The announcement for the acts playing the goNORTH Showcase (4th-5th of June, 2014) is one that fills us with much excitement when emerging music brought to the fore for attention in Inverness.
This years list continues with the established formula; upcoming acts from Scotland with a small splattering of European acts. This year’s Protection Patrol Pinkerton (who impressed so much in 2013) may be pulled from the inspirationally named but nearly always censored F**k Art Let’s Dance from Germany, Hold Fast from Norway, Swedish Pale Honey and R51 from Northern Ireland.
For some, however, it is the local representation that stands out and this year Garden of Elks and Lionel have continued to grow in stature, a fact that anybody witnessing their recent performances at the Ironworks Easter Showcase would attest to.
Another familiar face for goNORTH, although this year going it alone, is Dr Wook who has impressed so significantly on the local scene that we anticipate it won’t be long till until we don’t have to introduce him as “the front man of The Whiskys”.
Their live performances create much debate in the form of whether they are built on method or madness, but certainly the “Pop punk, especially with a Stateside twist” of Shaped will get a bigger audience at goNORTH.
Providing a great contrast and highlighting the eclectic nature of the Showcase line-up are four piece, all female Dorec-a-belle who recently released track, ‘Listen’ and have also built up a strong CV of festival performances.
Cryptic Keys join the showcase line-up, the vocals shared by Dail MacDonald and Rhia Innes they quote influences such as The Civil Wars, Boyce Avenue and Ray Lamontagne. Dail said “6 month ago we joked about having a jam some time and now we have been selected for goNORTH, this blows our minds! such a great opportunity for us and a great achievement.“
Silver Coast have received a good bit of attention, most recently for the release of their debut single ‘Believe’ and have recently completed a promotional tour of Scotland. They will be joined on the bill by local boys, or “beys”, Schnarff Schnarff whose new EP was recently released and has been winning fans from Jim Gellatly to Edith Bowman.
Only fourty nine more acts to mention….
Some of the acts have had impressive gigs when they have visited the area, Fat-Suit for one, who for some was the act of the year in Inverness when they played Hootananny, will bring their instrumental fusion collective to Inverness again. Let’s hope they are not booked for the Market Bar.
Eleanor Nicolson who spoke of the support from fellow islanders Colin Macleod (formerly known as The Boy who Trapped the Sun) and Willie Campbell when we spoke to her last year, will, we suspect, be one of the youngest showcases this year, but given her previous form this will not bother her at all.
Culann, winners of ‘Best Rock’ at the 2013 SAMAs, have a tireless work ethic and for some were a surprise exclusion from last years line-up. No doubt they will right that wrong this year.
Caithness based Neon Waltz, with a recurring trend of name changes, was recently heralded as “Buzz Band of the Week” by NME and certainly track ‘Sombre Fayre’ sets the scene perfectly for a band that much is expected from.
Broken Records have just announced that they will be playing The Queen’s Hall in August, but for the band once dubbed “The Celtic Arcade Fire”, a visit to goNORTH first.
Only 44 left….
And at this point perhaps it’s time to take a deep breath and list the acts in full;
[one-half-first]ADOPTED AS HOLOGRAPH
ALGERNON DOLL
ANGUS MUNRO
ATOM TREE
BABY STRANGE
BEECAKE
BLACK CUB
BROKEN RECORDS
BRONAGH & THE BOYS
CHARLOTTE BRIMMER
COPPER LUNGS
CRYPTIC KEYS
CULANN
DANTE
DEATHCATS
DELTA MAINLINE
DOREC-A-BELLE
DR WOOK
ELEANOR NICOLSON
F**K ART LET’S DANCE (Germany)
FAT-SUIT
FELIX CHAMPION
FOREIGNFOX
FORREST FIRES
FRIENDS IN AMERICA
GARDEN OF ELKS
GRIEFJOY (France)
HALFRICAN
HECTOR BIZERK
HOLD FAST (Norway)
INDIAN RED LOPEZ
LE VASCO (France)
LIONEL
MACHINES IN HEAVEN[/one-half-first][one-half][/one-half]
MIAOUX MIAOUX
MICHAEL CASSIDY
MISS IRENIE ROSE
MODEL AEROPLANES
NEON WALTZ
OUR FUTURE GLORY
PALE HONEY (Sweden)
PINACT
POOR THINGS
PREHISTORIC FRIENDS
R51 (Northern Ireland)
ROMAN NOSE
SCARY PEOPLE
SCHNARFF SCHNARFF
SHAPED
SILVER COAST
SIOBHAN WILSON
TEEN CANTEEN
THE BROKEN RAVENS
THE HAZY JANES
THE MOON KIDS
THE YAWNS
THE YOUTH AND YOUNG
UNITED FRUIT
VASA
VLADIMIR
WECAMEFROMWOLVES
The volume of acts is probably the biggest delight of goNORTH, as a punter (for want of a better word), it is an opportunity to discover, to get lost in well known territory and see venues from a different perspective. Your new favourite act could be just round that corner…
For more information please check out the goNORTH website and all our content will be on our goNORTH 2014 page.
