Each year just before Brew at the Bog I have popped up to Bogbain to have a chat with event organiser Yvonne Murray about the festival (see 2013 and 2012 interviews). This year just before my arrival I had learnt that it had sold out. Even so, on entering the office it was still a hive of activity with not just Yvonne but Bruce MacGregor and their assistant Ellis Donaldson beavering away over their computers. No resting on laurels here.
So three years in and the festival is selling out in advance, I asked Yvonne if this is where she thought she would be at this point with the festival. Yvonne has always aimed to take it one step at a time. ‘I had a bit of a vision as to what I wanted. At the beginning I was quite adamant that I was going to keep it simple and not go down the route of doing all the traditional things of making the place look nicer and stuff, but now it is doing well and the bands are sorted the next progression is how are we going to make this a really cool experience. Now that it’s sold out we can spend more money on the decor and the lighting.’
It’s now in the third year,so how did this compare to the first year, did bands need convincing back then for this pioneering festival? Yvonne has high praise for her sponsors. ‘No, I think I would have probably had to do that if I didn’t have Brewdog. That really helped. A lot of the bands from the central belt knew about Brewdog anyway and thought that was a cool brand so that definitely helped.’
Yvonne is equally resolute that bands should be paid. ‘We were always set on paying people; not doing this as a freebie. We were not getting local bands to come for nothing, we were always prepared to pay. That’s important, and it’s important for the music scene that bands aren’t getting ripped off.’
As much as the festival represents the best of the wider Scottish music scene it also picks out a few local acts. I was intrigued as to how Yvonne made that selection process. Yvonne keenly answers ‘Every year there are the bands that I am listening to at the time. Also the bands that I am seeing cropping up quite often.
The bands with a buzz around them, their fans and what’s going on and what they are releasing. They have a good following and that they sound good.’ On that basis Yvonne’s picks of Searching For Donkeys, Lionel and Verona are solid. As are Call To Mind and The Broken Ravens.
So, what is the method when it comes to picking the cream of the crop? Yvonne is honest, ‘There is no method in the bookings! It is listening to stuff.’ There is that recurring issue of overbooking which I put to her. ‘I just can’t resist! We’ve had to put on a whole new stage this year!
We have four stages. Two outdoor ones, and the barn and the gin bar. It’s big changes. I’d hoped to put one of the stages in the field but Brian MacGregor, whose farm it is, ploughed the field! So it would have been a bit of a mud fest! So instead we are outside Bruce’s flat!’.
The layout though makes it easy to get about as Yvonne explains ‘The bar is connected to all the stages. The barn stage has a door through from it too.’ For those that remember the bothy stage it now has a new role. ‘The bothy is where Little Italy have their restaurant. They are opening a pop up tapas and prosecco bar there. Tables and chairs and no music.’
Yvonne isn’t complacent. ‘It’s like the first year all over again because it’s not the same. Last year was very similar to year one and the set up is changing again and those kind of nerves are back!’
Price point had been an issue previously but with this year being a sell out it looks like the right balance has been reached. Yvonne is comfortable with this. ‘I think it’s fair. We probably went a bit high in the first year, and last year probably a bit low. £35 seems to be really reasonable. Other events that are on around that price are not providing half of the entertainment that we are trying to put on.’
The festival is drawing people from across Scotland as Yvonne explains ‘I’ve looked at the statistics on Skiddle and they are really interesting. Skiddle are brilliant and I would recommend them to any other event organisers out there. About half are coming up from Glasgow and Edinburgh and around 500 from Inverness. The rest are dotted about including London.’
So with these figures in mind Yvonne is looking ahead to future years ‘Our plan is to increase every year. We’ve had that licence for three years but I want to push it up to maybe 2500 next year with a view to getting to 5000 in the next two to three years and getting away from the buildings and up into the fields. Although not fully discussed it will probably end up going over two days. There is no reason why we can’t be doing Saturday and Sunday as it is a May Bank holiday’
This year has seen the cancellation of Rockness and I wondered if this had any effect on Brew at the Bog. Yvonne has analysed this and is of the view ‘No, I think what has helped more is Belladrum selling out and just people getting in the mood for festivals. When that happened the ticket sales jumped more than the Rockness cancellation.’
But Bogbain is just not about Brew at the Bog, it has become a wedding venue. Is this where they set out to be? Yvonne laughs at that. ‘That was totally by accident. I saw a document on google docs recently that I sent to Bruce where I said to Bruce that we need to convert the place to a barn venue and I copied and pasted photos of what I wanted the place to look like, but I had completely forgotten about it.
It was half planned but half forgotten about. With a turn of events a couple walked in and thought it would be ideal for a wedding. We weren’t so sure as we were decorating at the time! But we’ve moved much more into the weddings, and the festivals, and less of the gigs.’
So as Yvonne has booked the acts, who floats her boat? With a bit of consideration Yvonne says ‘My sense of taste is probably surprising and I have a preference for the electronic acts.The band that I have been listening to the most are Atom Tree, and I am really looking forward to Stanley Odd who are closing the festival.
Bruce and I went to see them at Celtic Connections and they were brilliant, and that is not what we normally listen to but out of all the Scottish rap acts they are so inspiring and both Bruce and I were crying! There is a message and they are politicized, and not sure if I’m allowed to do that but it is my festival!’
Yvonne is also keen on the Shiverin’ Sheiks. Pressed on this she explained ‘Everybody loved Woody Pines in the first year and I have been looking for an Americana act that can come. The Shiverin’ Sheiks are brilliant. One of the first proper dates that Bruce and I went on was to Blackfriar’s pub in Glasgow and they were playing that night. They were also playing at our Wild West Festival in 2011.’
It was interesting to note that King Creosote is opening the Barn Stage. Yvonne explained why ‘People will be expecting him to be playing later on in the day. This is a special project that he is doing. There is a lot of video in it and the set up that he needs is longer than the change over times that we can give so they will be setting up from first thing in the morning to get all the projections up. He wanted to go first and we also wanted him to go first because of the massive set up.’
Those that have attended in the past will be please to see the return of Vic Galloway and Ally McCrae. This worries Yvonne just a little. ‘It wouldn’t be Brew at the Bog without them. The day that one of them turns around and says that I’ve got my friend’s wedding, then it’s oh no!’
Even now Yvonne, so close to the festival, is getting emails from bands wanting to play. Some of those Yvonne classes as ‘questionable’ but that I suppose is what a successful festival attracts.
So you want free tickets next year? As Yvonne tells us ‘We are licensed for weddings and we would love to have a Brew at the Bog wedding!’ Well you know what you have to do!
Heading back down Drumossie brae it was clear that Yvonne knows where this festival is going. As well as establishing itself it is looking to the future. That future is looking bright. Very bright indeed. I just hope they bring some warm weather this year…
You can see our Brew at the Bog 2014 preview, and all our Brew at the Bog content has it’s own page.
