British Music Festivals

Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival 2019

Festivals, Live music, Music Review

Driving south on the A9 through heavy rain and roadworks, the euphoric sunshine of the past 3 days seems almost otherworldly. Through the misty grey comes a flood of memories; of music, dancing, food; friends, family and strangers – aliens – and did I see a polar bear? Only at Belladrum!!

In its 16th incarnation the Highlands’ biggest music event remains one of a kind, not just for the region but within the global festival community. Boasting an extensive yet eclectic line-up of domestic and international talent, Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival is renowned for being a festival for all ages and musical interests. Nearly every genre is represented across its programme and the festival site itself accommodates multi-generational entertainment through everything from puppet-making and zorbing, to extreme sports, slam poetry, yoga, stand-up comedy, even burlesque workshops. And all that is without mentioning any of the chart-toppers on the bill. Anyone who thinks there isn’t much going on north of the central belt needs to get out more!

It’s not possible to single-handedly give a fully comprehensive rundown of the magic that played out over the course of this year’s Belladrum so here instead is simply 10 of the best bits.

1. The Sunshine

If you’ve been to a muddy festival before then you can already appreciate what a difference a little sun can make. The absence of rain throughout the duration of Bella meant not only that the ground was pretty stable to get around on, but it was also blissfully comfortable above 19°C for most of the day. Perfect conditions for hanging out with friends and family, having a picnic or a wee gin cocktail (because when there’s a dedicated Gin Palace how could you not?) and listening to great music in the warm evening air. It’s not always like this, as the veterans hasten to point out, so top mention has to go to mother nature: she nailed it this weekend.

2. The Sci-Fi Theme

Each year Belladrum gives itself over to a specific theme, designing areas of the site to reflect a certain aesthetic or attitude and inspiring patrons to expand their knowledge base in a particular direction. The theme for 2019 being Science Fiction, fancy dress took in all sorts of creative endeavours with Trekkies and Wookies, and even more abstract creatures popping up around the site. I spied Marty and Doc heading into the Venus Flytrap Palais while I was queuing for risotto. In addition but on the flipside of that was the Bella Boffinarium, set up to showcase “Science Fact” with presentations on astronomy, technology, rewilding and modern environmentalism. There was even an interactive aviation drama roaming around. Belladrum is special for a lot of different reasons and its dedication to presenting a theme that is engaging on so many levels is definitely one of the things that sets it apart.

But then, some music.

3.  Fat Suit

This funk fusion ensemble brought the sunshine inside the Hothouse on Thursday afternoon with radiant sax and trumpet, glittering guitar and soulful keyboards. From the moment they walked on stage the crowd was down to boogie and the band delivered just the right grooves to keep them moving. If yoga wasn’t your thing, Fat Suit could do plenty to loosen you up.

4. Wildwood Kin

What more can genetically perfected harmonies bring to the British Americana scene that we haven’t seen before? Perhaps not a lot, even with gifted multi-instrumentalists Wildwood Kin. But there’s absolutely nothing more enjoyable than hearing brilliant songs performed well. With the audience hanging on their every gorgeous note you couldn’t help swooning for the Devon trio. Latest singles “Never Alone” and “Beauty In Your Brokenness” were both shimmering and powerful.

Wildwood Kin

5. Man of Moon

Still yet to release their debut LP, the Edinburgh two-piece are evolving from a mildly psychedelic grunge act into some glorious electro-rock outfit with heavy shoegaze undertones. Drawing comparisons to Depeche Mode and The Twilight Sad doesn’t quite do justice to what they deliver in the live setting. The dynamic between singer/guitarist Chris Bainbridge and drummer Michael Reid is in constant flux and, without being unsettling, songs like “I Run” and “Skin” play out with exciting twists and turns. Consistently one of the best live bands of the last few years, they proved their sound is ready for the big stages.

6. Boy Division

Being moved from the Bella Bar Stage to the Seedlings Stage made this performance feel even more intimate and special for Divisionists (every great pop act has to have a name for their fan collective, right?) and the upgrade seemed to benefit Chris, Noah and Kieran as well, as they delivered note-perfect harmonies with seamless choreography throughout their brief but breathtaking performance. Pop music is streaming forward with unparalleled levels of self-awareness and these guys are already cresting the wave.

Boy Division

7. Ferris and Sylvester

Like every great song that finishes too soon, Ferris and Sylvester’s Grassroots stage set left their audience wanting. From the high energy blues-folk of “Burning River” to the aching sweetness of “Flying Visits” with one microphone between them, they commanded attention in the kindest possible way.

Ferris and Sylvester

8. Glasvegas

Given the honour of headlining the Hothouse Stage up against fellow Glaswegians Chvrches, Glasvegas were the perfect antithesis of their Garden Stage peers. Mere silhouettes against a wash of red and white lights, they allowed their songs to swell and cascade out over the enormous crowd that couldn’t be contained by the walls of the sweaty tent. Spontaneous singalongs erupted frequently and singer James Allen noted that the audience participation on acoustic track “Whitey” would go down as his highlight of the festival. It was spirited and emotional from start to end, and heartening to see the band still at the top of their live game.

9. Self Esteem

Probably the most impressive and enjoyable performance of the whole weekend, Rebecca Taylor as Self Esteem is everything pop music should be in 2019; witty, honest, fun. With her band dressed all in red and working through some sultry tongue-in-cheek dance routines, while singing poignant and catchy songs about sexuality, relationships and identity, she is the musical role model you wish mass media was championing instead of the next vapid internet fad. Emphasis on the fun.

Self Esteem

10. Lewis Capaldi’s Reception

With a genuine talent and charm like Capaldi’s there’s not much point discussing his performance. It was great, as expected. The atmosphere when he came onstage however, that was something else. It’s hard to say accurately how many of Belladrum’s 20,000 capacity crowd was actually in front of the Garden Stage at 8pm on Saturday night but it was a majority. Like a big majority. An unprecedented volume by all accounts. And the atmosphere was incomparable. I’ve been to plenty of festivals and stadium shows and I’ve heard some screams. Capaldi’s arrival was met with the kind of noise that makes you think defenders over your earplugs would have been a good shout. Tinnitus on command. It was equally the most terrifying and exciting moment I’ve experienced in the photo pit; I wouldn’t like to do it again but I’d recommend it to anyone. And what’s more it was sustained. It was as if the crowd had been sparing themselves all weekend waiting for this one set. Even if you didn’t like the guy’s music you couldn’t help but stand in awe of what he brought to the event.

Lewis Capaldi

All that said, there were a few weak spots; the overcrowding around the Garden Stage for Lewis Capaldi created tension as security had to restrict access while some folk tried to reserve spaces with hazardous camping chairs or blankets. Arguments on the periphery and discomfort in the middle felt very much like a catastrophe waiting to happen. At the same time Peat & Diesel were letting rip in the Hothouse and that too required added crowd-control measures that felt about as dangerous as the crowd crush itself with punters corralled inside the tent.

The impact of crowding was further demonstrated in traffic queues entering and, especially, leaving the site with some patrons reporting waits of 3 to 5 hours to vacate the carpark. A good service of shuttle buses from Inverness city centre helped to manage the flow of day visitors but delays could be further alleviated with the addition of a park and ride nearby to reduce the volume of cars accessing the property directly down the tiny roads. Density on site meant mobile functionality was reduced. It wasn’t the lack of Snapchat and Instagram so much that was frustrating, but trying to find friends or family to coordinate meals, transport and basic welfare was a bit of a nightmare. For the most part these were minor gripes and the overall feedback around the festival grounds was naturally very positive again this year.

The one major blight on Belladrum is still the masses of rubbish it generates in an otherwise pristine community. The use of disposables at a festival of this scale is unnecessary and does nothing to encourage respectful or resourceful behaviour. It’s 2019; dropping plastic cups anywhere is unacceptable.

Hopefully these are matters the new owners will look to address moving forward with the festival, to maintain the safety and sustainability of their wonderfully warm, family-friendly event. For now, with the many musical blessings of this year playing over in our minds, as the rain sets in to soothe and cleanse the grounds the countdown to Belladrum 2020 can begin.

The National – Castlefield Bowl

Live music, Music Review

On the third night of Manchester’s Sounds Of The City open air festival music fans who defied the forecast of evening showers were rewarded with an immersive and exhilarating performance by one of American indie rock’s keystone bands, The National. Opening their European summer tour with a one-off headline show ahead of some festival dates provided the band with a unique opportunity to showcase latest album I Am Easy To Find, while polishing up some old favourites, in front of an enthusiastic 8000-capacity crowd.

While many punters were still arriving the early support slot was filled by Nashville-based artist Adia Victoria. The singer spared no effort getting the crowd warmed up under the densely humid afternoon sky. Her sometimes-husky voice and sultry melodies, accompanied by occasional twirls and a sway of hips infused the performance with a powerful sensuality that contrast to the themes of songs like “Devil Is A Lie” and “The Needle’s Eye”. Finishing on the creeping groove of “Different Kind Of Love”, Victoria makes it clear she’s here for a good time, if not a long time.

When the headliners take to the stage there’s a peculiar feeling of anticipation. Singer Matt Berninger appears to be in a light-hearted mood, ducking behind the piano as the crowd erupts in applause. The feeling shifts almost immediately to one of serious concentration as the band lead off with a string of songs from their latest album. It’s always a shock to the system when an established band comes to tour new material. That initial excitement and apprehension about what they will play and how it will flow weighs on both the performers and their audience. In this set of 25 songs 12 come from I Am Easy To Find. It’s a lot to take on and there are some sound issues throughout the first half of the set where Berninger’s vocals are occasionally drowned out by guitars, synths and horns. There’s a lot of words and a lot of voices and on no fewer than 3 instances the frontman concedes he messed up his part. Exchanging melodies and harmonies with 3 stunning female vocalists in Eve Owen, Mina Tindle and Gail Ann Dorsey gives the new songs like “Oblivions” and “Where Is Her Head” a much stronger sense of collaboration which stands out against some of the older tracks like “Bloodbuzz Ohio” and “Apartment Story”.

The National performing at Castlefield Bowl, Manchester

There’s a defiant sense of progress about the setlist too; not only are there a lot of new songs but there are fewer and fewer very old songs. One of the things fans love about seeing The National live is that, yes there are certain favourites they will always play but no 2 nights will ever be the same. The band change up their set for every single show and there’s always some unexpected treats from the catalogue. In Manchester these included “Green Gloves” and “All The Wine” which bookended some amusing chat from Berninger about capitalism after he exchanged his seemingly unpleasant drink with a fan in the front row.

Another standard of The National’s live show is the moment of insanity that ensues every time Matt Berninger wades into the crowd. It’s as exciting as it is terrifying and yet he does it so regularly that the band almost don’t notice, but that wingmen/guitarists Aaron and Bryce Dessner intuitively know when to occupy front and centre stage. “Day I Die” sees one such moment, after which Berninger appears quite dishevelled, his crisp white shirt untucked and his glasses skewed. Yet he returns again during “Graceless” where the microphone is all but lost to the crowd and his voice is barely heard over the shout-singing of those around him. His antics are especially jovial late in the set. During “The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness” he interferes with Aaron Dessner’s guitar change and finds himself flirting with the edge of the stage before running and leaping into position for the opening lyric. At one point he coaxes a phone from someone in the crowd, taking it on stage to film his perspective before tossing it back into the melee.

The band close out the set with “Fake Empire” and a new crowd favourite “Rylan” just as the heavy sky starts to give way to a light mist. Berninger’s protracted departure from the stage sees him handing a bottle of wine from his personal stash into the crowd, followed by some cups. “Now I don’t even have time to pee before the encore” he complains. Not leaving without playing a final couple of songs from the new album, they push on with the encore as Berninger enters the crowd one final time during “Mr November”. He emerges at the end of it a somewhat changed man, mainly in that he is unable to hear the band clearly or keep up with “Terrible Love” until well into the bridge, at which point the Dessner’s take over and drown out whatever vocals remain to be heard.

Shenanigans have cost them time and as they set up the final songs, a typical crowd singalong with “Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks” the venue hits its 10.30pm curfew and all amplification is silenced. Lights come on as the crowd leads line after line, drowning out all but a faint tambourine on the stage that keeps time until the last note is sung. Rain falls heavier, the louder the chorus rises until finally the gathering disperses by mutual agreement. Another one-of-a-kind night for fans, if not quite an auspicious show to kick off this tour.