Boutique-licious: A Guide To Scotland's Independent Music Festivals

I don't about you guys, but I fell out of love with big festivals a long time ago. Getting drunk in a crowded field, whilst drinking over priced watered down beer, just doesn't have the same appeal as it once did. Having been to a few festivals on the continent, and the short lived Indian Summer Festivals, took the shine off things that little bit for me. I guess I am not alone in feeling this way, as in recent years the number of independent festivals that have sprung up across Scotland is really quite phenomenal. With a focus on quality homegrown products (both in terms of bands and produce), the emergence of so many new independent Scottish music festivals is something that I can't sing highly enough about. So if you're sick of sharing a field with 85,000 other people, then you should get yourself along to one of these...

Brew At The Bog


When?  Saturday the 5th of May

Where? Bogbain Farm just outside of Inverness

Who's Playing?  Highlights include Washington Irving, Endor, Over The Wall, The Seventeenth Century and many many more cracking Scottish bands

How Much?  £10.00 to £45.00

What makes your festival so special?

Yvonne Murray (Brew at the Bog organiser) Brew at the Bog has been described by the Scotsman as one of the top 5 boutique festivals in Scotland...and the festival hasn't even taken place yet! There's 3 things I think that will make Brew at the Bog stand head and shoulders above anything else this year.  The lineup is a knockout, Bogbain Farm is shaping to be one of the brightest new venues in the country and is only 5mins from Inverness, and BrewDog are supplying the tastiest beers you're ever likely to drink.  

Who are you most looking forward to seeing?  

YM - That's not fair! How can I pick anyone over the other - I seriously think our lineup is pretty special and I swear I am so looking forward to hearing everyone. I just need to make sure we are so organised beforehand that we can relax a bit during the festival! However, I have really been enjoying Bensh, who are an Austrian/Welsh band and so I think that'll be pretty cool! Also looking forward to seeing folk having an ace time at Bogbain!

Kilmarnock's Dirty Weekender

When?  Friday 1st - Sunday 3rd of June



Where?  Kilmarnock


Who's Playing?  Highlights include We Were Promised Jetpacks, The Lafontaines and Rod Jones of Idlewild fame, plus many more


How Much?  £12 - 25


What makes your festival so special and who are you most looking forward to seeing?

Ben Grant from The Indiebendent "For me Kilmarnock's Dirty Weekender is special because the Dirty Weekender is an independently organised and funded festival that literally has something for everyone. So many different genres from Ska to heavy rock or maybe some acoustic goodness inbetween. 

Personally I'm looking forward to finally catch The LaFontaines in the flesh aswell as seeing This Silent Forest and Julia And The Doogans for first time in a long while. Another one to watch out for is local acoustic singer songwriter Sean Kennedy he's been away working hard writing some new material so I'm excited to see what comes of his hard work."

Downhill Downtown


When?  Friday 8th - Saturday 9th of June


Where?  The Nevis Centre, Fort William


Who's Playing?  King Creosote, The Phantom Band, Admiral Fallow, Stanley Odd, Bwani Junction and a lot more


How Much?  £6:00 - £17:50 (+booking fee)


What makes your festival so special and who are you most looking forward to seeing? 

Derick Mackinnon (New Found Sound)  "I think it's more to do with the fact we're programming music alongside the Mountain Bike World Cup, rather than being a stand alone, unique music festival. The UCI World Cup is one of the biggest and most established sporting events in the UK, combined with some of Scotland's most exciting and respected artists it all adds up to a real celebration of Scottish culture surrounded by the stunning landscapes that Fort William has to offer I'm looking forward to the whole thing, the mountain biking as well as the artists."

The Insider Festival

When?  Friday 15th - Sunday 17th of June



Where?  Inshriach House, Aviemore


Who's Playing?  Highlights include Meursault, Stanley Odd, Optimo, The Little Kicks and much much more.


How Much?  £25 - £100


What makes your festival so special and who are you most looking forward to seeing?

Walter Micklethwait (Inshriach House)  "I guess what makes is special is the care and attention that go into it, from the food to the theme to the line up to to the way everything is designed and built. Its a complete a labour of love and each year it evolves but at the same time it doesn't shout too much about it, I like the way people respond to that. Three years practise mean its going to be a really polished operation this year and the Olympiad idea offers almost limitless comedic scope.  

Tunes wise it might be time to sneak off into the woods and complete my Glasgow education with Optimo who i have never seen... Kan are always great (Friday) and the despots and dictators ball on Sunday night ought to round things off in dapper style with the Loveboat Big band. We are probably just about to announce the full line up. "

Solas Festival

When?  Friday 22nd - Sunday 24th of June



Where? Wiston by Biggar, South Lanarkshire

Who's Playing?  Highlights include Admiral Fallow, Stanley Odd, Washington Irving, plus loads more


How Much?  £15-85


What makes your festival so special and who are you most looking forward to seeing?

Leanne Clelland (Solas Festival organiser) "Solas Festival does seem to engender that feeling of being special - and each year we are surprised and delighted by that. 

Perhaps it's because it's a space for people at all stages of life. You'll not find anything that you're too young or too old to get involved in. And, the artists, festival-goers and volunteers all seem to revel in the unique, welcoming, relaxing space that comes together against the back-drop of the Summer Solstice.

We work really hard to make sure that people feel that they are doing more than just paying out their money to consume the arts. Solas Festival is a space were they can uncover the artist within themselves - be that in our open mic venues, unsigned stage or in the creative arts sessions. The festival is also more than just an arts festival but much more of a holistic event which has something for mind, body and soul.

I have a long, and growing, list of must-sees. I'm very excited about seeing Admiral Fallow in one of our intimate venues. 

But I'm also really curious about the unsigned stages. Last year, we had Rory Butler play at the festival and this last year has been a roller-coaster of success for him, including wining a Danny Kyle award at Celtic Connections.  So, I'm really looking forward to seeing who might be the next star in the making from this year's as-yet unsigned talent.

And then there's a fantastically eclectic line-up from the traditional and folk music scene. Nic Gareiss is the world's pre-eminent trad dancer and will be joined by poets Padraig O'Tuama and Aonghas MacNeacail. Raghu Dixit - a name which might not mean a whole lot to you now - is about to take Scotland by storm with his incredible Indian folk sound. I've been listening to him on repeat while I'm working and his work is really bewitching.

I have a couple of young sons and they just can't wait for the freedom to ramble in the magical forest, catch tadpoles and listen to storytellers like Mrs Mash and Waste of Paint. And while they're off roaming, I might grab a nice cuppa and listen in to a talk by Andy Wightman or Sonya Sharma. Only a few weeks to go and we can't wait!"

Kelburn Garden Party

When?  Staurday 30th June - Sunday 1st July



Where? Kelburn Castle & Country Park near Largs

Who's Playing?  Highlights include The Phantom Band, Panda Su and Behold The Old Bear


How Much?  £68 (Includes camping and Under 13s Go Free)

What makes Kelburn so special?

David Boyle (Kelburn organiser)  "The quick answer is the sheer mind blowing beauty of the site and the creativity that it inspires, but really I think it's a combination of ingredients that come together to form an utterly unique event. Set in a lush country park by the sea, Kelburn is a wonderland like no other festival site and is the inspiration for The Garden Party. With a Graffiti Castle and the islands of the west coast as the backdrop and a dramatic wooded glen through the middle, with waterfalls to swim in and hidden gigs, workshops and outdoor theatre tucked away to discover, there is no festival experience that can match it.  The programming is inclusive, open minded and always exceptional but after 3 years we, like our festival fans, take that for granted. With a focus on supporting the best in Scottish talent, there’s everything from swing jazz and rock and roll to cutting edge dubstep and underground DJs, acoustic sessions and ceilidhs to indie and hip hop. This sensory overload is enriched through details in magical lighting installations, floating lanterns, barrel fires and painstaking décor and underpinning it all there is an intangible yet unmissable vibe of creativity and collaboration, energy and love, and unadulterated fun.  Kelburn is only great, can only be great, because of the team of artists, contributors and volunteers who insist on creating the best festival in Scotland. That care and hard work is easy to sense but difficult to describe. You'll have to come and find out for yourself.  

What am I most looking forward to see?  

There is so much I can’t wait to see this year but the most magical moments for me, and what makes Kelburn Garden Party so special are the secret hidden gigs: The orchestra in the walled gardens, the ska band in the glen, or the drum circle high on the hill looking out over the islands. The intimate atmosphere at these one off sumptuous locations is overwhelming and not to be missed - if you can find them!  In truth though, when people manage to transcend the mundanities and weariness of life and become truly alive, you can see it in there eyes and feel it lifting the mood around them. I don't know any event that is as friendly or as fun as Kelburn and that's entirely thanks to our festival fans, so really, it's them whom we are most look forward to seeing.

The Big Tent Festival


When?  Saturday 21st - Sunday 22nd of July



Where? Falkland in Fife (just north of Glenrothes)

Who's Playing?  Highlights include The Proclaimers, Karine Polwart, Woodenbox, plus a lot more.


How Much?  £30 - 155


What makes your festival so special and who are you most looking forward to seeing?
Angela Michael (The Big Tent Festival organiser)  "...well lots of things but probably the beautiful historic setting of Falkland Estate teamed with all the extra activities and debates on the environment as well as a diverse music line up and the great food.  Big Tent is also very affordable, probably the best value boutique festival anywhere in the UK for families and groups….two stages, 30 music acts and lots of debate, speaker slots, poetry, songwriter sessions and lots of locally sourced organic food.  I am personally looking forward to the Federation of the Disco Pimps just because of the great name and the fact that they play funk infused big band music!...oh…and I am looking forward to the food…I go to lots of festivals and Big Tent has the best selection of food at any festival I have visited in a very long time."

Doune The Rabbit Hole


When?  Friday 22th- Sunday 26th of  August



Where? Duncarron Fort, Carron Valley (near Croy)

Who's Playing?  Highlights include The Phantom Band, Withered Hand, John Knox Sex Club and a shed load more


How Much?  £30 -78 (Under 12s go free)


What makes your festival so special and who are you most looking forward to seeing?
Jamie Murray (Doune The Rabbit Hole organiser)  "This year's Dtrh is going to be an ecstatic celebration of music and art. Despite all the great acts that are on board like Aidan Moffat & Bill Wells and the Phantom Band (look out for more headliners announced on May 7th!) I still think that the setting is the most remarkable thing about this year. We're in the Duncarron medieval fort which really is a site to behold, alongside a giant loch and river, within a forest and only 40 minutes from Glasgow and Edinburgh. On top of all that we've got a raft of caterers on board to tantalize your tastebuds as well as a cinema (featuring movies curated by the acts) and a devoted spoken-word stage within a giant medieval longhouse. It's going to be a pretty amazing weekend!"

Born To Be Wide: Festivals Seminar

Those nice folk at Born To Wide, Scotland’s only regular music-business seminar night, have announced that their first seminar of the year will take place next month and it is going to be devoted to music festivals and the opportunities that they can offer to emerging acts. Taking place at their regular haunt, Edinburgh’s Electric Circus, the event will be held on Thursday 2 February, it will detail the selection procedure, fees, what artists are offered in terms of promotion and how they can make the best use of the opportunity.

To date they've confirmed that they will have folk along from  DF Concerts (who put on T In The Park/The Edge Festival), Knockengorroch Festival, The Insider Festival and Go Events (who put on goNorth and also showcase at events such as Wickerman, Belladrum, Loopallu and Wizard.

“Festivals offer a great platform for emerging acts to reach new audiences,” says Born To Be Wide co-organiser, Olaf Furniss. “This event will provide a unique insight into what festivals offer, and will also give musicians the opportunity to meet the bookers. We recommend people bring their CDs!“

After the panel, the seminar guests will stay at the venue to DJ with records they have selected from Edinburgh’s Oxfam music shop. Everything played will be for sale with all proceeds going to the charity.

Buy tickets in advance and save money, click below or visit: www.borntobewide.bigcartel.com

Community Service #7 - Walter Micklethwait (Insider Festival)

Last year it felt like a Scottish festival got cancelled every other week, Homecoming, Connect and the Outsider Festival all bit the bullet, it was from the ashes of the latter that the Insider Festival was born. Having already built home made stages for the Backwoods bar at the Outsider, the owners of holiday home, Inshriach House in the Cairngorms National Park, spotted an opportunity to organise something a bit different. With just weeks until the weekend of what would have been the Outsider, they managed to rally various friends and family and pull off what would appear to be achieve the impossible and organise an independent music festival within the space of a few weeks. Impressive, most impressive.

Now that the Insider is back for a second year (17th-20th June), I managed to grab a few words with one of the organisers (miracle workers), Walter Micklethwait, to ask him a few questions about what we can expect from this years event.

Would you care to introduce yourself?
There are 4 of us behind the Insider, I own Inshriach, Gordon runs the Old Bridge Inn in Aviemore, Polly and Ross run the Ord Ban Restaurant, then a heap of friends and locals get involved.

What can we expect from this years Insider Festival?
A real stormer of a line up, beautiful weather, the best food in Scotland, an amazing bar, its going to be the best festival you have never heard of.

Do you have a background in putting on live music?
Sort of. In amongst other jobs I was involved in sponsoring festivals, then ran the odd festival bar, then decided i preferred building stages and sets. I was involved for parties for MTV for a stretch before moving to Scotland. Standon Calling was a birthday party when I started there and has grown into something great so I guess thats a yes. Gordy deals with most of the line up for the Insider and is putting a lot of the bands who play the Insider on at the Old Bridge and lots of them have a real following round here.

What was it that motivated you to take on something as big as this?
That the four of us get on really well coupled, knowing some clever people who could get the licensing sorted in time and some more people who would help us put it together and knowing Inshriach would make the most stunning setting for a festival. Despite the line up its not that big, we are only looking for 500 people this year. The cancellation of the Outsider sparked it off, it was going to happen on the next estate down and when it was pulled we put the Insider together.

Has it been a lot easier for you to organise this years event, given that you have a lot more time to organise it? (Was it about 2 months last year?)
It was a miracle it happened at all last year, the Highland council were amazing and we got our license through in 6 weeks (on the Friday the party started). Its been a lot easier just having done it before, a lot of the musicians from last year have become friends, word has spread that we put on a good time and lots more folk are offering to help us improve it.

What criteria do you look for when selecting artists to play?
We sit together, usually late at night, and find bands that do it for us. Then we ask them nicely.




Are you still looking for artists to play at this years event? And if so are you looking for people to get in touch?
We have already spectacularly blown all our money for this year but every day we get a dozen emails with bands offering to play and some of them are right and we find a way to make it happen

What was your highlight from last years festival? And what are you most looking forward to this year?
The Friday night impromptu jam session round the piano in the bar, or the jam where Lau plus Charlie McKerron, Tim Edey, Adam Sutherland and Bo Jingham played through Sunday night and into Monday afternoon covered in cake. Anything involving jam basically. The line up this year is really exciting, there are many more bands involved and there are some collaborations in the pipeline that ought to be incredible

Lastly, can we expect to see the Insider to become a regular addition to the Scottish festival scene?
For as long as it remains fun and we dont lose the shirts off our backs you can expect to see us back.


The line up for this years festival is an absolute belter, check out what they have lined up so far; Sparrow and the Workshop, Jo Mango, Admiral Fallow, Bob Hillary and the Massive Mellow, Mary Hampton, Mike and Solveig, Mike Heron and Daughter, Donna Maciocia, the Banana Sessions, Horndog Brass Band, Joe Acheson Quartet, Three Blind Wolves, The Woodland Orchestra, Adopted as Holograph, Matt Bennett (Kinky Afro), The Injuns, Claes Cem, Rachel Sermanni, Woodenbox with a Fistful of Fivers, Charlie McKerron&Friends, King Arthurs Men, John Langan Band, Feis Spe, Jack Sandison and The Holy Ghosts, The Stagger Rats, Over The Wall, Alasdair Roberts, Kill It Kid, Bonfire Band, Foxgang and The Little Kicks. That's a mouth watering line up if I do say so myself.
Early bird tickets are on sale now at £60, once they're all gone they'll be £70, still a shit load cheaper than any of the big corporate Scottish festivals. Buy them here.

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Inshriach House

The Return of the Insider Festival 2010

2009 was a terrible year for Scottish festivals, it almost felt as every week one was being cancelled. So it's really refreshing to see this truly independent festival coming back for a second year. Set in the grounds of Inshriach House near Aviemore, on the weekend of the 18th to 20th June,
Tickets for the weekend are a very reasonable £70 (TITP £180 and Rockness £149), this includes your camping too. With a capacity of just 600, tickets probably won't be about for long. So far the only band to have been announced is the Joe Acheson Quartet, but if last years line up is anything to go by then we are in for a treat.

The organisers are trying to keep the festival as eco-friendly as possible by using locally sourced food, our drink, and most of the bands playing will be relatively local, apart from maybe a couple from Ireland, and probably some Scandinavians. Wherever possible their bars and stages are made of recycled materials and all of their rubbish gets recycled. Their thinking is that the Insider happens in an area of outstanding natural beauty and they want it to stay that way. Sounds like a great idea to me. If that sounds like it'd be your kind of festival, then head on over to their home page for further details.

Insider Festival Line Up

With less than two weeks to go until the start of the first ever Insider Festival, things seem to be hotting up in the Highlands, with the line up nearly finalised, the main organiser Walter Micklethwait takes us through what treats they've got in store....

Lau.

"Lau have been described as a formidable union of three of the finest and most innovative exponents of moder traditional music in Scotland today. We think that probably undersells them... We are absolutely delighted to welcome, as very special guests, Kris Drever, Martin Green and Aidan O'Rourke. Together they have released two highly acclaimed albums, toured widely and received the honour of being named 'Group of the Year' at the BBC Radio2 Folk Awards... the last 2 years running!

Robin Adams.

Former cornerstone of Glasgow punk legends Sleepmode and a hairy, prolific purveyor of plucky guitar folk and poetic lyrics.

John Langan.

Winner of the Danny Kyle Open Stage at Celtic Connections 2008, John comes across as a raucous combination of Gypsy folk troubadour and the most energetic barnstorming busker you ever did hear.

The Banana Sessions.

A refreshing cocktail of incredible musicianship, good humour, cups of tea and dapper sartorial elegance. Prodigy medleys anyone?

Washington Irving.

Drawing comparisons with the likes of Belle and Sebastian, The Pogues and Arcade Fire, the Washington Irving Steamer is gathering pace and we're glad to be on board!

Sparrow and the Workshop.

Glasgow's premier Scottish/Welsh/American 3-piece, formed under the heavy fog of yeast from the Tennents Factory. Recent accolades include BBC Radio2 single of the week, and bronze in the 2008 Womens World Stone-Skimming Championships.

Ross Clark and the Scarfs Go Missing.

Enigmatic front man? Check. Thumping rhythm section? Check. Catchy, atmospheric mix of Americana stylings? Check.

Mitchell Museum.

Having progressed somewhat from early experiments in banging canisters for kicks, mitchell museum tread a heady psychedelic path that recalls the creative arc of bands like Animal Collective, Flaming Lips and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah.

The Storm of 83.

All the way from smoggy London (innit) The Storm of 83 play a brooding brand of rock n roll, as well as hosting their own night down south where they get awesome bands along, then nick all their good ideas. Expect tears, lightning and kick abouts in the garden.

Woodenbox and a Fistful of Fivers.

Rousing Balkan rhythms, itchy beards, checked shirts and an instrument roster that includes trumpet, sax and ukulele. What's not to love?

The Injuns present... A Dead Man's Waltz.

Inventive, theatrical and wonderfully musical, the Injuns have something special in store for us...

Bombskare.

For those familiar with the 10 piece ska legion that is Bombskare, no introduction is necessary. For everyone else... where the hell have you been? Saturday night is skank night!

Laki Mera.

Electronic acoustic may be a contradiction in terms, but so is raw stew and we all know how good that is. Actually wait, not a good analogy. Laki Mera make some of the most beautiful electronic backed acoustic music this side of Portishead's most haunting moments.

Isoceles.

With influences ranging from ESG and Captain Beefheart to Pythagoras and his Theorem Ensemble (very popular c500 BC), Isosceles play uplifting angular guitar pop that has earned them supporting slots with, amongst others, Franz Ferdinand.

Will Cookson.

Pastoral and delicate, Will's debut album, A Beautiful Sunday is "A beautiful collection of songs performed with a delicacy and fragility that is truy heart-warming", or so say NME. Perfect Sunday afternoon soundtracked for frazzled minds? We think so...

Adopted as Holograph.

A brand new project from ex-members of influential Glasgow band Uncle John and Whitelock with some heavy Eastern European and Country influences.

Charlie Mckerron.

A true luminary of the Scottish folk scene, whether fiddling with Celtic stalwarts Capercaillie or Session A9, Charlie is as well respected a musician as your likely to find at any party this year. And the festival is taking place practically in his back garden so he can make as much noise as he likes!

Over the Wall.

“One of the most likeable live bands you can witness in Scotland at the moment, their touching lo-fi electronic nuances give us all a reason to look to the future with a glint in our eyes.” – The Herald

Sorren Mclean.

A wonderful Highland musician who has been gathering popular and critical acclaim over the last few years, albeit in a typically Scottish 'under-the-radar' manner...

ProVinylistKarim.

Without doubt, Glasgow's number one party DJ of choice, having supported an insane amount of world-class hip-hop and electronic acts over the years. Part of hugely influential, cutting edge Numbers crew.

Johnny Whoop!

Another stonkin' one-man-party DJ making the trip from Glasgow... If Whoop don't make your booty move, yo booty must be dead!

Reaz.

Bringing a refreshing splash of electronica to the proceedings, Reaz will be treating us to a very special live set, on a Boards of Canada tip... we might even persuade him to throw up some funk in the DJ bowl.

Small Tall & Bakewell

The Insiders own crack superDJ assault squad. Watch yirself."

A limited number of tickets are still available here

Insider Weekend 26th-29th June from Ali Macca on Vimeo.

Inside Information

In case you aren't already aware, tickets for the inaugural Insider Festival are now on on sale, actually they've been on sale for about a week now and seem to be selling pretty rapidly. tickets are a very reasonable £40 and are available from the Insider Homepage.

If you don't fancy 'slumming it' in a normal tent then you can live a life of luxury in your own Yurt (I had to google what this is), apparently it's a portable, felt-covered, wood lattice-framed dwelling structure used by nomads in the steppes of Central Asia (see you learn something new every day). If you you just can't live without the comfort of a bed then Aviemore is only 4 miles away, which will cost you about £12 at night by taxi.

The line up still has a few additions to be made to it, so far they have the following lined up:-

Bombskare, Sparrow and the Workshop, Bo Jingham, Charlie McKerron, Ross Clark (and the Scarves Go Missing), The Injuns present: Dead Man’s Waltz, Robin Adams, Woodenbox, Washington Irving, John Langan Band, The Banana Sessions, Tallulah Rendall, Will Cookson

and Black Hand Gang

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Inside Out- the Insider Festival

With the Outside Festival being cancelled due a lack of ticket sales, it looked as if the Scottish festival go-ers were going to be missing out on yet another weekend of excellent music. Fear not though as from the ashes of Outsider we have the Insider Festival (subject to licensing) which will take place on the same weekend in the beautiful surroundings of Inshriach House, in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park. It is being run by the people who were due to run all the bars at Outsider, and as they had already built most of the stage and bar, struck deals with brewers and distilleries, made friends with lots of musicians and invited lots of friends they have decided to hold an alternative festival at Inshriach, catering for a maximum of 500 people.

The big catch at the moment is that they have only 6 weeks to get their application through, a process which normally takes 3 months, so we'll be keeping our fingers crossed for them.
If it does all work out, then the plan is to go with the line up they had planned for the Outsider which includes the following;

Sparrow and the workshop,
Woodenbox,
Washington Irving
Ross Clark and the Scarves go missing
Will Cookson
The John Langan Band
Babelfish
Banana Sessions
The Injuns,
Claes Cem
and a motley selection of musicians from Session A9 and Treacherous Orchestra.
Plus DJs and other entertainment

Hopefully if this all pans out, then the festival would start with a chilled instrumental day on the Friday night, with the main line up running through Saturday and Sunday.
Ticket prices have still to be confirmed, although the organiser is hoping to bring it in around the £30 mark, which is a bit of a bargain in my eyes.

If all of that hasn't turned your pretty little head, then perhaps this might, food, now I've got your attention you greedy little pigs you! The plan is for the organisers to provide all of the food from there's and other local estates. Serving things like spit roast lamb, venison, trout from Rothiemurchus, Glenfeshie smoked salmon, salads from our own gardens and so on.

This sounds like it could be one hell of a party, I will keep you posted with any updates on this one as soon as I hear anything further.

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Where? Cairngorms National Park
When? 27th-28th June
How Much? TBC (but it should be roughly about £30)