Interview with the organisers of new music event OutDores.
On a cold dank Sunday night I sought out sanctuary in Scotch & Rye ,the pub not the drink, to catch up with Ally Ridgers , Mark Mackenzie and Cisco (who was combining a cameo role in the interview with Djing at the same time) to talk about the forthcoming Out Dores event.
Ally was one of the first interviews that I had conducted, must have been four years ago. None of the enthusiasm has left him, far from it, he talks with a compelling passion about dance music and the OutDores event. His enthusiasm is certainly matched by Mark’s who has been DJing, producing and promoting nights for several years now. The trio create an admirable grouping indeed and they talked about the separate strengths of the individuals which each bringing ambition
we want to give the best possible experience for people coming
We started by talking about the natural progression from the previous two events at Dores Inn which by Ally’s admission was “done on the fly” and needed to be “done properly”. There is a real sense for the pair that they wanted to do justice to the setting and to the faith put in them by Dores Inn owner Adam DaSilva. The third driver for the event without doubt was emphasised by Ally who remarked “ we want to give the best possible experience for people coming”.
Spring time sees a number of dance events in the Highlands, with OutDores being sandwiched between the just past Groove Cairngorm and the forthcoming TECHnique at the end of April. Both Ally and Mark played Groove Loch Ness in 2015 and have an obvious fondness for it and it’s impact on the area describing it as a “Godsend”. Mark noted “We’ve got these big events, that are good at what they do, but there’s not the small events, that caters for electronic music”, Ally added “Groove is catering for a bigger market.. What we’re doing is has a limited target market”.
Perhaps a victim of the professionalism of approach to the event’s initial teaser, Mark was keen to impress that it’s a good fit to what they think is needed in the area; “It’s a small event, people were getting hyped for a festival, it’s what we wanted it to be a small club event, the more compact it is the better. It’s what works up here”
it is also the case of playing to the area’s strengths
The sense of niche is clear, with the phrases ‘grass roots’ and ‘underground’ are recurring throughout the conversation. Indeed the event itself is inspired from the Manchester borne warehouse scene. Perhaps it’s the lack of warehouses in the area or the logistical issues, but the pair emphasise it is also the case of playing to the area’s strengths, the beauty of the area, and in particular the banks of Loch Ness. This will be particularly emphasised with a change of layout from last year’s events.
The choice of acts to play the event was obviously important in setting the scene for the event and whilst the acts involved may not be known names but this is absolutely not to indicate a lack of quality. The dual headliners are Adesse Versions & Marquis Hawkes .
In an interview with Fabric London, Adesse Versions explained “for me is about being present in what I do. Making music either for myself or to entertain friends. Not getting caught up in the bullshit of trying to make ‘big tunes’”. Both Ally and Mark noted that Adesse had recently seen a spike in his popularity which they related to him having such a good understanding of electronic music
Marquis Hawkes is purveyor of “retro influenced house sounds” and will be playing Fabric (London) and Panorama Bar (Berghain) prior to playing Dores. “It’s insanely good to have a booking like that up here” enthused Mark he adds “he’s a really sound guy, really enthusiastic”.
Clyde Rouge from Lossiemouth also joins the billing and highlights the team’s desire to also showcase local talent. Clyde has found himself on Radio One and Rinse FM whilst also having his own record label and is releasing his own music. “When we booked him he needed a platform, however he’s doing really well for himself now”. Clyde is fresh from playing Badaguish at Groove CairnGorm. Ally, Mark and Cisco will also be playing the event but described their role very much as “residents”.
It is perhaps unsurprising given the passion behind the event that the has been overwhelmingly positive not only from the amount of attention that it is gaining via social media but also from businesses wanting to be involved, these include Black Tartan Food Co. and Loch Ness Brewery who will both be represented at the event.
Tickets for OutDores can be bought online
The Gin Hut will be hosting the official after party on the night with Makaze (XY), Khalid Hussain (Hector’s House Edinburgh),Connor Byrne (Tremors Glasgow) and Vault95 (Pogo House Records).Free Entry.
