Belladrum, Friday 11 August 2006

Forward Russia!

WITH MEMORIES of last year’s downpours fresh in my mind, I arrived weighed down with my waterproofs and my multicoloured wellies stuffed into my rucksack, hoping against hope that’s where they would remain for the duration of the festival!

In only three years Belladrum has already grown from a small local event welcoming a few thousand people and a handful of homegrown talent, to one of the most exciting events of the music and arts calendar.

Boasting twice as many bands as last year, alongside new stages and room for even more of our friends, the festival offers everything from mask-making and face-painting for the kids, yoga and dance classes for all ages and a plethora of stalls to suit all tastes.

From beauty salons, aura readers and clothes shops to rival Oxford Street, to Thai buffets, smoked kippers and pedal powered smoothies ready to satisfy the hungry festival goers, Belladrum comes alive like a vibrant town sprawling out across the countryside.

With no rain in sight, although granted a few clouds, the festival kicked off in true Highland style with the eclectic Caley Ceilidh Trail Band on the Grassroots stage. The mixture of musicians, young and old, sent toe-tapping rhythms out across the site, which signified the start of many musical delights to suit all tastes.

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Ian McCulloch is an awesome front-man with stage presence rivalled by very few

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One of the new additions to this year’s festival was the Venus Fly Trap stage. With a star-covered interior and twinkling lights to match, the intimate atmosphere provided the setting for some of the most interesting performances of the day – musical highlights included Kid Carpet.

Hailing from Bristol, his rare form of toy-based punk sent waves of bewilderment through the enthusiastic crowd. With all of his music made with instruments made for children, all played by himself – although thankfully not at the same time – he delighted the crowd with his thoughtful words, unique sound and, surprisingly enough, his cover of the Van Halen classic ‘Jump’.

Another new addition was the Seedlings Stage, showcasing the best of new talent from across Scotland, many from the local area, including local heroes Call to Mind and The Galipaygos. Perhaps this stage is an indication of who will be appearing on the Garden Stage next year. Packed with people from the first chords of Beerjacket to the triumphant finale of the ICA’s Best Band of 2005 accolade, The Rites, this stage provided an exciting addition to the festival.

Next, I headed for the Hothouse Stage (via a rather tasty Hog Roast stall) to feast on the energy driven, Leeds-based four-piece Forward Russia! As they stormed onto the stage the crowd realised they were in for something special. They have been taken to heart by all who see them and they didn’t disappoint.

Their story reads like make believe – sick of waiting for a record deal, they took matters into their own hands and signed themselves, creating their own label and releasing their album. This boundless enthusiasm and self-belief is evident as they crash around the stage belting out high quality punk inspired songs.

Their writhing front man Tom moves, dances, sings, twitches and throws himself around the stage playing many of the songs from their debut album ‘Give Me a Wall’. If the crowds reaction was anything to go by, they weren’t disappointed – scores of sweaty teenagers pogo-ed, crowd-surfed, danced and cheered their way through the energy packed set – with the bemused security guards spending much of their time trying to catch the youngsters as the floated across a sea of hands towards the stage.

Later in the day, I see the singer walking towards the Garden Stage with a beer in hand, only to be submerged, seconds later by his young fans, eager for an autograph and a handshake from their new idol. If this performance is anything to go by, great things will happen for this young band.

And so to the Garden Stage, the ever beautiful setting for some of the biggest acts of the weekend. An early performance by Union Avenue got the crowds moving with their unlikely cover versions in the style of the late Johnny Cash. With covers of songs by The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd and many more, even those who were just wandering by couldn’t help but stop, listen and smile.

Next came Glasgow veterans Camera Obscura, whose delightfully upbeat and melodic tunes, many from their new album ‘Lets Get Out of the Country’, made the sun come out – if only briefly! The Cinematics, whose home may now also be Glasgow, but whose hearts are well and truly in the Highlands, came next. They first delighted crowds at last year’s festival – now grown in stature and confidence, they looked at home on the big stage, producing as their own style of melody-based guitar music with attitude.

After a bit of jiggery pokery due to a few delays in the air, the crowds were treated to an uplifting set from the Mystery Jets. The interesting combo of father and son, and a few of his friends in the same band, makes for an interesting look – complete with dad’s dodgy shirt. Fresh from the shores of Eel Pie Island (Twickenham, not as exotic as it sounds I’m afraid), their folk pop melodies suited the atmosphere perfectly – belting through their repertoire of tunes and pleasing the crowd with a upbeat version of their chart hit ‘You Can’t Fool me Denis’.

Fresh from a flight from Zurich, and looking very dapper in a rather large, jewel encrusted baseball cap, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry is one of a kind. I mean an insanely inspired producer/musician/singer/shaman whose career spans early sessions with Bob Marley to producing The Clash and putting out dozens of albums in as many guises.

A self-professed lunatic from Jamaica who once dropped his drawers at a press conference and burnt down and flooded his own studio, his madness permeates not just his public antics but the flood of LP’s and CD’s he’s unleashed. All said and done, his performance was all together a lot more mellow than his introduction, drawing heavily on the reggae influences of years gone by. He had the seas of people swaying and bobbing to this soulful voice of one of music’s all time greats.

With the sky illuminated red behind me (mental note that ‘red sky at night, shepherds delight’ doesn’t apply to the micro climates of Highland festivals), I looked forward to the onslaught of the nights headliners, Liverpool’s Echo and the Bunnymen. With a career spanning 25 years and a list of hits as long as my arm, they didn’t disappoint.

Ian McCulloch is an awesome front-man with stage presence rivalled by very few. With such a large back catalogue it was difficult for them to squeeze in all of their hits; they tried their best with a perfect blend of old and new. As a child of the 80s, I was slightly disappointed with the lack of their version of ‘People Are Strange’ made famous by ‘The Lost Boys’ soundtrack, but overall a perfect mix to please all.

The general theme of this year’s music seemed to be a marriage of old and new, with some of the most respected and inspiring acts in the musical industry taking to the stage alongside some of those who look set to join them in the history books.

What’s that coming over the hill? … well we’ll just have to wait till tomorrow, but if today was anything to go by, I’m guessing that it’s another selection of exciting musical delights just waiting to expand the minds and ears of the many listeners who have come to Belladrum for a fun-packed Saturday of good music, good food and an atmosphere unlike that of any other festival.

© Fiona Carr, 2006

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