As part of our Inverness Gigs lead up to Belladrum 2014, we asked a few of our contributors what they hope to catch, we start with Toby Stainton.
The headline acts Tom Jones and Razorlight should be familiar to most of us, but of what of those bands lower down on the bill? Here are a few of our recommendations for the artists you should go and see.
The Temperance Movement. Last seen in Inverness playing a low-key gig in Mad Hatters last year before a slot at Loopallu later on in September. Since then they’ve gone to release their debut album to critical acclaim and managed to grab a support slot with The Rolling Stones in Berlin and a main-stage appearance at this year’s Download festival. Not bad for a band in its relative infancy. Playing blues rock they’ll appeal to those of you who appreciate back to basics rock n roll.
In a similar vein Band of Skulls will be at Belladrum on the back of a busy summer and should add a dose of lively rock to an already eclectic lineup. I caught them at Sonisphere last weekend and they’ll be a great addition to the festival. Harmonies and hooks a plenty they’ve got a summery sixties vibe that sits just nicely with the mini-Glasto vibe you get at Bella. They had a difficult slot sandwiched between the electro gloom of Gary Numan and the quasi-Goth gloom of HIM but they pulled it off with aplomb! Expect a liberal dose of tracks from the new album ‘Himalayan
Adrian Edmondson and the Bad Shepherds are always going to be worth checking out, re-hashed folked up covers of old punk and electro-punk numbers from the seventies and eighties might not sound like a workable combination but they carry it out very credibly and not without a certain degree of wit too. Ade Edmondson has said that upcoming shows may be slightly more somber in light of Rik Mayall’s tragically early death, so expect a more thoughtful show from the band.
Casual Sex are very far from casual and based on previous performances up this way they should put on a storming show. Songs like ‘What’s Your Daughter For?’ ‘Bastard Beat’ and ‘We’re All Mainly Here for the Sex’ sound as sleazy as you’d expect.
Catfish and The Bottlemen are due to release their debut album (The Balcony) in September and will no doubt be keen to impress audiences at Belladrum. They play straight down the line indie rock and have an assuredness of sound that give the impression that they’re ready for big things in the coming months.
Billy Bragg is of course one of those acts that should be familiar to most of us. Always an exciting prospect live you can be guaranteed he will have something to say about any social injustices in the UK today. He’s a keen supporter of the Yes campaign and will no doubt have some thoughts on that to share with us. Mixing punk and folk with a liberal dose of political insight and shrewd wit, you’ll either love him or hate him depending on your own political leanings!
As always there are plenty of local acts that will pop up throughout the weekend. You can catch Dr Wook at the Potting Shed, singer Kris Douglas is already well known round these parts as the lead singer for The Whiskys, (who will also put in an appearance at the Free Range Folk Stage) his solo material is a slightly more moody introspective affair with heavy hints of Americana.
Also on the Potting Shed stage will be Tin Pan Alley, guitarist Hamish Roberts is someone you may well have seen busking on the High Street in Inverness. He’s a talented chap and it’ll be well worth making some time to go and check him out. Feis Ros are made up of young folk musicians from across Ross-shire and usually have a dazzling array of talent on show. Regular visitors to Belladrum, they’re always a sure-fire winner and get heads nodding and feet tapping in fairly short order.
Dorec-a-Belle, another local act to grace the stage at Bella, have been making waves of their own in recent months and have won a prestigious slot at the Wickerman Festival. Playing a mix of genres they’ll soothe any hangovers from the night before.
We will be looking at some of the other stages in the near future.
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