comfortable?
Think of the weather, living outside, portaloos etc. Realise that make-up and mud don’t necessarily mix. Pack a fleece or two alongside the glittery tops and be prepared to morph into a new “alternative” look of tangled hair, smudged eye-liner, and wind-burnt faces.
Right, hopefully you haven’t been put off. See you at Knockengorroch and Solfest…and if you can’t come south, try Tartan Heart and Drams in the Field for something closer to home.
© Catriona Paul, 2004
