British Sea Power

Daft Monkeys

Edward II

Kissmet

Noah And The Whale

Ocean Colour Scene

The Phantom Band

Seth Lakeman

Treacherous Orchestra

Treacherous Orchestra

Link

• Fergus Feggans

Broken Records

The Editors

Official Secrets Act

Orkestra Del Sol

Peatbog Faeries

Rachel Unthank And The Winterset

Shutter

Washington Irving

Links

• Fergus Feggans

Links

• Fergus Feggans

ARRIVING at Belladrum I felt a little like I had Willie Wonka’s last remaining Golden Ticket, as the news spread that the sixth festival was a sell out for the first time.

Broken Records performing at Belladrum 2009 (© Fiona Carr)

As some helpful staff pointed me in the right direction, I parked up and headed for the Family Camping area and pitched my tent. This was my fifth time at Belladrum, and this year I was going to be testing out its family-friendly side, as one of our party was only five months old.

This year’s eclectic line up did little to appeal to my musical tastes, but for me Belladrum has always offered so much more than just the music. I was excited at the prospect of exploring each nook and cranny of the rolling site.

On my first wander through it was clear that they had put a huge amount of effort into the layout and decoration of this year’s festival. Giant red hearts perched on trees and bushes, while coloured flags fluttered in the wind. Hammocks and paper dragons swung from trees and it seemed that every corner of the site was filled with brightly coloured decorations and small bars in which to buy a drink or a snack and chill in the sunshine.

A new edition to the festival was Mother’s Ruin Dance DJ Stage, the restored ruins of the estate house, which during the day was adorned with sculpture and artworks to look at, and at night played a mixture of dance and ambient tunes into the wee small hours.

One area that is streets ahead of many other festivals is the food on offer, serving up the finest organic food from the Highlands and Islands. The choices are endless, and a welcome change from the standard festival offerings of soggy chips and limp burgers. You can eat your way through all food groups, with oysters and mussels, haggis, neeps and tatties, hog roast rolls and falafels all on offer.

And it doesn’t stop there – the sweet tooth is catered for as well, with chocolate and sticky toffee puddings or strawberries and cream. Wash this down with a fruit smoothie, fresh lemonade or a good old fashioned cup of tea. You will never go hungry (or thirsty) at Belladrum.

The great thing about Belladrum is the fun-filled atmosphere. You could sit in one spot all day long and be permanently entertained. Men on stilts, drummers, dancers, clowns, entertainers, musicians and many more mill around the festival site entertaining as they go. Impromptu jam sessions spring up under trees, while a man cycles past playing the piano. Anything goes at Belladrum, as long as it makes people smile.

I managed to make it along to the Garden stage to see a powerful set by Edinburgh’s finest, Broken Records. Be sure to go out and buy their strings-laden debut album Until the Earth Begins to Part – you won’t be disappointed.

A quick blast of music from Peatbog Faeries got the crowd going, turning Belladrum into a giant Ceilidh, before headliners The Editors tore on stage. Then it was a date with the silent disco before Sing-along-a-Sound-of-Music rounded off my first day at Belladrum. So long, farewell, auf weidersehen, good-bye (until tomorrow at least).

Saturday morning bought more blue skies and a breakfast appointment with Rhyme Time in the Read Bed. Entertainment for the under-5s in the form of stories and song sitting outside on cushions.

Taking full advantage of the Heilan’ Fields, I had booked myself in for a neck and shoulder massage – what better way to counteract trudging from the car park with a heavy rucksack?

Payment is by donation, so I would recommend anyone to go along and try out something new. There were treatments of all types, from somewhere to relax with a herbal tea, to scented massage and Tai Chi. There was also a wonderful Wishing Tree, where you could tie a wish to the tree with coloured ribbon – it was a beautiful idea and it was great fun to read through some of the wishes, from the usual hopes of world peace, to the children’s desires for Spidey-Powers!

A quick bite on a grilled haloumi pitta, a look at Noah and the Whale’s film on the comfy sofas of the Read Bed, and it was off to see British Sea Power on the Hothouse stage. Mod Rockers and Ocean Colour Scene closed the festival with a cover of ‘Day Tripper’ by The Beatles, and all too soon the closing fireworks were lighting up the crisp night air.

With the help of the Baby Whisperer and the percentage of smiles each activity produced, I also managed to ask young James what he had enjoyed most about his first festival! He said he loved the under-5s disco in the Snapdragon tent, in particular the lights and the bubble machine, he also loved watching the older kids throwing shapes on the dance floor (quite literally as they had large inflatable stars and triangles).

He liked the poetry and calm vibes in the Read Bed, although it wasn’t aimed specifically at children. He enjoyed storytelling tent in the kids area, even though it was for older kids but just liked listening to what was going on around him.

He loved the drumming tent and can’t wait to get his hands on some bongos next year! As a family-friendly festival, Belladrum ticks all the boxes. There is loads for kids of all ages to do, and plenty for to keep them entertained when just wandering around. We thought the family area was just a little bit too close to the main area with all the bands, which could be a little bit loud for small ears, but wasn’t too much of an issue as there was so much else to do.

For all those keen to take their wee ones next year, make sure you take plenty of warm clothes, as it does get pretty chilly at night. It is also worth taking a lightweight buggy along, the ground is easy to manoeuvre underfoot and is great for them to snooze in at night time.

With another successful weekend tucked firmly under its belt, it is fair to say that the wee festival with the big heart, really has cemented its reputation as one of the leading all-ages festivals of music and performing arts in the country.

© Fiona Carr, 2009

Links

• Tartan Heart Festival

WHEN a group is assembled and people continue conversations, you have to look for opportunities to keep it all going. You know it can’t be the same but you want to continue the dialogue. More than two years ago the MSP Rob Gibson developed a link with the Island Writers Festival held on the Island of Ouessant.

Peter Urpeth and Ian Stephen at The Read Bed (© Lorna J Waite)

A Scottish islands theme emerged, supported by HI~Arts, and before you knew it there was a proper wee academy of Highlands and Islands writers constituted at the end of a world. E-mails and a poetry reading in Leith kept it going, but this year’s Belladrum Festival seemed an unlikely choice for developing the group.

HI~Arts writing co-ordinator Peter Urpeth grabbed the chance to install a homely tent as part of the temporary city of 14,000 people. The carpet and sofas were a good choice. That and a quality PA allowed a selection of writers and musicians from the Highlands and Islands to develop or revive their work and seek a share of the roving audience.

I hardly moved from The Read Bed for two days. This was only partly from solidarity with the other performers of the literary world. A small haven developed. Sometimes visitors would indeed be drawn in, attracted by the tranquil concentration on words in the many voices of the Highlands. Other performers, particularly the Lewis guitarists, brought their own strong following and some of these folks lingered for other events.

It wasn’t all poetry and not every event had music. But most made the link.

Roger Hutchinson launched a book, not yet printed, with a personal and very moving summary of a family’s journey to and from America. You were engaged by the desperate search for the authentic in a family’s quest for a cure for a blind member. Startled by the stating of the fact that 30 percent of immigrant families of a large period of the States’ history returned home. And the veteran non-fiction man connected his iPod to the system to punctuate his summary with the move from English song to Cajun.

Pamela Beasant is from a Glasgow background but has lived for many years in Orkney. It’s showing in her poems – in a clean sharpness – if not yet fully in her voice. Pam’s reading was very simple, with no music and no gestures. It’s easy to pass over the quality of work like this, but I was moved to buy her new collection, Running With The Snow Leopard (Two Ravens Press).

I could hear her all the way back across the Minch. These are poems of family and people but the landscape, be it wilder Hoy or the farmed land, is an insistent presence.

That takes us to Shetland, or rather a linguistic rammy of a one-man debate, furthered in an exchange of Shetland dialect poems and English versions which make their own music. Robert Alan Jamieson often delivers his explorations of voice and voyage in an audio-visual presentation of fine quality. This time the technical side was just not possible to realise in the time and it was no bad thing.

His introductions were counterpoints to the poems and the rhythms of everything became flexible. It was at the jazz end of the vernacular spectrum, in the same way as the Peatbog Faeries later set gave the brass the space to bend the patterns of the jigs.

Maoilios Caimbeul and Mark O. Goodwin take another approach to the problems and opportunities presented by the need to translate. Caimbeul has said that he can only write poetry fluently in Gaelic simply because it’s his own first language. As that is the one which carries the music, it’s difficult for him to recreate that as well as sense in a translation. So Goodwin remakes the poem in English – the language he can flourish in. And in turn Caimbeul can make Gaelic music from Goodwin’s focused English. Their book (also by Two Ravens Press) is a map of a friendship that crosses more than a glen.

Kevin MacNeil, clad in the lycra garb of a literary cyclist (a project to cycle the Danube – or maybe just the banks) was clearly relishing a revisit to the collaboration with the singer/musician Willie Campbell – one which led to the hit single ‘Local Man Ruins Everything.’ The Lewis crowd spurred on a performance which juxtaposes a deadpan neo-depressive delivery with minimal but haunting repetitions of percussion and melody. And there are witty moments of relief and the superb singing voice of Campbell. It still works.

The example was followed by Dave Martin’s storytelling, offset by another Lewisman who combines spirited guitar with a haunting singing voice – Iain Morrison. Their own crowd hung on the new anthems which depend on an underlying narrative and the power of repetition. Their joint portrait of a meditative gatemaker was moving but for me excellent delivery could have sometimes done with sharper material.

For my own part it was a ball to return to a first love. I became fully committed to poetry and stories after being in a performing group at Uni in 1979. My first book, made with the photographer Sam Maynard, was launched at the then Third Eye Centre with a collaboration with two musicians.

I met alto saxophonist Raymond Macdonald the morning of the gig, and learned that he and Peter Urpeth (piano) had never played together. But that’s surely what a spot like this is about. You sketch some outlines and take some chances. I had to remember to come back in with the lyric poems, engaged in the interplay between two masters of jazz based improv. And of course, Raymond has come through the Third Eye/CCA track.

So I caught very little of the staged events, just floated in and out of an audience here and there. But as well as the on-form Peatbogs, I’ve another recommendation – maybe one for the Heb Celt to look out for. At first The Grousebeaters’ Sound System remind you of the early Bothy Culture days – especially with Peter Robertson’s hi-energy fiddle. But there’s something of their own developing in the swish of the decks and the electronic chutzpah.

© Ian Stephen, 2009

Links

• Tartan Heart Festival
• Ian Stephen

NEVER BEFORE has Tartan Heart’s tag of “Homegrown heaven in the Highlands” been more appropriate, and not only for the programme. For the last month it has seemed increasingly unlikely that welly boots would not be essential for Bella, but by a metereological miracle, apart from a short sharp shower on Friday and a shorter one on Saturday, warm summer sunshine was what poured down from on high.

Ocean Colour Scene

Musical highlights on Friday were Orkestra del Sol in the Hothouse tent with their inimitable mix of superb music and theatricality; lovely Lau’s Bella debut on the Grassroots stage, where the audience would have given them a standing ovation, had they not been already standing; the smooth, mellow tones of the Bevvy Sisters in the Venus Flytrap Palais; a simply dazzling display in the Sideburns tent by Bruce Macgregor, Andy Thorburn and Marc Clement (Blazin’ Fiddle, in other words), following on Hamish Macdonald’s terrific take on ‘Tam O’Shanter'; and of course, the perennially magical Peatbog Faeries.

I shall also treasure an exhortation from Larry Love during Alabama 3’s acoustic set not to let the government cheat us by limiting us to bipolar disorder, but to aim for multi-polar disorder. At the time it made perfect sense…

After so much rich musical nourishment, even the smooth indie rock of the headlining Editors with the even smoother, bell-like tones of Tom Smith didn’t quite fit the bill. Shed Seven? One Britpop band in a weekend was enough, and the crowds were thick around Glenn Tilbrook and the Fluffers…. but there was still so much to choose from. Who could resist a karaoke Sound of Music in the Read Bed (on Saturday it was Mamma Mia!), drams beckoning at Fiddlers’ Malt Whisky Bar, or the siren beats of the Dance DJs?

On Saturday programming on the Garden Stage was probably the best ever, when a common thread ran through Treacherous Orchestra, Noah & the Whale and the Saw Doctors to pave the way for Ocean Colour Scene’s finale.

Newcomers Treacherous Orchestra look set to become the quintessential festival band, having closed the Cambridge Folk Festival the week before [see Sue Wilson’s review – Ed.]. Despite being short-handed due to the impossibility of synching 13 musicians in demand on the trad scene, their awesomely disciplined rehearsal schedule paid off yet again.

They turned, musically speaking, on a sixpence, nodding to Led Zeppelin, Dreadzone, predecessors Shooglenifty (whose James Mackintosh was out front dancing like a dervish), and Peatbog Faeries, whose Iain Copeland was also out front, not dancing but beaming proudly. The audience went wild.

The pace slowed, mercifully, with Noah & the Whale – you could have closed your eyes and sworn these were out-takes from Lou Reed’s Magic and Loss – it’s a great voice, augmented by a double bass (the instrument of the festival, seen on every stage). The Saw Doctors took things back to folk/rock basics, while OCS rolled out the Moseley Shoals hits and took no prisoners, ending triumphantly with ‘Day Tripper’.

Other musical highlights on Saturday were the immaculate DJ set by Edinburgh’s Dolphin Boy; The Lost Brothers, impossible to resist, recalling other duos of the calibre of The Proclaimers, The Everly Brothers and Simon & Garfunkel; followed by the sweetness of Aberfeldy before the exuberant folk/world/rock of Seth Lakeman, all in the Grassroots tent; and I managed to catch a glimpse of the equally exuberant De Votchka in the Hothouse tent. British Sea Power, however, failed to impress either this reviewer or the surprisingly small audience for a headliner.

It is evident every year that Joe Gibbs and his Tartan Heart team do not rest on their laurels. Structural rearrangement of the Seedlings and Hothouse tent area, including the removal of several trees, had created an open, more easily navigable central space.

New stages, including the Homecoming Scotland Sideburns tent and the Dance DJ setup in the newly (half) built Mother’s Ruin, meant that this year it was even harder than formerly to see even half of the treats on offer. The only low point was the loos – but that’s festivals for you.

Threaded throughout the weekend were the many joyful flourishes that add so much enchantment to Belladrum. The living room hanging from a tree, the whisky tasting in the Verb Garden, the small, semi-feral children darting here, there, everywhere in search of plastic and paper cups to exchange for hard pence (a brilliant though sadly partial solution to the litter problem), Rimski’s Bicycle (a lugubrious pianist who ingeniously pedalled himself and his upright piano sideways and crablike around the site, complete with candles).

Stiltwalking giant Big Rory & his anatomically correct dog Ochie teetered on the border between comedy and something much darker. Saturday’s fancy dress theme was Beach ‘n’ Sea, so there were shiploads of sailors, shoals of octopi (some luminous), and obligatory mermaids. Two drag Amy Winehouses stuck to their beehives. Burlesque, clowning, circus, football, fireworks, poetry, oratory, debate, excellent food and drink, and so much more – it would have been possible to have missed seeing any music at all, and still have had the best weekend of the summer.

© Jennie Macfie, 2009

Links

• Tartan Heart Festival
• Jennie Macfie

Last year’s Fringe brought a triumph for Matthew Zajac with The Tailor of Inverness, and success for Right Lines and Mull Theatre with Accidental Death of an Accordionist, but Highlands & Islands representation is less apparent this year.

It is good to see a revival for St Kilda, one of the major projects from Highland 2007, in the opening weekend of the International Festival programme (as well as a recital from the Lewis Psalm Singers), but a trawl through the Fringe brochure yielded only the one-man show Djupid – The Deep and outings for youth groups from Lochaber, Gordonstoun and Glenalmond, plus Tabula Rasa Dance Company in the Made In Scotland season (see this month’s interview with Claire Pençak), and the customary sprinkling of traditional music performers.

A more modest profile this year, then, but we hope they all enjoy the experience (and apologies if I have missed anyone). Back in the Highlands & Islands, the aforesaid Mull Theatre are currently embarked on one of their trademark massive tours with a new show, Island Nights Entertainments (we plan to catch up with it later this month), while Tilda Swinton and Mark Cousins will hit the road on their Pilgrimage taking hand-picked films around the Highlands in the Screen Machine mobile cinema from 1-9 August. Follow their progress on the Day By Day diary at www.a-pilgrimage.org

The Tartan Heart festival gears up again at Belladrum (near Beauly) with another stellar line-up and lots of interesting side-shows. The Nairn International Jazz Festival has suffered from not getting expected funding this year, and a shift of dates – at the Edinburgh end – that brought it into a direct clash with the Edinburgh Jazz Festival rather than the usual overlap, but still manages to offer a strong programme of mainstream jazz in the Moray town.

Public art is often a thorny subject, and the Streetscape project in Inverness has been attracting some adverse publicity over its costs and benefits of late, but the organisers are preparing for the next phase of the project. Look for the Re-Imagining The City event in early September.

As well as the interview with Claire Pençak already mentioned, we have also invited visual artist Nigel Mullan to share his challenging but fascinating thoughts on the topic of visual arts and landscape. Nigel’s illustrated essay is available as a downloadable PDF file.

Oh, and just in case anyone is in doubt, my “Recession? What Recession?” headline last month was definitely tongue in cheek. These are difficult times for funding the arts, and not likely to improve anytime soon, so all the more credit goes to those who do succeed in persevering in the face of adversity.

Kenny Mathieson
Commissioning Editor, Northings

Kenny Mathieson lives and works in Boat of Garten, Strathspey. He studied American and English Literature at the University of East Anglia, graduating with a BA (First Class) in 1978, and a PhD in 1983. He has been a freelance writer on various arts-related subjects since 1982, and contributes to the Inverness Courier, The Scotsman, The Herald, The List, and other publications. He has contributed to numerous reference books, and has written books on jazz and Celtic music.

The Wallbirds

ON WAKENING up on Saturday morning to the sound of rain hitting my tent roof, my first thought was ‘Typical Belladrum weather.’ After being treated to glorious sunshine the day before, where not an hour went by without someone commenting on the lack of rain that is normally associated with the August festival, it was only to be expected, really.

However, as the first bands opened the second day of music, the sun started to peak through the clouds, and the Bella crowd were in for another day of sunshine and fabulous music.

Of course, it’s not all about the music at Belladrum – variety is what this festival is all about. Whether that is the weather, the music, the children’s activities or the food on offer, Belladrum is one of these festivals that has something for everyone.

My first musical encounter of the day was on the HAIL Seedlings stage. This stage was home to a host of young unsigned bands throughout the weekend, and was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the weekend – if you could find it! Hidden away from the rest of the stages and tents, just beside the main entrance to the arena, the tent always seemed to have a good sized crowd enjoying the music performed by the young acts.

After catching a few bands here, it was time to make my way over to the other side of the arena to the Garden Stage to catch Attic Lights. However, the route took me past the fabulous Argyll Fine Foods tent (a permanent feature, it seems, on this year’s festival circuit) [and a big favourite with our reviewers, it seems – Ed.].

With fresh produce galore, festival goers can choose from seafood, to organic burgers, to cheese on toast – which makes a refreshing change to the normal selection of ‘cardboard’ burger vans available at festivals. After much deliberation, the stovies won over the organic beefburgers.

Unfortunately after being waylaid by the food tent, I missed most of Attic Lights, so sat enjoying my stovies in the now glorious sunshine while waiting for the next band to come on the main stage. After checking my programme, I discovered next up was Salsa Celtica. Although hugely popular, the band are not to my musical taste at all.

However, by the reception they received from the late afternoon crowd, I was definitely in the minority. So after listening to a couple of songs while I finished eating, I made a hasty retreat back to the Seedlings stage.

I was just in time to catch what became one of my highlights of the festival, as Dundee based act Alto Elite had just taken to the stage. Having recently supported Belladrum headliners ‘Scouting for Girls’ on their UK tour, the 5-piece band’s energy and enthusiasm shone through in every song, their lyrics catchy and infectious, with the crowd joining in the chorus despite the vast majority only hearing the songs for the first time. Here’s hoping we hear more of them in the near future.

On heading back towards the rest of the arena, I was intrigued by the Bollywood sounds coming from the Hothouse Tent. Upon entering I was greeted by the madness that is Kissmet. Although the band hails from Peterborough, they have strong Asian influences, with the two founding members being Sikh brothers.

The band fuse together Western rock with the music of their heritage and the result is totally unique if a little crazy. The band had the crowd jumping around, waving their hands in the air in a style that really wouldn’t look out of place in the latest Bollywood blockbuster.

After escaping the madness of the Hothouse tent, it was time to take a wander around the rest of the arena. As mentioned earlier, one of the main attractions of Belladrum is the sheer amount of variety on offer. So if there are no bands on you want to see, you can catch a debate (the theme this year seemed to be centred on the viability of Fair Trade produce).

Or see a poetry reading. If you have kids in tow, there is plenty to keep them occupied from face painting to puppet shows. Or perhaps if you’re feeling energetic, jump on a bike and blend your own smoothie using pedal power. Or in your reviewer’s case, simply wander around the arena and take in all the sights and sounds.

A visit to the Black Isle Brewery Grassroots Tent proved to be another highlight of my festival, catching The Wallbirds in fine form. Having seen them supporting the Pigeon Detectives on tour last year, I was keen to see the 3-piece band again.

They opened with their latest release ‘The Avenue’ and the catchy tune set the tone for the rest of the set – a set that also included lead singer Walt standing on the drum kit and almost giving security a heart attack by coming off the stage down to the crowd! Even during slower songs such as ‘8 o’clock Blues’ the band still had the crowd bouncing around and the vast majority singing along with them. Having entered the tent just before the band took to the stage, I got a spot right down the front – so was surprised upon leaving to find it packed out!

After venturing back out into the sunshine, news was starting to filter through that Sons and Daughter were stranded in London and would no longer be appearing at the festival. Disappointed, as this was one act I was really looking forward to seeing, I decided to call it a day and end my festival on a high note, still buoyed by the fantastic set from The Wallbirds.

So although on the drive home I was looking forward to a shower and my own bed, I was still felt sad that Belladrum was over for another year, and that the festival season is nearly over. So roll on Bella 2009 (complete with 2008’s sunshine!)!

© Elizabeth Sinclair, 2008

Links

• Tartan Heart Festival

Tartan Heart Festival 2008 at Belladrum

HINDSIGHT is a wonderful thing, so after spending last year’s festival camping on somewhat of a slope and very close to my canvas-covered neighbours, I headed out to Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival early on Thursday evening to secure a prime spot for my trusty tent.

It seems that everyone else had the same idea! By 8pm on Thursday the campsite was full to bursting with brightly coloured tents, gazebos and sledges dragging supplies to and fro across the tufty grass. The air buzzing with the excited chatter of whether or not the sun would shine.

Regardless of the weather, the majority of the bands that I wanted to see were in the tents – however, as the sun continued to shine throughout the morning, I was starting to wish a few more of these musical treats were appearing outside on the majestic Garden Stage.

On reaching the Hothouse Stage it was clear that nothing was happening fast. The generator had decided not to play ball and they were running an hour or two behind schedule. This gave me a chance to wander round the small, but perfectly formed site.

Now, there are many things I love about Belladrum, and one of them is the size. It’s just the right size to be able to amble around and have a look at everything it has to offer. From the colourful clothing stalls to the climbing wall, the dinky little Potting Shed Stage to the ‘Cycle Your Own Smoothie’ stall, Bella appears to have it all.

Mixed in amongst all this organised mayhem are the random performers, stilt walkers and musicians who seem to appear around every corner and whose sole purpose is to make sure that people are having a great time. Don’t be surprised if shortly after seeing a band on one of the many stages, they will pop up a few hours later under a tree for an impromptu performance.

As with most of my days, lunch and dinner are always a highlight, so I took this break in schedule as an opportunity to refuel. I was pleased to see the return of the Argyll Fine Food tent, who seem to be leading the way in how best to cater at a festival. Now I’m no fan of oysters myself, but I was assured by my friends who took part that they were delicious.

With so much to choose from, my friends and I decided to share a few different dishes and managed to happily work our way through a lamb kebab with salad, macaroni cheese and a gourmet cheeseburger. All delicious, all reasonably priced, and no, they don’t pay me to write this!

So back to the Hothouse Stage where things were finally starting to happen and local boys Call to Mind kicked things off with an accomplished, if slightly short performance of their atmospheric tunes.

Next up were my favourite band of the moment, Frightened Rabbit, hailing from Selkirk in the Scottish borders. Their infectious tunes, and lyrics that would sometimes make your mother blush, brought the tent alive. Brothers Grant and Scott Hutchison, on drums and vocals respectively, along with two friends deliver a refreshingly vibrant wall of sound punctuated by Scott’s distinctly Scottish voice, Grant’s frantic drumming.
Their tendency to songs that sway between violent punk hoedown’s and perfect pop melodies, are all brought to life with heartbreakingly honest lyrics. If you buy any album this year, make sure it’s their new offering The Midnight Organ Fight.
Time to refresh with a quick Red Kite from the Black Isle brewery, before heading for the Grassroots Stage for an injection of quirky folk with Australian brother and sister act, Angus and Julia Stone. Apparently they had always wanted to call themselves The Stones, but alas by the time they had mastered their instruments, that name had already been taken!
With their distinctive vocals and their folky edge, their melodic set drifts from brother to sister. They seem to provide each other with more of a role of support than playing as an actual band, as they step forward one at a time to take their turn at singing their own songs.

After catching Jefferson Starship sing their 1967 hit ‘White Rabbit’ [technically speaking that was a Jefferson Airplane hit, not the later Starship – your pedantic Ed.], and not wanting to stick around for main stage headliners Scouting For Girls, I headed off to chill in last few rays of the summer sunshine before taking in my last band of the day, Scottish indie rockers Idlewild.

Once voted Scotland’s third best band of all time, they certainly lived up to their reputation with a storming set of greatest hits, dotted with a new song or two from their sixth album they are currently working on. They kicked off with the classic ‘When I Argue I See Shapes’ and ‘Roseabiliity’, and the crowd immediately launched themselves into an energetic dancing frenzy that lasted for the rest of the set.

They have been together for an impressive thirteen years now and it shows. They are like a well oiled machine on stage and in my opinion one of these bands who seems to come alive when playing live, with an energy that doesn’t always come across on their albums. Certainly a great way to end the live musical treats of my first day at Bella.

The beauty of Belladrum for me is that after the last reverberating hum from the amps has drifted out across the hills of Beauly, there is still plenty of fun to be had. The silent disco is a simple concept with a spectacular affect and one that has to be experienced to be believed.

Take a room full of happy festival goers, arm them with a set of wireless headphones, have two separate DJ’s playing two different types of music on two different channels and sit back and watch the utterly surreal spectacle unfold. A sweaty mass of revellers pulling shapes, throwing their arms in the air and singing along at the top of their lungs to what appears to everyone else to be complete silence. Certainly worth watching if not taking part!

So after a good boogie, which I have to say is not all that easy in your wellies, I headed off to my tent to try and get some sleep and think about all the fun I have had.

Belladrum in a nutshell; a stunning setting, friendly people, awesome music, good food, all wrapped up into a perfect bite size chunk.

© Fiona Carr, 2008

Links

• Tartan Heart Festival

Orchestre del Sol.

THIS WAS my first visit to the Tartan Heart Festival. I’d seen all the photos of previous years with people rolling about in mud, clearly the worse for wear. The summer so far hadn’t been promising, but I desperately wanted to see the re-formed James and so on Saturday, I painted flowers on my wellies, fake tan on my legs and headed off clutching a portable seat and my camera.

I had shared a taxi which took us close to the entrance, and the stewards waved us in to the field where I wandered around, trying to get my bearings. The layout was easy, and it was quite pleasant just to wander around without getting involved in anything.

I peeked in to see belly-dancing in Madame Fifi’s Dance Parlour, watched someone blend their own smoothie by pedal-power and checked out the chill-out domes in case I needed them later. The children’s areas were pretty impressive; lots of crafty things to make, the usual face-painting, bouncy castles and plenty of room to recover when it all got too much.

The drumming tent, where anyone was welcome to have a go, sounded much more impressive than you would have expected, and it was good to see all ages having so much fun together.

This year saw the introduction of the Verb Garden where I kicked off the day listening to Lloyd Cole giving us his thoughts on life, interspersed with some acoustic numbers. It was great to hear him sing without any back-up and you could hear what a strong and unique voice he has.

He talked about there being a ‘cult of creativity’ and the pressure on songwriters to keep on churning out songs even if they were all dried up. True to form, he didn’t hold back with naming names, but as none of them were appearing at Belladrum, there was no need to fear immediate repercussions. He sang a few oldies and some newer numbers and after the hour seemed happy to stay on chatting and signing autographs.

I went back to the Verb Garden later on to hear Liz Lochhead. It was a brave move introducing poetry to a music festival, but she was the ideal choice and seemed very comfortable with a crowd a wee bit more interactive than your average book festival audience.

It didn’t bode well, when I passed someone on my way in, telling her pal not to bother as “It’s some bird daein’ poems” but she drew a reasonable crowd, all of whom stayed for the entire session.

So what about the music? The beauty of a festival is that you are not stuck listening to the same act for an hour. You can wander in and out and if you like someone, have a bop or a seat for as long as you want.

Acts worthy of mention? Ben’s Brother was excellent. The Dangleberries – three bagpipes, a guitarist and half a dozen drums, lots of energy and enthusiasm and a play list that ranged from Black Sabbath to Dougie MacLean. I missed the start of their set (a recurrent pattern to my day), but liked what I saw and the crowd certainly seemed to be having fun.

Another lively act was Orchestre del Sol, a cross between Madness and the Barmy Army that follow the England cricket team. Both of these were fun festival bands giving the audience a chance to jump about, as did String Driven Thing, who had a great sound and energy.

The Potting Shed suffered a little from the weather, it being outside and a sit-down rather than a jump-about venue, so it was to Davy Cowan’s credit that so many people sat through a downpour enjoying his musical tales.

I saw the Parsonage Choir here, following their reportedly excellent reception on the Garden Stage, and enjoyed them for a time. I wasn’t sure if they had been gatecrashed with some additional members tagged on at either side, but it was all very harmonious in a Sunday night radio sort of way.

Who else? Reckless Eric, looking quite respectable really, but putting on a great show with Amy Rigby on the Grassroots Stage, which won my vote for the best venue. Maybe a link to the sponsor and their beer? Kate Nash, drawing a crowd beyond the capacity of the tent and giving the police their bit of excitement for the day, fighting back the hordes listening patiently outside. Fred Morrison was good as always, but would have been better in a more intimate setting.

I was beginning to flag a bit, so after a quick chat to the psychic (who had been booked up all weekend), a visit to the mental health awareness stall, Oxfam and Miscarriages of Justice, I was off to Madame Fifi’s for some Flamenco dancing. Forget dark-eyed temptresses from southern climes and picture wellie-wearing campers from Glasgow. If ever a dance teacher had her work cut out.

And then, time to grab a snack (porridge, risotto, haggis, smoked salmon, I tried the lot) and make my way to the Garden Stage for the main act. If this had been the end of the festival I would have gone home quite happy, but James quite simply wiped everything else out.

The setting of the stage was excellent, and you can’t imagine this walled garden being wasted on horticulture. I did hear some complaints on the way out about the sound quality, and fair to say that at my point near the front, the crowd were often louder than the band. You are never going to get perfect acoustics in an open arena, and the live experience more than made up for it.

The set was mainly old favourites, but there were hints of more to come from this iconic band in the future. A song written the day before in tribute to Tony Wilson probably didn’t get the hearing it deserved, but it was good of the band to acknowledge a man who gave so much to them and to today’s music.

A last blast of ‘Come Home’, a firework display and then the long trudge uphill to the campsite. A great venue, a unique atmosphere and the best day out I have had in a long time. Roll on next year’s mud.

© Karen Ray, 2007

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• Tartan Heart Festival

Stereoglo

AS I WALKED towards the Garden Stage early on Saturday afternoon a bagpipe version of ‘Caledonia’ came floating towards me. Given that a heavy rain shower had just started to fall, this seemed a particularly apt tune to hear. After all, what type of weather would you associate more with Scotland?

But this probably isn’t the country Dougie Maclean had in mind when he was sitting on a French beach feeling homesick all those years ago. No, this is New Scotland, where you can get your hands on a Latte or a Mocha even at a music festival in the heart of the Highlands.

Some things, however, are constant, and I can confirm that the rain’s just as wet as it ever was. Clouds and silver linings – the ‘Press & Journal’ had given away free ponchos, and the persistent rainfall turned this into a stroke of marketing genius.

‘Caledonia’, by the way, was being played by the Dangleberries, a group from Galloway who mix pipes and drums with electric guitars. Their choice of material is quite eclectic, and they treated the crowd to ‘We Will Rock You’ and Black Sabbath’s ‘Paranoid’ as well as some more traditional tunes. Before going off the stage they promised that they would make a reappearance at the bar. True to their word, they struck up again later in the afternoon, much to the delight of those stuck in the lengthy queue.

King Creosote’s music is often described as neo-folk, but his performance at Tartan Heart saw him choosing to focus on his rockier side

An unexpected treat in the Grass Roots tent was Hobotalk, a Scottish group with a passion for America of old. Their gentle folk-tinged pop songs saw them gaining a number of admirers, and their final song, ‘Letter From a Friend’, went down particularly well. This slides towards a rousing climax, with lead singer Marc Piley asking, “Is America dying”? Judging by Hobotalk’s performance, there’s still life in Uncle Sam yet, and that’s no bad thing.

They were followed on stage by Tom Morton. I called a friend to ask if he’d like to join me. “Who’s on?”, he asked. “Tom Morton” I replied. “From Radio Scotland? I didn’t know he played, what’s his music like?” I couldn’t answer him because I had never heard the music of Tom Morton before. But now that I have… Well, his music is exactly like you’d imagine it to be. Backed by his son on double bass, his songs cover subjects like why he doesn’t like the Beatles and the feelings of isolation caused by living in Shetland.

It’s all very amiable, though I must admit to finding his between song banter a little grating. I hate hearing broadcasters speaking like they’re broadcasting when they’re not on air. Maybe it’s just me, but it somehow makes them come across as somewhat robotic.

More invigorating was the performance by Vincent Vincent & The Villains. The London-based quartet had the Hothouse tent jumping to their retro rock ‘n’ roll sound. If you get the chance in the future, I would thoroughly recommend checking them out.

A heavy downpour then sent me fleeing into the Seedlings Stage for cover, and I stumbled into the set by Mouse Eat Mouse. Later in the evening I mentioned them to another Tartan Heart attendee who told me that he wasn’t keen on them because he felt that politics and religion should be kept separate from music.

I don’t feel the same way, but must admit that I found Mouse Eat Mouse pretty tedious. The lyrics to their songs, delivered in spoken-word style, sounded as if they’d been stolen from the journal of a seventeen year old with a subscription to ‘New Internationalist’. In one song, for instance, judges were dismissed as “pseudo law priests”. As soon as the rain let up, many in the audience ran for freedom, and I wasn’t far behind them.

One band who had no trouble keeping hold of their audience were The View. The Dundonian quartet had driven through the night from Liverpool to get to Belladrum, but they bounced onto the stage full of energy. Cocky performances, catchy tunes and tales of everyday life in the provinces have worked a treat for the Arctic Monkeys, and The View seem likely to follow in their footsteps.

Another delight in the Hothouse was the Tiny Dancers. The Sheffield band aren’t (yet) quite as hyped as The View, but they won over a number of new fans with their 60’s influenced sound, particularly with their current single, the immensely clapable “Bonfires of the Night”.

On the Garden Stage, Arlo Guthrie had a few tales to tell as well as playing some of what he called “the old tunes”. The son of Woody Guthrie, the man many credit as the founder of American folk music and huge influence on Bob Dylan, even reminisced about the first time he met the young Mr Zimmerman before launching into ‘Mr Tambourine Man’.

King Creosote’s music is often described as neo-folk, but his performance at Tartan Heart saw him choosing to focus on his rockier side. He’s grown hugely in popularity over the last year or so, and his performance was one of the most eagerly anticipated of the whole festival. The rapturous reception he received seemed to really spur him and his backing band on. In fact, the best way to describe his reaction was like that of a bairn in a sweetie shop. He was so pleased that he even ended his set with ‘The Happy Song’, a song by The Aliens (the band fronted by his brother Gordon).

I’d have thought English folk music wouldn’t have gone down particularly well at a festival in Scotland, but Bellowhead got the crowd dancing to their traditional jigs, albeit aided by a funky brass section, when they played on the Garden Stage.

Stephen Fretwell was given a glowing introduction in the Grass Roots tent, being called one of the finest songwriters in Britain. Tracks such as the tender ‘Run’ and ‘Emily’ demonstrated that this wasn’t an idle boast, and this, combined with Fretwell’s easy going manner and fantastic voice, endeared him to the crowd. With a packed schedule, no time was allowed for encores, which was immensely disappointing given the band that followed him onto the stage.

Grandabob, were described in the programme as the “White Stripes of electronic music”, at least according to the new lord of Loch Ness, Fat Boy Slim. I appreciate promotional material has a tendency to bend the truth a little, but in this case, I can only imagine that Fat Boy Slim was talking about someone else or had recently received a heavy blow to the head, as their music was incredibly bland and moved very few members of the audience to tap their feet, let alone dance.

Something of an anti-climax to my first visit to Tartan Heart then, but after witnessing so many excellent performances, both from bands that I knew and bands I’d never heard of before, I’m pretty sure I’ll be back again next year.

© Bruce Munro, 2006

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• Tartan Heart Festival

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.

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

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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• Tartan Heart Festival

The Proclaimers

THE SCOTS POET Thomas Campbell once wrote “The Scots are steadfast – not their clime“. And if ever a festival proved a saying it was the Tartan Heart Festival 2005.

Mother Nature might have thrown down all the water she could find, the car park queues may have been as long as Loch Ness, and it might have taken two hours to get a poke of chips, but you won’t find many souls who’ll tell you they had anything less than a fantastic time at Belladrum. It obviously takes more than a wee bit of rain (OK, a huge bit of rain) to extinguish the party spirit of 7,000 festival-goers in the Highlands of Scotland.

The mellow, family-orientated music and arts festival took place in the sensational setting of the Italian Gardens at Belladrum Estate, near Beauly. The Festival brought the Highlands alive with 50 bands playing over 3 stages, as well as a range of other attractions from belly-dancing and shamanic journeying to speed dating and sweat lodge ceremonies.

Stereoglo kicked off proceedings on the Garden Stage, but had to wait till midway through their opening number for their audience to arrive, with hundreds of intrepid festival goers gathered in anticipation waiting for the gates to open! The Skye band opened the Garden Stage as part of their prize for winning PULSE, described as a “Talent Trawl throughout the Highlands” organised by the Tartan Heart Festival in association with Mad Hatters at Hootananny’s, www.hubl.co.uk,  and HI~Arts.

As the festival goers clambered down the terraces like ants at a picnic, their feet tapping and hands clapping, the scene was set for the second Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival. And as the bands played, so did the children, with puppet shows, face painting, bouncy castles, music & dance workshops, and much much more, keeping the wee ones more than amused.

As the floodlights illuminated the muddy expanse in front of the main stage, a contented crowd drifted homeward bound, with a smile on their faces, mud on their shoes and a song in their tartan hearts.

The Hothouse stage came alive with the arrival of Birmingham quartet The Editors. With their early 80s tunes drawing comparisons with Joy Division, they soon drew people in with their edgy sound. The Hothouse Stage continued to rock for the rest of the day with rousing sets from Exist (who played twice due to late pullout of The Black Velvets), as well as the unique sound of musical veteran Jah Wobble.

Hailing from Iceland, Emiliana Torrini was next on the Garden Stage. Although the ethereal sound she created was undeniably beautiful, it may have been better placed in one of the smaller tents.

Mercury Music Prize nominees The Bees warmed up the crowd, their sound varying from upbeat, summery funk grooves to rockin’ guitars, stripped down 60’s drums and epic knee trembling organ arrangements – the perfect intro to the Friday night headliners, Alabama 3.

The stage exploded into life as they launched into their unique style of mixing traditional cowboy bluegrass with a touch of acid house. It may sound strange and bizarre but believe me it works. Joined on stage at one point by N’faly Kouyate and his Kora, they had the whole audience in the palm of their hand, as Belladrum danced the night away to their brilliant and diverse set.

As the last few notes of Alabama 3’s headlining set drifted out across the beautiful Belladrum Estate , the heavens opened and the rain came, starting a trend that would continue for the rest of the weekend. With the gentle pitter patter of rain to be heard bouncing off canvas for the rest of the evening, contented festival goers headed off to enjoy the communal fire, before finally resting their dancing feet for a well earned rest ready for Saturday’s fun to begin.

With colourful wellies and hooded rainmacs the order of the day, so began a fairly wet and showery Saturday. . .

Although at times the site resembled a mud bath, the rain did little to deter the revelers from having fun inside or out. With most well prepared for the unpredictable nature of the weather in the Highlands, it seemed little could diminish the festival spirit.

The tents proved hugely popular throughout the day, not only as shelter from the downpours, but also through another great schedule of music. Hailing from the Isle of Lewis, Poor Old Ben’s blend of indie-pop and country folk was followed by a full house for local lads The Cinematics, riding high from a recent support slot with The Editors who had played the same stage on Friday.

The Black Isle Brewery Grassroots stage boasted diverse performances from performers such as Ruth Sutherland, Craig Anderson, Feis Rois Ceilidh Band, headliner Michael Marra and many more, which kept the festival’s smallest tent bulging at the seams with happy festival goers.

Saturday saw the Garden Stage host an impressive, and predominantly Scottish (the exception being British Sea Power) line-up. Braving a particularly bad downpour, a small crowd braved the weather to support Ricky Ross’s acoustic set, pleasing his fans with some new arrangements alongside Deacon Blue favourites ‘Wages Day’ and ‘Twist and Shout’. Aberfeldy encapsulated the spirit of the festival with their upbeat and inspiring set of warm organic tunes, ideal to lift the spirits of any dampening spirits.

Last year’s success story Peatbog Faeries didn’t disappoint with their toe-tapping blend of acid croft and techno folk. The crowds jigged and reeled to the Skye musicians who certainly warmed up the crowd for the festivals finale from Auctermuchty’s favourite twins, The Proclaimers. As the rain subsided, they proved a fitting end to a fabulous festival, belting out hits such ‘500 Miles’, ‘Letter from America’ and ‘Cap in Hand’, which got the crowds clapping and singing at the top of their lungs.

As the floodlights illuminated the muddy expanse in front of the main stage, a contented crowd drifted homeward bound, with a smile on their faces, mud on their shoes and a song in their tartan hearts.

Joe Gibbs, the festival organiser, commented: “Although it was a shame about the rain on the Saturday (we hadn’t invited Travis to play because it ‘always rains on them’, but it didn’t seem to make any difference), it didn’t seem to dampen festival spirits in the least. We feel we’ve earned our festival spurs in surviving the downpours and floods (the Met issued a severe weather warning for the Highlands for localised flooding) and are already looking forward to next year.”

And with next year’s festival already confirmed to take place 11-12 August 2006, it looks like the Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival is here to stay. Our advice for next year? Pack your wellies and get your tickets early!

© Fiona Carr, 2005

Link

• Tartan Heart website

JOE GIBBS, the organiser of the Tartan Heart Festival at Belladrum, explains the changes in this year’s second running of the festival.

THE DECISION to make the Tartan Heart Festival a two day event this year grew out of the success of last year’s inaugural festival. It’s a big gamble for us, but it was a step we felt made sense for several reasons, but most importantly because there is so much great music around that we felt the event could easily stand the expansion, and it seemed a shame to have to turn lots of great artists away.

We found a format we felt would work, but what happened then was that even more people got in touch, so we are still having to turn some away, and in fact, we have ended up with a Fringe, with three days leading up to the festival where things are going on in various places around the Highlands, which should get a nice buzz going. The artists involved are people we would like to have had in the main programme, but just couldn’t fit in.

In practical terms, around 20% of our audience last year came from outside the Highlands, and it is clearly more attractive to offer them a second day if they are going to come all that way. It makes more sense in economic terms as well, being able to spread production costs over two days.

We had an initial worry that people would only want to come on the Saturday, but that doesn’t seem to be happening – the majority of people buying tickets seem to be buying them for both days.

We are very excited about the programme we have put together. The Proclaimers, The Bees and British Sea Power are not playing any other Scottish festivals this year, and we have a great diversity of music on offer.

We were very happy with the programme we had last year, but we realised that if we were going to extend the capacity and the length we needed artists with bigger drawing power, and The Proclaimers fill that bill admirably. Alabama 3 have a big cult following in the Highlands, and they fitted the bill for Friday night headliners, but in a slightly more edgy way.

One thing that hasn’t changed is that we see the festival as being very much a family-friendly event.

They are also what we see as Belladrum artists – we do have a Belladrum style in our minds, although it is pretty eclectic, and it is not the same as, for example, a T in the Park profile. We wanted to keep the wide variety of styles and types of music that we had last year. We want to give people what they already want, and to give them the chance to be exposed to other kinds of music as well.

We have an increased capacity this year, almost twice as many people. There was plenty of room last year, and we have actually created more space in the Gardens this time, and put in new exits and improved sight lines.

Another development is that we have three properly programmed stages this year – the main tent, the dance tent, and a kind of acoustic café sponsored by the Black Isle Brewery, which will be more of a chill out venue. As with many things involved in putting on an event like this, we won’t really know until we try it on the day how that will work – it was a very steep learning curve for us last year, and I’m sure it will be the same again this year.

One thing that hasn’t changed is that we see the festival as being very much a family-friendly event. Last year up to 30% of the audience were under 12, and we expect that kind of mix again. I think people are genuinely worried about taking their children to events like T in the Park – we took our 6-year-old daughter, and while I was very impressed with the system they have for logging children there, there is a reason that they do that – it’s not really ideal for taking kids.

A lot of people do want to go to festivals and enjoy a day with their kids there, and that is what we want to offer them. I don’t feel that is really on offer elsewhere in Scotland, and my own preference is for an event with a wide appeal rather than one focused on one age range or one style of music.

Our message to anyone coming is to prepare for wet and hope for dry!

There will be more street theatre going on this year, and more for kids to do, and there will be storytelling and dance workshops and so on, as well as the stalls. Assuming we survive this year, the theatre side of the festival is something we would like to develop further, and we are working with Arts in Motion on that.

We also have a solar-powered cinema coming, called Pixie Pictures. They film during the day at the event, then cut it together and play it back at night, which should be great fun.

The idea for the first festival last year really came from a lifelong obsession with music on my part, and I’m really looking forward to the hearing the first note being played again this year – I remember last year it sent such a tingle down my spine.

We were very lucky with the weather last year, but we are working on the basis that we can’t expect that again as a given, and we have put in some new tracks and so forth if it does get wet.

Our message to anyone coming is to prepare for wet and hope for dry!

The Tartan Heart Festival runs in the Italian Gardens, Belladrum, on 12-13 August 2005. Artists appearing include The Proclaimers, Alabama 3, The Bees, British Sea Power, The Peatbog Faeries, Karine Polwart, Ricky Ross, Country Joe MacDonald, Jah Wobble, Black Velvets, Bluetones, Trashcan Sinatras, Michael Marra, the Jim Hunter Band, Endrick Brothers, Sundown, Poor Old Ben, Cinematics, Hazey Janes, Gliss, Baka Beyond, The Duhks, Dexter Ardoine and the Creole Ramblers, NíFaly Kouyate, Jason Ringenberg, Heather MacLeod, Andy White, Hotlicks Cookie, the Karl Broadie Band, Unholy Trinity, Ronnie Elliott, Terry Clarke and Wes McGhee, Stetsonhead, the Galipaygos, Ruthless Blues, Andy Gunn, Davy Cowan, Calamateur, Michael Wadada, Ruth Sutherland and the Feis Rois Ceilidh Band.

© Kenny Mathieson, 2005

Links

• Tartan Heart website