Current
Frank Finlayson – Writer / Photographer / Editor
Chartered surveyor by day, music reviewer by night, and occasionally I get to use my camera. A strange mix, but one that I enjoy.
A chance meeting in the queue for Bella in 2010 led to the opportunity to write for InvernessGigs; a far cry from the days of writing for a football fanzine back in the late 80s, early 90s. My interests lie between the mainstream, the emerging and the local. Increasingly I find that we have more than enough locally to entertain us to necessitate a trip south. I’m always happy to give a listen, whatever the genre.
Inverness has a plethora of talent, all of which I am more than keen to write about. If it encourages just one person to make the effort to listen to some new music I’ll be happy.
Content contributed to the website, photos as per credit.
Chris Lemon – Writer / Owner / Editor
A lifelong passion for music matched with a geeky fascination for social media and websites resulted in the creation of Inverness Gigs back in 2010. The aim of the site is to help promote, support and generally raise awareness of the local music scene.
In fairness fifteen years of being a psychiatric nurse never prepared me for the experiences that we have had over the last few years and the evolution of Inverness Gigs has certainly been a steep learning curve.I currently write (less and less), edit and co-ordinate most of the Inverness Gigs activities.
Content contributed to the website.
Kenna Ross – Writer
Kenna Ross is a 20 year old piano player from the Highlands. She’s currently in her third year of a degree in Popular music. Her first year was spent with the successful band ‘AlmostFolk’ in Alness, before taking Aberdeen for 2nd year with her current band ‘Carma’, alongside singer and friend, Carmen.
She performs as a solo player too in hotels and schools. Kenna has performed festivals such as Jocktoberfest, Belladrum and Celtic Connections with Carma, and they have recently released their EP ‘Serendipity’.as part of her studies kenna decided to start a blog about her journey, to hopefully a full time career as a session musician as well as a lover of music.
Rob Polson – Writer / Editor
Rob Polson can’t play a note but loves listening to music, especially played live. Likes any sort of music but particularly interested in ambient, early and world music. Being involved with InvernessGigs gives me the opportunity to get out and about and listen to music, try some new beer and also to develop my writing skills.
Content contributed to the website.
Toby Stainton – Writer / Editor
I’ve always loved music and spent my late teens and early twenties playing guitar in various bands on Lewis and Aberdeen. Other than playing in some truly terrifying pubs in Aberdeen not much came of it and life became focused on family and having a ‘proper’ job.
Content contributed to the website.
Email via Toby@igi.gs
Previous Contributors
Alan Forbes – Writer
I have been in to music from the age of five with AC/DC being the most influential, so much in fact that I went to Perth Australia in 2016 to see them.
I host The Future Starts Here on www.northhighlandradio.co.uk playing the best new acts from across Scotland and beyond. I am a bit of a comic book and film geek but don’t hold that against me.
Dougie Burns – Writer
I am a Singer/Songwriter/Band Leader and first and foremost a music fan.
My tastes run from quiet tasteful acoustic music to a proper racket with Jazz , Blues and Country in between. I think a leaning towards classic 70’s Rock and boogie is evident in my own songwriting but I am always striving to write something different and to listen to something new as much as I can.
I host a monthly (no PA) “Acoustic Music Night” at the Velocity Cafe in Inverness . I encourage new talent, young and old, to play.
I am a very firm believer that you cannot, and never will, better the experience of witnessing great live music, no matter what the genre.
Sarah Burns – Photographer
Having recently graduated from Gray’s School of Art I’m in some kind of limbo process of trying to work out what I want to do with my life. My current project is an attempt at setting up my own folio, Black Rose Photography. My parents named me after a Thin Lizzy song so from day one pretty much everything I love in life has an involvement with music, however, not so much from my own generation.
Classic rock, acoustic rock and metal are always going to be my sounds of choice with a leaning towards the performance, make up and glorious hair of bands such as Motley Crue, Alice Cooper, Slash and of course anything involving Phil Lynott (Guinness included.) I’m happiest when I’m behind the lens of a camera, reading crime novels, painting or squished as close to the front of a really great gig.
Conor O’Hara – Writer
Writer. Photographer. Filmmaker. Playwright. Musician. Púca. Performer. Workshop Facilitator. Therapist-in-training. Irish-born. Earth-bound. Ride on. Head Ego & Janitor at Sigil Arts.
Dave MacIver – Podcaster
Dave trained as an actor back in the 20th century so obviously he has a day (night) job in a call centre now. By no fault of his own he started covering the music scene and has been stuck there ever since. Podcasting in various forms for about a decade, and a couple of years of radio, has culminated in the show here. Dave watches a lot of Netflix, and is very chill. He also cares about Oxford commas.
Roddy McKenzie – Photographer / Writer
Life-long engagement with music and a truly eclectic taste (although prog-rock and metal will usually have me scrambling for the off button). If pushed, I would have to say the Velvet Underground are one of the most important band’s of all time. Although I consider myself first and foremost a photographer, as regards reviewing I guess I cut my teeth in the vibrant fanzine scene of the 80’s. Around the same time I started taking photographs and, to be brief, performance and photography were made for each other: perfect match.
Content contributed to the website.
Niamh Mackenzie – Writer
A youngster hitting the local music scene! – I have loved being introduced to some of the fantastic local talent in and around the Inverness area. Being given the chance to write for Inverness Gigs has really broadened my horizons in this aspect.
I’ve always loved English and now studying Advanced Higher at school, it’s nice to take some time out from writing essays about Jane Austen and write about something I truly enjoy, music! Although not a musician, I have always been immersed in music.
My music taste is really quite varied, having been influenced by my parents and brother from a young age. A lot of my favourite artists hail from Scotland such as Frightened Rabbit, Paolo Nutini, Rachel Sermanni and the LaFontaines but I also love artists such as Nat King Cole, Johnny Cash and The Kings of Leon -I know, it’s a weird mix-
The first gig I ever went to was The Blue Nile at the Glasgow Concert Hall with my parents. I absolutely loved the experience, hearing such adoration and appreciation from the crowd.
Paul Buchanan: ‘Do I love you?’ Crowd: ‘YES I LOVE YOU.’ Even since then I’ve loved attending gigs and writing for Inverness Gigs will hopefully continue to let me share this appreciation!
Content contributed to the website.
Chris Milne – Photographer
I’m a photographer who has tried many different genres and finds a lot of comfort in the music industry, being interested in music from an early age I enjoy being around people in the scene. Inverness GiGs has allowed me to progress from small shows in Moray to larger venues such as the Inverness-Ironworks and even Rockness/Belladrum – something which would have been very difficult otherwise.
Now living in Edinburgh studying Media Design and driving my own freelance photography business I’m very much kept on my toes down here. When I do, on few occasions, return north it’s normally to see family so it’s rare that I manage to contribute as much as I did – although it’s something I would definitely like to change when the Summer arrives and I have more time on my hands.
Email: chrismilnephotography@gmail.com
Dawn McArthur – Writer
I can’t promise you intellectual chat about structure or comparisons to other bands but I am going to try and put the feelings I have into text. That being said you might hear the word tingle more than occasionally and other words like fantastic, amazing and delighted are favourites!
Honestly I am only learning about instruments and how music goes together, possibly as most of my 20’s I was reaching for lazers. Live music baffles, intrigues and delights me!! However I have not a musical making bone in my body but I love to dance and make the occasional badge for talented musical folks. ;-)
If you enjoy excited ramblings about music tickling my senses as I learn and fall more in love with it, then you might like things I try to write.
Content contributed to the website.
Email via Dawn@igi.gs
John Scott – Photographer
Content contributed to the website as per photo credit.
Website –
Email via John@igi.gs
Thomas Bisset – Photographer / Writer
I’m primarily a music photographer based near Inverness (UK), although I have also been spotted shooting sport, portraiture and wildlife. I’ve also been putting pen-to-paper for the site contributing concert reviews as well as my photographs.
I’ve been taking photographs since I got my first camera at the age of seventeen, having saved up my earnings from my weekend job in a large electronics retail chain, and would often aimlessly wander my home town taking pictures of pretty much anything.
Briefly becoming more focused on landscapes and wildlife (and not doing it particularly well), things all changed when I was invited to a local gig to take photographs for my friend’s band. I became hooked, and have since shot many big name bands, as well as plenty of very talented local bands and music festivals.
I also play bass (very badly), go mountain biking (occasionally) and play lots of video games (like, nearly all the time).
Content contributed to the website, and as per credit.
Email tom@Igi.gs
Stephen Bull – Writer / Photographer
Short and colour blind.. All the best traits of gig photographer. My background is playing music. Multi-instrumentalist, but mainly a bass guitar player. I spent years playing bass for Last Summer Effect but after we split up in late 2013, I have now moved on to play bass for Spoke Too Soon. I study Music Technology at university, and photograph/write for Inverness Gigs when ever I am back home.
Content contributed to the website, and as per credit.
Email Steve@Igi.gs
Mark Allison – Writer
Mark has played in various bands, firstly in the late 80s to early 90s then more recently with The Wildflowerz and now ‘all the Colors’.He has a media background heavily involved in music that has seen him design album covers for Charlie Landsbourgh, write articles on bands like Big Country for newspapers such as the Inverness Courier to promoting the likes of Nik Kershaw on his Scottish tour.
Content contributed to the website.
Website –
Email Mark@igi.gs
Douglas Barr – Writer
Douglas Barr is a freelance sound engineer, lecturer and programmer. He produces original software instruments and audio effects for composers and DJ’s, along with the occasional custom guitar pedal. Douglas has worked in recording studios across the Scottish central belt and the north of England. Alongside his experience working with bands he has been lecturing creative media students since 2007.
After relocating to the Highlands, Douglas got involved in Inverness Gigs as a way of getting to know the local music scene. Since then he has been impressed by the quality and variety of local bands and venues.
Julia Kirk – Writer
Tea drinking, Vintage Caravan towing, Festival floozey, I have long been in engaged in the local music scene. The opportunity to write came when I was considering donating my brain to a good cause, having suspended such pursuits, dithering over other artistic endeavours and raising my three sons.
Despite being immersed in music I am not a musician, writing about what I love is the next best thing. When it comes to musical tastes I must admit that my iPod has something of a split personality. I’d like to say its not all fun and gigs but that wouldn’t be true as I run The Tea Posy a quirky Vintage Tearoom, creative community space and unique live music venue within The Greenhouse Dingwall.
Jim Kennedy – Writer
Irn Bru, AC/DC and the Glasgow Apollo. That’s me. What does that tell you? That I’m an elderly classic rock lover with a rubbish diet.I’ve lived in the Highlands for last 20 years and am a music fan – anything with a chorus; everything from Taylor Swift and Girls Aloud to the aforementioned AC/DC and Biffy Clyro. I’ve played guitar and sung in bands most of my adult life, including everything from punk to ceilidh to rock. It’s all a joy. I’ve got to say I really like working for Inverness Gigs – I’ll be the one at the Ironworks drinking the Irn Bru!
Content contributed to the website.
Email via Jim@Igi.gs
Brian McIntosh – Photographer
Email; thegreenroom@mcintoshphotography.co.uk
Fiona Marshall – Writer
Paul Morrison – Photographer
Content contributed as per photo credit.
Email via Paul@igi.gs
Victoria Heywood – Writer
Normally found running around trying to organise everything and everyone, I have decided to take a more sedate path in life of late, and in doing so, have been given the wonderful opportunity to write reviews for this fantastic site. Not being a local, this is my first foray into the world of live music in Inverness. I have a fairly eclectic taste in music, but am particularly fond of Folk and Trad, and have a soft spot for fiddles.
Content contributed to the website, photos as per credit.
Danielle Wilson – Writer
Ever since I could understand it, I have been fascinated by the English language. It connects us, yet is also a key factor in defining us all as individuals. Combining my interest in journalism and my passion for music had always been something of a dream for me. I spent much of my teenage years travelling round the country to go to gigs, then would write up short pieces to be kept in a scrapbook of memories.
Johnny Wilson – Writer
Adrian Young – Photographer
Since being given the opportunity to start writing for Inverness Gigs around six months ago, I have developed my skills and passion further. I have interviewed some of Scotland’s up and coming artists, I was part of the team providing extensive coverage of this year’s Belladrum festival, I regularly attend gigs around the local area – helping to provide support to the many high quality bands around, as well as having the opportunity to review some of the higher profile shows.
Friends call me Ade. A part time professional photographer based in the Highlands. I may be considered a newbie to the local music scene but I love the challenge of working in low light and loud music.