Making Sweet Music
SUSAN SZYMBORSKI gets the lowdown on an exciting new scheme to help young local musicians.
IT WAS a sunny afternoon in Dingwall and something was afoot. Almost twenty teenagers had congregated […]

SUSAN SZYMBORSKI caught up with the suddenly very busy Ross-shire band SUPPORTING Bon Jovi at the O2 Arena, having their single played at the Scottish Cup Final and performing at RockNess – 2010 has been a momentous year for Ross-Shire indie band, The Side. The currently un-signed four-piece has been on the go (in various incarnations) for […]

Hootananny, Inverness,12-13 February 2010 IT WAS a chilly Valentine’s weekend that Edinburgh based band, North Sea Gas, graced the stage of Hootenanny. As ever, the cavernous venue drew a mixed crowd. After-work revellers, Valentine’s couples and dedicated fans crammed in to enjoy the winning combination of traditional music and local beer. …[Read more]

La Tortilla Asesina, Inverness, 3 June 2007 THE FIRST time I heard Heart Shaped Box was at the Ironworks in March of this year when they supported the Edinburgh-based fusion group, Salsa Celtica. Having enjoyed their set, I was bemused not to be able to find any information about them; Goggle searches only turned up pages […]

Skye’s the Limit SUSAN SZYMBORSKI looks ahead to the award-winning Skye Music Festival THERE USED to be a time when the big question for music fans in the Highlands was whether to make the arduous pilgrimage to T in the Park or not. In recent years, however, with an upsurge in new, Highland-based music events such as Belladrum […]

Ironworks, Inverness, 28 April 2007 SUSAN SZYMBORSKI finds it was worth missing out on the barbecue for Indie heroes Aberfeldy IT WAS a beautiful, blue-skied Saturday evening. Corks were being popped and the food had just been put on the barbeque. Not the best time, perhaps, to be leaving for the darkened vault of the Ironworks. […]

Glen Urquhart Public Hall, 13 April 2007 I DROVE to Drumnadrochit through the wilds of Kiltarlity, seeing the sun set from high above Loch Ness. It was a beautiful spring evening, the sort that makes you glad to live in the Highlands. When I finally arrived at Glen Urquhart Public Hall, I was in line for […]

Ironworks, Inverness, 9 March 2007 I MUST CONFESS, I’ve never really known much about Steven Seagal. I recognised his name as an American action movie star, but not being a fan of the genre, I haven’t seen any of his films. So, when Seagal recently appeared on ‘Richard and Judy’ and ‘The Friday Night Project’, it […]

Ironworks, Inverness, 5 March 2007 HAVE YOU had the inclination to take up dance lessons lately? Are you inspired by the toned, elegant participants of ‘Strictly Come Dancing’? I was. And so, one evening, I found myself Mambo-ing away with complete strangers in a tapas bar, oblivious to the wet Inverness night beyond the curtains. The […]

Ironworks, Inverness, Wednesday 21 February 2007 On an otherwise uneventful Wednesday evening, the second Unleashed session of 2007 saw a host of Goths, Punks and Emo-Kids flock to the Ironworks, Inverness. With poor attendance at the previous unsigned bands night just a few days ago, I wondered which local act had drawn this sprawling crowd. The […]

Ironworks, Inverness, 18 February 2007 IT WAS a small crowd that turned out for the Ironworks’ first Unleashed session of 2007. Although not surprising on a cold Sunday evening, this poor attendance was a shame. The night aims to showcase unsigned local talent, and offered a diverse and intriguing line up of bands in fine form. […]

Ironworks, Inverness, 22 November 2006 IS IT ME or has there been a 90s revival of late?! Oasis releasing a ‘best of’, All Saints and Take That reforming, and The Ironworks securing two big name Indie acts in one week, Gomez and The Charlatans. All this nostalgia has been great – instigating rants about the classic […]

Oscar’s, Dingwall, 21 October 2006 TWO YEARS of his Robotone project, two darkened rooms, two legendary DJs and a selection of local talent – Dingwall DJ Robbie Dunsmore certainly knows how to throw a party. The sell out session at Oscar’s kicked into life as first Muir of Ord lad Chris Mackay then Perth DJ Woblban […]

Resolis Memorial Hall, 23 September 2006 NOW IN its sixth year, the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year Awards has fast become a prestigious competition, helping to found its contender’s flourishing careers. Of course, the event also has the effect of bringing together some of Scotland’s most skilled young musicians, with …[Read more]

Resolis Memorial Hall, 9 September 2006 RESOLIS MEMORIAL HALL. For an Evanton girl like me, the question is, where on earth is it?! After a few fruitless calls and wrong turns, I finally stumbled upon this fabled venue. Despite its relatively isolated location, the hall was packed. Bring-your-own-bottle whisky, thoughtful candle lighting and…[Read more]

Ironworks, Inverness, 19 August 2006 THE BEST THINGS in life are free, and Saturday’s gig at the Ironworks was no exception. The week-old super-venue opened its doors to four local unsigned bands in a free taster of its weekly Unleashed session. Inverness band, Video Arcade, started the bill with impassioned electro rock, mature for their years. […]

Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, 12-15 July 2006 SUSAN SZYMBORSKI: This summer I was extremely privileged to win a competition to be a reviewer at the Hebridean Celtic Festival. But setting out for Lewis, I was nervous on more than one account. Not only was I being propelled into the sky in a somewhat rickety plane, I was […]