ANDREA MUIR, General Manager of Strathpeffer Pavilion, sets the scene for the big event

30 April 2008

Kaiser Chiefs

‘Good Grief! The Kaiser Chiefs!’

THIS IS the watered down version of some of the comments we’ve had since the announcement on 16 April that The Kaiser Chiefs – an award-winning, festival headlining, indie band from Leeds — is coming to play at Strathpeffer Pavilion on the 19-20 May.

We staff at the Pavilion uttered expletives of the same ilk when we got the phone call in February that it was a possibility. However, we had the luxury of taking the idea with a pinch of salt.

‘Go for it’ I said, when Tina, the Pavilion’s Arts officer, told me about the phone call. ‘Of course, it’ll never happen, but such things keep life interesting, eh?’

Tina, usually never short of a comment or two, was briefly speechless, smiled a small, strange smile and then got on with more immediately pressing matters.

The Pavilion in Strathpeffer has been through its fair share of ‘up close and personal’ with a variety of celebrities over the years including Emmeline Pankhurst, George Bernard Shaw, The Bay City Rollers, Kenny Ball, The Saw Doctors and the Proclaimers (phew! You don’t often get to mention that lot in the same sentence!)

In recent months we’ve been busy with weddings, Christmas parties, a huge conference, a few plays, the odd dance and trying to bring together enough focus to the Pavilion whose raison d’etre is to be all things to everyone.

The programme we have been rolling out this year shows some of the variety we want to develop and so the news that for some gift of a reason we’ve got chart-toppers, is brilliant. Never before have we had so many offers of voluntary help – even from people way down in England (strange place: full of people and smelly motorways). Never before have I been quoted in The Sun!

Of course, loads of mainstream bands have found there way up here mainly due to the excellent festivals which seem to take place virtually every weekend in the summer months. The Highlands is really getting on the map for live music offered. What is even better is that what comes in can then go out – and the stage is being set for us to produce at least one household name successful band in the not too distant future. This, I’m sure, is down to the confidence that has been developed through a lot of hard work and risk-taking by a number of individuals and organisations (you know who you are!)

Anyway – The Kaiser Chiefs at The Pavilion is still a great story and it is our intention to keep you up to date with what is happening from the inside in the run up to the gigs with a piece on Northings every few days. Hope you enjoy and we survive!

9 May 2008

10 days to go…

Ah – how lovely just to sit in the garden on these rare, glorious early summer days… No worries, no cares, only the twitter of little birdies and the ubiquitous background drone of rusty lawnmowers… Some hope!

It’s only ten days until the predicted riot of the Kaiser Chiefs visit to Strathpeffer Pavilion.

Of course, it might seem very glamorous to be worrying over fulfilling the stipulations of the rider sent by one of the top rock bands in Britain. (No, not telling!) It might seem exciting to be awaiting a potential onslaught from the world’s paparazzi – well the local papers anyway. (The paparazzi have given up on me now that I’m a known recluse.)

But the reality of dealing with such a venture is not exactly tedious, but rather, well, the reality of human bodily needs and functions kind – toilets, fire exits and what to do with all our chairs while the Kaiser Chiefs machine invades us.

We’ve had planning meetings with Northern Constabulary; walks around the village to identify the best parking places and talks with the Council about luminous bollards. We’ve had lots of offers for free stuff in return for free tickets; our electrician’s wife has even offered to quickly learn how to be an electrician in time for the gig.

Alas, there are no tickets to be had. Or so we thought… Then, mysteriously, we were given two to do with what we will. Excellent! But who to sell them to? We had a list, of course, of people begging for returns, but the list was compiled during the pandemonium of the mad rush when the news was announced. The list was actually three lists with lots of good reasons why the individuals should be the ones to receive the cherished booty.

So, to be as fair as we can, we are staging a live Prize Draw at the Pavilion on Friday 16 May, and to show support for the Highlands’ own, we are offering the gig to local bands. We are, as I write, still waiting to find the second band – so if you want to make some suggestions, please do!

22 May 2008

They came, they played, we conquered…

An apology to start with… I should have been writing this much, much earlier today but I couldn’t because first of all I had to sleep then I had to go to Tesco, then I had to do the washing, unload the dishwasher, feed the cats, and get the Dyson out – all tasks which have been abandoned for what seems like weeks!

At one o’clock this morning as the fully laden Kaiser Chief trucks rolled out of the Strathpeffer, we Pavilion staff finally cracked open a bottle of wine and allowed ourselves a group pat on the back. It was over and it had been a total success!

The Pavilion really rocked on both nights. The atmosphere was brilliant. Everyone was there to have a good time and boy, did they have a good time!

The band were great of course, totally chilled (enough to go and play football outside on the ‘croquet lawn’ behind the Pavilion) but were in no way complacent at playing such a comparatively small venue – they piled as much energy into their performance as they undoubtedly will do at Elland Road stadium later this week.

There were so many smiling faces that I’m allowing myself a little moment of pride at how well the Pavilion team did its job.

Man, we worked hard! But every single person involved in the event worked together happily and created such a positive energy that I’m convinced we will reap the rewards of this adventure.

The Pavilion building has been compared to a high maintenance Victorian heroine – well, today, that heroine has obviously had a high old time and is sitting, drunkenly, in a muddy puddle with her petticoats showing.

But the Pavilion was resurrected for a reason – and that reason was to be filled with life, music and good times.

Here’s to many, many more.

Andrea Muir is the General Manager of Strathpeffer Pavilion

© Andrea Muir, 2008

Links

• Strathpeffer Pavilion
• The Kaiser Chiefs