Italian Gardens, Belladrum, Saturday 14 August 2004

AN OUTDOOR MUSIC FESTIVAL is no small undertaking, and can be crucially dependent on a major factor out with the control of any organiser – the weather. The gods smiled on the first Tartan Heart Festival with a day of blazing (and wholly un-forecast) sunshine to complement some fine music.

The Italian Gardens proved a very accommodating venue. The ground rises in four distinct tiers from the stage area, providing terraced accommodation for those content not to get down and dirty in the section prepared for dancing directly in front of the stage. The sound system was very good and the organisation of the festival seemed excellent.

There was plenty of space, too – indeed, too much space to really generate a T in the Park-style atmosphere for the bands. The local council had imposed an over-cautious limit on numbers, and that may need reviewing if the event returns next year. Many more could have been accommodated without over-crowding the site, and the atmosphere would have changed accordingly.

As it was, people had heeded the invitation to make it a family day, and there were lots of children enjoying the sun and fun, if not necessarily paying much attention to the music. This was a genuinely cross-generation crowd, from babies through to grandparents and all points between. The catering and beer tents were kept busy, and charged at a sensible level for good quality food and drink, rather than the kind of rip-off prices that are the bane of many festivals.

Top marks for the setting and organisation, then, but what about the music? Well, mostly high marks there too. The early part of the day was devoted to local rock bands Spindrift, Mystic Shoes and Dionyssus, who were just finishing as I arrived. Toto La Momposina, a vocal and percussion group from Columbia, took a while to get going, but eventually raised a bit of interest in the arena.

“The Faeries powerful updating of traditional music was just what was needed to shake a lethargic, sun-drowsy audience awake”

The Faeries powerful updating of traditional music was just what was needed to shake a lethargic, sun-drowsy audience awake, and their set remained a highlight of the day. The Lush Rollers had the unenviable task of following them, but they came over better live than they do on recordings, and their more laid-back harmony vocals and appealing songs worked well.

The late afternoon slots were programmed as Capercaillie’s Karen Matheson and Donald Shaw, followed by their friend and label-mate James Grant. In fact, both bands had exactly the same line-up, including both Matheson and Grant in each, and simply changed the lead role of the two singers.

Just to emphasise the point, much of Matheson’s low-key set was made up of songs from her new album written by – you guessed it – James Grant. He is a powerful singer, and own set was a gustier affair than Karen’s, although his penchant for downbeat songs and even more mordant introductions did not exactly chime neatly with the sunshiny day-out vibe!

They provided a bridge across the difficult late afternoon-early evening period, and paved the way for the Andy Gunn Band’s hard-rocking blues set. The guitarist was in fine form, firing off fluid solos and inventive licks in fine style, both in the opening part of their set with the band, and when joined by their special guest (and consummate showman), singer Geno Washington, in a selection of staples from the blues and R’n’B repertoire.

The ‘Keep It Grim’ t-shirts and stickers worn around the site by some of the younger brigade was a token of the presence of Glasgow-band The Grim Northern Social, who are not as grim as they like to pretend. They are certainly gritty, and their powerful set of songs – including some new material for a forthcoming second album alongside established favourites – brought a more contemporary feel to the music.

Headliner Linda Gail Lewis did precisely the opposite. Her set was pure retro, taking in her version of rock and roll and rockabilly classics by her more famous brother, Jerry Lee Lewis, and other icons of the 1950s, as well as country ballads. She was joined by two of her daughters and accompanied by a solid but uninspired band, and that about summed up her performance. It was an invitation to slip away while she was still in full flow and avoid the mass exodus from the car-park …

© Kenny Mathieson, 2004